MSC Divina

Last updated

MSC Divina a Istanbul.JPG
MSC Divina in Istanbul, Turkey
History
NameMSC Divina
Owner MSC Cruises
OperatorMSC Cruises
Port of registryFlag of Panama.svg  Panama
Route Caribbean, Mediterranean
Builder Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire Flag of France.svg  France
Cost$550 million
Yard numberU32
Launched3 September 2011
Christened19 May 2012, by Sophia Loren
Completed16 May 2012 [1]
Maiden voyage
In serviceOperational
Identification
General characteristics
Class and type Fantasia-class cruise ship
Tonnage139,072  GT [1]
Length333.33 m (1,093.60 ft) [1]
Beam124.41 ft (37.92 m) [1]
Height219.2 ft (66.81 m)
Draft28.38 ft (8.65 m) [1]
Decks18 total, 13 passenger decks
Installed power Diesel (40,000kW)
PropulsionTwin propellers
Speed23.7 knots (43.9 km/h; 27.3 mph) [1]
Capacity
  • 3,502 passengers [2]
  • (405 inside cabins, 1,134 outside cabins) [2]
Crew1,388 crew [2]
Notes17 elevators, post-Panamax

MSC Divina is a cruise ship measured at 139,400  gross tonnage  (GT) owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She was constructed from 2010 to 2012 being originally named MSC Fantastica while under construction. [2] MSC renamed her when near complete in the shipyard to honour the actress Sophia Loren. [3]

Contents

The MSC Divina is the third ship of the four Fantasia-class cruise ships, built after MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia, and followed by her identical sister ship the MSC Preziosa. MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa are larger than the two previous ships in the class (which were of 137,936 tons each). She is the twelfth ship in MSC's fleet, and was the joint largest ship with MSC Preziosa at 139,400 tons, [4] until the completion of the company's MSC Seaside (160,000 tons) and MSC Meraviglia (171,598 tons) in 2017. 3,502 passengers in 1,539 cabins are accommodated with a crew complement of 1,388. [2] The MSC Divina entered service in May 2012, with her identical sister ship MSC Preziosa following in March 2013. MSC Divina cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

Development

In July 2010, MSC Cruises announced the construction of a new Fantasia-class ship to be named MSC Divina. [5] MSC Divina was largely based on the two previous ships in the class, however she was increased in size from 137,936 to 139,400 gross tonnage with 100 additional cabins and facilities and more efficient and energy saving mechanical and electrical systems. Passenger numbers increased to 3,502 with the crew complement increasing by 63 to 1,388. The vessel has a total of 1,539 passenger cabins. The main dimensions of the vessel have remained the same as the previous two ships, with the length being 333.33 meters, the moulded breadth of the hull 37.92 meters and the draught remaining the same at 8.45 meters.

Italian naval architects De Jorio Design International designed the ship and the interior areas with construction by STX Europe at Saint-Nazaire France. [6] When near completion MSC Cruises announced that Fantastica would be renamed MSC Divina to honour the Italian actress Sophia Loren. Loren had mentioned to MSC Cruises president, Gianluigi Aponte, that she had wished to have a ship named after her. Aponte approved and renamed the MSC ship next into service after Loren. [3]

Launch

The ship was delivered to MSC Cruises on 19 May 2012 at Marseille in France, with her christening by Sophia Loren on 26 May 2012. [7] The ship embarked on her maiden cruising voyage the next day.

The maiden voyage was met with protest when the ship entered Venice. Ms Loren received letters claiming that air pollution was created by the ship and the wake from her bow and vibrations created by her engines could damage historical buildings. [8]

Specifications

The ship is 333 m (1,092.52 ft) long, [9] and carries up to 3,502 passengers with a crew complement of 1,388. She has 13 passenger decks, [10] which contain 1,134 outside cabins and 405 inside cabins. [2] Her speed is quoted at 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). [2]

Divina has electric propulsion motors and Rolls-Royce folding fin stabilizers to reduce the ship's roll. [6]

The MSC Divina at dock in Port Canaveral, Florida in 2016 MS MSC Divina, Port Canaveral, Florida.jpg
The MSC Divina at dock in Port Canaveral, Florida in 2016

The ship's drivetrain is the more efficient diesel/electric, powered by five Wärtsilä diesel engines. The engines produce low NOx emissions, using low-sulphur fuel. The engines turn alternators producing electricity. Propulsion is by two GE Energy Power Conversion electric motors with each giving 21,850 kW at 138 rpm. Redundancy is provided, with the two fully independent electric motors each turning a fixed propeller on conventional propeller shafts. The two propellers are fully independent ensuring propulsion if one fails. The same approach was applied to the two fully independent steering systems. Further advantage of using electric motors to turn the propellers is in small sunshine ports. Each propeller is controlled individually, and quickly, for ease of ship manoeuvrability along with the four bow thrusters. The need for tugs while in the many ports of call is greatly reduced. Two of the five engines have 16 cylinders each with an output of 16,800 kW, and the remaining three engines have 12 cylinders each producing 12,600 kW. Total power generated is 71,400 kW at 514 rpm. [6]

