MSC Splendida

Last updated

MSC SPLENDIDA (20037774212).jpg
History
NameMSC Splendida
Operator MSC Cruises
Port of registryFlag of Panama.svg  Panama [1]
Ordered16 November 2005
Builder STX Europe (St. Nazaire) [1] [2]
Cost$550 million [1]
Laid down24 October 2007
Launched18 July 2008
Christened12 July 2009 by Sophia Loren [3]
Completed2 July 2009
Maiden voyage4 July 2009
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and type Fantasia-class cruise ship
Tonnage137,936  GT [1]
Length333.33 m (1,093.60 ft) [4]
Beam37.92 m (124.41 ft) [1]
Height66.81 m (219.2 ft) [6]
Draft8.29 m (27.2 ft) [4]
Decks18 total, 13 passenger decks [1] [6]
Installed power Diesel (40,000kW) [1]
Propulsion2 propellers [1]
Speed21 knots (39 km/h) [2]
Capacity3,900 passengers [1]
Crew1,313 crew [1]
Notes15 elevators, [6] post-Panamax

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.

Contents

History

MSC Splendida in Geirangerfjorden in June 2015. MSC Splendida in Geirangerfjorden 20150604 1.jpg
MSC Splendida in Geirangerfjorden in June 2015.

MSC Splendida was completed in 2009 at a cost of $550 million and is a sister ship to MSC Fantasia , originally, she was to be named MSC Serenata, but the name was changed in May 2007 to MSC Splendida [7] [8] She measures 137,936 GT, and is 333.30 m long with a beam of 37.98 m, a height of 66.81 m and a draft of 8.29 m. Her capacity is 3,900 passengers. [9] [10] The two Neopanamax vessels were to be the largest ships in a European cruise line's fleet at the time of delivery. [11]

The then-unnamed vessel was part of a two-ship order made by MSC Cruises with STX France on 16 November 2005, for a tentative delivery in spring 2009. [12] Construction began on then-MSC Serenata on 12 April 2007 with the steel-cutting. [11] The ship was launched from the shipyard on 18 July 2008. [13] She began her sea trials on 21 May 2009 and completed them on 27 May 2009. [14] The ship was delivered to MSC Cruises on 4 July 2009. [14] She embarked on her maiden voyage on 4 July 2009 [15] and returned 11 July, to be officially named on 12 July 2009, in Barcelona by Sophia Loren, her godmother. [3]

Areas of operation

MSC Splendida has cruised the Mediterranean and Far East. [16] She was refurbished in 2017 before deploying to China. [17] In 2020 March, the ship docked in Palong, Thailand beach during the coronavirus pandemic, after more the 2,700 passengers was disembarked. [18] The ship is scheduled to serve Southeast Asia until summer 2020 before repositioning to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. [19] The ship is scheduled to be based in Durban for the 2023/2024 cruise season and will serve the South African market sailing to Mozambique, Mauritius, Reunion, Namibia, Port Elizabeth & Cape Town. [20]

Amenities

The ship's horn system is programmed to play multiple songs, including "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" by Queen, "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes and "Happy Birthday to You". [21]

Incidents

Bardo National Museum attack

On 18 March 2015, MSC Splendida was in port in Tunis with Costa Fascinosa when gunmen opened fire on tourists at the Bardo National Museum. Twelve passengers hailing from Japan, Italy, Colombia, Spain, Britain, Australia, Poland, and France, were killed. [22]

Coronavirus pandemic

On 23 March 2020, around 14:00 CET, a Thai crew member working aboard as a buffet attendant was medically evacuated via lifeboat after she exhibited symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and was having difficulty breathing. [lower-alpha 1] [23] At the time, the ship was near the island of Sardinia and headed to Marseille [lower-alpha 2] to disembark all of its passengers. [23]

On 24 March 2020, MSC Cruises informed the crew that the sick crew member had tested negative. [23] However, two days later, on 26 March, it was reported that the sick crew member had been tested again, and this time, the test had returned positive. [23] As a result, 16 crew members were placed under quarantine. [23] The ship later docked in Genoa so that some of its crew members could disembark. [25]

By 1 April 2020, 26 crew members had been placed under quarantine, with 3 crew members running high temperatures. [23]

MSC Splendida is featured on Indian Tamil film, Manmadan Ambu . [26]

Notes

  1. She had been suffering from a fever and a sore throat for three days, and her health had been worsening. [23]
  2. The cruise originally was supposed to end at Genoa on 29 March, but the trip was cut short due to the pandemic and the end of the cruise was moved up to 4 March when it docked at Marseille. [24]

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