MSC Poesia


MSC Poesia is a cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. She was built in 2008 by the Aker Yards shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. She is a sister ship to MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra, and MSC Magnifica. She is the first ship in the MSC Cruises fleet to be officially named outside Italy, at the Port of Dover, Kent on April 5, 2008 by Sophia Loren.
MSC Poesia was the flagship of the company until she was displaced by MSC Fantasia, which entered service in December 2008. In 2008 and 2009, "MSC Poesia" sailed on a series of 7-night cruises from Venice to Italy, Greece and Turkey.
Since 2010 the ship sails in Northern Europe during the summer season.

Collisions

On June 6, 2008, MSC Poesia and Costa Classica collided in the Adriatic Sea near Dubrovnik. No one was hurt, the damage was minimal, and ships both continued their scheduled itinerary with no delays. The cause was determined to be the MSC Poesia's anchor loosening.
On February 22, 2019, the ship was struck again, by sister ship MSC Orchestra. Orchestra had been departing Buenos Aries, Argentina, when a navigational error caused her to crash into Poesia. Poesia only sustained minor bow damage.

2012 grounding

While heading to Port Lucaya near Freeport, Bahamas, on January 7, 2012, MSC Poesia ran aground on top of a reef. The grounding did not stop the beach-goers, as tender boats were able to ferry passengers from anchorage to the shores of Port Lucaya. According to Captain Archer, a local captain in the port, "they waited for a tide to get high at 1800hrs she was pulled off with 4 tugs and a fifth standing by. At 2000hrs, she was free and continued on her journey at 19.5 knots to little Salvador.
A statement from MSC Cruises was released: "In navigating the harbor off Port Lucaya in the Grand Bahamas, MSC Poesia ran aground at 6:50 a.m. Saturday morning. The ship and its guests were always completely safe and all onboard equipment and services continued to operate normally including all previously scheduled tender service and shore excursions".