A momentous floating out ceremony took place on 20 July at the Aker Yards in St. Nazaire, France. Accompanied by a fleet of eight tugboats in line with tradition, MSC Splendida, the newest addition to the MSC Cruises fleet, was floated out. At the end of the floating out ceremony (which lasted about 1 hour), this giant of the sea reached the dock approximately half a mile away, where she will remain until her construction has been completed.
MSC Splendida and sister ship MSC Fantasia are the two largest ships to be built by a European ship owner. Both will be 133,500 tonnes, six times as tall as the Tower of Pisa and equivalent to a 23 floor building. Each will have 1.637 cabins able to accommodate 3,274 passengers (on double basis) and 27,000 square metres of public areas including a theatre with seating for 1,649 plus the wellbeing centre - AUREA SPA, measuring 1,615 square metres. Additionally these ships will have four restaurants and two buffet areas, four pools, 12 hydro massage pools, Sports Bar, Jazz Bar, shops, casino, disco, FORMULA 1 simulator, 4D interactive cinema, Squash Court and a Children and Teenager’s Area of 400 square metres with a pool, waterslide and dedicated disco.
These two ships will herald a new era for cruises by introducing MSC Yacht Club, a VIP area with 99 elegant suites, dedicated butlers and communal spaces furnished to the highest standards. Whilst the countdown to MSC Fantasia’s launch has already started (christening in Naples, December 18th, 2008), MSC Splendida will be christened in Barcelona during the summer of 2009.
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