MSC Melody
Former names: MS Qing, StarShip Atlantic, Atlantic
Specifications of MSC Melody
| Year of build | 1982 / Age: 36 |
| Builder | (CNIM) Constructions industrielles de la Mediterranee (Paris, France) |
| Building cost | USD 100 million |
| Speed | 20 kn / 37 km/h / 23 mph |
| Length (LOA) | 205 m / 673 ft |
| Beam (width) | 27 m / 89 ft |
| Gross Tonnage | 35143 gt |
| Passengers | 1064 - 1550 |
| Crew | 535 |
| Passengers-to-space ratio | 28 |
| Beds | 1492 |
| Decks | 9 |
| Cabins | 532 |
| Decks with cabins | 6 |
| Last Refurbishment | 2013, Alang-scrapped in 2018 |
| Former names | MS Qing, StarShip Atlantic, Atlantic |
| Owner | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) |
| Operator | MSC Cruises |
MSC Melody Review
Review of MSC Melody
The 1982-built MSC Melody cruise ship was owned and operated by MSC Cruises. The vessel (IMO 7902295) was launched and inaugurated as "MS Atlantic" for Home Lines and constructed by CNIM Shipyard in La Seyne (France). Between 1988 and 1997, the ship sailed as "StarShip Atlantic" under Premier Cruise Line (1983-founded/2000-defunct).
The vessel (last named MS Qing) was scrapped in June 2018 at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard (India). Her identification numbers were 7902295 (IMO) and 353157000 (last MMSI, Panama-flagged).
Cabins
MSC Melody staterooms (532 total) included 6 Suites, 72 Mini-Suites, 303 Oceanview cabins (4 wheelchair-accessible), and 151 Interior cabins. Standard amenities included single beds (twins convertible to a double), LCD TV, phone, radio, wardrobe, electronic safe box and lifejackets (in the closet), mirrored dressing table/writing desk with chair, seating area with sofabed (for a 3rd/4th passenger), wall-mounted reading lamps, en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity), mineral water, wood-paneled walls, and individually controlled air conditioning.
Suites additionally featured larger bathrooms (with bathtub), mini-bar (refrigerator), double bed (convertible to two singles upon request), and a living area with low table, sofa, two armchairs, stools, and bedside tables with lamps.
Two-bed cabins had single beds in an L-shaped configuration or lower/upper bunks.
As a hotel ship (MS Qing), the vessel accommodated up to 1,600 guests in 532 rooms.
Shipboard facilities
The ship featured a Spa and Relaxation Area with treatment rooms (massages) and a Beauty Salon (hairdresser, manicure-pedicure), retractable Magrodome (glass roof over the pool deck), two swimming pools (one indoor, one outdoor), two Jacuzzis, a deck games area (shuffleboard), Percorso Jogging (outdoor running track), Fitness Center (42 m²), Video Games arcade (25 m²), Pluto’s Play House (children’s indoor playground, 182 m²), Club Universe (conference room), Starlight Disco (129-seat nightclub, 141 m²), Teatro Mercury (theater show lounge and cinema, 210 m²), Seven Seas Casino (110 seats, 410 m², equipped with roulette table, blackjack table, and slot machines), Biblioteca (library and lecture hall), Photo Gallery and Photo Shop, Gioielleria Boutique, Duty Free Shops, and Medical Center. The Lobby area (264 m²) housed the Reception Desk, Tour Office, Cruise Director’s Office, and Chief Commissioner.
Club Universe (Conference Center, 656 m²) offered 510 seats and was equipped with DVD and VHS players, overhead and slide projectors, whiteboard, wired and wireless microphones, computer, Internet, phone socket, and full video and sound systems.
The ship’s bars and restaurants included Calypso Bar (80-seat poolside, 170 m²), Blue Riband Club (63 seats, 102 m²), Satellite Cafe (288 m² cafeteria), Junkanoo Club (440-seat bar lounge with live music, 580 m²), Riviera Terrace (370-seat Lido restaurant on the Pool Deck, 736 m²), Sunrise Terrace (177-seat self-service restaurant on the Pool Deck, 352 m²), and Galaxy (700-seat main dining room, 842 m²).
All public areas were elegantly furnished and featured high ceilings.
Photos of MSC Melody
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MSC Melody Wiki
In 1997, the 1,250-passenger cruise ship entered service for MSC Cruises as "Melody". She was rebranded "MSC Melody" in 2004, but her MMSI (353157000) and registry (Panama-flagged) remained unchanged.
In July 2012, the liner was expected to enter a charter agreement with operators in Japan. In August, it was unofficially reported that the vessel had been chartered to Lotus Mine (South Korea), and in February 2013 she began regularly scheduled East Asia cruises between Shanghai (China) and Jeju Island (South Korea).
On January 7, 2013, despite a scheduled summer season, MSC Cruises announced that the liner was decommissioned and listed for sale. In November 2013, the ship was sold to Sahara India Pariwar, a multinational corporation involved in finance, construction, property, hotels, and industrial ventures. Renamed "MS Qing" (MMSI 419000861, India-flagged), the vessel was permanently docked in Port Mormugao (Goa, India) and converted into a hotel ship.
On June 29, 2016, MS Qing partially sank in Port Mormugao. The flooding was caused by heavy monsoon rains. No injuries were reported, as no crew or passengers were onboard at the time. According to local media, the liner had approximately 350 tons of fuel and about 20,000 tons of seawater when she settled on the seabed. In June 2018, the ship was refloated and later sold for scrap to Balaji Fuels. She was refloated by a salvage company on behalf of her last owner and dismantled in drydock by WISL (Western India Shipyard Ltd). The vessel was scrapped in 2018.