Is called Wonder, weighs about 167,000 tons and was baptized on 3 June 2017 in Saint-Nazaire in France. This is the last ship of the shipping company MSC Cruises and it is currently the largest in Europe with a transport capacity of over 5700 passengers and 2244 cabins. L'MSC Meraviglia it is more than 315 meters long, 43 meters wide and 65 meters high. It has a cruising speed of 21,8 knots, but can reach 22,7 knots. A real colossus, which since June 2017 has sailed the European seas and especially the Mediterranean, loading their passengers a Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Naples, Messina and Valletta.
MSC, a company with Italian origins
MSC Cruises belongs to the group Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (MSC), which is currently the second largest cargo line management company worldwide. His foundation it happened in 1970 in Naples by the Sorrento captain Gianluca Aponte, with the aim of expanding trade routes to Africa. Between 1987 and 1988 Aponte decided to acquire the Lauro fleet, a shipping company founded by the Neapolitan Joachim Lauro in the 20s. From the bankrupt fleet Aponte inherited an oil tanker and some passenger ships, thus giving life to the activity of MSC Cruises. Today the MSC has the head office in Geneva, in Switzerland, but MSC Cruises has branches in Italy a Genoa, Naples and Venice.
The great turning point of MSC Cruises
Until 2002 the company remained in the background to the great competition of some lines such as Costa Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International. The turning point came in 2003 with the appointment as CEO of Pierfrancesco Vago, now chairman of the board of directors, and the purchase of a couple of Festival Cruises ships. The Italian-Greek company was in fact in bankruptcy after the death of the founder, and the two boats were baptized MSC Lirica (2003) and MSC Opera (2004) by an exceptional godmother: Sophia Loren.
A floating city
On board the MSC Wonder is not really missing anything. There are 12 restaurants and 20 bars always open, 4 swimming pools, 2 bowling alleys and 2 simulators: one of Formula 1 and one of flight. There is also a gallery or promenade on two floors where it is possible to do Shopping in various shops. There promenade it is 96 m long and the ceiling is one led screen di 480 square meters, which transports guests to beautiful Mediterranean scenery. MSC cruises, in addition to being today the largest private company in the world in terms of navigation, was also the first to create a 'exclusive area,MSC Yacht Club, for lovers of luxury. Finally, guests of the Wonder can enjoy the shows of the Cirque du Soleil at Sea.
Class cruises
With the MSC Lirica and the MSC Opera the company has inaugurated the first of many classes. After the Opera class, they arrived there Music class , Fantasia class. In 2008 the MSC Fantasia and the MSC Splendida were the largest ships ever commissioned by a European shipowner to date. A continuous success for the company, always growing, culminating with the construction of the MSC Meraviglia. MSC Cruises was also the first to receive the "7 Golden Pearls" award twigs Bureau Veritas for environmental protection.
The French shipyards of Saint-Nazaire
The imposing MSC Meraviglia was built in Chantiers de l'Atlantique, which are located in Saint-Nazaire along the estuary estuary of the river Loire. These are historic yards, founded in 1955 after the merger of the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire and the Penhoët yards. They specialize in the construction of cruise ships and supertankers of over 400 meters. Today i Construction sites are the property of STX France Cruise and French Republic.
