The MSC Splendida

1 January 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  6 minutes

MSC Splendida in Marseille, France © MarcoMi66/cc-by-sa-3.0

MSC Splendida in Marseille, France © MarcoMi66/cc-by-sa-3.0

MSC Splendida is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. MSC Splendida was completed in 2009 at a cost of $550 million and is a sister ship to MSC Fantasia, originally, she was to be named MSC Serenata, but the name was changed in May 2007 to MSC Splendida. She measures 137,936 GT, and is 333.30 m long with a beam of 37.98 m, a height of 66.81 m and a draft of 8.29 m. Her capacity is 3,900 passengers. The two Neopanamax vessels were to be the largest ships in a European cruise line’s fleet at the time of delivery.   read more…

The MSC Preziosa

1 January 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  10 minutes

MSC Preziosa at Hook of Holland © flickr.com - kees torn/cc-by-sa-2.0

MSC Preziosa at Hook of Holland © flickr.com – kees torn/cc-by-sa-2.0

MSC Preziosa is a Fantasia-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She entered service in March 2013. She is an enhanced version of her first two class member ships, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia, and is identical to the previous MSC Divina. She debuted on March 13 as the fourth ship in the Fantasia class. MSC Preziosa was constructed from 2010 to 2013 at the STX shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, and was delivered in March 2013, being named MSC Preziosa while under construction in 2012. She has a capacity of 3,502 passengers in 1,310 outside cabins and 327 inside cabins, who are accommodated with a crew complement of 1,370. She was the 13th cruise ship of the MSC Cruises line. Homeport ist Panama City in Panama.   read more…

The Carnival Pride

1 March 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  8 minutes

in Nassau, Bahamas © ArnoldReinhold/cc-by-4.0

in Nassau, Bahamas © ArnoldReinhold/cc-by-4.0

Carnival Pride is a Spirit-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. Built by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, she was laid down on March 30, 2000, launched on March 29, 2001 and completed and delivered to Carnival on December 12, 2001. She was christened by American scientist and astronaut Tamara Jernigan in Port Canaveral, Florida, on January 7, 2002.   read more…

The MSC Orchestra

1 December 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  5 minutes

in Tallinn © Bin im Garten/cc-by-sa-3.0

in Tallinn © Bin im Garten/cc-by-sa-3.0

MS MSC Orchestra is a cruise ship that was built in 2007 for MSC Cruises. She is the second ship of the Musica class. She could at the time accommodate 2,550 passengers in 1,275 cabins. Most inside cabins were later refitted with two bunk beds and therefore she can now accommodate 3,200 passengers. Her crew complement is approximately 990.   read more…

The MSC Musica

1 March 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  4 minutes

at Santorini, Greece © A. Stumpf/cc-by-sa-3.0-de

at Santorini, Greece © A. Stumpf/cc-by-sa-3.0-de

The MSC Musica is a cruise ship belonging to MSC Cruises. It was christened in Venice by the Italian actress Sophia Loren in June 2006 and went on its maiden voyage on July 1. The ship has four different restaurants, a sushi bar, an 800 m² casino, the Havana Club smoking room and a theater 1200 seats and a discotheque, as well as a tennis and a mini golf course. Other features:   read more…

Theme Week Panama – Colón

27 January 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Cruise ship terminal Colon 2000 and Colon Free Trade Zone © flickr.com - Roger Wollstadt/cc-by-sa-2.0

Cruise ship terminal Colon 2000 and Colon Free Trade Zone © flickr.com – Roger Wollstadt/cc-by-sa-2.0

Colón is a city and sea port beside the Caribbean Sea, lying near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is the capital of the Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama’s second city. Originally, it was located entirely on Manzanillo Island, surrounded by Limon Bay, Manzanillo Bay and the Folks River, but, since the disestablishment of the Panama Canal Zone, the city’s limits have been redefined to include Fort Gulick, a former U.S. Army base, as well the former Canal Zone towns of Cristobal, Margarita and Coco Solo.   read more…

Theme Week Panama – Santiago de Veraguas

26 January 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Catedral Santiago de Veraguas © Apollo18

Catedral Santiago de Veraguas © Apollo18

Santiago de Veraguas is the capital of the province of Veraguas, and the district or municipality of the same name. Located in the countryside on the banks of the Pan-American Highway. Bounded on the north by San Francisco District, south with the District of Montijo, east District of Atalaya and west by the District of La Mesa. The population of the city of Santiago is at 90,000.   read more…

Theme Week Panama – Penonomé

25 January 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Saint John the Baptist Church © flickr.com - Anelly Celis/cc-by-2.0

Saint John the Baptist Church © flickr.com – Anelly Celis/cc-by-2.0

Penonomé is the capital of the province of Coclé with a populaton of 20,000. The town is located along the Inter-American Highway in the wide, flat lowlands of central Coclé. Especially for Carnival and the national festivals, the otherwise quiet city turns into a colorful spectacle with numerous open-air discos and lively street parades.   read more…

Theme Week Panama – Antón

24 January 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

El Valle © Smithsonian Institution - Lee Siebert

El Valle © Smithsonian Institution – Lee Siebert

Antón is a corregimiento in Antón District, Coclé Province. It is located near the north-western shore of the Gulf of Panama. It is the seat of Antón District. It has a land area of 106.3 square kilometres (41.0 sq mi) and had a population of 12,000. Most of them are mestizos, Chinese or African Americans. For Panamanian standards, the city is quite small, in the center there is a casino, three small supermarkets, run by the Chinese (“chinos”) and a market where livestock (chickens) are slaughtered and sold.   read more…

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