Seems MSC Cruises has pulled a fast one on journalists, reporting that MSC Fantasia was to be used to host the 2009 G8 summit in July when all the while the shipyard in St Nazaire was scrambing to make modifications to the yet-to-launch sister ship MSC Splendida, which was actually going to host the event.
But now the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has pulled a fast one on MSC and decided instead to hold the G8 in L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region, which was so devastated by the earthquake in April.
Or has he? Could this be another blind?
MSC's chief executive Pierfrancesco Vago has taken the news well, especially considering all the alterations have already been made to Splendida, telling Seatrade Insider he is disappointed but understands the decision.
"Now we will be able to sell the suite as the one President Obama may have slept in."
Nice one.
Jane Archer
