MSC Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia is a large cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises and the lead vessel of the Meraviglia class. Constructed at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, when the yard operated under the STX France name, the ship was delivered in 2017 and entered commercial service that June. It was developed as part of MSC Cruises’ expansion into larger, resort-style ships offering a broad combination of accommodation, dining, entertainment and family-oriented attractions. The ship’s design is centered on an interior promenade covered by a long LED ceiling, which functions as a visual and entertainment focal point. Its facilities include a water park with slides, a ropes course, a theater, a spa and more than ten dining venues. The ship uses diesel-electric propulsion, with four diesel engines supplying electricity to two azipod propulsion units. It also incorporates an exhaust-gas cleaning system, advanced wastewater treatment and equipment for shore-power connection, although its ability to use shore electricity has depended on compatible terminal infrastructure. MSC Meraviglia initially operated in the western Mediterranean and later added northern European itineraries. In 2019, it made its first North American deployment, sailing from New York before moving to Miami for western Caribbean cruises. Its international operating history was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2020, the ship was refused entry by ports in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands because of concern about a passenger suspected of infection. It was subsequently permitted to dock at Cozumel, Mexico, where the reported illnesses were identified as seasonal influenza rather than COVID-19. The ship resumed cruising in August 2021, initially from Miami, and operated Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona in 2022. From April 2023, it began year-round service from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, offering Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada and New England itineraries. Its Brooklyn deployment generated local debate concerning cruise-related pollution and terminal impacts, particularly because the ship could not initially connect to shore power there. After terminal improvements, MSC Meraviglia connected to Brooklyn shore power for the first time in October 2025. The vessel has also attracted attention through operational and environmental incidents. In May 2024, it arrived in Brooklyn with a dead mature sei whale lodged on its bow; authorities and marine-conservation officials conducted a necropsy and collected samples. In May 2025, the ship underwent repairs in Portland, Maine, including replacement of propeller blades. MSC announced that the ship would leave Brooklyn in April 2026, with planned future operations in Europe, Miami and Southampton. MSC Meraviglia remains a representative example of the company’s large-ship strategy: a floating resort combining high passenger capacity with highly visible entertainment spaces and multiple regional deployment patterns.

MSC Meraviglia was commissioned as the first ship in a new class intended to expand MSC Cruises’ fleet with larger vessels emphasizing indoor public space, entertainment and all-weather resort amenities. MSC Cruises and STX France signed a letter of intent for two Meraviglia-class ships in March 2014. The planned ships were designed at approximately 167,600 gross tons, with the first scheduled for delivery in 2017. The vessel’s name was announced in 2015, and steel cutting took place at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard on 20 April 2015. Construction used approximately 50 prefabricated hull sections, or megablocks, assembled from about 35,000 tons of steel. Passenger cabins were manufactured as modules at a separate facility and installed during the shipbuilding process. The construction was later featured in an episode of the Science Channel series Building Giants. Propulsion is diesel-electric: four diesel engines generate electricity for two stern-mounted azipod units, each containing an electric motor and fixed-pitch propeller. MSC Meraviglia was delivered to MSC Cruises on 31 May 2017. Its formal naming ceremony took place in Le Havre on 3 June 2017, with Italian actress Sophia Loren serving as godmother. The event also featured French actor Patrick Bruel, the musical group Kids United and comedian Gad Elmaleh. The ship then entered service in the western Mediterranean. Its architecture included a long interior promenade with a large LED ceiling, a water park, water slides, a ropes course, a theater, a spa and numerous food-and-beverage venues. The ship was designed for a passenger capacity of approximately 4,500. The vessel broadened its European deployment in summer 2019 with northern European cruises. It reached New York on 7 October 2019, marking its first North American deployment, and completed three fall sailings, including cruises to New England and Canada. It then moved to Miami for planned western Caribbean service as part of MSC Cruises’ North American growth program. The early 2020 operating season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 26 February 2020, the ship became involved in an international port-access incident after Jamaica and the Cayman Islands refused entry because of concern about a passenger presumed to have COVID-19. Mexican authorities later permitted the Malta-registered vessel to dock at Cozumel. The reported cases were ultimately identified as seasonal influenza. Like much of the cruise industry, MSC Meraviglia then remained out of normal service until operations restarted in August 2021 from Miami. In 2022, the ship operated from Barcelona. Its next major deployment change came in April 2023, when it began year-round operations from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The itinerary mix included Caribbean and Bermuda cruises, with Canada and New England voyages during the autumn. The Brooklyn presence also produced community criticism related to cruise-terminal impacts and emissions. Although the ship had been designed for cold ironing, it initially could not use shore power in Brooklyn because the terminal’s connection infrastructure could not adequately reach the ship’s power connector. After terminal upgrades, the ship achieved its first Brooklyn shore-power connection in October 2025. MSC Meraviglia’s later history included several maintenance and environmental events. In May 2024, it arrived in Brooklyn with a dead 44-foot sei whale lodged on its bow. Authorities and conservation officials performed a necropsy and collected samples. In May 2025, the ship underwent repairs in Portland, Maine, including propeller-blade replacement. MSC announced in August 2025 that the vessel would leave Brooklyn in April 2026, with planned seasonal deployments in Europe, Miami and Southampton. A report in March 2026 described significant plumbing and sewage-disposal problems, but the ship’s itinerary was not reported as disrupted. MSC Meraviglia’s sister ship MSC Bellissima entered service in 2019, while the larger Meraviglia Plus variant was later represented by MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Euribia. The ship therefore occupies an important place in MSC Cruises’ fleet development: it introduced the original Meraviglia platform while continuing to serve as a flexible asset for European and North American itineraries.

