See [Cayman and] the Caribbean for $78 a night, cruising from Miami on the Sophia Loren-inspired MSC Divina
From Perth Travel
FANCY sailing the Caribbean in ship inspired by a movie star?
A special offer from MSC Cruises means you can do just that from $78 a night.
The MSC Divina – a ship inspired by Sophia Loren – sets sail from Miami on August 2 for a 7-night cruise taking in Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Mexico and the Bahamas.
Prices start at $549 per person after a discount of up to 45 per cent.
In May 2012 Travel editor Brian Crisp had the chance check out the ship with Loren herself at a launch party in Marseilles. Here is his story:
Sleeping in the bed Sophia Loren chose
I was sitting only metres away from one of the world’s most beautiful movie legends.
And Gerard Depardieu.
Sophia Loren, who won the Academy Award for her role in Two Women, is the godmother of MSC Cruises. She has christened each of the Italian company’s 12 ships and is referred to as its lucky charm.
Loren and Depardieu were in Marseilles, France, last weekend for the launch of MSC’s new ship, Divina. The ship was named after Loren and she decorated one of the 1751 cabins.
Cabin number 16007 has pictures on the wall of Loren in her most memorable roles. The room has a red carpet, appropriate I guess, specially chosen by her. The dressing table is a replica of the one in her bedroom at home. Loren stayed in the suite on Saturday night after smashing a bottle of champagne over the bow during the launch party on the docks at Marseilles.
“One evening I was chatting with Gianluigi (MSC president Gianluigi Aponte) about wishes and desires,” Loren said.
“I mentioned my own dream of having a ship named after me and he suggested Divina as a divine experience gives you memories that will last forever.”
MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago elaborated. “Sophia Loren describes herself as the last great diva … It is the old expression for goddess of the movie,” he said.
“We are superstitious people in the maritime world. She christened our first ship and we had good luck. So we just keep her on.”
The afternoon media event descended into pure Italian chaos when Loren entered the room.
Even though she is in her late 70s, Loren still has the ability to create a media scrum and the El Cid star was swamped by sections of the 400 media who had come to be with her.
Cameras flashed incessantly and the level of chatter rose and rose as journalists commented on her clothes, shoes and sparkling jacket, Valentino, I think.
She epitomises old-fashioned celebrity. She has style, grace, poise and talent something that is completely foreign to today’s batch of reality and soap TV star.
Depardieu, who is best known outside of France for his Golden Globe best actor award for the Peter Weir film Green Card, displays few of those characteristics.
He stumbles, mumbles and at times makes little sense. He is unintentionally comedic, but lovable at the same time. He is also a huge bear of a man, something he referred to as he meandered between English and French with his answers.
“My English is not very well, but my stomach is good,” he said.
Then a rare moment of clarity when asked what makes Loren such a treasure.
“You need a lot to be what Sophia is,” he said.
“She walks the life with a lot of grace and she has no equivalent.” There you have it. She has no equivalent and that’s why people like me fly halfway around the world for the chance to meet her.
Whenever I mentioned to anyone I was going to meet Loren, you could sense their envy. When my daughter Grace’s Italian class discussed Loren as one of Italy’s greatest treasures, she told her teacher that “Dad is going to meet her”.
Apparently the teacher was doubtful. Here’s your proof, Grace.
And what does Loren say is the most important lesson in life?
“To know how to behave well with people,” she said.
PHOTOS:
The MSC Divina will set sail from Miami on August 2. Source: Supplied
Sophia Loren chats with Gerard Depardieu on the MSC Divina. Source: AFP
MSC Divina is escorted by floating “Fiats” as it arrives in Miami last year. The Fiats were actually personal watercraft made to look like cars. Source: AP
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