M/S «MSC DIVINA»

Mr Aponte then gave command of the ship to Captain Giuliano Bossi, and the flags of Italy and MSC Cruises were raised to the sound of the Italian national anthem.

The honor of cutting the ribbon fell to Ela Aponte, wife of MSC Vice President Diego Aponte, who was also in attendance. After the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne, three blasts from the ship’s siren signalled the end of the ceremony.

The vessel was officially christened by Sophia Loren, godmother to the MSC Cruises fleet, in a gala ceremony in Marseilles on 26 May.

«MSC DIVINA»

«MSC DIVINA» is the 12th addition to the company’s fleet. – Dedicated to Ms. Sophia Loren, the ship’s stylish refinement represents a new benchmark in cruising. More than that, «MSC DIVINA» is the latest expression of our long-term collaboration with STX France, said MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago.

The newbuilding represents an investment of about $700 million. She is the 11th ship in just over 10 years which the shipyard has built for the operation of MSC Cruises. Her sistership, «MSC Preziosa», is currently under construction. Throughout the yard’s 150-year history never before have so many vessels been built for one Shipowner.

The first cruise had Venice as destination, and the vessel will stay in the Mediterranean during summer and autumn.

M/S «MSC DIVINA» is flying the Panamanian flag and is classed at Bureau Veritas with class notations I ✠ Hull, ✠ Mach, ✠ AUT-CCS, ✠ AUT-PORT, ✠ SYS-NEQ, MON-SHAFT, CLEANSHIP 2 AWT, ✠ REF-STORE, INWATER SURVEY, SDS.

M/S «MSC DIVINA»

Main particulars:

Machinery

The ship has diesel electric propulsion system with five Wärtsilä diesel engines, two of 16 cyl. type 46 each with a power of 16,800 kW and 3-12 cyl. type 46 each with a power of 12,600 kW. This gives a total installed power of 71,400 kW. The vesssel has two fixed propellers with conventional shafts driven by electric motors with power of 20,2 MW each at 131 rpm. This gives the ship a maximum speed of about 22.99 knots.

Miscellaneous

The vessel is equiped with with two stabilizing fins. There are four pools onboard, including one with sliding roof and one for the MSC Yacht Club. The gorgeous Infinity Pool in the aft of the ship, with its “beach zone” adjoining the glass balustrade, offers a unique view of the ship’s wake fading into the sunset.

The vessel offers three main restaurants. Each one boasts a top gastronomic selection thanks to the variety of dishes and the high quality of the foods. Every product is fresh and carefully handled, such as bread baked onboard. Dishes range from traditional and tasty Mediterranean fare, to the most refined international recipes.

MSC Cruises has received many awards and certificates for its commitment to safeguarding the environment from the Bureau Veritas. These include:

• CLEAN-SEA2 and CLEAN-AIR, which recognize companies that control the funnel emissions of their ships and those that treat these emissions in order to achieve as close to zero impact as possible.
• GREEN PLANET AWARD – launched in 2000 for hotels with eco-friendly facilities, this award has become widely recognised by the industry and subsequently has also been extended to cruise ships.
• CIAL AWARD “COMUNI RICICLONI 2008” – awarded by CIAL (National consortium for the recovery and recycling of aluminium packaging) for an aluminium recycling project.
• VENICE BLUE FLAG – MSC Cruises was the first company to adhere to the agreement, which governs the ships transiting the canal of Venice using diesel oil and reducing their sulphur emissions.

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The order book at the Saint-Nazaire yard at the end of Q2 2012 consisted of two cruise vessels and two helicopter carriers. At the Lorient yard the order book at the end of the quarter consisted of one unit, a sand dredger to be delivered in 2012.