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*MSC Meraviglia*
	MSC Meraviglia in Valletta, 2018
History
Malta
Name	MSC Meraviglia
Owner	MSC Cruises
Operator	MSC Cruises
Port of registry	Valletta, Malta
Ordered	20 March 2014
Builder	STX Europe (St. Nazaire)
Laid down	October 2015
Launched	2 September 2016
Sponsored by	Sophia Loren
Christened	3 June 2017
Completed	31 May 2017
In service	3 June 2017–present
Identification	Call sign: 9HA4455; IMO number: 9760512; MMSI number: 249973000;
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class and type	Project Vista (MSC) cruise ship
Tonnage	171,598 GT; 12,200 DWT;
Length	315.83 m (1,036 ft 2 in)
Beam	43 m (141 ft 1 in)
Height	65 m (213 ft)
Draught	8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)
Decks	15 passenger decks
Installed power	2 × 4T - 12 cyl Wärtsilä 12V46CR diesel engines; 2 × 4T - 16 cyl Wärtsilä 16V46CR diesel engines*;
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 2 × ABB Azipod (2 × 19.2 MW) 38.4 MW (51,500 hp) total power;
Speed	22.7 knots (42.0 km/h; 26.1 mph) (maximum); 21.8 knots (40.4 km/h; 25.1 mph) (service);
Capacity	4,428 passengers at double occupancy; 5,642 passengers maximum;
Crew	1,536 crew

MSC Meraviglia is a cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises, built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, by STX France. MSC Meraviglia is the lead ship of MSC's new "Vista Project" vessels, the Meraviglia class, with MSC Bellissima following in 2019. Each vessel has a passenger capacity of 4,500. When it entered service in June 2017, it was the sixth largest cruise ship in the world, behind Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class cruise ships and AIDAnova.

History

The ship initially operated in the western Mediterranean also cruised in Northern Europe as of summer 2019, but repositioned to the United States for the first time, to New York and Miami, in fall 2019, to sail to the Caribbean as part of a North American expansion program by MSC.^[6]

Design and construction

The vessel's name was announced, and steel was cut, at a ceremony held at Chantiers de l'Atlantique on 20 April 2015.^[7] The ship was formally named on 3 June 2017 by her godmother, Italian actress Sophia Loren^[8] at a ceremony in Le Havre, which also featured French actor Patrick Bruel, musical group Kids United, and comedian Gad Elmaleh.^[9]

The building of MSC Meraviglia was shown in the second episode of the Science Channel series, Building Giants, and titled "Monster Cruise Ship".^[10]

The ship's facilities include a promenade with a long LED roof, a water park with water slides, a rope course and a theater. The ship overall has less passenger space and more passengers onboard than other similar cruise ships. The ship also has over ten dining areas and a spa.^[7]

Incidents

COVID-19 pandemic

On 26 February 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, Mexican authorities granted permission for MSC Meraviglia, registered in Malta, to dock in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, because she carried a passenger presumed to be infected with COVID-19. The ship was previously denied access to ports in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.^[11] Two cases of common seasonal flu were found.^[12]

The CDC reported, as early as 22 April, that at least one person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had tested positive within 14 days after disembarking.^[13]