The MSC Opera was built in 2004 and is among MSC's 23 ships in its fleet. The Opera is included in the cruise line's Lirica Class. In the cruise ship stats below you'll find the Opera vs all of the other MSC ships.
How big is the MSC Opera? Below, you’ll find all of the relevant cruise ship stats, specs and dimensions for the MSC Opera. Included in these statistics are passenger capacity, length, year built, year renovated, cost to build, gross tonnage, engine info, number of rooms, deck counts and more!
Passenger Capacity refers to the total number of people that the MSC Opera can accommodate. Of course, there are also crew members on board. Below, find the total onboard capacity, including staff and cruise guests.
MSC Opera Passenger Capacity: The passenger capacity for the MSC Opera is 2,679 guests. The average capacity for the 23 active ships in MSC’s fleet is 4,391 passengers. The passenger capacity range for all MSC ships has a minimum of 2,550 guests and a maximum of 6,850 passengers.
MSC Opera Crew Members: Staff on the MSC Opera include 728 members. That's a guest to staff ratio of 3.7 to 1. The average MSC ship includes 1,276 employees and has a passenger to staff ratio of 3.4 to 1.
How long is the MSC Opera? From end to end, the Opera length equals 902 feet (275 meters). Compare that to the average ship length of all 23 active vessels in MSC’s fleet, measuring 1,027 feet (313 meters).
The smallest MSC ship (in terms of length) measures 902 feet (275 meters) from end to end. The longest vessel spans 1,112 feet (339 meters). Our chart below shows the length of the MSC Opera vs all other active MSC Cruise Line ships.
When was the MSC Opera Built? The MSC Opera was built in 2004 and joined the cruise line’s Lirica Class.
MSC includes 23 active ships. The oldest in the fleet was built in 2001 while the newest ship was built in 2025. The average MSC ship is 11 years old and the median build date for all active ships is 2013
When was the last MSC Opera Dry Dock? The Opera experienced dry dock improvements in 2015.
Renovations include the following: The MSC Opera experienced a refurbishment in June, 2015. The dry dock included drastic changes to the ship's structure and size. Roughly 5k gross tons and 100 feet of length were added to the vessel. This included the addition of 193 new cabins for passengers and 59 new staterooms for crew members. The drydock upgrades also included changes to common areas of the ship. A new AquaPark was built along with new shops (like Dior) and boutiques improvements
MSC Opera Info
The MSC Opera experienced a refurbishment in June, 2015. The dry dock included drastic changes to the ship's structure and size. Roughly 5k gross tons and 100 feet of length were added to the vessel. This included the addition of 193 new cabins for passengers and 59 new staterooms for crew members. The drydock upgrades also included changes to common areas of the ship. A new AquaPark was built along with new shops (like Dior) and boutiques improvements
The ship belongs to the MSC class of ships known as the Lirica class.
The MSC Opera has a total of 9 passenger decks. The lowest deck is Level 5. The upper most passenger deck is Level 13.
We're often asked how many passengers are on the MSC Opera. The ship's capacity is 2,679. When comparing the occupancy to the average MSC passenger capacity, you'll find that the average ship in the fleet holds 4,494 guests. Feel free to look at our graph above to see where this ship falls in line with all other live MSC ships.
The MSC Opera was built in 2004. MSC includes 23 active ships. The oldest in the fleet was built in 2001 while the newest ship was built in 2025. The average MSC ship is 11 years old and the median build date for all active ships is 2013
Each of MSC's ships offers a unique layout with features and activities catered to all. Whether the MSC Opera is right for you will depend on your individual preferences. Do you prefer a larger or smaller ship with many or fewer guests? Are you hoping for many family activities or entertainment options for an older clientele. Our deck maps layout and activities list provide a helpful guide to what you'll find on board. Feel free to explore the see if this ship is suited towards your preferences.
From end to end, the MSC Opera length equals 902 feet (275 meters). Compare that to the average ship length of all 23 active vessels in MSC fleet, measuring 1,030 feet (314 meters). Please see our size comparison chart above to see how this ship falls in line with all other active ships in the fleet.