MSC Orchestra

The 2007-built MSC Orchestra cruise ship is the second of MSC Cruises' Musica-class liners, with sisterships Musica, Poesia, and Magnifica.

The vessel (IMO number 9320099) is currently Panama-flagged (MMSI 372497000) 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 second-largest containership operator. MSC Crociere is the world's largest privately owned cruise company.

By annual passenger volumes, MSC ranks as the world's third-largest cruise shipowner, following only Carnival Corporation and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group.

The 2,500-passenger MSC Orchestra was designed with strong European influences. The ship features stylish décor and a wide variety of public areas. Many of her amenities were created with families in mind, offering numerous sports, leisure, and dining options. Orchestra attracts guests of all ages and nationalities.

Decks and Cabins

MSC Orchestra staterooms (1,275 total, in 8 grades) include 18 Suites, 809 Balcony cabins, 173 Oceanviews, and 275 Inside cabins. Most staterooms measure 150-190 ft² / 14-18 m², while most balconies are 40 ft² / 4 m². The largest accommodations are the Balcony Suites (270 ft² / 25 m², terrace 50 ft² / 5 m²).

The ship has 16 decks, of which 13 are accessible to passengers and 8 contain cabins.

MSC Orchestra’s decks are named after musical instruments.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

MSC Orchestra offers an expanded selection of dining venues compared to her older fleetmates. Most guests choose to dine in the Main Dining Rooms (MDRs), where evening meals follow set seating times with assigned tablemates. All alternative evening dining venues carry an additional charge. L'Ibiscus and Villa Borghese, the two MDRs, are similar in size and layout. Breakfast and lunch are served with open seating.

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

• Villa Borghese Restaurant (720-seat Dining Room, open for breakfast 7:30-9:30 am, lunch 12-2 pm, and dinner with two fixed seatings at 7 pm or 9:30 pm; size 1120 m²)
• L’Ibiscus Restaurant (714-seat Dining Room, dinner only, with two fixed seatings at 6:15 pm and 8:30 pm; left section for American-vegetarian cuisine, right section for Italian-Mediterranean cuisine; size 1120 m²)
• Shanghai Restaurant (68-seat Asian specialty restaurant, à la carte surcharge; open 12-4 pm and 6 pm-12 am; size 120 m²)
• La Piazzetta Restaurant (349-seat complimentary self-service buffet and pizzeria with multiple food stations; open for breakfast 7-10 am, lunch 12-2:30 pm, afternoon tea 4-5 pm, and dinner/late-night snacks 7 pm-3:30 am)
• Onboard Pizzeria (within La Piazzetta buffet; open 7-10:30 pm; à la carte charge)
• 4 Seasons Restaurant (250-seat Mediterranean specialty restaurant, dinner only 6-11 pm; reservations recommended; à la carte charge)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

As on all MSC ships, Orchestra offers a casino, library, Spa and Fitness Center, three pools, eight Jacuzzis, a sauna, and a steam room. Entertainment caters to a multinational audience, focusing more on music and performance than spoken-word acts. The Covent Garden Theatre hosts daily shows with two evening performances at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm, ranging from classical concerts to magic shows.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour room service, supervised children's programs, Internet/WiFi access, and laundry services.