A sea water distillation plant produces all the fresh water needed onboard using two evaporators and two reverse osmosis plants. The ship does not pump onboard water from shore water stations. The highly efficient evaporators are completely pollution free using a system of free heat recovery as the power source. [6]

Itineraries

From 27 May to 2 June 2012, the MSC Divina cruised in the Mediterranean calling at Civitavecchia in Rome; Messina in Sicily; and Valletta in Malta. The ship provided cruises in the Mediterranean calling at Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia. In November, she cruised in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, calling at Kotor, Montenegro; Marmaris, Turkey; and Valletta, Malta. She skipped Piraeus (Athens), in Greece, because of a strike, and also skipped Heraklion, in Greece, because of high winds. [11] She then provided cruises with stops in Italy, Spain, Canary Islands, Portugal, and Morocco.

In late 2013, she repositioned to Miami, Florida, becoming the first MSC vessel in the fleet to serve the North American market, and provided cruises to the Caribbean year round. [12] The ship hosted the Holy Ship! music festival from January 2014 until February 2016. [13] [14] Her year-round program ended in Spring 2019, and she now operates in the Caribbean seasonally.

Incidents

On the afternoon of 18 June 2014, a Mexican passenger jumped into the sea, after drinking alcohol for two consecutive days. Moments after the "man overboard", the MSC Divina stopped, with the captain instructing a search for Amores. After several hours the search was abandoned being unsuccessful. MSC Divina resumed her route, with the search resumed by the Brazilian Maritime Authority. After failing to find the passenger the search was abandoned. [15] The passenger was aboard MSC Divina after he won a contest organized on the occasion of the 2014 FIFA World Cup by a beer company. Throughout the passenger's journey aboard the MSC Divina and even shortly before he jumped, he had published his account on the social network Twitter, images and videos which stated the festive atmosphere that existed on board the vessel. Other passengers reported that the jump was to impress a young host and interviewer of Mexican television, who allegedly he had met on board MSC Divina and who also traveled to Brazil. [16]

In late 2017, MSC Divina was featured in a photo exhibition by Gianni Berengo Gardin underlying the effects of cruise ships on the historical city of Venice. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MSC Cruises</span> Cruise line registered in Switzerland

MSC Cruises is a Swiss-Italian global cruise line based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1988 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In addition to being the world's largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries as of 2017, MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise company in the world, after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group, with a 10.2% share of all passengers carried in 2021.

<i>MSC Opera</i> Ship built in 2004

MSC Opera is a cruise ship built in 2004, carrying 2,679 passengers in 1,071 cabins, and with a crew complement of approximately 728, currently operated by Swiss company MSC Cruises. She served as the flagship of the company until MSC Musica entered service in 2006.

<i>Costa neoRomantica</i> Cruise ship

MS Costa neoRomantica was a cruise ship completed for Costa Cruises in 1993 by Fincantieri in Italy as Costa Romantica, and a sister ship to Costa Classica. She was refurbished in 2003, renamed Costa neoRomantica in 2011, and from 2017 assigned to the Asian market. The ship was sold in 2020 to Celestyal Cruises as Celestyal Experience. She never operated for Celestyal and was sold again and renamed Antares Experience in September 2021, then beached for demolition at Gadani, Pakistan in December 2021.

<i>MSC Poesia</i> Musica-class cruise ship operated my MSC Cruises

MSC Poesia is a cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She was built in 2008 by the Aker Yards shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. She is a sister ship to MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra, and MSC Magnifica. She is the first ship in the MSC Cruises fleet to be officially named outside Italy, at the Port of Dover, Kent on 5 April 2008, by Sophia Loren.

<i>MSC Splendida</i> Fantasia-class cruise ship

MSC Splendida is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Constructed at STX France in Saint-Nazaire, she commenced service in July 2009 with $550m investment.

<i>MSC Fantasia</i> Cruise ship operating for MSC Cruises

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. She was also the first vessel to feature the MSC Yacht Club, MSC Cruises ship within ship concept.

<i>MSC Magnifica</i> Musica-class cruise ship

MSC Magnifica is a Musica-class cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises. Constructed by STX Europe in Saint-Nazaire, the ship was launched in January 2009, completed in January 2010, and entered service in March 2010.

<i>Fantasia</i>-class cruise ship

The Fantasia class is a class of cruise ships, operated by MSC Cruises. At present, there are four active Fantasia-class cruise ships, the lead vessel, MSC Fantasia, MSC Splendida, MSC Divina and the MSC Preziosa, which were built by STX Europe in St. Nazaire. MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa are modified Fantasia-class ships. They have a 139,400 gross tonnage (GT) and have expanded amenities compared to their earlier sister ships.

