barmy not going onboard

[scruffts2007]

seems the barmy and brown show will be staying on terra firma and not onboard the miscy spendifirous

 

details below

 

 

 

 

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MSC ship no longer required for G8 Summit role

20/5/2009

MSC Cruises’ Splendida, prior to entering revenue service in July, was to have played a central role hosting the world’s top leaders during the 2009 G8 Summit, originally scheduled to take place in La Maddalena in Sardinia. In the wake of the decision to move the Summit to L’Aquila, capital of the Abruzzo region, in support for the communities hit there by the devastating earthquake on April 6, the ship is no longer required as land-based accommodation and facilities will instead be used for the event.

‘We are naturally disappointed, but we fully understand and respect Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s decision to support the Abruzzo region,’ the cruise line’s ceo Pierfrancesco Vago told Seatrade Insider in Rome yesterday.

Originally MSC Fantasia was named as the G8 ship back in March. ‘This was for security reasons,’ Vago disclosed. In reality MSC Splendida was the ship chosen to host the VIP guests and unbeknown to the wider world MSC and STX Yard in St Nazaire were scrambling to alter some of the public spaces and suites to cater for the newbuild’s upcoming role.

That work was completed before the decision to move to L’Aquila was announced. Pragmatic as always, Vago added, ‘Instead now we will be able to sell the suite as the one President Obama may have slept in.