'MSC Divina', the third addition to the MSC Cruises's flagship Fantasia class, was floated out of dry dock B of the STX Europe shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France on Saturday and transferred to dock C for final fitting and furnishing ahead of her christening in May 2012.
Construction of the new 140,000-tonne, 4,345 passenger cruise ship started over a year ago and a total complement of 74 mega-blocks, each consisting of a set of large pre-fabricated hull components, has been used in assembling the ship. Work on the keel is nearly completed. Already 50 percent of the fitting out has been done, including completion of 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').
As the most advanced of the trio of Fantasia Class cruise ships, technical changes on 'MSC Divina' include more powerful propulsion motors, rated at 21.8MW each (compared wotj 20.2MW on 'MSC Splendida'), brand new alternators and state-of-the-art HVAC chillers. The ship will also feature a new reverse osmosis system for fresh water production that requires 40 percent less power and therefore assuring less environmental impact.