MSC Opera — Deck Plans, Live Tracker, Dining & Videos
MSC Opera is a Lirica Class cruise ship from MSC Cruises, delivered in June 2004 at Saint-Nazaire by Chantiers de l'Atlantique (then under Alstom Marine ownership) and christened on 26 June 2004 in Naples by Sophia Loren. She measures 65,591 gross tons and 275 metres in length (post-lengthening), carries 1,756 guests at double occupancy (2,658 maximum) across 1,075 cabins with a crew of approximately 728, and flies the Panamanian flag. Between 2 May and 4 July 2015 she was cut in half and lengthened by a 24-metre midsection at Fincantieri Palermo under MSC's Renaissance Programme, adding 194 passenger cabins and 59 crew cabins. After two winter seasons in South Africa (2024-25 and 2025-26 from Durban), she repositions in November 2026 to La Romana, Dominican Republic for a year-round Caribbean deployment — MSC Armonia is taking over her South Africa role.
Key Facts
- Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
- Class: Lirica Class (sisters MSC Lirica, MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia)
- Year: 2004
- Tonnage: 65,591 GT
- Guests: 1,756 (double) / 2,658 (max)
- Crew: ~728
- IMO: 9250464
- Delivered: June 2004, Saint-Nazaire
- Godmother: Sophia Loren (26 June 2004, Naples)
- Lengthened: 2 May – 4 July 2015 (24 m midsection at Fincantieri Palermo)
- Cabins: 1,075
- Length × Beam: 275 m × 32 m
- Registry: Panama
Quick Answer: MSC Opera (65,591 GT, 1,756 double / 2,658 max, ~728 crew, delivered 2004) is a Lirica Class ship — sisters MSC Lirica, MSC Armonia, and MSC Sinfonia. She carries two main dining rooms (La Caravella and L'Approdo), the single Le Vele Buffet, the Teatro dell'Opera show lounge, and the MSC Aurea Spa. After two winters in South Africa from Durban, she repositions on 16 November 2026 for a year-round Caribbean deployment from La Romana, Dominican Republic — MSC Armonia is taking over her South Africa role.
Who She's For: Caribbean cruisers eyeing MSC's first year-round La Romana (Dominican Republic) deployment starting 16 November 2026, travellers who like a smaller mid-size ship over megaships, and guests who want a classical multi-deck atrium layout over the LED-dome promenade feel of newer MSC hardware. Good fit for Eastern Caribbean short sailings from La Romana in winter 2026-27 and for a summer 2026 Eastern Mediterranean sailing from Venice (Marghera) or Bari. Not for guests expecting the MSC Yacht Club (not installed on Lirica class), Cirque du Soleil at Sea (Meraviglia/Meraviglia-Plus only), or any specialty dining (Opera's current MSC deck plan lists no specialty restaurants).
MSC Opera is one of four Lirica Class ships — the others are MSC Lirica (2003, first-in-class), MSC Armonia (2001 as MS European Vision, joined MSC 2004), and MSC Sinfonia (2002 as MS European Stars, joined MSC 2005). All four received 24-metre midsection insertions at Fincantieri Palermo between 2014 and 2015 under MSC's Renaissance Programme. Each Lirica-class ship uses unique main dining room names — Opera's are La Caravella (Deck 5) and L'Approdo (Deck 6), distinct from Lirica's La Bussola and L'Ippocampo and Armonia's Marco Polo and La Pergola. Opera's main theatre is the two-deck Teatro dell'Opera, named after the ship. A notable event in her history is the 2 June 2019 collision at San Basilio Pier in Venice's Giudecca Canal, where she struck the moored Uniworld river ship River Countess — the cause was a main electrical switchboard warning that had been ignored, and the captain and chief officers received (commuted) prison sentences. The incident accelerated Venice's ban on large cruise ships in the Giudecca.
A First Look at MSC Opera
Dining on MSC Opera → Browse All
MSC Cruises • Lirica Class
The Logbook: MSC Opera
Watch: MSC Opera Highlights
Swipe through ship walkthroughs, top-10s, and stateroom tours.
Key Facts About MSC Opera
MSC Opera Deck Plans
MSC Opera's 13-deck layout runs from Deck 4 (crew and technical) up to the Top 13 Solarium. Deck 5 holds the La Caravella MDR, Aroma Coffee Bar, and the lower Teatro dell'Opera. Deck 6 is the public-room axis with the L'Approdo MDR, Piazza di Spagna atrium lounge, Cotton Club, La Cabala Piano Bar, Med Pearl Casino, and the upper Teatro dell'Opera. Deck 7 adds the Sottovento Pub, Voyagers Club, Card Room, Library, Internet Point, and Guest Services. Deck 11 is the pool deck with Le Vele Buffet, Il Patio Outside Cafeteria, the Lo Spinnaker pool bar, two saltwater pools, Doremy Spray Park, the MSC Aurea Spa, and the Gym. Deck 12 holds Byblos Discoteca and the power walking track; Deck 13 has minigolf, shuffleboard, and the Top 13 Exclusive Solarium for Aurea Experience guests.
