All four Lirica-class ships have now been extended and refurbished as part of extensive project
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Italian shipyard Fincantieri has completed MSC Cruises’ €200 million Renaissance Project to extend and refurbish all four of its Lirica-class ships.
MSC’s Renaissance project is part of the line’s second €5 billion fleet expansion plan, which includes building seven next-generation ships that will be delivered by STX France and Fincantieri between 2017 and 2022.
Speaking at a press conference marking MSC Lirica’s relaunch, MSC’s president and CEO Gianni Onorato said the Renaissance project had reinforced the ‘elements that so distinguish the MSC Cruises experience’. According to Onorato, these include tailored amenities and services for families, varied dining options, all-hours entertainment, and a broad choice of relaxation and wellness options.
During the drydocks, engineers bisected each ship’s hull and inserted a pre-built 24m midsection containing 193 extra cabins – 30 with balconies – as well as extra massage areas and restyled whirlpool baths in the MSC Aurea Spa and an outdoor spray park on deck 13. The ships also have new purpose-built areas for children, which were created in partnership with Chicco and LEGO, as well as a new Baby Club, Mini Club, Young Club and Teens Club.
In addition, MSC has enhanced onboard dining services for its passengers, opening the buffet for 20 hours per day, adding a new lounge area and extending the restaurant. Entertainment has also been refreshed and guests are now able to enjoy a 20-hour programme of day-and-night activities, live music and dance, and themed events in various upgraded venues.
“Renaissance is the first pillar of MSC Cruises’ second growth phase, while the seven next-generation newbuilds we’ll launch between 2017 and 2022 are the second,” said Onorato. “Renaissance has delivered four holistically improved ships that will serve strategic segments of the global cruise market with the standard-setting experiences, amenities and service that are synonymous with MSC Cruises today.”
Work on the €200 million Renaissance Programme began in August 2014. MSC Armonia was the first to be upgraded, entering drydock in September 2014 and relaunching in November 2014, while MSC Sinfonia underwent a ten-week drydock between January and March 2015, and MSC Opera left the Fincantieri yard in June.
MSC Lirica, which entered drydock at the end of August, has been customised to provide dining, entertainment and shopping experiences tailored for Chinese consumers ahead of her May 2016 deployment in Shanghai, China.
Meanwhile, MSC Opera is to homeport in Havana from December 2015, making MSC the first and only global cruise line to provide Caribbean cruises that begin and end in Cuba’s capital. Guests will also be able to spend two and a half full days in Havana as part of the itinerary.
MSC Cruises currently carries roughly 40,000 guests per day, but by 2022 will double its capacity to 80,000 guests a day – 3.4 million per year – once the last of seven planned ships is delivered.