The international classification society Bureau Veritas has recognised MSC Cruises with the ‘8 Golden Pearls’ award for sustainable and environmental stewardship on board its ship MSC Meraviglia. The award is one of the highest globally recognised notations assigned to cruise ships for the attention paid to Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental management. MSC Cruises is the first cruise line to receive the 8 Golden Pearls award from Bureau Veritas.
Since she came into service in June 2017, MSC Meraviglia has been making waves in the cruise and tourism industry, and has been collecting prestigious awards for her superior product. The ship has been recognised for bringing to the sea some of the very latest advances in customer-centric technology, digital innovations and new guest experiences. In addition to this industry-wide recognition, the ship is now also awarded for her state-of-the-art Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental (QHSE) management.
Philippe Donche-Gay, president Marine & Offshore, Bureau Veritas commented, “MSC Cruises has demonstrated its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their operations and we commend the Company for its wide-ranging, ongoing efforts in this space. The various sustainable and environmental technologies installed on the MSC Meraviglia, put the ship at the forefront of cleaner cruise operations. The Bureau Veritas 8 Golden Pearls award reflects MSC Cruises’ commitment to excellence and continual improvement in environmental performance.”
Bud Darr, executive vice president Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, MSC Group said, “We are honoured to receive this award, and we thank Bureau Veritas for their recognition and ongoing support. They are an invaluable partner on this journey and we look forward to continue making further progress in the area of environmental stewardship.”
The 8 Golden Pearls award recognises MSC Cruises’ efforts on MSC Meraviglia in eight particular domains of protection, specifically demonstrated by these examples:
The ship is equipped with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System that removes sulphur oxides from the ship’s exhaust gases. Thanks to this system, she meets stringent international and local emissions regulations. An Advanced Waste Water Treatment system treats waste water to a very high quality by mixing different waste streams together and filtering out the undesirable components, to produce high-quality effluent. In addition to the waste water treatment, the ship has a holding capacity and Non-Discharge Operation of two days allowing for more autonomy and more flexible navigation.
State-of-the-art technologies and energy-saving materials contribute to effectively lowering the environmental impact of the ship, and improve her energy efficiency. The ship’s ISO 50001 certification is a proof of her efficient energy management. The Company’s commitment to safety and creating a safe environment for crew and guests has earned the ship OHSAS 18001 certification. This notation recognises the Company’s efforts in establishing a comprehensive occupational health and safety management system.
In addition, the ship meets the high ISO 22000 standard for food safety. This certification covers food safety management systems across the entire food supply and preparation chain from ‘farm to fork.’ For its comprehensive and coherent environmental management systems, the Company has earned the ISO 14001 standard. Lastly, in addition to the ISO and other international certifications and standards, Bureau Veritas awarded MSC Meraviglia with the ‘CLEANSHIP’ notation recognising the Company’s efforts to meet strict environmental standards in various domains.
MSC Meraviglia, was the Company’s 13th cruise ship to join MSC Cruises’ fleet on June 4,2017 and the first new-built vessel to come into service under MSC Cruises’ EUR 10.5 billion investment plan for growth. This plan aims at increasing the global fleet to 24 cruise ships by 2026, reaching a total capacity of five million guests annually.
The ship has been sailing her inaugural summer and winter season in the Mediterranean. On April 18, 2018, she will set sail from Genoa to spend the summer season in Northern Europe, home-porting from Hamburg and calling locations in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian Heritage Fjords, all the way up to the Arctic Sea, exploring Cape North and the Svalbard Islands. MSC Meraviglia is 315 metres long, 43 metres wide and 65 metres high, measuring 171,598 GRT. She is able to travel up to 22.7 knots and has been designed to operate in all seasons and to be able to call in most of the world’s international cruise ports.