MSC Fantasia — Deck Plans, Live Tracker, Dining & Videos
MSC Fantasia is the first-in-class ship of MSC Cruises' Fantasia Class, delivered on 10 December 2008 by STX France at Saint-Nazaire (the yard now operates under its historic name, Chantiers de l'Atlantique) and christened in Naples on 18 December 2008 by Sophia Loren. She measures 137,936 gross tons and 333.33 metres in length, carries 3,274 guests at double occupancy (approximately 3,929 maximum) across 1,637 cabins with a crew of 1,370, and flies the Panamanian flag from Colón. MSC Fantasia was the first MSC ship to introduce the MSC Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship enclave concept. In 2026 she sails Western Mediterranean itineraries from Civitavecchia, Genoa, Naples, Barcelona, and Marseille, with a winter 2026-27 season based in the Canary Islands and Madeira.
Key Facts
- Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
- Class: Fantasia Class (first-in-class; sisters MSC Splendida, MSC Divina, MSC Preziosa)
- Year: 2008
- Tonnage: 137,936 GT
- Guests: 3,274 (double) / ~3,929 (max)
- Crew: 1,370
- IMO: 9359791
- Delivered: 10 December 2008, Saint-Nazaire
- Godmother: Sophia Loren (18 December 2008, Naples)
- Cabins: 1,637
- Length × Beam: 333.33 m × 37.92 m
- Registry: Panama (Colón)
Quick Answer: MSC Fantasia (137,936 GT, 3,274 double / ~3,929 max, 1,370 crew, delivered 2008) is the lead ship of the Fantasia Class — the first MSC ship to introduce the MSC Yacht Club enclave. She carries two main dining rooms (Red Velvet and Il Cerchio d'Oro Panoramic), two buffets (L'Africana and Zanzibar), the Butcher's Cut steakhouse, the Teatro L'Avanguardia, and a Yacht Club suite deck with L'Étoile Restaurant, Top Sail Lounge, and a private pool. Western Mediterranean summer 2026, Canary Islands winter 2026-27.
Who She's For: Mediterranean cruisers drawn to Italian-heritage styling, travellers curious about the original MSC Yacht Club enclave on its first-ever ship, and families wanting a mid-to-large mainstream ship at heritage-era pricing with the MSC Aurea Spa, Teatro L'Avanguardia, and the Lido Catalano outdoor pool deck. Good pick for the winter 2026-27 Canary Islands season, and for cruisers who prefer a classical multi-deck atrium layout over the indoor-promenade LED-dome feel of the Meraviglia class. Not for guests expecting Cirque du Soleil at Sea, waterpark rigs like those on MSC World America, or the newest hardware.
MSC Fantasia is the lead ship of four Fantasia Class ships, the others being MSC Splendida (2009), MSC Divina (2012), and MSC Preziosa (2013). Her hull was started under Aker Yards in September 2006 and completed by STX France after the Aker Yards sale in 2008. MSC Fantasia introduced the MSC Yacht Club concept — an enclave on Decks 15-18 with L'Étoile Restaurant, the Top Sail Lounge, Concierge Area, Library, The One Bar and The One Pool, a private Top 18 Solarium, and butler service for suite guests. The main public-room layout centres on the Piazza San Giorgio atrium (Deck 6), with dining spread across the two-deck Red Velvet MDR, the panoramic Il Cerchio d'Oro, and the two Deck 14 buffets. A February 2011 refit at Fincantieri Palermo raised the ship's maximum capacity and added silicone hull paint; her most recent drydock was at Palumbo Malta Shipyard in September-October 2023.
A First Look at MSC Fantasia
Dining on MSC Fantasia → Browse All
MSC Cruises • Fantasia Class
The Logbook: MSC Fantasia
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Key Facts About MSC Fantasia
MSC Fantasia Deck Plans
MSC Fantasia occupies 18 decks with 1,637 cabins. Deck 5 holds the Fantasia Bar and the lower level of the Red Velvet MDR. Deck 6 carries the upper Red Velvet, the Il Cerchio d'Oro panoramic MDR, the Piazza San Giorgio atrium, the Casinò delle Palme, Le Vele, The Cigar Lounge, and the lower Teatro L'Avanguardia. Deck 7 is the main entertainment and specialty axis with Butcher's Cut, Il Cappuccino coffee bar, La Cantina Toscana wine bar, Il Transatlantico piano bar, L'Insolito Lounge, Manhattan Bar, the Sports Bar, and bowling. Deck 14 has the two buffets (L'Africana and Zanzibar), I Tropici covered pool, MSC Aurea Spa, and outdoor bars. Deck 15 is the Lido Catalano pool deck plus the entrance to the MSC Yacht Club enclave (L'Étoile, Top Sail Lounge, Concierge Area, Library). Deck 16 holds Liquid Disco, the 4D Cinema, Virtual World, MSC Arena, and MSC Formula Racer. The MSC Yacht Club continues up through Decks 17-18 with The One Bar, The One Pool, and the Top 18 Exclusive Solarium.
