MSC Musica Completes 20 Years of Service

MSC Musica Completes 20 Years of Service

The MSC Musica recently completed 20 years of service for MSC Cruises, having been delivered on June 19, 2006.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the 2,550-passenger ship debuted as the first in a series of four ships known as the Musica class.

After repositioning to the Mediterranean, the vessel was christened in the Italian city of Venice on June 29, 2006. Actress Sophia Loren served as godmother of the ship during the ceremony.

For its maiden season, the MSC Musica offered a series of seven-night cruises from its homeport in Venice, visiting Greece, Croatia, Italy and Turkey.

The weeklong itineraries were highlighted by visits to a range of destinations, including Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul, Dubrovnik and Bari.

While plans initially called for the ship to reposition to North America for the winter, it remained in Europe year-round until late 2008.

For its first winter, the MSC Musica offered longer itineraries that combined destinations in the Western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.

In 2026, the ship is offering seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean that sail to France, Spain and Italy.

The vessel’s regular itinerary includes visits to Civitavecchia, Genoa, Cagliari, Marseille and Valencia, as well as Ibiza.

Later this year, the MSC Musica is scheduled to enter drydock in Malta for the largest refurbishment of its sailing career.

As part of a fleet modernization project that will see all Musica-class ships undergoing similar updates, the 92,400-ton vessel will spend approximately two months in the shipyard.

The ship is scheduled to emerge from drydock with a new MSC Yacht Club space, as well as new specialty dining venues and updated public spaces.

After sailing to South America with no guests onboard in November, the MSC Musica will introduce the new features during its 2026-27 winter season in Brazil.

As part of MSC’s five-ship deployment in the region, the Musica is scheduled to offer three- to seven-night cruises departing from Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Paranaguá and Itajaí.

Explora III Sets Sail on Maiden Voyage

Explora III Sets Sail on Maiden Voyage

The Explora III recently sailed from the Spanish port of Barcelona to kick off its maiden voyage for Explora Journeys.

Delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard in late July, the luxury ship officially started its inaugural season on August 3, 2026.

The 922-passenger ship is now offering a seven-night cruise that includes visits to destinations in Portugal, Morocco and Spain.

The itinerary is highlighted by stops in off-the-beaten-path ports in the region, including Portimão and Puerto Banús.

Before ending in Lisbon, the maiden voyage will also include visits to Palma de Mallorca, Cádiz and Tangier, in addition to a full day of cruising in the Western Mediterranean.

The ship will later offer a second seven-night cruise to Southampton, which will sail to Spain, Portugal and France.

On its way to the United Kingdom, the Explora III will visit Porto, La Coruña, Bilbao and Bordeaux, as well as St. Jean de Luz.

In addition to sailing the individual cruises, guests were able to combine the two weeklong voyages for a 14-night itinerary sailing from Barcelona to Southampton.

As part of its inaugural season, the 70,000-ton vessel is also set to offer itineraries to Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and North America.

The ship is also set to offer cruises to the Caribbean departing from San Juan and Miami starting in December 2026.

Before kicking off its maiden voyage, the Explora III was christened during a special ceremony at the Port of Barcelona. Marking the debut of Explora Journeys’ first LNG-powered vessel, the inaugural event took place on August 1, 2026.

Cristina Ozores, a marine educator and National Geographic Educator, served as the ship’s godmother during the ceremony.

The Explora III also offered a pre-inaugural cruise in the Western Mediterranean, which departed from Genoa, Italy, on July 24, 2026.

The five-night preview journey included visits to destinations in France and Italy, including Marseille, Saint-Tropez, Livorno and Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Explora and Fincantieri Celebrate Explora III’s Delivery

Explora and Fincantieri Celebrate Explora III’s Delivery

The delivery ceremony of the Explora III, the third vessel built by Fincantieri for Explora Journeys, took place today in Genoa at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, said: “The delivery of the Explora III marks another important milestone in realizing our vision for Explora Journeys.”

“In just three years, we have defined a new and distinctive perspective in ocean travel. With each new ship, we expand our ability to offer guests new perspectives on the world through increasingly immersive experiences in the destinations we visit,” added Vago.

“The Explora III reflects our commitment to innovation, craftsmanship excellence and responsible growth, while contributing to the broader economic benefits that cruise tourism brings to coastal destinations and communities.”

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and general manager of Fincantieri, said: “The Explora III testifies to Fincantieri’s ability to lead the transformation of the shipbuilding industry through innovation, sustainability and the evolution towards new technologies and alternative fuels.”

“The entry into the fleet of the first ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) marks a significant milestone in this journey, an expression of the development of increasingly sustainable and technologically advanced solutions,” added Folgiero.

Fincantieri said in a press release that the newbuild was celebrated with numerous authorities and institutions in attendance, including:

  • President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci
  • Mayor of Genoa, Silvia Salis
  • Admiral Inspector Antonio Ranieri, and
  • President of the Port System Authority of the Western Ligurian Sea, Matteo Paroli.

The Explora III is the third out of six ships; the remaining three are all under construction and will take to the sea within two years: the Explora IV and Explora V in 2027, and Explora VI in 2028.

Guests were welcomed by:

  • Biagio Mazzotta, president of Fincantieri
  • Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive officer and general manager of Fincantieri;
  • Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division
  • Massimo Canesin, director of the Fincantieri Shipyard in Sestri
  • Diego Aponte, chairman of the MSC Group
  • Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the Cruise Division of the MSC Group
  • Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys
  • Maya Aponte, godmother of the ship, and
  • other managers of Fincantieri and MSC.

The Explora III will use liquefied natural gas (LNG), reducing emissions of sulfur oxides by 99 percent, nitrogen oxides by 85 percent, particulate matter by 98 percent and greenhouse gases by up to 20 percent.

It is designed to run on renewable and latest-generation fuels such as bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels. The Explora V and Explora VI will also adopt fuel cells.

Designed and built under RINA class surveillance, the Explora III has been acknowledged for its environmentally sustainable and passenger-comfort design, and was certified to sail in the polar regions.