MSC Cruises

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Onboard

Whether new ship or old, MSC Cruises emphasizes a strongly Italian-influenced ambience. For the most part, its ships traverse the Mediterranean (winter and summer) and are geared to European travelers. But, the line has made a major commitment to not only sail elsewhere (South America, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, South Africa, the Gulf), but also to expand its passenger base to include English-speaking travelers.

Regardless, passengers should be prepared for announcements to be read in Italian, French, Spanish, German and English.

Life onboard, particularly when it comes to mealtime, follows a more traditional cruise schedule -- set dining times and seatmates, and a handful of optional eateries that include sushi, a buffet and an Italian restaurant.

The ships offer a standout range of evening entertainment offerings, from smoochy dance music to classical concerts, Cirque du Soleil-esque aerobatic shows to jazz.

While MSC cruises are typically priced at very value-oriented levels (i.e. pretty cheap cruise fares), the ships offer a fairly unprecedented range of services and amenities that cost extra, such as a la carte menus, fees for port shuttles and more.

About MSC Cruises

Mediterranean Shipping Company's MSC Cruises may be a relatively new entrant in cruising's leisure travel niche (Its cruise arm was formed in 1987), but the Geneva-based firm is one of the world's biggest players in international shipping.

MSC Cruises, based in Naples and Sorrento, was conceived on the premise of offering Europeans affordable cruise vacations -- a concept that was fairly revolutionary in 1990. Today, it competes primarily against Genoa-based Costa Cruises (as well as smaller, more regional lines like Spain's Pullmantur).

The big difference between MSC and Costa is that the latter is owned by Carnival Corporation and has begun to sport ships that more closely reflect the Carnival Cruise Lines ambience. (Indeed, Costa's newest ships are built on the same platform as Carnival's Conquest-class of ships and are designed by Joe Farcus, Carnival's longtime interiors maestro.) MSC, which shows an equal commitment to not only building new ships but also expanding its passenger demographics, is privately owned and, as such, the designs of its vessels are unique to the line.

MSC Cruises was created when Gianlucci Aponte, owner of Mediterranean Shipping Company, acquired Starlauro -- a one-ship cruise line, whose fleet consisted of the Achille Lauro (which had been hijacked by Palestinian terrorists in 1986). This first ship continued its troubled history, even while under the MSC flag. In 1996, the Achille Lauro, while sailing a passenger cruise, caught fire off the coast of Africa and, ultimately, sank. All passengers were safely rescued.

Other ships in MSC's early fleet included MSC Melody and MSC Rhapsody. (Both are still sailing under the MSC flag, though they are not marketed to North American travelers.)

The turn of the millennium was a massive breakthrough for MSC, which, for the first time, commissioned its own series of new-builds. MSC Lirica, a 59,058-ton, 1,445-passenger vessel, was the first to emerge in April 2003; MSC Opera, just slightly larger and carrying 1,756 passengers, debuted in June 2004.

Since then, the fleet has been bolstered by the acquisition of several vessels from the now-defunct First European/Festival. Now named MSC Armonia and MSC Sinfonia, both ships measure 58,625 tons and carry 1,566 passengers.

The introduction of a new class of ships -- larger, more amenity-laden and featuring an even higher ratio of private verandahs -- emerged with MSC Musica. Measuring 89,600 tons and accommodating 2,550 passengers, that class "master" was launched in June 2006; siblings include MSC Orchestra (debuted in spring of 2007) and MSC Poesia (spring of 2008). MSC Magnifica, the fourth ship in the Musica class, launched in 2010.

MSC's biggest forward foot to date has been the innovative new design for its Fantasia series of ships. MSC Fantasia, which debuted in December 2008, is the first of two 133,500-ton, 3,300-passenger Fantasia-class vessels. Sister ship MSC Splendida debuted in 2009, and MSC Divina arrived in May 2012. The line's largest ships, to date, are these two post-Panamax-sized vessels, based on a unique protoype that incorporates first-ever features, such as the ship-within-a-ship Yacht Club concept for suite holders, a pool with a magrodome for all-seasons swimming and an interactive center with a 4D theater and a Formula One simulator.

Uniquely, in an era in which cruise lines choose a different celebrity godmother for each ship in the fleet, the Italian-influenced MSC has remained loyal to legendary actress Sophia Loren. She's served as godmother for every new ship since MSC Lirica.

MSC Cruises Fleet

The MSC Cruises fleet can be divided into four categories:

The 58,600-ton, 1,566-passenger Armonia and Sinfonia -- which were acquired from the now-defunct First European/Festival Cruises and were originally called European Vision and European Stars, respectively -- were built in 2001 and 2002.

Representing a new era for MSC are its first new-builds, starting with the 59,058-ton, 1,445-passenger MSC Lirica, debuting in 2003. MSC Opera followed a year later; it's largely a sister ship, though some alterations were made to cabin configurations (fewer mini-suites, more standard staterooms with private balconies). Interestingly, this pair is a slightly evolved design mate with Armonia and Sinfonia.

MSC's Musica class, which ultimately will feature five ships, began with the 90,000-ton, 2,550-passenger Musica, launched in 2006. Musica featured an innovative new design for MSC; introduced on this vessel were more contemporary features, such as a sprawling spa, a wider range of dining venues -- like the now-standard wine bar -- and a much higher number of balcony cabins. MSC Musica has since been followed by siblings MSC Orchestra and MSC Poesia (launched in 2007 and 2008, respectively). MSC Magnifica, the fourth ship in the class, launched in 2010.

The introduction of the Fantasia class -- two ships that weigh in at 133,500 tons and carry 3,300 passengers -- was even more revolutionary for the line. MSC Fantasia debuted in December 2008; Splendida, a sister ship, debuted in 2009, and the biggest yet for the line is Divina, which was launched in 2012. A fourth ship, MSC Preziosa, will debut in March 2013.

Since MSC Lirica, all of the line's new-builds have been built at France's STX Europe shipyard, which was also responsible for building Cunard's Queen Mary 2, Crystal Serenity, Celebrity Millennium and Disney Magic.

Fellow Passengers

In Europe, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, the ships attract a very strong European crowd. (U.K.- and Ireland-based cruise travelers are becoming increasingly well-represented.) Caribbean sailings are geared more strongly to North American travelers.

With its new-builds, the line attracts numerous retirees during the winter season, while its efforts to cater to families during the summer and school holidays mean there are lots of kids at those times.

MSC's more classic vessels -- which lack state-of-the-art kids' facilities and sail on longer, more exotic itineraries -- are tailored to older travelers.