MSC Opera

The 2004-built // 2015-stretched MSC Opera cruise ship is the 4th and last of MSC's Lirica-class liners, with sisterships Armonia, Sinfonia, and Lirica.

The vessel (IMO number 9250464) is currently Panama-flagged (MMSI 357627000) and registered in Colon.

History - construction and ownership

MSC Cruises (MSC Crociere) is a passenger shipping company headquartered in Genoa and Naples. Established in 1960, MSC Crociere is a subsidiary of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) – the world’s 2nd-largest containership company. MSC Crociere is the world’s largest privately owned cruise company.

By annual passenger shipping volumes, MSC ranks as the world’s 3rd-largest cruise shipowner, following Carnival Corporation and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group.

All four vessels in this class (Armonia, Lirica, Opera, Sinfonia) were enlarged by 24 m / 80 ft, adding approximately 193 new staterooms (including Balcony cabins), 59 new crew cabins, plus new public areas, enhanced kids’ facilities (with LEGO and Chicco themes), and a new outdoor water park (“Spray Park” with interactive slides, jets, and water toys).

The 2,200-passenger MSC Opera delivers a traditional Italian-style cruise experience. Elegant public areas, attentive service, and well-designed itineraries contribute to a classic MSC holiday atmosphere.

Decks and Cabins

MSC Opera staterooms (1,071 total, in 8 categories) include 28 Suites, 204 Balcony, 401 Oceanview, and 438 Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 140 ft² / 13 m². Most balconies measure 40 ft² / 4 m². The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites (250 ft² / 24 m² plus a 55 ft² / 5 m² terrace). The ship has only 5 wheelchair-accessible cabins (Inside only).

The vessel has 13 decks, of which 9 are passenger-accessible and 5 contain cabins.

MSC Opera’s decks are named after famous Italian operas.

Shipboard dining options – Food and Drinks

There are no dining surcharges onboard MSC Opera, as the ship does not feature specialty restaurants. Opera offers a wide variety of Italian dishes, though quality can vary. La Caravella Restaurant on Deck 5 is the larger of the two Main Dining Rooms, with seating for two to six guests per table. A casual buffet on Deck 11 provides an alternative to the MDRs.

Follows the complete list of MSC Opera restaurants and food bars.

• La Caravella Restaurant (aft MDR, 981 seats; open for complimentary breakfast 7–10 am, lunch 12–2 pm with 3-course menu, and dinner with two fixed seatings at 6 and 9 pm, 7-course menu; size 1615 m²)
• L’Approdo Restaurant (aft MDR, 422 seats; dinner only with two seatings at 6 or 9 pm; size 583 m²)
• Il Patio Restaurant (forward location, 402 seats; complimentary Italian pizzeria and outdoor grill/burger bar; open 12–7 pm; size 968 m²)
• Le Vele Restaurant (380-seat self-service buffet; open 6 am–2 am; complimentary; size 710 m²)

Shipboard entertainment options – Fun and Sport

MSC Opera offers extensive leisure options, including mini-golf, a jogging track, two pools with two Jacuzzis, a sauna, beauty salon, and a well-equipped gym. After a day of activity, guests can unwind with a hot-stone massage. Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour room service, supervised children’s programs, Internet/WiFi access, and laundry services.

