MSC Lirica

Ship Statistics

Name: Lirica	Registry: Panama
Ship Completed Date: 1/1/2003	Christened By: Sophia Loren
Capacity: 1590	Number of Crew, Nationality: 750, Italian
Gross Tonnage: 58,600	Number of Passenger Decks: 8
Non-Smoking Dining: Yes	Non-Smoking Ship: No

Experience the true art of Italian hospitality aboard the magnificent MSC Lirica. With service on par with the best Italian Hotels, the MSC Lirica will immerse you in elegant ambience and quintessential Italian style. Several restaurants celebrate the finest traditions - you'll savor all of the rich flavors that have brought Italy its worldwide culinary fame. Start each day at sea with a jog and inspiring ocean views around the deck, then practice your putt on the deluxe miniature golf course or relax poolside. In the evening, try your luck in the casino or dance to live music performed by pianists and string quartets. With MSC, it's "Premium Class, with a True Italian Signature".

Overview

The MSC Lirica is the first of two new medium-sized cruise vessels for the privately-owned MSC Italian Cruises. A seasoned European cruise traveler might recognize the 58,600 gross ton and 1,560-passenger MSC Lirica. She is actually a sister ship to three ships already operated by First European Cruises (Festival Cruises in Europe).

The sleek and traditional looking MSC Lirica is tastefully designed and decorated with Italian flair. Forget about Costa-style neon, however; the ship's famed Italian architect Giuseppe de Jorio is known for creating more traditional, as opposed to flashy decor, relying on marble and brass. Most of the public rooms are small and intimate.

During the summer season MSC Lirica entertains mainly Europeans with multiple languages used onboard, so prepare to learn some Italian, German, French and Spanish if you want to communicate with your fellow passengers.

In winter, when the ship sails 10- and 11-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale, the company expects to carry Americans and Europeans on a fifty-fifty ratio. MSC Italian Cruises says that around half of its crew is Italian, while the rest of the hotel crew comes from Eastern European countries and a few from the Far East.

Ultimately, Lirica, which was christened at its launch last spring in Naples by Sophia Loren, offers a genuine Italian-style cruise experience (particularly in the Mediterranean). Lirica's Caribbean season begins with a variety of sailings (more unusual itineraries than the typical American-influenced cruise line) on January 15 from Ft. Lauderdale.

Public Areas

MSC Lirica offers a great selection of public rooms and lounges with different design and entertainment. Most of them are located on Deck 5 and Deck 6 (graciously connected by a marble staircase), although there is a large "secondary" lounge on Deck 7 and a huge disco surrounded by glass walls on Deck 12. The high number of public rooms helps to keep passengers spread throughout the ship. All in all, Lirica offers eight different bars/lounges. My favorite spot was the expansive Lord Nelson Pub, which is a quiet place to enjoy a beer or a pre-dinner drink. Although located in the path of the show lounge, the bar did not tend to attract much clientele -- perhaps because there was no live music. This made it a great place for quiet conversation or reading.

Another interesting area is Beverly Hills Bar and Rodeo Drive shops on Deck 5, just before the entrance to the dining room. Fitted out with a lot of marble and shining brass, this is a favorite spot for pre- and post-dinner drinks, and an excellent place to dance with the tunes of slow music. Occasionally, you can listen here also to classical music as well. On the starboard side it is flanked by a group of duty-free shops, which offer souvenirs and luxury items.

There is also an Internet café with 10 stations. The charge for using the Internet is close to $10 for the first 10 minutes, then around $48 per hour thereafter.

MSC Lirica offers a great selection of public rooms and lounges with different design and entertainment. Most of them are located on decks 5 and 6 (graciously connected by a marble staircase), although there is a large "secondary" lounge on deck 7 and a huge disco surrounded by glass walls on deck 12. The high number of public rooms helps to keep passengers spread throughout the ship. All in all, Lirica offers eight different bars/lounges.

My favorite spot was the expansive Lord Nelson Pub, which is a quiet place to enjoy a beer or a pre-dinner drink. Although located in the path of the show lounge, the bar did not tend to attract much clientele - perhaps because there was no live music. This made it a great place for quiet conversation or reading.

Another interesting area is Beverly Hills Bar and Rodeo Drive shops on deck 5, just before the entrance to the dining room. Fitted out with a lot of marble and shining brass, this is a favorite spot for pre- and post-dinner drinks, and an excellent place to dance with the tunes of slow music. Occasionally, you can listen here also to classical music as well.
On the starboard side it is flanked by a group of duty-free shops, which offer souvenirs and luxury items.

Entertainment

There is a lot of entertainment available during the evenings, and it is mainly tailored for the multi-lingual European tastes (except in the Caribbean, where North Americans are more catered to). The main stage is the Broadway Theatre, which normally has two seatings (both rather late); at 9:15 and 10:45 p.m. The show lounge itself, two decks high, is rather cramped with its theatre-style seating.

