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20-630: MSC Orchestra is a cruise ship that was built in 2007 for MSC Cruises . She is the second ship of the Musica class. She could at the time accommodate 2,550 passengers in 1,275 cabins. Most inside cabins were later refitted with two bunk beds and therefore she can now accommodate 3,200 passengers. Her crew complement is approximately 990. The cruise ship has length of 293.8 metres (964 ft) and beam of 32.20 metres (105.6 ft). MSC Orchestra has draft of 7.88 metres (25.9 ft) and gross tonnage of 92,409. The ship has capacity for 2,550 passengers and
40-406: A crew complement of 987. Eight passengers, four Bulgarians and four Lithuanians, were arrested during 2010 after cocaine , worth an estimated £1.4m, was found on board whilst berthed at Dover , United Kingdom . Seven of the passengers pleaded guilty and the eighth was convicted at trial. On 22 February 2019, due to an unknown navigational error, MSC Orchestra collided with MSC Poesia as it
60-554: A multi-year deal with Formula 1 to become their official cruise partner. They were the title sponsor of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix . In January 2023, MSC Cruises announced a new multi-year partnership agreement with the New York Knicks . The deal gets MSC promotion during Knicks home games, including LED signage, virtual-on-court signage, and the opportunity to serve as the presenting partner during in-game t-shirt tosses. In August 2024, Shipping Italy reported rumors that MSC
80-575: A similar design to the French yard's platform for Festival Cruises , the two-ship order would start the aggressive expansion of the cruise line. The lines first new build, the MSC Lirica , would debut in 2003. The Lirica also became the first MSC ship to be christened by Sophia Loren , a tradition that has continued for all but one of the company’s new-builds. The Liraca would be followed by sister ship MSC Opera in 2004. In 2004, MSC Cruises would acquire
100-673: The COVID-19 pandemic . On 7 January 2021, MSC announced it would restart cruises with the MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica in the Mediterranean. Passengers were initially limited to residents of the Schengen Area . In June 2021, MSC announced a new luxury subsidiary brand named Explora Journeys , with four vessels planned beginning with the Explora I . In March 2022, MSC Cruises signed
120-622: The Monterey and Archille Lauro would sail under the StarLauro Cruises banner into the early 1990s. In November 1994 the Archille Lauro caught fire off the coast of Somalia while en route to South Africa , with 979 passengers and crew aboard, and loss of life of 2 during the evacuation. StarLauro line would go on to acquire the Enrico C from Costa Cruises, renaming the ship Symphony, and
140-493: The company acquired MS Starward from Norwegian Cruise Line , renaming her MS Bolero . A third second-hand ship followed in 1997, when MS Southern Cross was acquired from CTC Lines and renamed MS Flamenco for service with Festival. Festival Cruises acquired their first newbuilt ship in 1999, when MS Mistral was delivered from Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France . In 2000 Festival Cruises announced that
160-589: The company would be merged into Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), with the Festival Cruises brand being maintained under P&O ownership. The merger plan was abandoned later that year due to low value of cruise line shares at the time. Two additional newbuilt ships based on an enlarged version of the Mistral design were delivered in 2001 and 2002 as MS European Vision and MS European Stars , respectively. Following delivery of
180-676: The cruise industry and purchased the Achille Lauro from Flotta Lauro Line . He retained "Lauro" in the company name in honour of his mentor, naming the new cruise line StarLauro Cruises . The original Lauro Lines ( Italian : Flotta Lauro ) was originally founded in Naples, Italy by Achille Lauro in the 1940s. In 1990 Mediterranean Shipping Co. purchased the Monterey to sail for their StarLauro Cruises brand. The ship would retain her original name that she had since sailing with Matson Lines . Both
200-453: The cruise line's luxury concept, the "MSC Yacht Club." In January 2019, MSC Cruises unveiled the world's first virtual personal cruise assistant — ZOE, an artificial intelligence device designed by Harman International . It is currently featured on MSC Bellissima and MSC Grandiosa and will be featured on future newbuilds upon their delivery. In mid-2020, MSC Cruises suspended most (or all) of their operations for over six months during
