MSC Cruises today confirmed four of its Lirica-class ships will be stretched as part of a €200million revamp.
Work will be carried out on MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera to add new entertainment options, more shops and nearly 200 new cabins for each ship.
A new spray park will also be added to the ships featuring water cannons.
The work will be carried out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and will be complete by 2015.
Gianni Onorato, chief executive officer, said: “When our four Lirica class ships return to the seas after a total of 38 weeks in dry dock, they will be entirely new ships with additional amenities and comfort for our travellers, allowing them to reach sophisticated and refined destinations around the world.
“The extensive ‘renaissance programme’ represents a huge investment and reaffirms, once again, our company’s dedication to high standards, cutting-edge technology and continuous product innovation.”
The work on Armonia will be carried out between August 31 and November 17. The revamp on Sinfonia will happen between January 12, 2015, and March 16, 2015, while the work on Opera will be carried out between May 2, 2015 and July 4, 2015. Lirica will be in drydock between August 31, 2015, and November 9, 2015.
Giuseppe Bono, chief executive of Fincantieri, said: “The winning of this contract is a source of great satisfaction to us in many respects. Above all, because it involved us with an important partner like MSC Cruises in a programme that is highly ambitious both technically and operationally.”
The four ships were built between 2003 and 2005 in Saint Nazaire in France.