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*MSC Fantasia*
	MSC Fantasia in Castries, 2017
History
Panama
Name	MSC Fantasia
Owner	MSC Cruises
Operator	MSC Cruises
Port of registry	Panama
Ordered	1 June 2005
Builder	STX France; Saint-Nazaire, France;
Cost	$550 million
Yard number	A33
Laid down	9 January 2007
Launched	1 March 2008
Christened	18 December 2008 by Sophia Loren in Naples
Completed	9 December 2008
Acquired	10 December 2008
Maiden voyage	20 December 2008
In service	18 December 2008
Identification	IMO number: 9359791; Call sign: 3ETR7; MMSI number: 370648000;
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class and type	Fantasia-class cruise ship
Tonnage	137,936 GT, 107,916 NT, 15,000 DWT
Length	333.33 m (1,093 ft 7 in)
Beam	37.92 m (124 ft 5 in)
Draft	8.65 m (28 ft 5 in)
Decks	13 passenger decks, 18 total[citation needed]
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; Two Converteam propulsion motors (2 × 20,200 kW) Fixed pitch propellers;
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (cruising); 22.7 knots (42.0 km/h; 26.1 mph) (maximum);
Capacity	3,274 (double occupancy) 3,959 (max) passengers
Crew	1,313

MSC Fantasia is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises and serves as the lead vessel for the Fantasia class of ships. She entered service in December 2008 and ushered in a new generation of larger ships for MSC Cruises, becoming the largest ship to operate for MSC at the time of delivery.^[1] She was also the first vessel to feature the MSC Yacht Club, MSC Cruises ship within ship concept.

Design and specifications

MSC Fantasia is powered by two shaft-driven propellers from three 12-cylinder and two 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 46 diesel-electric engines, producing a total output of 71,400 kilowatts (95,700 hp).^[8] The ship's electric motors come from Converteam, which drive the propellers located aft of two Becker Marine System flap rudders and stern thrusters.^[8]

Facilities include a spa, a 4D cinema, musical fountains, and a race car simulator.^[8]

History

Planning and construction

In June 2005, unconfirmed reports first emerged that claimed MSC had signed a letter of intent with STX France for two post-Panamax ships set to debut in 2008 and 2009. STX France did confirm that the new 1,600-cabin and 4,000-passenger prototype for the ships was being finalized and considered.^[9] On 16 November 2005, MSC finalized a $1.2 billion two-ship order with STX France for what would be the largest ships in the fleet at the time of their delivery. The vessels were planned to be at 135,500 GT each, with a maximum guest capacity of 3,887 passengers, accompanied by 1,300 crew.^[10]

The first of the two ships, known as A33, began construction with a steel-cutting ceremony at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France on 9 September 2006.^[8] She was floated out from the shipyard on 1 March 2008. The ship left to perform her sea trials for 48 hours in the Bay of Biscay on 24 October 2008 and returned on 27 October 2008.^[11]

Delivery and christening

She left the shipyard for the last time on 10 December 2008 and was officially delivered to MSC thereafter.^[12] From France, the ship sailed her first voyage headed for Naples for her christening via Lisbon, Gibraltar, Alicante, Barcelona, and Marseille.^[12] She was officially named on 18 December 2008 by her godmother, Sophia Loren.^[6]^[7]

Operational career

Following her christening, MSC Fantasia spent her inaugural season cruising from Genoa. Her inaugural cruise departed on 20 December 2008 for the Eastern Mediterranean, calling in Rhodes, Alexandria, Messina, and Naples.^[13] She then cruised round-trip Canary Islands and Western Mediterranean itineraries.^[13]

On 5 March 2009, high winds snapped the forward mooring lines of MSC Fantasia while she was docked in Spain. The bow drifted away from the dock side and caused a passenger gangway to collapse into the water. One passenger and three crew members had to be rescued from the sea. One passenger was taken to hospital with head injuries, while the other three were treated for hypothermia.^[14]^[15]

MSC Fantasia has also cruised beyond Europe and has been deployed to sail in the Caribbean from Guadeloupe and Martinique during the winter months.^[16] Between 2019 and 2021, MSC Fantasia cruised in South America in the fall and winter before returning to Europe in the summer.^[17] In summer 2021, she cruised weekly Mediterranean itineraries from Genoa in the place of MSC Seashore until 1 August, because Seashore's delivery was postponed due to construction delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[18]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "MSC Cruises takes delivery of MSC Fantasia". Cruise Business Review. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. 11 December 2008. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Ward, Douglas (2009). Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships (18th ed.). Singapore: Berlitz. p. 439. ISBN 978-981-268-564-3.
^ ^a ^b "MSC Fantasia". ShipParade. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
^ ^a ^b "MSC Fantasia (9359791)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "MSC Fantasia (9359791)". BV Fleet. Bureau Veritas. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b Garrison, Linda (29 December 2008). "MSC Fantasia Named in Naples". About.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
^ ^a ^b "MSC Cruises launches Fantasia". travelbite.co.uk. 19 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Saunders, Aaron (2013). Giants of the Seas: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-84832-172-4.
^ "New MSC Ships". Cruise Industry News. 17 June 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
^ "MSC Expansion, Two New Ships Ordered". Cruise Industry News. 16 November 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
^ Staff, C. I. N. (27 October 2008). "MSC Fantasia's Sea Trials". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
^ ^a ^b Staff, C. I. N. (11 December 2008). "MSC Fantasia's Hand-over Ceremony". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
^ ^a ^b Staff, C. I. N. (19 June 2008). "MSC Cruises' 2009 Europe Sailings Now Available". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
^ "Cruise ship gangway collapses in high winds". thinkSPAIN. 5 March 2009. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
^ "MSC Fantasia Passenger Dramatic Rescue". sky.com. 6 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
^ McCarthy, Daniel (26 September 2017). "Post Hurricanes, MSC Cruises Updates Caribbean Sailings". Travel Market Report.
^ Mathisen, Monty (10 September 2019). "MSC Grandiosa to South America for 2020-2021". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
^ "MSC Extends Pause, Retools Summer 2021 Program". Cruise Industry News. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.