MSC Magnifica is a Musica-class cruise ship

Cruise ship

A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

 operated by MSC Cruises. Constructed by STX Europe in Saint-Nazaire

Saint-Nazaire

Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...

, the ship was launched in January 2009, completed in January 2010, and entered service in March 2010. The cruise ship is initially operating in the western Mediterranean.

Design and construction

The fourth ship to be built to the Musica class design, MSC Magnifica was constructed by STX Europe in their shipyard at Saint-Nazaire

Saint-Nazaire

Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...

, France. She was built at a cost of $547 million.

The vessel is 293.8 metres (963.9 ft) long, with a beam of 32.2 metres (105.6 ft). The 93,330-gross ton vessel can reach a maximum speed of 23 knots (13 m/s) MSC Magnifica has 1,259 cabins; 2,518 passengers can be carried at double occupancy, while 3,605 can be carried at full capacity. A crew of 1,027 operate the ship and provide for the passengers.

MSC Magnifica was identified by the shipyard hull number T32 during construction. The IMO ship identification number

IMO ship identification number

The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...

 9387085 will remain associated with the ship throughout her life, even if she changes names or operating companies.

MSC Magnifica was floated out of her drydock in a launching ceremony in January 2009. A 72-hour sea trial

Sea trial

A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...

 period was successfully completed on 17 January 2010, despite poor weather and 50 knots (98 km/h) winds. A flag-changing ceremony will be held on February 25, 2010 in Saint-Nazaire, and the ship will be christened on March 6, 2010 at a ceremony in Hamburg.

Facilities

of public-accessible area across 13 decks.

• Three swimming pools, one with a retractable, all-weather roof.
• Four restaurants and a buffet.
• 17 bars and lounges.
• A 1160 metres (3,805.8 ft) spa and wellness centre.
• Entertainment facilities included a 4-D cinema
  4-D film
  4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film...
  
  , a bowling alley, and a billiards
  Billiards
  Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
  
  hall.

Operational history

From 20 March 2010, MSC Magnifica will operate on seven-day cruises in the western Mediterranean, visiting ports in Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Croatia.

External links

• MSC Magnifica webpage at MSC Cruises website
• Deck Plans from Seascanner.com