She’s So Divine...And She Floats!

You may know that the divine film legend Ms. Sophia Loren is godmother of several MSC Cruises ships, but you may not realize that the newest ship will be named for her.

MSC Divina will be appropriately themed as a divine goddess and the ship’s 18 decks (13 of which are for guests’ use) are being named after the gods of ancient Greece; among them Urano, Afrodite, Aurora, Giunone, Artemide, Zeus, Mercurio, Cupido, Iride, Minerva, Apollo, Saturno, and Elios. An addition to the ship is the aft Garden Pool purposely designed and decorated as an upscale area for quiet retreat, philosophizing, or simply gazing into the sunset.

The third and latest addition to the MSC Cruises’ flagship Fantasia class, MSC Divina floated out of dry dock B at the STX Europe ship yard in Saint-Nazaire, France on Saturday, Sept 3, and transferred to dock C for final fitting and furnishing. Float out represents a major milestone in the construction of this 140,000 ton ship, which will accommodate up to 4,363 guests when it become the 12th ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet.

Construction of MSC Divina began more than a year ago with a total of 74 mega-blocks each consisting of a set of large pre-fabricated hull components used for assembling the ship. Work on the keel is nearly completed. Already 50 percent of the outfitting has been done including completion of the electrical networking, plumbing, and public areas. Work has also begun on 400 of the 1,751 staterooms, 100 more than her sister ships MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida. In an environmentally friendsly move, the ship will feature a new reverse osmosis system for fresh water production that requires 40 percent less power.

We know Ms. Loren will be an especially proud godmother when she christens her namesake ship on May 26, 2012 in Marseille, France. MSC Divina is destined to be be one “Sophia” of a ship!

Photo Courtesy of MSC Cruises