Where Is MSC Fantasia Right Now?
See MSC Fantasia's current position, speed, heading, and next port on the live AIS tracker below.
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Frequently Asked Questions About MSC Fantasia
What dining options are on MSC Fantasia?
MSC Fantasia has two main dining rooms — Red Velvet (Decks 5-6, two-level) and Il Cerchio d'Oro Panoramic Restaurant (Deck 6) — plus two separate buffets on Deck 14: L'Africana Buffet and Zanzibar Buffet. The only open-to-all specialty restaurant on the current deck plan is Butcher's Cut steakhouse on Deck 7. Il Cappuccino coffee bar and La Cantina Toscana wine bar handle casual sit-down dining. MSC Yacht Club guests have their own private L'Étoile Restaurant on Deck 15 (Yacht Club exclusive, not an open specialty) plus the Top Sail Lounge and The One Bar on Deck 18. Older references to El Sombrero Tex-Mex predate the current configuration and no longer appear on MSC's official ship map PDF. See the Dining section above for the full list.
Which ships are in the same class as MSC Fantasia?
MSC Fantasia is the first-in-class Fantasia Class ship, together with MSC Splendida (2009), MSC Divina (2012), and MSC Preziosa (2013). The class was built at Saint-Nazaire — Fantasia's hull was started under Aker Yards in September 2006 and completed by STX France in 2008 (the yard now operates under its historic Chantiers de l'Atlantique name, restored in 2018). Fantasia was the first MSC ship to introduce the MSC Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship concept, which every subsequent MSC class carries.
Where does MSC Fantasia sail in 2026-2027?
In spring and summer 2026 MSC Fantasia sails 7-night Western Mediterranean round-trips from Civitavecchia (Rome), Genoa, Naples, Barcelona, and Marseille, with mid-summer 9-night Eastern Mediterranean sailings from Trieste calling at Olympia, Athens, Kuşadası, Istanbul, Corfu, and Bari. For winter 2026-2027 she moves to the Canary Islands and Madeira for 7-night round-trips — including MSC's first week-long MSC Yacht Club Canaries offering on this route. She completed her 2025-26 South America season with a 20-day Montevideo-to-Barcelona transatlantic crossing in March-April 2026 and is not scheduled to return to South America for 2026-27.
How big is MSC Fantasia compared to the rest of the MSC fleet?
At 137,936 gross tons and 333.33 metres long, MSC Fantasia is a mid-to-large MSC ship — similar in size to her sisters Splendida, Divina, and Preziosa. She carries 3,274 guests at double occupancy (approximately 3,929 maximum) across 1,637 cabins with a crew of 1,370. Fantasia Class ships predate MSC's later indoor-promenade designs (Meraviglia and Meraviglia-Plus) and use a more traditional multi-deck atrium layout centred on Piazza San Giorgio.
Who christened MSC Fantasia?
MSC Fantasia was christened on 18 December 2008 in Naples by Sophia Loren. Her maiden voyage followed on 20 December 2008 from Genoa. Loren is MSC Cruises' long-standing godmother and has christened multiple MSC ships across the fleet. MSC Fantasia is registered in Panama (Colón) and carries IMO number 9359791.
Sources & Attribution
- IMO (9359791), MMSI (370648000), call sign (3ETR7), live position, length, and beam verified against VesselFinder and CruiseMapper.
- Venue names, deck layout, and Yacht Club configuration extracted from MSC's official MSC Fantasia ship map PDF.
- Delivery (10 December 2008), christening (18 December 2008, Naples, Sophia Loren), and maiden voyage (20 December 2008, Genoa) from Cruise Industry News (November 2008).
- February 2011 Fincantieri Palermo capacity-uprate refit and 2023 Palumbo Malta drydock details from CruiseMapper.
- 2026-27 Mediterranean, Trieste, and Canary Islands deployment details from Cruise Industry News (October 2025) and subsequent trade coverage.
- Builder period-accurate designation: hull started under Aker Yards in 2006, completed under STX France after the Aker sale in October 2008; the Saint-Nazaire yard reverted to its historic Chantiers de l'Atlantique name in 2018.
- Ship photography credited in each carousel caption.
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