MSC Cruises to drydock six vessels in Malta this year

Leading cruise line MSC Cruises is to drydock six of its fleet at Palumbo Malta Shipyard in Valletta this year as part of its scheduled fleet maintenance programme. MSC Cruises took a 50% ownership of this leading Mediterranean repairer in 2020.

The vessels to be drydocked are:

• MSC Armonia – Lirica-class, 58,6700gt built in 2004
• MSC Opera – Lirica-class, 59,058gt built in 2004
• MSC Musica – Musica-class, 92,409gt built in 2006
• MSC Magnifica – Musica-class, 95,128gt built in 2010
• MSC Splendida – Fantasia-class, 137,936gt built in 2009
• MSC Grandiosa – Meraviglia-class, 181,541gt built in 2019

Planned work on the above six vessels includes periodical hull maintenance, hull blasting and painting, machinery and electrical maintenance, refurbishment of cabins and public areas, plus tests and inspections for class renewal. Meanwhile, MSC Magnifica, MSC Musica and MSC Splendida will also be fitted with shore power connections.

MSC Cruises has a drydocking programme for the next ten years, set according to classification society rules and regulations. This means that ships drydock typically every two or three years, or every five years, depending on the vessel’s age. The cruise operator books the drydock availability in five-year time frames because the vast majority of work required cannot be undertaken while the ships are in service.

However, not all MSC cruise ships drydock in Valletta. In November 2023, the 171,598gt 2019-built Meraviglia-class MSC Bellissima drydocked at China’s Huran Dadong Drydock in Shanghai. This was the first time that any of MSC’s cruise vessels had drydocked in China for routine maintenance and repairs. The vessel spent two weeks in drydock, receiving a new hull coating, as well as undergoing various maintenance work and cabin and public area upgrades, before she started her maiden Chinese season in 2024.