MSC Cruises has reached two significant milestones for its highly anticipated new ships, MSC World Europa and MSC Euribia, bringing these vessels closer to service and representing amazing progress for the MSC fleet.
MSC World Europa was floated out today, while MSC Euribia had her traditional coin ceremony as the keel was laid. Both events took place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
MSC World Europa Floated Out
Now that MSC World Europa, the first LNG-powered vessel to join the MSC Cruises fleet, has been floated out, she will be moved to a wet dock for work to continue until her delivery in November 2022.
MSC World Europa is the first ship in the highly anticipated MSC World Class, and will be one of the largest and most innovative cruise ships in the world when she sets sail. This new class of ships will feature a Y-shaped aft leading to an impressive 341-foot-long half open, half covered Europa Promenade with breathtaking views.
Balcony cabins overlook the promenade, which features a striking architectural centerpiece – The Venom Drop @ The Spiral, an 11-deck-high dry slide which will be the longest at sea.
The ship will offer different experiences with distinct districts, each with its own mood, from a tranquil zen district to the energetic promenade to a separate family district with 10 new kids’ facilities. Dining options will also be some of the most innovative at sea, such as the Chef’s Garden Kitchen focusing on flavorful microgreens and La Pescaderia, a traditional seafood grill with alfresco seating.
In addition to innovative guest features, MSC World Europa also boasts amazingly innovative energy efficiency. MSC Cruises and the Chantiers de l’Atlantique have confirmed the ship’s installation of a fuel cell pilot plant known as Blue Horizon, the first time an LNG-powered fuel cell has been used on a cruise ship. The technology will use liquified natural gas (LNG) to convert fuel into electricity at one of the highest efficiencies of any power solution available today.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said: “Today is another important milestone in our journey towards net zero emissions by 2050 for our marine operations. As the cleanest fuel currently available at scale for our operations, LNG is at the vanguard of the momentous energy transition we must go through.”
The 205,700-gross ton MSC World Europa is scheduled to welcome her first guests in December 2022, debuting in the Gulf region and sailing from Dubai. In March 2023, the ship will head to the Mediterranean Sea to offer sailings that include Italy, Malta, Spain, and France.
The ship’s 2,026 staterooms can accommodate 5,079 passengers at double occupancy and more than 6,700 passengers when fully booked, and the ship will carry more than 1,400 crew members to ensure exceptional service.
Keel Laid for MSC Euribia
Also on December 2, the traditional coin ceremony took place as the keel was laid for MSC Cruises’ second LNG-powered ship, MSC Euribia.
Anne Claire Juventin, Responsible for Quality Control from Chantiers de l’Atlantique, and Valentina Mancini, Brand Manager from MSC Cruises, performed the traditional ritual as godmothers representing the ship owner and the shipbuilder when they placed two coins under the keel as the historical sign of blessing and good fortune for the project and the ship’s operational life at sea.
MSC Euribia will be one of the most environmentally advanced ships in MSC Cruises’ fleet and is named after the ancient goddess Eurybia who harnessed the winds, weather, and constellations to master the seas. To showcase the importance of her name and MSC Cruises’ commitment to environmental stewardship, the hull art of MSC Euribia will communicate the importance of the marine environment wherever she sails.
MSC Euribia, which just celebrated her initial steel-cutting in June, is scheduled to debut in June, 2023 and will then be the 22nd ship in the MSC fleet at approximately 183,500 gross tons.
Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said: “It is indeed a very special moment we are living today. This is not only because these ships are respectively the 15th and the 16th we are building for MSC Cruises, which shows the outstanding quality of the relationship we established between our two companies since the 90’s. But it is also and especially because they represent a giant step towards what the cruise ships of the future will look like. At their delivery, they will have the best carbon footprint in the market, in terms of emissions per passenger and per day.”
Together, the innovations of MSC World Europa and MSC Euribia represent amazing changes in the sustainability of the cruise industry.
