MSC Fantasia was awarded the prestigious ‘Six Golden Pearls’ award December 10 by the international classification society Bureau Veritas.

The 140,000-ton MSC Fantasia will be christened in Naples on December 18 and is the first ship in the world to achieve this coveted title.

Six Golden Pearls is an integrated voluntary program that certifies corporate compliance with the three highest international standards in the areas of environment (ISO 14001), health and safety (OHSAS 18001) and food safety (ISO 22000). It includes an extra notation Cleanship 2 AWT, for the 3 domains “potential pollution”: air, water, waste.

“MSC Fantasia is the first cruise ship in the world to obtain this important recognition and, for us, the award is truly deserved in every aspect,” says Didier Chaleat, Senior Vice President of Bureau Veritas Paris.

Emilio La Scala, General Manager of the MSC Cruise Technical Department, says the environmentally friendly technology on MSC Fantasia demonstrates the company’s expansion is growing in tandem with environmental responsibility. He says all the onboard processes are integrated to reach the company’s target of excellence. “Quality, health, safety and environment are at the top of our priority list from the moment of first design. For all of us, MSC Fantasia is a fantastic example of all our dreams, plans and technologies coming together in one beautiful result,” he says.

“We set our sights on controlling these processes from A to Z right from the start and we accepted no compromise,” states Chief Executive Officer Pierfrancesco Vago. “The award of the Six Golden Pearls is a fitting recognition for our operations ashore and onboard our fleet. It demonstrates very clearly that clear focus, professionalism and teamwork in this business is a formula for success.”

The integrated sections that make up the award are:
• ISO 14001 – Certification of the highest standards of the Environmental Management System, requiring a complete coherent management system of all environmental aspects and impacts of all activities.
• OHSAS 18001 – Certification for the highest standards of the Safety Management System requiring complete management of health and safety of workers on board and in the company’s head office.
• ISO 22000 – Certification for the highest standards of Food Safety Management, ensuring complete and validated safety of all food processes from farm to fork.
• CLEANSHIP 2 targets the Advanced Water Treatment, which is unique in the cruise industry. 

It acknowledges the ship is fitted with the means to prevent the release of pollutants into the sea, the air and in any waste matter.

It validates that the vessel has been designed, built, operated and maintained to achieve appropriate protection for the environment.

It covers annexes I, IV, V and VI of MARPOL as well as the very strict rules on waste and ballast water management, the anti-fouling system and pollution by ozone-depleting substances.

The vessel is fully equipped with high incineration capacities, advanced water treatment systems, the newest oily water separators and has vast storage capacities for two days in full operation, allowing the ship to cruise with environmental safety and responsibility for longer distances.