MSC Bellissima

MSC Cruises and STX France cut the first steel of MSC Bellissima on 28 November 2016,{{Cite news|url=https://www.msccruises.com.au/en-au/Discover-MSC/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Bellissima/Timeline.aspx|title=Cruise ship launch timeline {{!}} MSC Bellissima{{!}} MSC Cruises|work=MSC Cruises Australia Website|access-date=1 February 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/msc-cruises-finalizes-contract-for-two-new-meraviglia-plus-ships.html|title=MSC Cruises Finalizes Contract for Two New Meraviglia-Plus Ships|website=TravelPulse|access-date=1 February 2018}} with £750M investment.{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/09/21/need-head-cruise-holiday-msc-bellissima-10746702/|title=Why you should join your grandparents for a cruise holiday|date=21 September 2019}} Her keel laying and coin ceremony happened on 15 November 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8214|title=MSC Cruises Cuts Steel for First Meraviglia Plus-class Ship, MSC Grandiosa; Coin Ceremony Held for MSC Bellissima|website=www.cruisecritic.com|language=en-us|access-date=13 September 2019}} It also features 2,217 cabins and 1,418 balconies that can accommodate 5,686 guests,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ship-technology.com/features/msc-cruises-zoe/|title=MSC Cruises' Zoe: meet Bellissima's new AI companion|date=23 May 2019|website=Ship Technology}} with the length of 315.8m and a width of 43m.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/articles/everything-we-know-so-far-about-MSC-Bellissima/|title=Introducing the world's newest cruise ship – does MSC Bellissima live up to its name?|first=Kaye|last=Holland|website=The Telegraph|date=28 February 2019 }} On 14 June 2018, the ship was floated out.{{Cite web|url=https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/267205/msc-bellissima-casts-off-for-sea-trials/|title=MSC Bellissima Casts Off for Sea Trials {{!}} World Maritime News|website=worldmaritimenews.com|date=20 December 2018|language=en-US|access-date=12 September 2019}} Her sea trials took place in December 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20102-msc-bellissima-departs-from-chantiers-de-l-atlantique-for-sea-trials.html|title=MSC Bellissima Departs from Chantiers de l'Atlantique For Sea Trials|last=Mathisen|first=Monty|date=21 December 2018|website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com|language=en-gb|access-date=12 September 2019|archive-date=6 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806142232/https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20102-msc-bellissima-departs-from-chantiers-de-l-atlantique-for-sea-trials.html|url-status=dead}} Andrea Bocelli, alongside his son, performed during the christening of the ship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/msc-bellissima-adds-andrea-bocelli-to-star-studded-naming-ceremony/|title=World of Cruising Magazine - MSC Bellissima Adds Andrea Bocelli to Star-Studded Naming Ceremony|date=25 February 2019|website=World of Cruising Magazine|access-date=6 May 2020|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924105701/https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/msc-bellissima-adds-andrea-bocelli-to-star-studded-naming-ceremony/|url-status=dead}} The ship joined {{ship||MSC Meraviglia}} in the company's Meraviglia class of cruise ships which it has a tonnage of 171,598 GT and a capacity of 4,500 passengers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2019/01/02/cruise-ship-preview-msc-cruises-new-bellissima/2338056002/|title=New cruise ships for 2019: MSC Cruises' MSC Bellissima|first=Gene|last=Sloan|website=USA TODAY}}

File:MSC Bellissima 20190226 190521.jpg

Her delivery ceremony took place on 27 February 2019. MSC Bellissima was officially named on 2 March 2019, at Southampton, by the actress Sophia Loren.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/msc-bellissima-christened|title=MSC Bellissima Christened|website=The Maritime Executive|language=en|access-date=12 September 2019}} The original ceremony in a marquee on the quayside had to be abandoned due to high winds, so a substitute ceremony was quickly organised and Loren pressed a button on the ship's bridge to smash the bottle of champagne on the ship's bow.{{cite web |last1=Ross |first1=Andrew |title=Star-studded naming of MSC Bellissima halted by bad weather |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17472229.star-studded-naming-of-msc-bellissima-halted-by-bad-weather/ |website=Daily Echo |date=2 March 2019 |accessdate=3 March 2019}}

MSC Cruises collaborated with Harman International to bring "ZOE," the first virtual assistant to be featured on any cruise ship, to MSC Bellissima and future MSC Cruises ships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/msc-cruises-bellissima-virtual-assistants|title=This New Cruise Ship Will Have Virtual Assistants to Give You Everything You Could Possibly Need|last=|first=|date=|website=Travel + Leisure|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 September 2019}} In September 2019, as a part of MSC Cruises' longstanding relationship with Swarovski, MSC Bellissima featured a suite fully embellished with 700,000 crystals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/msc-bellissima-to-debut-swarovski-suite-grandiosa-will-have-fine-art-experience/|title=MSC Bellissima to debut Swarovski suite, Grandiosa will have fine art experience|date=9 September 2019|website=Seatrade Cruise News|access-date=12 September 2019}}

On 13 February 2020, MSC Bellissima was featured on Ultimate Mega Cruise Ship on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cruisetradenews.com/msc-bellissima-becomes-star-of-channel-5-documentary/|title=MSC Bellissima becomes star of Channel 5 documentary|date=13 February 2020|website=Cruise Trade News}}