The ship offers a great selection of music: from slow tunes in Beverly Hills Bar to Latin dance music in the Lirica Lounge to piano faves in L'Atmosphere (it's popular, so come early as this place fills quickly). You can sample faster dance music with a live band in Le Cabaret Lounge and disco music nightly in the Blue Disco Club.

The ship also offers, daytime, "crazy" contests (men's sexy legs and such) as well as enrichment classes in Italian cooking and language.

After enjoying a full day of pleasurable activities and delectable cuisines, it's time to let loose. With our wide array of entertainment choices you may spend the night trying to decide what you want to explore first. Believe me, you won't be the first or last with that dilemma. We invite you to paint the town red in The Blue Disco, test your luck in Casino Las Vegas, or have a ball with our Virtual Reality Games.

The Blue Disco
Music Hall Le Cabaret
The Broadway Theatre
Casino Las Vegas
Piano Bar L'Atmosphere
The Lirica Lounge
The Card Room
Virtual Reality Games

Activities

Aboard the MSC Lirica there will be plenty of avenues to venture upon. Considering our variety of activities, there won't even be a minute chance of anything associated with boredom. We also furnish a wide variety of happenings for the energetic youngsters. We provide the most ultimate cruising excursions known to man. Come shop till you drip in the Rodeo Drive Shopping Arcade, loosen up with a refreshing jog on the jogging path or even enjoy our priceless Turkish bath and Sauna of Le Terme.

Enjoy Shore Excursions
Work out in the Gymnasium or run the Jogging Path
Go for a swim in one of the two swimming pools while watching over your youngsters in the Children's Area
Maybe even enjoy a relaxing dip in the one of the two whirlpools
Relax in the Turkish Bath & Sauna of Le Terme
Pamper yourself with a beauty treatment at The Lirica Health Center
Do a little surfing on board in the Internet Cafe Cyber Cafe
Do a little reading in the ships library
Let the kids distract themselves in the Mini Club Children's Room I Pirati
Get you memories developed at the Photo Shop and Gallery.
Do a little shopping in the Rodeo Drive Shopping Arcade where you will find perfumes and cosmethics, fashion shop, jewelry, the MSC Shop, and Wine&Spirits.

Fitness and recreation

Our cruises are a destination unto themselves. Your time onboard will be as full and fulfilling as your time on land. With a range of activities and amenities that vary from ship to ship, you might want to stay active by taking a dip in one of the swimming pools and soaking in the whirlpools, working out in the state-of-the-art fitness ceneter, playing tennis or volleyball, jogging around the track, holding a miniature golf competition or participating in exercise classes available for all levels. Indulge in the blissful spa and full-service salon, where you might enjoy an exquisite teak meditation room with a wall of windows, perfect for some quiet time after a massage or facial. Visit the shopping gallery, internet cafe, library stocked with books or theater showing new releases and classic films. We know that kids have their own definition of fun and we offer children's facilities and programs. At night, things liven up with musical entertainment. There is also a casino to try your luck, several bars, pubs, and a night club for dancing and, of course, the distinct pleasure of the star-filled sky at sea. While every MSC Cruises ship has timeless elegance and charm, onboard you will find modern features and luxurious amenities that truly bring together the best of both worlds.

The Lirica Health Center is located on deck 11, and offers truly magnificent views to three sides through the floor-to-ceiling windows - along with the usual workout equipment. The spa is operated by an Italian spa company and offers traditional treatments, such as facials and massages.

In the main pool area on deck 11, there are two swimming pools and two whirlpools. The pool area is surrounded by open deck space and lounge chairs. More space and lounge chairs can be found on deck 13, which is protected from the winds by windscreens. As a European ship, topless sunbathing for ladies is accepted in secluded areas.

Fellow passengers

During the summer time most of the passengers are Europeans, mainly from Italian-, French-, Spanish-, and German-speaking countries, but the cruise line carries guests also from English-speaking nations, such as the U.K., USA, and Australia. Europeans tend to smoke more, even in the no-smoking areas. Dining rooms are off limits to smoking.

Family

The cruise line actively invites families, particularly in the Mediterranean, where about 75 percent of their voyages promote a kids-sail-free special. There is a children's facility, geared from ages 3 - 17, on deck 11. The ship will staff up if enough children sign up, but it must be noted that one challenge is the multi-lingual nature of MSC's audience (and so there are kids speaking all ranges of languages). There's a 24-hour video arcade.

Organized children's activities are less likely on Caribbean sailings because these itineraries are generally longer and more exotic than the usual.

Dress

On a seven-night cruise, there are two formal nights (though many ignored the dress suggestion and some people even wore jeans to the dining room). Otherwise, dress is casual.

Gratuity

Plan to tip about what you'd tip on an American-based ship - $10 per person per day. Tips are paid at cruise-end.