Where Is MSC Opera Right Now?
See MSC Opera's current position, speed, heading, and next port on the live AIS tracker below.
See ports for more information about individual ports.
Frequently Asked Questions About MSC Opera
What dining options are on MSC Opera?
MSC Opera has two main dining rooms — La Caravella Restaurant (Deck 5) and L'Approdo Restaurant (Deck 6) — plus the Le Vele Buffet Restaurant on Deck 11 and the open-air Il Patio Outside Cafeteria with Hamburger Paradise and Pizza & Pasta stations. Casual venues include the Aroma Coffee Bar, The Italian Ice Cream Bar, and The Vitamin Bar. MSC Opera does NOT carry any specialty restaurant on the current deck plan — no Kaito Sushi Bar, no Butcher's Cut, no Surf & Turf. Each Lirica-class ship uses unique MDR names: Opera's La Caravella and L'Approdo are distinct from Lirica's La Bussola and L'Ippocampo and Armonia's Marco Polo and La Pergola. See the Dining section above for the full list.
Which ships are in the same class as MSC Opera?
MSC Opera is part of the Lirica Class together with MSC Lirica (2003, first-in-class), MSC Armonia (ex-European Vision 2001, joined MSC 2004), and MSC Sinfonia (ex-European Stars 2002, joined MSC 2005). All four were cut in half and lengthened by a 24-metre midsection at Fincantieri Palermo between 2014 and 2015 under MSC's Renaissance Programme. The yard where Opera was originally built — Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire — was then under Alstom Marine ownership; the Aker Yards acquisition that eventually became STX France did not happen until 2006.
Where does MSC Opera sail in 2026-2027?
MSC Opera is finishing her 2025-26 South Africa winter season from Durban (she replaced MSC Musica in October 2024 and has done two winters there). In summer 2026 she sails 7-night Mediterranean round-trips from Venice (Marghera) and Bari. From 16 November 2026 she repositions across the Atlantic for a year-round Caribbean deployment from La Romana, Dominican Republic — MSC's first year-round La Romana commitment — running 7-night Caribbean round-trips. From April 2027 she adds Fort-de-France, Martinique as a second embarkation port. She is LOSING the South Africa slot to MSC Armonia, which repositions from Marghera on 1 November 2026 to take over the Durban season.
Does MSC Opera have the MSC Yacht Club?
No. The MSC Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship concept debuted on MSC Fantasia in 2008 and has not been retrofitted to Lirica-class ships. MSC Opera does offer the Aurea Experience suite category with MSC Aurea Spa privileges and access to the Top 13 Exclusive Solarium on Deck 13, but that is a fare class bundling premium amenities rather than a Yacht Club enclave with its own restaurant and lounges.
What happened to MSC Opera in Venice in 2019?
On 2 June 2019 MSC Opera collided with the San Basilio Pier in the Giudecca Canal, Venice, striking the moored Uniworld river cruise ship River Countess. The Italian safety investigation found the cause was a warning on the main electrical switchboard affecting engine and steering control that had been ignored by the chief engineer and chief electrician; the bridge team fell back to emergency backups too late to avoid the quay. Passengers suffered minor injuries and River Countess sustained substantial damage requiring three months of repairs. Captain Carmine Siviero received a 5-month prison sentence (commuted to a fine), with shorter sentences for the chief engineer, chief electrician, and two other crew members. The incident accelerated Venice's ban on large cruise ships transiting the Giudecca Canal — most megaships were rerouted to Porto Marghera starting in 2021.
Sources & Attribution
- IMO (9250464), MMSI (357627000), call sign (H3FV), live position, length, and beam verified against VesselFinder and VesselTracker.
- Venue names, deck layout, 1,075 cabins, and 2,658 max guest capacity extracted from the MSC Opera official UK deck plan PDF (October 2024).
- Class history and crew (~728) from CruiseDeckPlans.
- 2015 Renaissance Programme lengthening details (Fincantieri Palermo, 2 May – 4 July 2015, 24m midsection, +194 passenger cabins, +59 crew cabins, length 251m → 275m, GT ~60,000 → 65,591) from ANSA (January 2015) and Riviera Maritime Media.
- 2026-27 South Africa handover to MSC Armonia and Opera's La Romana redeployment from Cruise Industry News (September 2025) and Cyprus Shipping News (January 2026).
- 2 June 2019 Venice incident (San Basilio Pier, River Countess collision, captain's sentence) from Maritime Executive, Safety4Sea, and The Art Newspaper.
- Ship photography credited in each carousel caption.
Plan Your Cruise
Helpful resources to prepare for your voyage: