MSC Cruises said it firmed up an order with STX France for two 200,000-gross ton cruise ships that will be fueled by liquid natural gas, or LNG, to be delivered in 2022 and 2024.
The line also has an option for two additional ships that, if ordered, would be delivered in 2025 and 2026. Collectively, the four will be MSC's World Class of ships.
The ships' lower-berth
capacity of 5,520 will be the largest of any cruise ship. They will have a
maximum capacity of 6,850, according to MSC. They will also feature a "new
generation" wastewater treatment plant.
MSC said the World Class' "Y" shape structure would increase the proportion of balcony cabins. The bow, positioned at a 90-degree angle, would improve stability. The ships will also have "family-friendly villages, a panoramic aft and a glass pool lounge."
The line signed a memorandum of understanding firming up the two-ship order in Saint-Nazaire, France, as it took delivery of the MSC Meraviglia. The new president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and economy minister Bruno Le Maire were in attendance.