• 2026

  Planned departure from Brooklyn

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  MSC’s announced deployment plan scheduled the ship to leave Brooklyn in April for future European and Miami-based operations.

• 2025

  First Brooklyn shore-power connection

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  After terminal upgrades, the ship connected to shore power in Brooklyn for the first time.

• 2023

  Year-round Brooklyn service begins

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  MSC Meraviglia began year-round sailings from Brooklyn to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada and New England.

• 2021

  Operations restart

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  The ship resumed cruise operations from Miami in August after the pandemic suspension.

• 2020

  Cozumel port-access incident

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  After being denied entry at two ports because of suspected COVID-19 exposure, the ship docked in Cozumel, where the reported illnesses were seasonal influenza.

• 2019

  First North American deployment

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  The ship reached New York in October and later moved to Miami for western Caribbean cruises.

• 2017

  Delivery, naming and entry into service

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  MSC Meraviglia was delivered on 31 May, named in Le Havre on 3 June and entered service in the western Mediterranean.

• 2015

  Name announced and steel cutting begins

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  The ship’s name was announced and steel cutting was held at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard on 20 April.

• 2014

  Meraviglia-class construction agreement

  [1]MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org

  MSC Cruises and STX France signed a letter of intent for two new Meraviglia-class ships.

An upper-midscale to premium mass-market cruise ship positioned as a large, entertainment-led floating resort for international leisure travelers and families.

• Cruise travel · 2017

  MSC Meraviglia cruise vacations

  The ship’s core offering is accommodation-based leisure travel combining regional cruise itineraries with onboard dining, entertainment, recreation and wellness services. Its routes have included the western and eastern Mediterranean, northern Europe, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada and New England. The ship’s flexible deployment has allowed MSC Cruises to use it in both European and North American markets.

• Onboard attraction · 2017

  Interior promenade and LED ceiling

  A central interior promenade provides a major public gathering space within the ship. Its extended LED ceiling supports changing visual displays and helps create an indoor boulevard atmosphere, making the promenade both an architectural feature and an entertainment setting.

• Family recreation · 2017

  Water park and ropes course

  The ship offers family-oriented recreation through a water park, water slides and a ropes course. These attractions complement the ship’s resort positioning by providing activities beyond traditional sightseeing and dining, particularly for families and multigenerational groups.

• Hospitality and entertainment · 2017

  Dining, theater and spa facilities

  MSC Meraviglia contains more than ten dining areas alongside a theater, spa and other entertainment spaces. Together these facilities support an all-in-one holiday model in which passengers can spend substantial time onboard while accessing varied food, live performance and wellness experiences.

• 2025

  Brooklyn shore-power connectionOther

  Background

  The ship had cold-ironing capability but initially could not connect to shore power at Brooklyn because of terminal-infrastructure limitations.

  Action taken

  Following upgrades to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, MSC Meraviglia connected to shore power there for the first time in October.

  Aftermath

  The connection allowed the ship to shut down its engines while in port and addressed one aspect of local emissions concerns.

  Source

• 2025

  Relocation from BrooklynStrategy

  Background

  MSC revised the ship’s future deployment after its Brooklyn operating period.

  Action taken

  MSC announced that the ship would leave Brooklyn in April 2026, operate in Europe during summer 2026, sail from Miami during winter 2027 and operate from Southampton in summer 2027.

  Aftermath

  The plan returned the vessel to a multi-region seasonal deployment model.

  Source

• 2023

  Year-round Brooklyn deploymentStrategy

  Background

  MSC Cruises expanded the ship’s North American role after earlier New York and Miami deployments.

  Action taken

  MSC Meraviglia began operating year-round from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, with Caribbean and Bermuda service and seasonal Canada and New England itineraries.

  Aftermath

  The deployment increased the ship’s visibility in New York but also prompted local concerns about pollution and other effects of cruise operations.

  Source

1. 1MSC Meravigliaen.wikipedia.org