MSC Sinfonia
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Short description|Cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| display title = ital }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = MSC Sinfonia turning to Starboard Side Tallinn 27 May 2015.JPG | Ship caption = MSC Sinfonia In Tallinn, Estonia on 27 May 2015 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name = *2002–2004: European Stars
| Ship owner = *2002–2004: Festival Cruises
| Ship operator = *2001–2004: Festival Cruises | Ship registry = *2001–2004: Genoa, {{flag|Italy}}
| Ship ordered = | Ship builder = Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France | Ship original cost = $245 million | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 4 March 2001 | Ship completed = | Ship christened = 19 April 2002 | Ship acquired = 18 April 2002 | Ship maiden voyage = 25 April 2002 | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = | Ship identification = *{{IMO Number|9210153}}
| Ship fate = | Ship status = In service | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (as European Stars) | Ship class = {{sclass|Lirica|cruise ship}} | Ship tonnage = *{{GT|58,174}}
| Ship displacement = | Ship length = {{convert|275.25|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|28.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height = {{convert|54|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship draught = {{convert|6.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship power = *4 × Wärtsilä 12V38
| Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = {{convert|20.8|kn}} | Ship capacity = 2,163 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (as MSC Sinfonia) | Ship class = Lirica-class cruise ship | Ship tonnage = *{{GT|58,625}}
| Ship displacement = | Ship length = *{{convert|251.25|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = *{{convert|28.8|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = {{convert|54|m|abbr=on}} | Ship draught = {{convert|6.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = {{convert|6.6|m|abbr=on}} | Ship decks = *9 (passenger accessible)
| Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = {{convert|21.1|kn}} | Ship capacity = *2,087 passengers (double occupancy)
| Ship crew = 721 | Ship notes = Otherwise the same as European Stars }} |
MSC Sinfonia is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Italy-based MSC Cruises. She was built in 2002 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France for the now-defunct Festival Cruises as MS European Stars. She was the last ship built for Festival Cruises.{{cite web |url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/FestvalPCs.html |title=Festival Cruise Line |accessdate=28 September 2008 |last=Boyle |first=Ian |publisher= Simplon Postcards}}
Concept and construction
File:Port of Palma de Mallorca May 2003 (2) (European Stars).jpg, Spain on 1 May 2003.]]
European Stars was the second in a pair of two sister ships ordered by Festival Cruises from Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France (the first sister being {{MS|European Vision}}). The contract price for the ship was $245 million, and her yard number was X31. Both new ships were built on the same platform as {{MS|Mistral}}, built by the same shipyard for Festival Cruises in 1999, but with an added {{convert|35|m|ft|adj=on}} midsection providing more passenger spaces, and one additional deck of cabins with private balconies.
Newbuilding X31 was launched in Saint-Nazaire on 4 March 2001. Following fitting out, she was delivered to Festival Cruises on 18 April 2002 and officially christened European Stars the following day in Saint-Nazaire.
Service history
European Stars entered service for Festival Cruises on 25 April 2002 on a cruise from Barcelona. Her career with Festival proved short, however, as the company went bankrupt in January 2004 and the European Stars was subsequently impounded and laid up in Barcelona on 19 January 2004. The ship remained laid up for several months,{{cite web |url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/EuropeanStars.html |title=European Stars - MSC Sinfonia |accessdate=28 September 2008 |last=Boyle |first=Ian |publisher= Simplon Postcards}} until she was sold to MSC Cruises in July 2004 for €220 million and renamed MSC Sinfonia (her sister European Vision also joined the MSC fleet, as {{ship||MSC Armonia}}).{{cite web |url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/MSCPCs.html#anchor1183488 |title=MSC Crociere Italiane |accessdate=28 September 2008 |last=Boyle |first=Ian |publisher= Simplon Postcards}} The MSC Sinfonia entered service with her new owners in March 2005.
Design
=Exterior design=
The European Stars and her sister European Vision shared a similar box-like exterior appearance as the Mistral, but with a longer and higher hull, which was said to have improved the ship's external appearance compared to the Mistral. As European Vision the ship had an all-white hull and superstructure, with blue and yellow decorative stripes painted on the hull, and a blue funnel with the yellow F logo of Festival Cruises. As MSC Sinfonia she retained the blue funnel colour but now with the white compass logo of MSC Cruises. Initially her hull was all-white without decorations, but on 2008-04-15 MSC made known their intention to paint their compass logo on the sides of all their ships during 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080415174309 |title=MSC Cruises starts to paint compass logo on hulls |accessdate=28 September 2008 |date=15 April 2008 |work=Cruise Business Review |publisher=Cruise Media Oy Ltd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708211557/http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080415174309 |archive-date=8 July 2011 }}
Renaissance program
A {{convert|24|m|adj=on}} section was added to the ship during a 10-week refit beginning on 20 January 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.cruiseshipnews.co.uk/20150114/new-msc-sinfonia-features-for-2015-cruises/|title=New MSC Sinfonia features for 2015 cruises|publisher=cruiseshipnews.co.uk|accessdate=21 January 2015}} The new section consists of 193 extra cabins and weighs 2400 tonnes. The work took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily.{{cite web|url=http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/msc-sinfonia-begins-renaissance-drydock-in-palermo.html|title=MSC Sinfonia begins 'Renaissance' drydock in Palermo |date=14 January 2015 |publisher=seatrade-insider.com|accessdate=21 January 2015}} The midsection was prebuilt, before being floated to the shipyard.{{cite news | url=https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/msc-sinfonia-set-to-undergo-extensive-renewal.html | title=MSC Sinfonia Set to Undergo Extensive Renewal | first=Patrick | last=Clarke | work=TravelPulse | date=14 January 2015}}
=Interior design=
The interior decorations of the MSC Sinfonia are described as European Moderne by cruise review author Douglas Ward, with minimalist furniture that is in places impractical. The public spaces include two main dining rooms, a self-serve buffet, cafeteria, two-deck high showlounge, a discothèque, several bars, a casino and a library. The lido deck includes two outdoors swimming pool, two thalassotherapy jacuzzis and the Doremi spray park for children.
=Decks and facilities=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|IMO 9210153}}
- [https://www.msccruises.com/en-gl/Discover-MSC/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Sinfonia.aspx Official website]
- [http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=373 Cruise Critic review]
{{MSC Ships}}
{{Lirica class}}
{{Mistral class}}