Photos: Fincantieri
The Italian Job
FINCANTIERI PROJECT MANAGER GIUSEPPE MESSINA
DISCUSSES THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARNIVAL SPLENDOR
Carnival Cruise Lines spared no effort when it came time to launch the
cruise lines’ newest, biggest passenger ship Carnival Splendor. On July 10,
the port of Dover was brimming with activity as classical musician, singer
er six months, which makes a total of almost three years,” Messina discusses the
demanding schedule.
and presenter Myleene Klass set out to do some bottle-breaking – with so-
LOGISTICS PUZZLE
me timely assistance from the Royal Navy divers in a first ever underwa-
According to the Project Manager, the
ter-to-hull crashing.
planning paid special attention to the coordination of the construction of ship sections in different shipyards, which were
to be later assembled at the Fincantieri
I
t was also the first time that the cruise
refreshments – in lieu of English or French
shipyard Sestri Ponente in Genoa. A very
line selected to discard French cham-
products – probably some Italian wine was
specific logistics schedule was accurate-
poured along the way.
ly planned for the entire operation at the
pagne and opted for a bottle of 1994 vintage Nyetimber English sparkling wine – an
Giuseppe Messina, Project Manag-
appropriate choice as Britain was select-
er for Carnival Splendor, explains that for
ed for the launch of CCL’s largest and lat-
a ship like this it takes over two years to
However, the beginning of the
est superliner.
deliver the end product, starting from the
project certainly involved its share of un-
very first steel cutting.
certainties. In fact, Carnival Splendor was
But before these summertime festivities, a lot of hard work and planning went
“But before cutting steel, you must
into the construction of the ship. And for
have developed engineering for anoth-
36
seatec 2/2008
shipyard – helping the Fincantieri workers
to work miracles at the site.
originally designed for Costa Cruises, but
CCL changed its mind.