Follows the complete list of MSC Opera lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Teatro dell’Opera Theatre (713 seats; live music, stage productions, concerts, acrobatics; two nightly shows at 7:30 and 9:30 pm; level 1 of 2)
• Sotto Vento Pub (138-seat English pub bar, smoking allowed; live music, multiple TVs; size 350 m²)
• The Card Room, Internet Point & The Library (20-seat multifunction room; size 57 m²)
• Voyagers Club Info Point
• Opera Atrium (two-deck-high midship open area)
• Reception Desk (160-seat guest services area; reservations, bookings, sports equipment; size 1117 m²)
• Shore Excursions Desk (booking, planning, information; art displays nearby; size 40 m²)
• Via Condotti (shopping alley with boutiques and stalls; size 100 m²)
• Beauty & Cosmetics (luxury perfumes and cosmetics shop)
• Gallery (jewelry, sunglasses, watches; size 60 m²)
• Charms & Bijoux (luxury jewelry and accessories; size 20 m²)
• Lei & Lui Boutique (designer clothing; size 40 m²)
• Duty-Free Shop (snacks, alcohol, tobacco; size 60 m²)
• Accessories Shop (leather goods; size 26 m²)
• MSC Logo Shop (MSC-branded items, toys; size 50 m²)
• Piazza di Spagna (206-seat piano bar with live music; hosts bingo; size 902 m²)
• Aroma Bar (87-seat specialty coffee bar with à la carte menu, complimentary pastries; sells coffee packages; size 245 m²)
• Cotton Club Lounge & Bar (155 seats; live music, dance floor; hosts art auctions; size 345 m²)
• Med Pearl Casino (143 seats; smoking allowed; slot machines, gaming tables, full bar; size 460 m²)
• Shopping Area / Duty Free (tobacco, liquor, snacks; size 60 m²) and Perfumes & Cosmetics (size 70 m²)
• La Cabala (91-seat piano bar with live music; size 300 m²)
• Video Games Arcade (size 45 m²)
• Mini Lab
• Photo Gallery & Shop (photo services, cameras, accessories; 45 m² gallery + 45 m² shop)
• Medical Center (107 m² infirmary; staffed 24/7 by doctors and nurses; payments via boarding pass; guests advised to carry cruise insurance)
• MSC Opera Aurea Spa & Fitness Complex (saunas, steam rooms, thalassotherapy, relaxation area, treatment rooms, beauty salon, gym with aerobics studio; size 831 m²)
• Baby Club (52 m²) & Mini Club (42 m²) – Buffalo Bill Playroom (Wild West-themed kids’ area)
• Le Piscine Pool Area (two saltwater pools with two whirlpools)
• Lo Spinnaker Bar (poolside bar; open 11 am–7 pm; size 2364 m²; features full bar, gelateria, and juice bar)
• Doremi Spray Park
• Power Walking/Jogging Track (7 laps = 1 mile; size 1200 m²)
• Shuffleboard (size 20 m²)
• Young Club (54 m²) & Juniors Club (100 m²) – teens’ area with dance classes, sports, video games, competitions
• Teens Club (95 m²)
• Virtual Reality Games (arcade games, table tennis)
• Discoteca Byblos (322-seat nightclub; opens at midnight; daytime panoramic lounge; size 739 m²)
• Sundeck / Top 13 Solarium (adults-only relaxation area with loungers), Golf Simulator (surcharge)
• Sports Center (combined sports court)
• 8-hole Mini-Golf Course (complimentary equipment from Deck 5 Reception)

Itineraries

MSC Opera’s itinerary program is based on 7-day Mediterranean cruises departing roundtrip from Venice-Marghera and Bari, along with seasonal winter deployment in South Africa (short 3–4-day voyages to Mozambique) from Durban.

In May 2025, MSC announced Opera’s year-round Southern Caribbean deployment. Beginning November 2026, the ship will operate 7-day cruises from La Romana (Dominicana) and, from April 2027, also from Fort-de-France (Martinique). The itinerary includes Catalina Island, Fort-de-France, Virgin Gorda (BVI), St John’s (Antigua), Oranjestad (Aruba), Willemstad (Curacao), Kralendijk (Bonaire), St George’s (Grenada), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Philipsburg (St Maarten), Basseterre (St Kitts), and Tortola (BVI).

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, MSC Opera was paused for over two years (March 2020 to April 2022), resuming operations on April 24 with Mediterranean sailings from Genoa. Opera’s 2021–2022 Arabian/Red Sea program (from Dubai) was canceled, as was the winter 2024–2025 schedule, which was replaced by a Canary Islands deployment.