General National Maritime Transport Company, more commonly known as GNMTC, is a Libyan State Owned Company which was founded in 1975, with a total capital of 1.2 billion US Dollars. GNMTC is based in Tripoli, Libya, with subsidiaries in Malta and Hong Kong.

<i>Royal Princess</i> (2012) Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises

Royal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, and is the third ship to sail for the cruise line under that name. The largest ship to have been built for Princess at the time of delivery in 2013, she became the flagship of Princess. As the lead vessel of the Royal class, she lends her name to the company's Royal class, which will consist of six ships upon the last ship's delivery in 2021. The ship measures 142,714 GT and has a capacity of 3,560 passengers.

<i>MSC Preziosa</i> Fantasia-class cruise ship

MSC Preziosa is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She entered service in March 2013. She is an enhanced version of her first two class member ships, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia, and is identical to the previous MSC Divina. She debuted on 13 March as the fourth ship in the Fantasia class.

<i>MSC Seaside</i> Cruise ship operating for MSC Cruises

MSC Seaside is a Seaside-class cruise ship currently owned and operated by MSC Cruises. As the lead vessel of the Seaside class, she lends her name to the company's Seaside class. At 153,516 GT, she would become the largest cruise ship ever to be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, and the 14th largest cruise ship in the world, behind Norwegian Epic, upon her delivery in December 2017.

<i>Seven Seas Explorer</i> Cruise ship operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Seven Seas Explorer is an Explorer-class cruise ship currently operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Debuting in 2016, she became the first new-build ship for Regent in more than a decade and the largest ship to ever operate for Regent.

<i>MSC Meraviglia</i> Cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises

MSC Meraviglia is a cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises, built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, by STX France. MSC Meraviglia is the lead ship of MSC's new "Vista Project" vessels, the Meraviglia class, with MSC Bellissima following in 2019. Each vessel has a passenger capacity of 4,500. When it entered service in June 2017, it was the sixth largest cruise ship in the world, behind Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class cruise ships and AIDAnova.

<i>Seaside</i>-class cruise ship

The Seaside class is a class of four cruise ships owned and operated by MSC Cruises. The lead ship of the class, MSC Seaside, entered service in the Caribbean Sea in December 2017. A fourth cruise ship, the MSC Seascape was christened in New York on December 7, 2022.

<i>MSC Seaview</i> Seaside-class cruise ship

MSC Seaview is a Seaside-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in Monfalcone and delivered in June 2018, she is the sister ship to her class' lead vessel, MSC Seaside.

<i>MSC Grandiosa</i> Cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises

MSC Grandiosa is a Meraviglia Plus-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, she is the first of three Meraviglia Plus-class ships set to operate for the cruise line. She commenced operations on 10 November 2019.

<i>Sky Princess</i> (2019) Cruise ship operating for Princess Cruises

Sky Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship currently operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. She is the second ship in the cruise line's history to sail under this name. She is the fourth Royal-class ship in the Princess fleet and commenced operations in October 2019. The ship measures 145,281 GT and has a capacity of 3,660 passengers.

<i>Discovery Princess</i> Cruise ship

Discovery Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. The 145,000 GT-vessel was ordered in January 2017 with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and her steel-cutting was performed on 14 February 2019 in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy.

<i>MSC Seashore</i> Cruise ship

MSC Seashore is a Seaside EVO-class cruise ship built for MSC Cruises at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. As of August 2021, she became the lead ship of MSC's Seaside EVO class, a sub-class of the Seaside-class of ships built with larger dimensions. She was joined by sister ship MSC Seascape, since delivery in November 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "MSC Divinia (9585285)". BV Fleet. Bureau Veritas . Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "MSC Cruises MSC Divina Ship Information". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  3. 1 2 "MSC Cruises changes name of new ship". Travel Weekly. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "2 new cruise ships launched in Europe | Roadtripping".
  5. ↑ "MSC Announces FANTASTICA". Maritime Matters. 23 July 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Special Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "MSC Divina christened". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Pullella, Philip (2 June 2012). "Venice environmentalists ask Sophia Loren to renounce ship". Reuters. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "MSC Divina – Vessel's Details and Current Position – IMO: 9585285, MMSI: 373178000". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "MSC Cruises MSC Divina Deck Plans". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "Piraeus Strikes Force MSC Divina Itinerary Change". Cruise Industry News. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "MSC Divina to Sail Year Round From Miami - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". Cruise Industry News. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "Holy Ship!!! 2014 Booked for a Boat Named After Sophia Loren". Spin . 25 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "HOLY SHIP! Makes Exciting Changes For 2017 Back-To-Back Adventures". Live For Live Music. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  15. ↑ Concluye Marina búsqueda de mexicano que cayó en Brasil
  16. ↑ Jorge Alberto López Amores [usurped]
  17. ↑ Le grandi navi a Venezia viste da Gianni Berengo Gardin
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.