MSC Fantasia is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises and serves as the lead vessel for the Fantasia class of ships. She entered service in December 2008 and ushered in a new generation of larger ships for MSC Cruises, becoming the largest ship to operate for MSC at the time of delivery. She was also the first vessel to feature the MSC Yacht Club, MSC Cruises ship within ship concept.
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.
Also new is 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.
The MSC Fantasia cruise ship deck plan has a total of 1637 staterooms for 3274 passengers (max capacity is 3929) served by 1370 crew-staff. The boat has 17 decks (14 passenger-accessible, 9 with cabins), 6 dining options (restaurants and food bars), 28 lounges and bars, 5 swimming pools (1 sliding roof-covered pool “I Tropici”), 12 Jacuzzis (outdoor whirlpool hot tubs), 24 elevators.
MSC Fantasia decks are named with Italian adjectives and superlatives.
PHOTOS
FULL SPECIFICATIONS
| Name | MSC Fantasia |
| Owner | MSC Cruises |
| Operator | MSC Cruises |
| Port of registry |  Panama[2][3] |
| Ordered | 1 June 2005 |
| Builder | |
| Cost | $550 million[3] |
| Yard number | A33[4] |
| Laid down | 9 January 2007 |
| Launched | 1 March 2008[4] |
| Christened | 18 December 2008 by Sophia Loren in Naples[5][6] |
| Completed | 9 December 2008[1] |
| Acquired | 10 December 2008[2] |
| Maiden voyage | 20 December 2008 |
| In service | 18 December 2008[2][3] |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service[1] |
| General characteristics [1] | |
|---|---|
| Class and type | Fantasia-class cruise ship |
| Tonnage | 137,936 GT, 107,916 NT, 15,000 DWT[1] |
| Length | 333.33 m (1,093 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 37.92 m (124 ft 5 in) |
| Draft | 8.65 m (28 ft 5 in) |
| Decks | 13 passenger decks,[3] 18 total[citation needed] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Capacity | 3,274 (double occupancy) 3,959 (max) passengers[3] |
| Crew | 1,313[ |
