MSC Lirica in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 31, 2010. Photo: Dex Sularte
MSC Lirica
Cruise Line:
MSC Cruises
Entered Service:
March 2003
Original Cost:
$266 million
Builder:
Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France
Former names:
none
Gross Tonnage
59,058 tons
Length:
253.25 m
Beam:
28.8 m
Registry:
Italy
Passengers:
2,065
Crew:
701
Navigation Officers:
Italian
Classification Society:
Bureau Veritas
Overview Very similar in size and structure to the now defunct Festival Cruises sister ships European Dream and European Vision, but arguably with a more attractive profile, MSC Lirica (sister to MSC Opera) is the first of a pair of newbuilds for Mediterranean Shipping Cruises (MSC), Italy’s largest privately owned cruise line (its former name was Star Lauro Cruises). The ship is fitted with an azimuthing pod propulsion system. Real wood and marble have been used extensively in the interiors, and the high quality reflects the commitment that MSC has in the future. The “fit and finish” of the interior décor, and most carpeting, is very good throughout. Facilities include the ship’s main show lounge, a night club/discotheque, several lounges and bars, an internet center (Cyber Café, with 10 terminals), a virtual reality center, a shopping gallery named Rodeo Drive (with shops that have an integrated bar and entertainment area so that shopping becomes a city-like environment where you can shop, drink and be entertained all in one convenient area), and a children’s club. Gamblers may find solace in Las Vegas Casino, with blackjack, poker and roulette games, together with an array of slot machines. There is also a card room and an integral library.
Suitable for: MSC Lirica is best suited to young adult couples, and families with tots, children and teens who enjoy big shipping surroundings, a big city life, with all its attendant noise (some call it ambience), and passengers of different nationalities and languages (mostly European).
Accommodation There are 11 different price levels for accommodation depending on the grade and location you choose: one suite category, five outside-view cabin grades, and five interior (no view) cabin grades. Included are 132 suites with private balcony (note that the partitions between each balcony are of the partial and no the full wall type), outside-view cabins and interior (no view) cabins. No matter what grade of cabin you choose, all have a mini-bar and personal safe, satellite-linked television, several audio channels, and 24-hour room service. According to the rules of feng shui, it is bad luck to place any mirror in such a position that it can be seen by anyone lying in bed (there are two floor-to-ceiling mirrors opposite the bed).
Cuisine/Dining There are two dining rooms (La Bussola Restaurant, and the smaller, slightly more intimate L’Ippocampo Restaurant, located one deck above), both of which have large ocean-view picture windows at the end of the ship. There are two seatings for meals, in keeping with all other ships in the MSC fleet, and tables are for two, four, six or eight. Le Pergola is the most formal restaurant, offering stylish Italian cuisine. It is assigned to all passengers occupying accommodation designated as suites, although other passengers can dine in too, on a reservation-basis only. As you would expect, the food and service are superior to that in the main dining room. Casual, self serve buffets (for breakfast and lunch) can be taken in Le Bistrot Cafeteria. For fast foods, there is also a grill and a pizzeria. The Coffee Corner, located on the upper, second level of the main lobby, is the place for coffee and pastry items – as well as for people watching throughout the day. Although there are windows, the view is not of the ocean, but of the stowed gangways and the associated equipment.
Entertainment The Broadway Theater is the ship’s main showlounge, located in the forward section of the ship. It has tiered seating set in a sloping floor, and sightlines are good from most areas.The room can also serve as a venue for large social functions. There is no separate bandstand, and the shows work with recorded music; hence there is consistency in orchestration and sound balance. The Lirica Loungeis the place for social dancing with live music provided by a band. Meanwhile for the young and lively set, there is the Blue Club (the ship’s throbbing, ear-melting discotheque).
Spa/Fitness The Lirica Health Center is located one deck above the navigation bridge. The complex features a beauty salon, several treatment rooms offering massage and other body-pampering treatments, as well as a gymnasium with ocean views and an array of high-tech muscle-toning and strengthening equipment. There is also a thermal suite containing different kinds of steam rooms combined with aroma therapy infusions. The health center is run as a concession by the Italian company Blue Ocean, with European hairstylists and Balinese massage and body treatment staff.
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