Design and construction
MSC Cruises and STX France signed a letter of intent in March 2014 for the construction of two ships in a new Meraviglia class, each measuring 167,600 gross tons, with the first to be delivered in 2017.[10] The following year, the vessel's name was announced, and steel was cut, at a ceremony held at Chantiers de l'Atlantique on 20 April 2015.[11] The ship was formally named on 3 June 2017 by her godmother, Italian actress Sophia Loren[12] at a ceremony in Le Havre, which also featured French actor Patrick Bruel, musical group Kids United, and comedian Gad Elmaleh.[13]
Construction of MSC Meraviglia involved building 50 large prefabricated hull sections, or “megablocks”, with about 35,000 tons of steel,[14] which were then used to assemble the ship. Cabins were constructed as modules at a separate facility and later installed on the ship.[15] The building of MSC Meraviglia was shown in the second episode of the Science Channel series, Building Giants, and titled "Monster Cruise Ship".[15]
The ship uses a diesel-electric propulsion system, with four diesel engines generating electrical power that drive the two azipod units, each containing an electric motor and fixed-pitch propeller, mounted beneath the stern.[16][15]
The ship's facilities include an interior 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.[11] The ship is equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system and an advanced wastewater treatment system, with the ability to retain wastewater on board for up to two days rather than discharging it immediately.[17]
The ship is equipped for cold ironing (shore power), allowing it to connect to shoreside electricity while in port and turn off its engines. Despite this capability, MSC Meraviglia had been unable to connect to shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal due to issues with being able to reach the ship’s power connector, exacerbating concerns from local residents over pollution resulting from cruise ship operations at the cruise terminal.[18] After upgrades to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, MSC Meraviglia was able to connect to shore power in Brooklyn for the first time in October 2025.[19][20]
