MSC Magnifica

MSC Magnifica is a Musica-class cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises. Constructed by STX Europe in Saint-Nazaire, the ship was launched in January 2009, completed in January 2010, and entered service in March 2010.

MSC Magnifica at the Nieuwe Waterweg in Rotterdam, Netherlands on 20 October 2014.
History
NameMSC Magnifica
OwnerMediterranean Shipping Company S.A.
OperatorMSC Cruises
Port of registryPanama City,  Panama
BuilderSTX Europe (Saint-Nazaire, France)
Cost$547 million
Yard numberT32
Launched16 January 2009
Christened6 March 2010 in Hamburg
Maiden voyage9 March 2010
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and typeMusica-class cruise ship
Tonnage95,128 GT
Length293.8 m (963 ft 11 in)
Beam32.3 m (106 ft 0 in)[1]
Draught7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)[1]
Decks13 decks[2]
Speed23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Capacity2,550 (double occupancy)/ 3.223 (maximum)
Crew1,027

MSC Cruises announced the suspension of all North American itineraries until 30 June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

Design and description
MSC Magnifica at Le Havre, France on August 29, 2013.

The fourth ship to be built to the Musica-class design, MSC Magnifica was constructed by STX Europe in their shipyard at Saint-Nazaire, France.[4][5] She was built at a cost of $547 million.[6]

The vessel is 293.8 metres (963 ft 11 in) long, with a beam of 32.2 metres (105 ft 8 in).[5] The 93,330-gross ton vessel can reach a maximum speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph).[5] MSC Magnifica has 1,259 cabins – 2,550 passengers can be carried at double occupancy, while 3,605 can be carried at full capacity.[2][5] The ship has 1,027 crew.[2]

Facilities

The ship has 13 passenger accessible decks, three swimming pools,[2] a gymnasium, spa, and wellness center, a 1,250-seat Art Deco-style theatre, casino, cinema, bowling alley and a number of dining areas and bars.[4]

Refit

On 10 September 2019, it was announced that MSC Magnifica would be dry-docked for two months starting March 2021, to be refurbished and stretched by 23 metres (75 ft 6 in). The 140 million euro renovation will bring two new restaurants, a new shopping area, a new water park, 215 new cabins (92 with balcony), and the most modern ecological systems: a state-of-the-art Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system and next-generation Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) system. The vessel will also get a shore-power system.[7]

Construction and career

MSC Magnifica was identified by the shipyard hull number T32 during construction.[6] MSC Magnifica's onboard disco is named after her shipyard hull number.

MSC Magnifica was floated out of her dry dock in a launching ceremony on 16 January 2009.[8] A 72-hour sea trial period was completed on 17 January 2010.[4] A flag-changing ceremony was held on 25 February 2010 in Saint-Nazaire. The ship was christened on 6 March 2010 at a ceremony in Hamburg by the godmother to the MSC Cruises fleet, Italian actress Sophia Loren.[4]

MSC Magnifica received criticism in April 2014 after it was revealed that Brazilian police had to rescue eleven crew members on board that were living in 'slave-like conditions' whilst docked in Salvador, Brazil.[9]

On 5 January 2019, MSC Magnifica began her first World Cruise. The ship departed from Genoa and sailed for 119. MSC Magnifica visited 6 continents, 32 countries and 49 destinations. The ship returned to Genoa on 3 May 2019.[10]

MSC Magnifica undertook a second World Cruise leaving in January 2020. The 116-night cruise started at Genoa on 5 January 2020 and intended to call at 43 ports in 23 countries. The vessel was scheduled to end her World Cruise in Genoa on 30 April 2020.[11]

Incidents

Coronavirus pandemic
Further information: COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships § MSC Magnifica

On 23 March 2020, the ship was headed for Fremantle, Western Australia, for refueling and resupplying, but was denied permission to dock because authorities wrongly believed there were COVID-19 patients on board;[12][13] the crew denied having any cases of the virus on board.[14][15][13]

The ship was not allowed to dock in Dubai,[16] and instead on 6 April made a "technical stop" in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where a 75-year-old German heart patient and a Sri Lankan chef, who had made a successful plea on social media to be allowed to repatriate himself, were disembarked. The Sri Lanka Navy took charge of them;[17][13] On 14 April, the German woman who evacuated the ship died.[18]

On 20 April 2020, MSC Magnifica docked in Marseille, France, letting out all its passengers and terminating the cruise.[19] MSC Cruises stated that no passengers and no crew members had shown any coronavirus symptoms.[19] Some passengers had previously disembarked in Australia in mid-March and planned to fly to Europe, according to one report. The rest of the ship's guests had continued to France.[13]

References
  1. "Equasis". www.veristar.com.
  2. "Technical Sheet" (PDF). MSC Cruises. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  3. "MSC Cruises is latest to suspend operations through summer". Fox News. 30 April 2020.
  4. "Successful sea trials for MSC Crociere's newest ship". Independent Online. Standard Publications Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  5. "MSC Magnifica". ShipParade.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  6. Colton, Tim. "Large Cruise Ships on Order". ShipbuildingHistory.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  7. Coulter, Adam (ed.). "MSC Cruises to Offer Full Ex-UK Season of Sailings on Stretched and Refurbished Ship". Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  8. "MSC Magnifica (9387085)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  9. "Brazil 'rescues' cruise workers from 'slave-like conditions'". BBC News. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  10. "MSC Magnifica Is Going To Conquer the World | CruiseBe". CruiseBe. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  11. "MSC World Cruise 2020". MSC Cruises UK.
  12. "Cruise ship with more than 250 suspected COVID-19 patients steams for Fremantle". WA Today. 23 March 2020.
  13. Owen Amos (20 April 2020). "Coronavirus journey: The 'last cruise ship on Earth' finally comes home". BBC News.
  14. "WA resists cruise ship with sick on board". The Canberra Times. 23 March 2020.
  15. "Cruise ships are still scrambling for safe harbor". CNN. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  16. "Three cruise ships are proving a nightmare for the WA government, with two forced to stay at anchor, while 800 passengers on a third will be quarantined". SBS. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  17. "Sri lankan chef & German Patient". Dailymirror.lk. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  18. German Woman Who Was Evacuated From MSC Magnifica Cruise Ship Dies 14 April 2020 HIRU NEWS
  19. Staff, C. I. N. (21 April 2020). "Last Cruise Ship at Sea Returns to Port with MSC Magnifica Back in Marseille". www.cruiseindustrynews.com.
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