Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, between 2000 and 2004, the four Lirica-class ships measure between 65,542 and 65,591 GT. Their significance is easy to miss today: they were the first newbuilds ever ordered by MSC Cruises, a line that had previously grown entirely with second-hand tonnage, and they established the Italian-accented, music-themed formula the company still follows. The design was deliberately mid-sized and elegant rather than spectacular, with high proportions of outside and balcony cabins for its era. All four were later lengthened in MSC's Renaissance programme, when a new midsection added cabins, balconies and public space without changing the ships' essential character.
