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MSC Grandiosa undergoes first sea trials and welcomes Marco Massa as captainMSC Grandiosa undergoes first sea trials and welcomes Marco Massa as captain

MSC Cruises’ 6,000-passenger MSC Grandiosa underwent its first sea trials off the Loire estuary, assisted by four tugboats.

Michèle Valandina, French correspondent

August 29, 2019

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

The 330mtr by 67mtr ship left Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire on a four-day sailing between Belle-Ile en mer and the Ile d’Yeu.

The ship is expected to return to Saint-Nazaire on Saturday late afternoon.

During the sea trials the propulsion, navigation and safety systems will undergo rigorous tests.

The ship set off carrying a 450-strong team including employees from the shipyard, MSC and representatives of classification society Bureau Veritas.

The handover is expected October 31, with the official naming ceremony to take place November 9 in Hamburg.

MSC Grandiosa captain

Marco Massa will take command as MSC Grandiosa as captain of this first of the Meraviglia-Plus class.

The technologically advanced ship, which will introduce new MSC for Me features, will also be joined by Antonino Cuccaro as staff captain, Antonio Iaccarino as chief engineer and Giuseppe Maresca as hotel director.

MSC Grandiosa will enter revenue service November 16 from Genoa.

About the Author

Michèle Valandina

French correspondent

A graduate from Lyon University, where she specialised in foreign languages and American literature, Michèle worked as an interpreter/translator (English, German and Italian) for major international events before entering the diplomatic world for a few years. As a Paris-based freelance travel and lifestyle writer, she has been a contributor to a host of publications and has long specialised in two sectors: cruising and wellness. Her features have appeared in, among others, Le Monde, Le Figaro, Le Figaro Magazine, Les Echos Week-end and periodicals dedicated to the MICE sector. She has also featured on radio and TV travel programmes and, since 1992, has been the author of the only French cruise guide, Croisières Passion.

 

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