Page 41: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2014)

www.marinelink.com 41 and monitoring our energy usage, doing our utmost to minimize the impact of our ships on the ocean water. We are totally committed to ensuring that our vessels are as environmentally friendly as pos- sible.” Also according to Aponte, “MSC

Cruises is committed to making green choices that keep the oceans blue.” The company’s energy effi ciency matches the industry-leading ecoship and clean- ship credentials and its green efforts have been recognized with a string of environmental certifi cations, along with awards recognizing its creative interior design, comfort, cuisine and service.

The latest fl agship in the MSC fl eet is set to become a green paragon in the industry, with Bureau Veritas offi cially conferring the “7 Golden Pearls” award to the ship, which is one of highest awards for cruise vessels in recognition of the specifi c voluntary attention paid, from design and building to operation, to “Quality Health Safety Environment” (QHSE).

The ship features an energy monitor- ing system, too. In order to decrease un- necessary energy use, a cabin monitor- ing system manages climate conditions in cabins and public areas at all times, automatically intervening in instances of wasteful overuse of air conditioning sys- tems. MSC Preziosa had its hull painted with a new “foul release” paint, with fl our polymers, a non-toxic substance which helps reduce CO² emissions through the reduction of fuel consumption. The ship also boasts a “Voyage Planning and

Monitoring System” which is a ‘track and trace’ system used for planning and monitoring positions and itineraries of the MSC fl eet in real time with updates as frequent as every two seconds.

Waste Management

Advanced Water Treatment (AWT) is a system that recycles and treats waste- water. A distillation plant produces all the fresh water needed onboard using two evaporators and two reverse osmo- sis plants. In normal operating condi- tions, the ship does not require water from shore water stations. The vapora- tors are pollution-free and use a system of free heat recovery as its power source.

Scanship provided the waste-water treat- ment plant (AWP) and also the vacuum food waste conveying and handling sys- tems. An agreement was also established with the Italian Consortium for Waste and Aluminum Recycling (CiAl), for the collection onboard of aluminum and dis- posal ashore to recycling facilities.

Propulsion Machinery

The propulsion machinery on the MSC

Divina and the MSC Preziosa are differ- ent from those aboard their earlier sister ships thanks also to technological devel- opments that have taken place over the years. The MSC Preziosa is equipped with Converteam’s (now called GE En- ergy, Power Conversion) latest induc- tion-type electric propulsion machinery, fi rst applied on a cruise ship in 2010 aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s MS

Norwegian Epic, which has a maximum rated power of 2 x 24 MW at 130 rpm at max 6.6kV. It is fi tted with propul- sion motors identical to the NCL vessel, with a power of 2 x 21,850 kW at 138 rpm and a maximum speed of 143rpm.

In short, these motors, fed by two PWM

MV7000 type frequency converters each (MV7612) are fi tted with a low resistive squirrel cage rotor, with no active insu- lated parts. The torque is produced by an induced magnetic fi eld into the rotor without the need to feed any current.

The result is a simpler design, an im- provement in effi ciency by about 1% and a lighter design compared to earlier synchronous motor technology, result- ing from its shorter shaft and casing. The weight savings is close to 10%. Main- tenance is simpler too, as there are no excitation converters nor brushes, no ro- tating transformer parts, no rotating rec- tifi er and no winding in the rotating part.

GE also delivered the fi ve alternators, 2 x 19.2MVA, 3 x 14.3MVA, providing 11kV voltage at 60Hz. The total alterna- tor power installed is 81.3MVA

Navigation and automation

As on the previous MSC vessels, the integrated navigation system is supplied by SAM Electronics, part of L3 Com- munications. The NACOS 65-5 system is identical to that of the previous sister ships. The bridge is laid out with safety desk aft in the same room. Also, the In- tegrated Automation System is supplied by Valmarine AS.

Photo MSC Cruises 4D Cinema on the MSC Preziosa.MSC Preziosa’s Captain Giulino Bossi.

MSC Preziosa Main Particulars

Built ............................................. 2013

Gross tonnage ............... 139,072 tons

Number of passengers ............... 3,502

Crew members ............................ 1,388

Number of cabins ....................... 1.751

Length ......................................333.3m

Beam ..........................................37.9 m

Height .........................................67.7 m

Decks .................................................18

Maximum speed ............... 24.21 knots

Average speed ........................18 knots

Number of whirlpools: .....................12

Number of restaurants: ..................... 4 1 dedicated to MSC Yacht Club guests

Number of bars: ...............................21

Theater: ...... 3 levels, seating capacity .............................approximately 1,700

MSC Preziosa Highlights

Number of guest staterooms: 1,751 including; 1,125 Balcony State- rooms, 28 of which are wheelchair ac- cessible; 124 Oceanview Staterooms, 2 of which are wheelchair accessible; 405 Interior Staterooms, 13 of which are wheelchair accessible

MSC Yacht Club:

Exclusive area comprised of 69 suites located on four decks; 24-hour Butler and Concierge services; Top Sail ob- servation lounge; The One Pool & Bar with a swimming pool, two whirlpools, sun deck and bar-buffet; two dedicated massage rooms in the MSC Aurea Spa; and private restaurant.

Number of swimming pools: 4, including the main pool, an aft infi n- ity pool, a covered pool and a pool in the MSC Yacht Club area

Medical facilities:

Medical Center located on Deck 4 in- cludes 2 doctor’s offi ces, intensive care unit, operating room, x-ray devel- oping room, laboratory, and pharmacy.

Number of guest elevators: 17, including 2 panoramic elevators and 1 elevator inside MSC Yacht Club.

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