220-479: The fairly newly built European Vision and European Stars from the bankrupt Festival Cruises , renaming the ships MSC Armonia and MSC Sinfonia . In 2006 the first of the four Muscia Class would debut, also build at STX France . The MSC Musica , would be followed by the MSC Orchestra , MSC Poesia , and the final slightly modified MSC Magnifica in 2010. In 2015, MSC Cruises announced that
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#1732876324288240-605: The former Cunard Princess , renaming the ship Rhapsody to the fleet. In 1995, StarLauro Cruises was rebranded as MSC Cruises, with the livery changed from the blue funnel star logo to a white funnel with the MSC Logo. In 1997 MSC purchased the Atlantic from Premier Cruise Lines , and renamed the ship Melody . In the early 2000s, MSC initiated a rapid expansion program, and placed its first new build orders with Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, for 65,000-ton ships. Based on
260-506: The four Mistral class ships underwent renovation under the "Renaissance Programme". In July 2018, the company announced that it would build a second cruise terminal at PortMiami for its World -class cruise ships as an expansion of its North American program. It is scheduled to be completed in October 2022. In October 2018, MSC announced an order for four luxury ships of 64,000 gross tons each. These ultra-luxury vessels were to be based on
280-582: The new ships the Bolero and Flamenco were chartered to other operators. Festival Cruises had an option for two more ships of the enlarged Mistral design, but the company decided not to use the option. Two more Mistral class ships were however built for MSC Cruises as MSC Lirica and MSC Opera . Festival Cruises went bankrupt in early 2004, with all the company's ships were laid up and subsequently auctioned to other operators; European Stars and European Vision were sold to MSC Cruises , Mistral to
300-458: The original owners abandoned the 95 acre island, the land had to be restored to remove all of the old mining equipment, with MSC Cruises committing $ 200 million for the project involving restoration and conversion of the island into a private resort. The restoration required the work of many scientists to bring the area back into a functioning marine habitat. And, once the Bahamian government granted
320-658: The site marine reserve status, the project was then officially named the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and was set to open in mid-November 2019, but weather delays pushed the date to 5 December 2019. Largest ship built for MSC Cruises and first in the fleet powered by LNG with solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and having "G"-shape bow design MSC is also in negotiations with finnish, italan and frensh yards for newbuilts. Festival Cruises Festival Cruises (known as First European Cruises in North America )
340-499: Was a Greece-based cruise line that operated between 1994 and 2004. It was founded in 1992 by the Greek entrepreneur George Poulides using second-hand ships. The company acquired three new-built ships between 1999 and 2002, but was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2004. George Poulides founded Festival Cruises in 1992. The company begun operations in 1994 after purchasing MS The Azur from Chandris Cruises . The following year
360-489: Was departing Buenos Aires , Argentina, and MSC Orchestra also hit a pier. Both ships only sustained minor damage and were cleared to depart. This article about a specific cruise ship is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . MSC Cruises MSC Cruises ( Italian : MSC Crociere ) is a Swiss-Italian global cruise line based in Geneva , with operations offices in Naples , Genoa and Venice . It
380-629: Was founded in 1988 in Naples , Italy , as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). In addition to being the world's largest privately held cruise company, employing about 23,500 people worldwide and with offices in 45 countries as of 2017 , MSC Cruises is the third-largest cruise company in the world , after Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group , with a 10.2% share of all passengers carried in 2021. In 1988 Gianluigi Aponte, founder of Mediterranean Shipping Company cargo shipping company, decided to enter
400-467: Was in talks with Meyer Turku to build a class of four ships with a gross tonnage of 270,000, which would make it bigger than any other cruise ship at the time. In December 2015, MSC Cruises signed a 100-year lease for the private island of Ocean Cay in the Bahamas to develop the land for an exclusive island experience. The site had previously been used to mine white Aragonite sand for decades, and after
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