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

• Medical Center (9-seat infirmary, 230 m²; staffed by physicians and nurses 24/7; payments via boarding pass; standard health insurance typically does not apply)
• Orchestra Atrium (three decks high, midship, featuring a grand piano on water)
• L’Incontro Reception (62-seat guest services, reservations, bookings; size 250 m²)
• L’Incontro Bar (200-seat Atrium Lobby bar offering specialty coffees, à la carte menu, complimentary pastries; sells coffee packages; size 400 m²)
• Covent Garden Theatre (1,240-seat theater for grand productions, concerts, acrobatics; two nightly shows at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm; size 1249 m², level 1 of 2)
• The Savannah Bar Lounge (477-seat, 920 m² show lounge with dance floor; hosts seminars, karaoke, bingo, Italian classes, games)
• Orchestra Sala Riunioni – Meeting Room (24 seats, 35 m²)
• The Amber Bar Lounge (160-seat specialty coffee bar with complimentary snacks; sells coffee packages; size 500 m²)
• MSC Travel Agency / Shore Excursions Desk (7-seat booking center; size 73 m²)
• MSC Logo Shop (clothing, accessories, toys, souvenirs; size 60 m²)
• Accessories Shop (leather goods, jewelry, watches; size 35 m²)
• Cipria Shop (cosmetics and perfumes; size 70 m²)
• The Mini Mall (duty-free goods: tobacco, liquor, snacks, electronics; size 60 m²)
• L’Angolo Dell’Oggetto (sunglasses, watches, jewelry; size 35 m²)
• Lo Zaffiro Shop (jewelry and accessories; size 60 m²)
• Madison Avenue Boutique (fashion clothing; size 120 m²)
• Lo Smeraldo Shop (luxury jewelry and accessories from brands like Chimento and Pandora)
• The Purple Bar (44-seat cocktail bar; size 190 m²)
• Zaffiro Bar (44-seat cocktail bar with live music; size 190 m²)
• Palm Beach Casino (190-seat casino; 630 m²; smoking permitted; slot machines, gaming tables, full bar)
• Card Room (28-seat Texas Hold’em room adjacent to the casino)
• Library (10-seat library with multilingual books and games; size 40 m²)
• Art Arcade (26-seat art gallery and auction venue; size 200 m²)
• Cyber Café (19-station Internet room; open 24 hours; size 128 m²)
• La Cantinella Bar (120-seat wine bar with tastings, tapas, live music; size 300 m²)
• La Cubana Bar (33-seat cigar and premium liquor bar; smoking lounge; size 140 m²)
• Photo Gallery & Shop (photo studio and retail; gallery 224 m², photographer area 85 m²)
• The Shaker Lounge & Bar (330-seat venue with dance floor, karaoke, live performances; size 850 m²)
• MSC Orchestra Aurea Spa & Fitness (12,486 ft² / 1,160 m² spa and gym complex with beauty salon, solarium, steam room, sauna, therapy pools, treatment rooms, two whirlpools; spa open 8 am-8 pm, gym 6 am-10 pm)
• Cala Blanca Pool Area (outdoor saltwater pool with two whirlpools and a mini pool; open 7 am-7 pm; area 1,600 m²; served by Barracuda Bar)
• Acapulco Pool (smaller outdoor saltwater pool with two whirlpools; area 1,300 m²; served by El Sombrero Bar)
• Outdoor LED Movie Screen (near Acapulco Pool)
• Power Walking/Jogging Track (10 laps = 1 mile; size 575 m²), table tennis, shuffleboard (354 m²)
• Children’s Indoor and Outdoor Playrooms (indoor 68 m²; outdoor 130 m² with splash pool, mini football, climbing structures, games)
• The Jungle Adventure (15-seat kids’ play area; size 70 m²)
• Video Games Arcade (20 seats; size 65 m²)
• R32 Disco & Nightclub (172-seat nightclub with dance floor and full bar; size 615 m²)
• Juniors Club & Teens Club (ages 13-17; lounge with dance classes, parties, sports, video games, trivia)
• Shuffleboard, Deck Quoits
• 5-hole Mini-Golf Course (near the funnel; complimentary equipment from Deck 13 pool area)
• Sundeck / Top 16 Solarium (adults-only relaxation area with two whirlpools)
• LED Wall (large outdoor gaming screen)
• Combined Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer; size 474 m²; equipment available from Deck 13 pool area)

Itineraries

MSC Orchestra's itinerary program is based on Eastern Caribbean cruises departing from Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France. During summer, the ship operates 10-day Western Mediterranean and 7-day Eastern Mediterranean/Aegean Sea voyages visiting ports in Turkey and the Greek Isles.

Orchestra also operates Transatlantic repositioning crossings between the Caribbean and Europe.

In October 2023, MSC canceled Orchestra's winter 2023-2024 Red Sea season (November-April) due to regional instability related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The canceled program included 7-day roundtrips from Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) and Egypt (Safaga). In November, the program was replaced with 7-day Mediterranean itineraries (December 16 through April 19) calling at Valencia, Cagliari (Sardinia), Civitavecchia-Rome, Livorno, Marseille, and Palma de Mallorca.

The vessel (built by STX France at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard, hull number R32) has a volume of 92,409 GT, a deadweight tonnage of 9,725 tons, and a maximum draught of 7.9 m. Her powerplant consists of Wärtsilä marine diesel engines (model W16V38B) with a combined output of 36.05 MW (48,340 hp). The registered shipowner is ORCHESTRA CRUISE LTD, and the registered manager is MSC MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING CO.

Orchestra is MSC's second Musica-class liner (inaugural cruise on May 14, 2007), with sisterships Magnifica, Musica, and Poesia.