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MSC Cruises in multi-million pound fleet upgrade
MSC Cruises is to spend €200m (£167m) upgrading its four Lirica class ships.
The ‘renaissance programme’ will see ships MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera expanded from their current length of 251 metres to 275 metres.
The expansion will add 193 cabins and boost the number of passengers per ship from 2,069 to 2,680.
The work will be carried out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and will be complete by 2015.
The refurbishment will also add new entertainment options, technological advancements, extended shops and a new ‘spray park’ water attraction for family.
MSC Cruises chief executive officer Gianni Onorato said: "When our four Lirica class ships return to the seas after a total of 38 weeks in dry dock, they will be entirely new ships with additional amenities and comfort for our travellers, allowing them to reach sophisticated and refined destinations around the world."
MSC Armonia will be the first to be refurbished, entering into dry dock between August 31-November 17, 2014.
MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera and MSC Lirica will all be refurbished in 2015.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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