MSC Bellissima departed for her maiden voyage on 4 March 2019,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20436-chantiers-de-l-atlantique-delivers-msc-bellissima.html|title=Chantiers de l'Atlantique Delivers MSC Bellissima|last=Staff|first=C. I. N.|date=27 February 2019|website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com|language=en-gb|access-date=12 September 2019}} and made an inaugural call in Spain on 12 March 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://cruisefever.net/msc-bellissima-makes-inaugural-call-in-spain/|title=MSC Bellissima Makes Inaugural Call in Spain|date=12 March 2019}} She will spend her maiden season in the Mediterranean, before re-positioning to the Persian Gulf in November 2019, cruising from Dubai for the winter season,{{Cite news|url=https://cruisearabiaonline.com/2018/02/12/msc-cruises-newest-mega-cruise-ship-msc-bellissima-will-cruise-roundtrip-from-dubai-in-2020/|title=MSC Cruises' newest mega cruise ship MSC Bellissima will cruise roundtrip from Dubai in 2020 -|date=12 February 2018|access-date=22 May 2018|language=en-GB}} and made a maiden call at Doha, Qatar in December 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22007-msc-bellissima-makes-maiden-visit-to-doha.html|title=MSC Bellissima Makes Maiden Visit to Doha|first=C. I. N.|last=Staff|date=2 December 2019|website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com}} She will then be redeployed to Asia to serve MSC's China program in spring 2020. In 2020, the ship will be heading in Asia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/msc-bellissima-heading-asia-spring-2020|title=MSC Bellissima is heading to Asia in spring 2020|date=24 April 2018|website=seatrade-cruise.com}} such as China.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18890-msc-bellissima-to-china-in-2020.html|title=MSC Bellissima to China in 2020|first=Monty|last=Mathisen|date=24 April 2018|website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com}}

{{see also|COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships#MSC Bellissima}}

On 21 March 2020, officials from the Indian state of Telangana reported that a 33-year-old crew member of MSC Bellissima had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.{{Cite web|url=https://telanganatoday.com/two-more-persons-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-telangana|title=Two more persons test positive for COVID-19 in Telangana|website=Telangana Today}} The crew member was also reported to have been to Dubai, and was stable at the time of the report.

On 24 March 2020, it was reported that three Azoreans who were former passengers of MSC Bellissima during its cruise to Dubai from 7 March 2020 to 14 March 2020 had tested positive.{{efn|Two cases were from São Miguel Island, a 31-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, while one case from São Jorge Island had been diagnosed previously, but had been in contact with a newly-diagnosed case from Terceira Island.}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.acorianooriental.pt/noticia/acorianos-que-participaram-no-cruzeiro-devem-contactar-a-linha-saude-acores-308613|title=Açorianos que participaram no cruzeiro devem contactar a Linha Saúde Açores|website=Açoriano Oriental}}

On 2 April 2020, a 22-year-old crew member of MSC Bellissima, who had quarantined himself at home in Trappeto, Sicily after returning from Dubai, announced that he had tested positive that day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.direttasicilia.it/2020/04/02/trappeto-positivo-un-ragazzo-di-22-anni-che-lavorava-sulle-navi-msc/|title=Trappeto, positivo un ragazzo di 22 anni che lavorava sulle navi MSC|date=2 April 2020|access-date=26 April 2020|archive-date=7 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607000648/https://www.direttasicilia.it/2020/04/02/trappeto-positivo-un-ragazzo-di-22-anni-che-lavorava-sulle-navi-msc/|url-status=dead}} On 10 April 2020, a dancer from Klagenfurt, Austria, who performed in Cirque du Soleil shows aboard MSC Bellissima, tested positive for the virus while she was still on board the ship.{{Cite web|url=https://kaernten.orf.at/stories/3047045/|title=Kärntnerin sitzt seit 50 Tagen auf Schiff fest|first=kaernten ORF at|last=red|date=4 May 2020|website=kaernten.ORF.at}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de/news/msc-kreuzfahrten-crew-nach-hause-geschickt-cirque-du-soleil-artistin-in-isolation-mit-positivem-befund/203599/|title=MSC Kreuzfahrten: Crew nach Hause geschickt - Cirque Du Soleil Artistin in Isolation mit positivem Befund|date=5 May 2020}} The crew member was tested a day before she was scheduled to leave for home, and the result came as a surprise as she had been asymptomatic. As of 4 May 2020, she has been stuck aboard MSC Bellissima for 50 days.

On December 4 2024, MSC Bellissima set sailed from Keelung, Taiwan, and bounded for Okinawa, Japan. After the stopovers at Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island, MSC Bellissima had finally reached Naha on December 6. The ship had a critical engine failure and was immobilized at Naha harbour, which resulted in thousands of passengers being stranded at Naha. The company announced there woud be a full refund to all passengers, and arranged return flights from Naha to Taiwan.{{Cite web|url=https://news.tvbs.com.tw/english/2715250|title=MSC Bellissima to return to Keelung after engine repairs|date=11 December 2024|publisher=TVBS}}{{Cite web|url=https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2024C08W06EA|title=Passengers to get full refund after cruise ship breaks down in Naha|date=8 December 2024|publisher=Formosa Television}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|IMO 9760524}}

• [https://www.msccruises.com/en-gl/Discover-MSC/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Bellissima.aspx MSC Bellissima webpage] at MSC Cruises website

{{MSC Ships}}

Bellissima

Category:Ships built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique

Category:Ships built in France

Category:2018 ships

Category:Cruise ships involved in the COVID-19 pandemic