OceanShooter : Ship and Boat

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MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 4). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 4. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 4. In April 2008, MSC Cruises set the year’s launches rolling when Italian actress Sophia Loren named MSC Poesia in Dover. Fast forward to the week before Christmas and the cruise line finished off a year that saw eight new ships added to the market with another naming ceremony – with Sophia Loren once again doing the honours. December’s new ship, MSC Fantasia, was named in Naples and is an 133,000-ton monster holding almost 4,000 when all the berths are full. One of the big surprises on MSC Fantasia is the restaurant scene onboard. Beyond the traditional main dining venues -- which include the set-table, set-time Red Velvet (in the center of the ship) and Il Cerchio d'Oro (aft), as well as a pair of buffet restaurants that are typically open for breakfast and lunch -- Fantasia offers a nice variety of dining options. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 4). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 4. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 4. These include L'Etoile, an intimate and red velvet-romantic French restaurant; the boisterous Sombrero, for Tex-Mex; an evening-only pizzeria; the Sports Bar for fast food fare; and La Cantina Toscana for Italian wines and tapas. Unlike most cruise lines that market to Americans and Canadians, the specialty eateries here -- including L'Etoile, La Cantina Toscana, the Sports Bar, the Italian wine bar and El Sombrero, -- don't levy alternative restaurant surcharges, which can range from $5 to $30 on other lines. That's good, but here's the difference: On Fantasia, the restaurants all operate on an a la carte basis. Instead of a blanket service fee, you pay for every menu item you order. Prices, for the most part, are extremely reasonable and are, to some degree, subsidized by your cruise fare, so you're not paying full retail. At El Sombrero, a huge burrito with freshly grilled chicken, which could comfortably feed two hungry adults and a couple of kids, was about 5 euros. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 4). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 4. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 4.

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MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 3). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 3. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 3. The 133,500-ton, 3,300-passenger MSC Fantasia debuted in December 2008 as the largest and most innovative cruise ship ever built by Italy-based MSC Cruises. Along with sister ship MSC Splendida, which followed a year later, it represents a brand-new class for the rapidly growing line. Simply put, MSC Fantasia is a beautiful ship. Cruise lines throw that "beauty" description around a bit too liberally, but Fantasia is special. The atrium area is lofty and towers five decks; the colors in the public rooms and cabins are vibrant without a hint of gaudiness. As a prototype, Fantasia offers a blend of MSC's signature features with a handful of novel twists. The most notable new-to-MSC feature is the Yacht Club, a luxurious ship-within-a-ship living space, pioneered by Cunard with its "Grill-class" and NCL with its Courtyard Villa complex. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 3). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 3. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 3. Also new are the fleet's first retractable-roof-covered pool, a popular destination when the weather turns foul, and a 4D cinema that takes strapped-in passengers on a cosmic coaster ride. On the evolutionary front, Fantasia boasts the fleet's highest ratio of balcony cabins, an expanded version of the line's staple Balinese-style spa and a pair of for-fee alternative restaurants. In North America, MSC Cruises is mostly known in for its hybrid Italian-American-style cruises to the Caribbean. Beyond its efforts to reach out to North Americans in the Caribbean (and, in 2010, Canada/New England), MSC is already one of Europe's leading cruise lines, particularly for travelers from Italy, France, Spain and Germany. But, the expanded range of facilities and the steady inclusion of English in announcements and printed material shows that the line is also targeting travelers from the U.K., U.S. and Canada. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 3). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 3. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 3.

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MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 2). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 2. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 2. Both the MSC Fantasia and MSC Serenata will offer an exclusive privately accessed area; the 'Happy Island'. A boutique-style option offering a dedicated concierge, a panoramic lounge, its own private galley, private swimming pool, private elevator and solarium and direct access to the wellbeing centre. There will be 90 suites, each with a balcony plus butler service, exclusive to the guests of this area. The MSC Fantasia and MSC Serenata will also offer a three-dimensional cinema, a 16,146ft² spa, a sports bar and 6,000m² of restaurants, including a specialty restaurant and a 24-hour Tex Mex venue. Public spaces will stretch over 27,000m² and offer, among others, a main show lounge with 1,700 seats and a panoramic disco on deck 16. The ship is being constructed by Aker (Chantiers de l’Atlantique) at the St.Nazaire yard in France, recently acquired from Alstom. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 2). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 2. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 2. The MSC Fantasia will have an 8.5m (27.8ft) draught so that it can be manoeuvred into relatively shallow waters at small ports (an ocean liner like the Queen Mary 2 has the deepest draught at 32.6ft). APC Power Conversion has been awarded a contract to supply electric propulsion systems for the two MSC Cruises vessels. Both liners will each be equipped with two synchronous motors with 20.2MW supplied through synchro converters. APC's scope of supply will also include the propulsion transformers, advanced digital propulsion control and a remote control system. The coin ceremony for the MSC Fantasia took place in April 2007; two gold coins from the shipyard and the owner were welded into the keel. The ship owner's coin was from Mrs Rafaela Aponte, a member of the Aponte family who own and operate MSC Cruises. An acclaimed pianist, she parted with a much loved gold coin she won as first prize from the Conservatory in Geneva. This follows MSC Cruises history of naming their ships along musical themes. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 2). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 2. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 2.

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MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 1). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 1. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 1. MSC Fantasia is a Fantasia class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She entered service in December 2008. She is the largest ship operated by MSC Cruises to date, along with her sister ship MSC Splendida. as well as the largest passenger ship ever constructed for a European shipowner. MSC Fantasia was delivered to MSC Cruises on December 11, 2008. She was officially named on December 18, 2008, in Naples by Sophia Loren, and started on her maiden voyage on the same date. Since her first cruise, this vessel has been the flagship of the company. On March 5, 2009, high winds snapped the forward mooring lines of MSC Fantasia while she was docked in Spain. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 1). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 1. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 1. The bow drifted away from the dock side and caused a passenger gangway to collapse into the water. One passenger and three crew members had to be rescued from the sea. One passenger was taken to hospital with head injuries, while the other three were treated for hypothermia. MSC Fantasia is one of the most beautiful mainstream ships we've cruised on in the last few years. It is a good choice for budget-minded European cruisers, as well as North Americans who want to bring the international experience of a Mediterranean itinerary onboard. It's important to remember that if you're an English-speaker who chooses an MSC cruise in the Mediterranean, odds are that you'll be in the minority. For us, the multinational flavor was half the fun, and our informal Cruise Critic get-together -- which consisted of two passengers from Germany, two from Bosnia, one from Finland and one American -- really epitomized what made our cruise on Fantasia a special experience. MSC Fantasia (Wallpaper 1). MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier images wallpaper gallery 1. MSC Fantasia Aircraft carrier photos and pictures wallpaper collection 1.