MSC Orchestra

The 2007-built MSC Orchestra cruise ship is the second of MSC Cruises' Musica-class liners, with sisterships Musica, Poesia, 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. It was established in 1960. Today, 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 is ranked the world's 3rd largest cruise shipowner - following only Carnival Corporation and RCG-Royal Caribbean Group.

The 2500-passenger ship MSC Orchestra was designed by Italians with regard to Europeans. The ship has stylish décor and a variety of public areas. Orchestra’s features, most of which specifically designed for families, include an array of sports, leisure and dinner possibilities. Orchestra guests are usually from any age and nationality.

Decks and Cabins

MSC Orchestra staterooms (1275 total, in 8 grades) include 18x Suites, 809x Balcony, 173x Oceanviews, 275x Inside. Most staterooms are sized 150-190 ft2 / 14-18 m2. Most cabin balconies are sized 40 ft2 / 4 m2. The largest are the Balcony Suites (270 ft2 / 25 m2, with terrace sized 50 ft2 / 5 m2).

The boat has 16 decks, of which 13 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

MSC Orchestra decks are named after musical instruments.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

MSC Orchestra features an improved range of dining venues in comparison to her older fleet-mates. However, a majority of passengers prefer to dine in the MDR, in which evening meals are set-tablemates, set-seating affairs. All other evening options feature an extra charge. L'Ibiscus and Villa Borghese are nearly identical in size, and both serve as main dining rooms. Breakfast and lunch are open seating.

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

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

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

As on all other MSC vessels, Orchestra has a casino, library, Spa and Fitness centre, three pools and eight jacuzzis, plus sauna and steam room. The entertainment is tailored to multinational guests, so there are fewer acts relying on the spoken word and more emphasizing music. The Covent Garden Theatre is the spot for daily shows, with two sittings, at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The evening shows are varied, featuring from classical concerts to magic shows.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-Hour Room-Service, Supervised Children Program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

