MSC Cristiana - something different for MSC

The Medterranean Shipping Comany, better known as MSC, and for more than ten years the number two container shipping company in the world after Maersk, is not well known for its other shippping interests which include tankers and even autocarriers.
Today may have been the first time an MSC auto carrier has called in Halifax.

The ship appears to be fairly freshly painted. There is some black overspray on the white around the bow and along the side.

MSC Cristiana wears the black and white colours and yellow funnel of MSC, but also sports a pair of white stripes. That is really all that distinguishes it from the many other auto carriers that ply the seas. Most autocarriers are built in Japan and Korea, but this one was built by STX Dalian in Wafagdian, China.
(STX is a Korean builder, and at one time fourth largest shipbuilder in the world. It established the yard in Dalian as part of its global expansion. About a year ago the yard was declared bankrupt and liquidated.)

The ship is longer than many autocarriers, giving it greater capacity.

MSC Cristiania, dating from 2011 is owned by MSC and flies the Panama flag.(Most of MSC's container ships are charters.) It measures 59,835 grt, 22,287 dwt, with a car capacity of 6,700.
Its last port was Sagunto, Spain and before that ports in Italy and Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore.

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