MSC Fantasia

MSC Fantasia is a cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises and the lead ship of the Fantasia class. Delivered in December 2008 from the Saint-Nazaire yard in France, she measures about 137,900 gross tons and 333 metres, with 1,637 staterooms across 18 decks. At her debut she was the largest cruise ship ever built for a European shipowner, and the largest in the MSC fleet by a wide margin.

The class marked a step change for the company in both scale and positioning. Fantasia introduced the MSC Yacht Club, a gated suite complex forward on the upper decks with a private lounge, restaurant, pool deck and butler service, effectively a small luxury ship carried inside a large mainstream one. The concept proved successful enough to be fitted to almost every MSC ship built since.

Public spaces include a three-deck atrium with Swarovski crystal staircases, a two-level theatre, a broad spread of restaurants and lounges, a large spa and thermal area, a casino, a 4D cinema and a Formula One simulator.

The ship was named in Naples in December 2008, with Sophia Loren as godmother.

Fantasia has spent most of her career in the Mediterranean, with seasonal deployments to Northern Europe and South America, and remains one of the larger ships in MSC's pre-Meraviglia fleet.