GENEVA — MSC Cruises has opened the books for sales for the inaugural summer 2017 cruises of MSC Meraviglia, its first next generation cruise ship.

Sales of cruises on this ground-breaking 1,033 foot-long ship will first open exclusively to MSC Club members, rewarding loyal guests across MSC Cruises’ growing fleet. Then, on July 5, sales will open to the rest of the public.

Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises, said: “The opening of sales marks yet another decisive milestone in MSC Cruises’ expansion plan, especially as MSC Meraviglia’s inaugural cruise will take place two years from now. MSC Meraviglia is a true maritime marvel and will be one of the greenest and safest ships in the industry, as well as one of the most technologically advanced”.

MSC Meraviglia will be the largest and most innovative cruise ship ever built by a global European-based cruise line, said MSC. The 4,500-guest (based on double occupancy), 167,600-ton ship – due to be delivered in May 2017 – will spend her first summer sailing the western Mediterranean, and will be the first to have three major ports of embarkation: Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona.

Adding to the unique and innovative features of the ship, MSC Meraviglia will have new categories of staterooms, with specially crafted Family and Super Family staterooms, duplex staterooms and an extended MSC Yacht Club, the wholly self-contained luxury area on the foredecks, which includes a vast solarium, private lounge and restaurant.

MSC Meraviglia is the first of two identical ships on order from STX France, the second of which will be entered in to service in 2019. In addition, MSC Cruises has options for two further Vista project ships to be delivered by 2022.