MSC Opera deck plans

MSC Opera (2004-built/2015-stretched, last refurbished in 2022) is the fourth and last of the Lirica-class MSC cruise ships - together with Armonia, Lirica, Sinfonia.

MSC Opera cruise ship deck plan shows a total of 1071 staterooms for 2142 passengers (max capacity is 2570) served by 730 crew-staff. The boat has 13 decks (9 passenger-accessible, 5 with cabins), 4 restaurants, 10 lounges/bars, 2 swimming pools, 2 Jacuzzis (outdoor whirlpool hot tubs), 9 elevators.

MSC Opera decks are named after famous Italian operas.

MSC Opera deck plan changes 2015 refurbishment review

The ship was majorly refitted and refurbished in 2015 (dry-dock between May 2 and July 4). There are substantial deck plan changes following the project since the cruise ship was stretched (elongated by 25 m / 82 ft). The list of refurbishment 2015 changes includes:

• All cruise cabins were renovated and upgraded as amenities.
• A total of 197 new cruise cabins and suites (of which 30 with balconies) were added (on decks 9-Norma, 10-Turandot, 12-La Boheme) plus 59 new crew cabins.
• New stateroom categories were introduced.
• An Aqua Park (named Spray Park, with waterfalls and interactive slides) was installed.
• All boutique shops were upgraded (new designs).
• A new luxury perfumes shop was added.
• The supervised kids' clubs and play areas were upgraded with equipment and toys by Chicco and LEGO.

The boat's passenger capacity was increased from 1712 (max 2000) to 2142 (max 2570).

The 10-week drydock 2015 was valued at nearly EUR 50 million.

"MSC for Me" Digital Innovation Program 2017-2018

Each of the MSC cruise ships will be fitted with thousands of connectivity points, digital access points, iBeacons (Bluetooth) and hundreds of interactive digital screens throughout the ship. In all staterooms will be implemented RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication) access technologies.

The new program will be implemented fleetwide, but first introduced on MSC Meraviglia. The cruise ship, launched in June 2017, was fitted with a total of 114 Interactive screens, 244 info screens, 31 virtual screens, 81 video wall monitors, 2244 cabins ;(NFC entry-door opening), 3050 iBeacons, 700 WAPs (wireless access points), 1200 CCTV cameras.

Some of the MSC digitalization program's main features are:

• The apps implement facial recognition technology and interactive/smart bracelets by Samsung.
• Digital Concierge app - passengers can reserve/book onboard services, restaurants and shore excursions in real time. The app is real-time and 24-hour, connecting MSC customers to the company's experienced staff online.
• Capture - virtual reality tool to preview the cruise itinerary, create personal photo galleries, online sharing.
• Organizer - a cruise planning tool used at mobile devices. It provides detailed information and also allows pre-booking (tours, theater seats, dinner table, etc) before ship embarkation (pre-cruise booking) and while onboard (realtime cruise planner).
• Navigation - Interactive map (way finder) provides advice (scheduled events, opening hours, etc) and directions while on the ship. The app also allows real-time kids monitoring (via bracelets).
• TailorMade - digital advisor for personal recommendations based on the passenger's preferences (interactive gaming, gambling, culinary, recreational, entertainment, etc).
• Passengers can always opt out of all these connected ("Internet of things" / IoT) services offered.