In the Canaries, MSC Opera operated 7-night itineraries (November 3, 2024 through March 16, 2025) visiting six ports. Departing roundtrip from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the ship called at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura), Funchal (Madeira), Santa Cruz de la Palma, and Arrecife (Lanzarote), before returning to Tenerife. MSC’s Canary Islands program offered flexible embarkation options in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Sundays), Las Palmas (Mondays), Madeira (Thursdays or Fridays), and Arrecife (Saturdays).

The vessel (built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, hull number L32) has a volume of 65,591 GT, a deadweight tonnage of 8,707 tons, and a maximum draught of 7 m. Her powerplant consists of Wärtsilä marine diesel engines (model 12V38) with a combined output of 31.68 MW (42,480 hp). The registered shipowner is NEWCO OPERA SA, while the registered manager is MSC MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING CO.

MSC Opera was officially delivered to MSC on May 23, 2004. The christening ceremony was held on June 26 in Genoa, led by godmother Sophia Loren. The maiden voyage departed on June 27. In November 2004, the ship was redeployed from Europe/Mediterranean to the Caribbean for her maiden winter season (2004-2005), homeporting in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA.

Opera is MSC's fourth and last Lirica-class liner, with sisterships Armonia, Lirica, and Sinfonia. In 2015, MSC Opera was stretched/elongated by 25 m (82 ft) during a drydock refit at Fincantieri's shipyard in Palermo, Sicily. During the drydocking (May 2 through July 4), the vessel was cut in two and a pre-built midship section was inserted. The reconstruction was part of MSC's USD 273 million "Renaissance Program," which also enlarged Armonia, Lirica, and Sinfonia.

MSC Opera refurbishment 2015 review

The ship’s most recent drydock was in March 2022 (at Port Valletta, Palumbo Malta Shipyard).

During the 2015 major refit and stretching project (May 2 to July 4), the following deck plan changes were implemented:

• All cruise cabins were renovated and upgraded.
• 197 new cabins and suites were added (including 30 with balconies) across decks 9 Norma, 10 Turandot, and 12 La Bohème, along with 59 new crew cabins.
• New stateroom categories were introduced.
• A new Aqua Park (Spray Park) was added, featuring waterfalls and interactive slides.
• All boutique shops were redesigned and upgraded.
• A new luxury perfumes shop was added.
• Supervised kids’ clubs and play areas were updated with equipment and toys by Chicco and LEGO.

The ship’s passenger capacity increased from 1,712 (max 2,000) to 2,142 (max 2,570).

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

Cuba cruise itineraries 2016-2017

In July 2015, MSC announced that MSC Opera would be homeported in Havana, Cuba. Beginning December 22, 2015, the ship operated 16 roundtrip 7-night Caribbean cruises from Cuba during the winter 2015-2016 season.

• Ports of call included Cozumel (Mexico; 2-night stay), Montego Bay (Jamaica), George Town (Grand Cayman), and Havana (2-night stay).
• MSC also offered Caribbean fly-cruise packages from Europe (Spain, Italy, France, Germany), as well as from the USA, Canada, and South America (Brazil, Argentina).
• MSC Opera’s previously scheduled 2015 Canary Islands itineraries (including Madeira and Morocco) were canceled. All booked guests received full refunds or were rebooked on alternative MSC Mediterranean itineraries with onboard credit or complimentary cabin upgrades. Guests rebooking for Cuba fly-cruise packages received a fixed flight discount of EUR 285 per person.
• MSC’s local partner for Cuba operations was the Cubanacan Group (hotel chain).
• Another MSC ship scheduled for Havana-based itineraries in 2016-2017 was MSC Armonia.
• With MSC Opera, MSC became the first major cruise line to homeport a large cruise ship in Cuba.
• Opera’s first cruise from Havana departed on December 22, 2015, following a Transatlantic repositioning voyage from Genoa (December 2-21).
• On April 12, 2016, MSC Opera left Havana for a Transatlantic sailing to Europe, arriving in Warnemünde–Rostock, Germany on May 7.