MSC Divina, the third and latest addition to the MSC Cruises’ flagship Fantasia class, was ceremoniously floated out of dry dock B of the STX Europe shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and transferred to dock C for final fitting and furnishing ahead of her christening in May next year.

During her maiden voyage from Marseilles, the 140,000-tonne MSC Divina will be calling at Malta for a day, only four days after her launch on May 30 of next year.

Representing a major milestone in the mammoth building of the new 4,345-passenger cruise ship, the event was witnessed by a select group of guests who gathered to applaud the ship which will become the 12th and most magnificent of the MSC Cruises fleet.

“It is a proud moment. Today marks the start of the final one million hours of work devoted to meticulously applying the finishing touches to ensure our new débutante is ready and perfectly dressed up when she emerges for her debut Grand Ball on May 26, next year in Marseille, France,” said Emilio La Scala, general manager of MSC Cruises’ technical department. Named in honour of Sophia Loren, modern-day Italian film goddess and patron of the MSC Cruises fleet, MSC Divina will be appropriately themed as a divine goddess. This was hinted at for the first time during the event with the announcement that the ship’s 18 decks (13 of them for passengers) will be named after the Gods of Ancient Greece; among them Urano, Afrodite, Aurora, Giunone, Artemide, Zeus, Mercurio, Cupido, Iride, Minerva, Apollo, Saturno.

There will be something decidedly transcendental about one of the most novel additions to the ship: The garden pool, purposely designed and decorated as a heavenly upscale area for a quiet retreat.

Construction of MSC Divina started over a year ago and a total complement of 74 mega-blocks, each consisting of a set of large pre-fabricated hull components, were used for assembling the ship. Work on the keel is nearly completed.

Already 50 per cent of the fitting out has been done which includes completion of the electrical networking, plumbing and public areas.

Work has also already started on 400 of the 1,751 cabins, one hundred more than her sister ships MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida.

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