Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

MSC Cruises announced today that its largest ship to be built is on schedule and making great strides in reaching its launch date in December of 2008 at Aker Yards in France. She was recently transferred to the lower dry dock on Sept. 1, and continues to take the shape of its designed beauty. This stage of her construction will be completed in February 2008. MSC Fantasia will introduce a new concept to cruising as MSC Cruises continues to pioneer new trends for vacations at sea.

The most modern technology and the best material will be used in the construction of MSC Fantasia in order to meet all the needs of guests. A new philosophy incorporating the line’s concept of elegant and understated public spaces has been adopted. In the suites, for example, the walls and furniture will be in mahogany while the headboard will be made of Alcantara® with luminous inlays. The bathrooms will be marble with a full length bath. The carpet in the corridors will have a varying geometric design. In all staterooms with a balcony the furniture and entrance door will be in Wengè wood.
MSC Fantasia will be the first ship with an exclusive VIP area called “MSC Yacht Club,” with a restricted access and personal service. A total of 99 spacious suites (from 193 to 700 square feet) and a butler for every five staterooms. The butler will assist guests at check-in, offer a 24-hour room service, pre-book excursions and transfers, choose wines, champagne and cigars, plus oversee an English high tea service. MSC Yacht Club will offer other special areas, including a bar, solarium, two hot tubs, a pool with a retractable sky dome, and an observation lounge with its own bar, concierge and panoramic views over the bow of the ship.
MSC Fantasia will be 133,500 gross tons, 1,092 feet long, 124 feet wide, and almost 196 feet tall – six times as tall as the Tower of Pisa, almost 30 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower, and as high as a 23-story building, a maximum speed of 23 knots, and propulsion of 40 Mega Watts, the equivalent of 120 Ferrari or a 1000 Fiat Punto. There will be more than 1,100 miles of electrical cable (the distance between Naples to Nantes!) and 65,000 light fittings.
Internally there will be:

-1,637 staterooms for 3,959 guests and 1,325 crew members: 80% of the staterooms will be oceanview staterooms, with 107 suites. The staterooms will range from 193 to 700 square feet;
-290,000 square feet of public space with a theater (able to seat 1,700), “Aqua Spa” wellbeing center (16,000 square feet) with a thermal cave, 5 restaurants (64,000 square feet in total) including a Tex Mex restaurant with its own kitchen and a panoramic restaurant, 4 pools (3 external and 1 with a retractable roof) with 12 hydro-massage tubs, wine bar, coffee bar and another 20 bars (including a sports bar and Jazz bar), specialty shops, casino, disco, Formula 1 simulators and an interactive 4D cinema – all this for the relaxation and enjoyment of our guests;
-A children’s area – 4,300 square feet dedicated to the younger guests, with a “Water Slide” (which straddles two decks to the side of the disco with amazing scenic views). This Aquapark will have 150 fountains that will light up at night to the rhythm of music. There will also be three fun areas: Mini-Club, Junior Club and Teenager Club.
After MSC Fantasia, the new era of cruising will continue with her sister ship MSC Splendida, due to be delivered in June 2009.