MSC Lirica, MSC Cruises’ very first new build, completed 20 years of this year.
MSC Lirica was built in France by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard and debuted in the Mediterranean after being delivered to MSC Cruises on March 24, 2003.
MSC Lirica was also the first ship to be christened by Sophia Loren, the godmother of all the cruise line’s newbuilds. She named the ship in a special naming ceremony that was later held in Naples.
MSC Lirica spent her first years of service in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean from Ft Lauderdale, and Northern Europe. She debuted in South America in 2009 and in the Middle East in 2010. That year she became the first MSC ship to sail a complete season in the Middle East.
In 2015, she was enlarged and modernized as part of a refit plan called Renaissance Program. She was drydocked in Italy and cut in half and received a new mid-section that added 194 cabins, a new lounge, a children’s waterpark, and more.
In 2016, she embarked on another first for MSC Cruises and repositioned to Asia to complete a series of year-round cruises in China where she visited ports in China, Japan, and Korea.
When she returned to Europe in 2018, she sailed the Eastern Mediterranean once again along with more seasons in the Middle East. In July 2019, she served as a hotel for athletes competing in the 30th Summer Universiade in Naples.
MSC Lirica is a sleek and tradition looking ship that has been tastefully designed and decorated with an Italian flair. She offers a two-deck theater, a casino, a complete spa, four different restaurants, two swimming pools and more.
Happy birthday MSC Lirica.