MSC Cruises Celebrates Grandiosa’s Maiden Season in Brazil

Posted on 4 December, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

The MSC Grandiosa arrived in Brazil for its first winter season in South America.

Repositioning from the Western Mediterranean, the 4,888-guest vessel docked at its new homeport in Santos on Nov. 25.

To mark the occasion, MSC Cruises invited over 2,800 guests for a celebration onboard the 177,100-ton cruise ship, which also became the largest ever to operate in Brazil.

“It is a great source of pride to have a ship like this here, bringing passengers to travel within our country,” said the company’s Brazil Country Manager Adrian Ursilli.

He also noted that the Grandiosa is MSC’s 17th new ship to arrive in Brazil since the debut of MSC Armonia in 2004.

The event included a symbolic christening of the Grandiosa that saw Marlene Ribeiro – the longest-tenured employee of MSC Cruises in Brazil – serving as godmother.

“MSC Cruises is a family company. Everyone is always together and in good spirits. The choice of the MSC Grandiosa godmother is a demonstration of this,” said Fabio Gatti, the company’s Global Director of Entertainment.

Part of a six-ship program in the region, the MSC Grandiosa is now offering a series of cruises to different Brazilian destinations.

In addition to Santos, the ship’s regular seven-night itineraries feature visits to Salvador, Maceió and Búzios.

Set to be repeated through late March, the cruise can be started at any of the ports of call, with the exception of Búzios.

The MSC Grandiosa was built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France and originally entered service in 2019.

Part of MSC Cruises’ five-ship Meraviglia Class, the vessel offers several different amenities, including the Galleria Grandiosa, a 112-meter-long central promenade that features a huge LED dome.

The Grandiosa also offers a selection of bars and lounges, as well as a complete water park, and over ten dining venues.

MSC Cruises and Port of Kiel Inaugurate Shore Power Facility

Posted on 26 September, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Cruises and the port of Kiel have officially inaugurated the shore power facility at the Ostuferhafen Terminal this weekend during MSC Euribia’s maiden call, according to a statement.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein Daniel Günther and Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer as well as port representatives, technical partner Siemens, MSC Euribia’s Captain Christopher Pugh and senior representatives of the cruise line.

Earlier this year, MSC Cruises signed an agreement for its ships to plug into Kiel’s local power grid to supply electricity to hotel operations while at berth and reduce emissions. The ship will call in Kiel 20 times during the summer of 2024.

The MSC Euribia will also use the shore power facility at Hamburg during the winter 2023-24 season in Northern Europe.

VP Sustainability and ESG at MSC Cruises Linden Coppell: “The inauguration of shoreside power at Kiel’s Ostuferhafen terminal is another step forward on our decarbonization journey. We expect around 15 new ports between 2024 and 2026 to be added to the list of ports with shore-power facilities that MSC Cruises can use to access the electricity grids in Europe. This further demonstrates our commitment to, and continued progress towards, decarbonization, as well as reducing emissions from our vessels while berthed in ports.“

MSC Preziosa Turns Ten Years Old

Posted on 21 March, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

The MSC Preziosa is completing ten years this month. Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, the 140,000-ton vessel was delivered to MSC Cruises on March 13, 2013.

After leaving the French facility, the vessel offered a pre-inaugural cruise to the Mediterranean. Sailing to Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco and Italy, the one-way voyage ended in Genoa – where the ship was christened before officially entering service.

The ship was joined by the MSC Lirica and the MSC Splendida during the ceremony, which took place on March 24, 2013, and was attended by Sophia Loren, the Italian actress that served as godmother of the Preziosa and most of MSC’s newbuilds.

According to MSC, the event also included a high-profile gala dinner, and entertainment from top Italian and international performers in the company of celebrities, media, authorities and the company’s top management.

Following the ceremony, the MSC Preziosa kicked off its inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean.

Sailing from Genoa through the end of the European summer, the vessel offered a series of weeklong cruises during its maiden program.

Visiting Italy, Tunisia, Spain and France, the itinerary featured Naples, Messina, La Goulette, Barcelona and Marseille as ports of call.

In November, the MSC Preziosa crossed the Atlantic for the first time ahead of a winter season in Brazil.

Sailing from the Port of Santos during the entire 2013-2014 season, the vessel became the biggest and one of the newest cruise ships ever to sail from the South American country.

Completing MSC’s Fantasia Class, the MSC Preziosa offers most of the amenities of its sister ships, including a three-deck theatre, three pool decks, five restaurants, a complete wellness centre and more.

The 3,500-guest vessel also introduced new features such as Vertigo, a 120-meter-long waterslide, and the Doremi Castle Aqua Park, a water park for children.