A ringing endorsement of Intersleek 900 benefits comes from Italian cruise line MSC Cruises. Hot on the heels of applying the premium coating to the hull of the new cruise vessel ‘MSC Poesia’ in 2008 comes an even larger newbuild project, this time on the ‘MSC Fantasia', delivered from her French shipyard in December 2008.
 

Thursday, January 8, 2009

The cruise line opted for more of the same for the hull of the 23-knot 133,500 dwt vessel, completed at Aker Yards’ St Nazaire Yard in France. She is the largest cruise vessel yet to have International Paint’s premium coating applied to her 333- metre hull and will need almost 12,000 litres of paint for the full Intersleek_® 900 coating scheme. 

MSC Cruises are remaining typically tight-lipped about fuel consumption on board the ‘MSC Poesia’. However, the fact that the cruise line has chosen the same hull coating for the larger ‘MSC Fantasia’, just a few months after ‘MSC Poesia’, tells its own story. Meanwhile, a third cruise vessel – the ‘MSC Sinfonia’ – has also had Intersleek_® 900 applied to her hull during a recent docking in Genoa Drydock. It is thought the cruise line will eventually adopt foul release coatings for all its ships as dockings fall due. 

The ‘MSC Fantasia’, classed by BV with ‘Clean Ship’ notation, has a range of environmentally friendly features, including state-of-the-art fuel-efficient main engines and auxiliary machinery as well as sophisticated waste management equipment. Significantly, a section on the dedicated ‘MSC Fantasia’ website refers to the vessel’s hull coating which, it says, reduces friction, lessens energy consumption, saves fuel and cuts emissions.