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ST. NAZAIRE, 7 May 2008 - Today at the Aker Yards France shipyards in St. Nazaire one of the oldest marine traditions was celebrated once again: the Coin Ceremony.
In the presence of Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises and of Jacques Hardelay, Managing Director of Aker Yards France, the heads of the shipyard sealed two coins into the central block of MSC Magnifica, which will join MSC Cruises's fleet during the spring of 2010. The godmothers of the ceremony were Lidia Aversa,theMSC Technical Department's Promotion Manager, with the company since 1993, and Anne Hardelay for Aker Yards France.
Following tradition, the first coin was donated by the shipowner and the second one by the shipyard. The MSC Cruises coin - minted in pure gold for the occasion - bears the coat of arms of the City of Venice as a testimony of the deep bond between the company and the Serenissima, Venice. The other side of the coin shows the traditional rose of the winds - the MSC logo.
The Aker Yards France coin is a 50-franc French silver coin from 1978.
MSC Magnifica will be delivered to the shipowner in December 2009. It will be the twelfth unit of the fleet and the fourth sister ship of the Music class: it will displace 93,300 tonnes and have 1,259 cabins - of which 80% are outside berths - for a total capacity of 3,779 passengers.
Two other units are currently being built at the St. Nazaire shipyards: MSC Fantasia and her sister ship, MSC Splendida. Both will be the largest ships ever built for a European shipowner (133,500 tonnes' displacement). They will signal the start of a new concept for space management in cruise ships. Passengers will be offered an exclusive VIP area on board MSC Fantasia - the MSC Yacht Club - with 99 spacious suites, exclusive butler service, private access and reserved common areas.
MSC Fantasia will be launched in Naples on 18 December, while delivery of the MSC Splendida is expected in June 2009.
"MSC Magnifica is our fourth new ship in 24 months. With her, we have reached the highest growth rate of these past years, allowing us to expand our fleet significantly," said Pierfrancesco Vago, CEOof MSC Cruises. "MSC Magnifica should therefore be seen as another step towards our goal: reaching 12 units by 2010. The arrival of MSC Magnifica, with its technical features like the Magrodome, is a proof of our commitment to fulfil our clients' needs. We have increased our offer in answer to their wish to cruise all year long regardless of weather conditions."
"The Musica Class has proved its efficiency on the European cruise market. The MSC Magnifica, the fourth vessel of the series, is the ultimate evolution," said Jacques Hardeley, Managing Director of Aker Yards France. "She will bring more fun, new experiences, more comfort to cruise passengers while keeping operation costs low for MSC Cruises. With MSC, we are not only following the growth of a new leader in the cruise market, we are changing the way operators look at their relationship with shipbuilders and what results they can expect from good cooperation."
Click here to view the article.
ST. NAZAIRE, 7 May 2008 - Today at the Aker Yards France shipyards in St. Nazaire one of the oldest marine traditions was celebrated once again: the Coin Ceremony.
In the presence of Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises and of Jacques Hardelay, Managing Director of Aker Yards France, the heads of the shipyard sealed two coins into the central block of MSC Magnifica, which will join MSC Cruises's fleet during the spring of 2010. The godmothers of the ceremony were Lidia Aversa,theMSC Technical Department's Promotion Manager, with the company since 1993, and Anne Hardelay for Aker Yards France.
Following tradition, the first coin was donated by the shipowner and the second one by the shipyard. The MSC Cruises coin - minted in pure gold for the occasion - bears the coat of arms of the City of Venice as a testimony of the deep bond between the company and the Serenissima, Venice. The other side of the coin shows the traditional rose of the winds - the MSC logo.
The Aker Yards France coin is a 50-franc French silver coin from 1978.
MSC Magnifica will be delivered to the shipowner in December 2009. It will be the twelfth unit of the fleet and the fourth sister ship of the Music class: it will displace 93,300 tonnes and have 1,259 cabins - of which 80% are outside berths - for a total capacity of 3,779 passengers.
Two other units are currently being built at the St. Nazaire shipyards: MSC Fantasia and her sister ship, MSC Splendida. Both will be the largest ships ever built for a European shipowner (133,500 tonnes' displacement). They will signal the start of a new concept for space management in cruise ships. Passengers will be offered an exclusive VIP area on board MSC Fantasia - the MSC Yacht Club - with 99 spacious suites, exclusive butler service, private access and reserved common areas.
MSC Fantasia will be launched in Naples on 18 December, while delivery of the MSC Splendida is expected in June 2009.
"MSC Magnifica is our fourth new ship in 24 months. With her, we have reached the highest growth rate of these past years, allowing us to expand our fleet significantly," said Pierfrancesco Vago, CEOof MSC Cruises. "MSC Magnifica should therefore be seen as another step towards our goal: reaching 12 units by 2010. The arrival of MSC Magnifica, with its technical features like the Magrodome, is a proof of our commitment to fulfil our clients' needs. We have increased our offer in answer to their wish to cruise all year long regardless of weather conditions."
"The Musica Class has proved its efficiency on the European cruise market. The MSC Magnifica, the fourth vessel of the series, is the ultimate evolution," said Jacques Hardeley, Managing Director of Aker Yards France. "She will bring more fun, new experiences, more comfort to cruise passengers while keeping operation costs low for MSC Cruises. With MSC, we are not only following the growth of a new leader in the cruise market, we are changing the way operators look at their relationship with shipbuilders and what results they can expect from good cooperation."
Click here to view the article.