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

• Medical Center (9-seat Infirmary, size 230 m2) is the ship’s hospital operated by resident doctors/physicians and nurses on 24-hour duty. Payments are made by the boarding pass (treatments equivalent to a private doctor’s visit). General health insurance policies do not apply, so buying cruise health insurance is recommended.
• Orchestra Atrium (3-decks high midship area with a grand piano on water)
• L’incontro Reception (62-seat guest services, reservations, bookings, size 250 m2)
• L’incontro Bar (200 seats specialty coffee Atrium Lobby bar/a la carte menu, complimentary cookies and pastries, coffee packages, size 400 m2)
• Covent Garden Theatre (1240 seats grand productions theater, concerts, acrobatic performances, with 2 shows a night- at 7:30 and 9:30 pm, size 1249 m2, level 1 of 2)
• The Savannah Bar Lounge (477 seats, 920 m2 show lounge with large dance floor; shows, games, seminars, karaoke, bingo, Sudoku, Italian language classes)
• Orchestra Sala Riunioni - Meeting Room (capacity 24 seats, 35 m2)
• The Amber Bar Lounge (160 seats specialty coffee bar/a la carte menu, with complimentary snacks, cookies and pastries; sells coffee packages, size 500 m2)
• MSC Travel Agency / Shore Excursions Desk (7-seat booking, information, size 73 m2)
• MSC Logo Shop (clothes, accessories, towels, toys, games, etc; size 60 m2)
• Accessories Shop (leather goods boutique, jewelry, watches, size 35 m2)
• Cipria Shop (top brands cosmetics and perfumes, size 70 m2)
• The Mini Mall (Duty-Free Shop tobaccos, liquors, snacks, electronics; size 60 m2) 
• L’Angolo Dell’Oggetto (brand sunglasses, watches, jewelry, size 35 m2)
• Lo Zaffiro Shop (jewelry, accessories, size 60 m2)
• Madison Avenue Boutique (brand fashion clothing, size 120 m2)
• Lo Smeraldo Shop (luxury jewelry and accessories by brands such as Chimento and Pandora, watches, accessories, pens)
• The Purple Bar (44 seats cocktail bar, size 190 m2)
• Zaffiro Bar (44 seats cocktail bar with live music, size 190 m2)
• Palm Beach Casino (capacity 190 seats, size 630 m2, smoking allowed, slot machines, gambling tables,  own full bar)
• Card Room (28 seats Texas Hold’Em poker room next to the Orchestra’s Casino)
• Library (10 seats, books in different languages, board games, size 40 m2)
• Art Arcade (26-seat art exhibitions and auctions gallery, size 200 m2)
• Cyber Cafe (19 Internet computers room, open 24-hour, size 128 m2)
• La Cantinella Bar (120 seats wine bar, tastings, tapas, live musical performances, size 300 m2)
• La Cubana Bar (33 seats cigar and premium liquor bar/smoking lounge, size 140 m2)
• Photo Gallery & Shop (photo services, cameras, accessories, size 224 m2 / gallery, 85 m2 / photographer)
• The Shaker Lounge & Bar (capacity 330 seats, with dance floor, full bar, karaoke, dance competitions, game shows, live music performances, size 850 m2)
• MSC Orchestra Aurea Spa & Fitness (12486 ft2 / 1160 m2 spa & gym complex, with Beauty Salon, Solarium, Steam Room, Sauna, Relaxation Room, Thalassotherapy hot tubs, Treatment Rooms, Tanning Showers, 2 Whirlpools; Spa opens 8 am - 8 pm, Gym opens 6 am - 10 pm/complimentary, with Aerobics Room for classes), served by the MSC Aurea Spa Bar (16 seats, hot-cold drinks, juices, cocktails)
• Cala Blanca Pool Area (outdoor saltwater pool with 2 Whirlpools and a round mini pool; open 7 am - 7 pm), area size 1,600 m2, served by the Barracuda Bar (alfresco outdoor poolside bar)
• Acapulco Pool (the smaller saltwater outdoor pool, with 2 Whirlpools) area size 1,300 m2, served by the El Sombrero Bar (ice cream and smoothies poolside bar)
• Outdoor LED Movie Screen (by the Acapulco pool)
• Power Walking/Jogging Track (10 laps = 1 ml, size 575 m2), Tennis Tables, Shuffleboard (size 354 m2)
• Children’s Indoor and Outdoor Playrooms (play areas - size 68 m2, TVs, movies, games, crafts-arts, climbing area, outdoor splash pool, mini football, size 130 m2)
• The Jungle Adventure (15-seat kids area, size 70 m2)
• Video Games Arcade (20 seats, size 65 m2)
• R32 Disco & Nightclub (172 seats club with dance floor, own full bar, size 615 m2)
• Juniors Club & Teens Club (teens 13 – 17  yo lounge, live music, dance classes and parties, sports and video games, trivia)
• Shuffleboard, Deck Quoits
• 5-hole Mini-Golf Course (by the Orchestra’s funnel; complimentary equipment from Deck 13’s pool zone)
• Sundeck / Top 16 Solarium (adults-only relaxation area with 2 Whirlpools)
• LED Wall (huge outdoor screen for virtual games playing)
• Combined Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer/complimentary equipment from Deck 13’s pool zone, size 474 m2).

Itineraries

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

Orchestra also offers 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 the uncertainty in the Middle East (Israel-Palestine war). The canceled program was based on 7-day roundtrips from Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) and Egypt (Safaga). In November, the canceled program was replaced with 7-day Mediterranean itineraries (December 16th thru April 19th) visiting Valencia, Cagliari Sardinia, Civitavecchia-Rome, Livorno,, Marseille, and Palma de Mallorca.

The vessel (STX France, Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard/hull number R32) has volume 92409 GT-tons, DWT-deadweight tonnage 9725 tons, max draught 7,9 m. The powerplant is based on Wartsila marine diesel engines (model W16V38B) with combined output 36,05 MW (48340 hp). The registered shipowner is ORCHESTRA CRUISE LTD, while the registered manager is MSC MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING CO.

Orchestra is MSC's 2nd Musica-class liner (Inaugural cruise May 14, 2007) with sisterships Magnifica, Musica, Poesia.