Author: Stephanie Farrugia, Associate
On 1st February 2021, MSC Cruises took delivery of the MSC VIRTUOSA from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique Shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. Our team at Fenech & Fenech Marine Services Ltd have assisted with the vessel’s registration under the Malta flag, thus contributing over 180,000 tonnes to the total tonnage in our local Registry.
As a sister ship to the current flagship MSC Grandiosa, for which our team handled the Maltese flag registration in 2019, the MSC VIRTUOSA is the first MSC Cruise ship to be launched in 2021 and shall come into service for the summer season later on this year, commencing with itineraries in the Mediterranean.
MSC VIRTUOSA is a beautiful modern vessel that has been built with the most advanced technology that is currently available in the shipping industry, with environmental protection and the health and safety of its passengers as high priorities.
Amongst other features, the vessel is equipped with shore to ship power connectivity allowing it to connect to local power grids while at ports where the required infrastructure is available. This will in fact be possible in Malta by the end of 2023 with the Grand Harbour Clean Air Project scheduled to have its first phase completed by then. The vessel also features hybrid Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) and Selective Catalytic Reduction Systems (SCR) both of which help reduce air polluting emissions.
Furthermore, MSC VIRTUOSA is the first ship worldwide to receive a BIORISK SECURED notation by Class Bureau Veritas due to her ability to mitigate and manage infectious disease risk for passengers and crew, having appropriate operational and design responses, equipment and policies in place. This is very significant considering the challenging pandemic situation the world still finds itself in.
The Ship Finance team at Fenech & Fenech Advocates was also engaged by the financing banks to assist with the Maltese aspects and documentation relating to the financing side of the vessel’s delivery.
For further information on ship registration under the Malta flag or ship finance related matters please contact Rowena Grima (rowena.grima@fenechmarine.com) or Stephanie Farrugia (stephanie.farrugia@fenechlaw.com) or Lara Saguna Axiaq (lara.saguna@fenechlaw.com)