MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, has taken redelivery of MSC Armonia, the first of four Lirica class ships to be lengthened at the Palermo shipyard of Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilder.

The four ship Renaissance Programme represents an investment close to €200 million and MSC Lirica spent about 10 weeks at the shipyard in Sicily, the shipbuilder said in a statement.

"The works have concerned the insertion of an entire prebuilt midship section, launched at the end of July, providing an addition of approximately 200 cabins, as well as new entertainment spaces and new technological enhancements. The impressive onboard boutiques has been enhanced with new interiors, more space and an all-new perfumery with display corners dedicated to leading brands," Fincantieri said.

The ship has left the shipyard to sail to Genoa, before heading to the Canary Islands for a 10-day inaugural cruise.

The Renaissance Programme, which was announced in December 2013 by MSC Cruises and Fincantieri, will involve also MSC Lirica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Opera, and will be complete in 2015.

MSC’s Lirica class Renaissance Programme follows the dry dock schedule below:

MSC Armonia (2004): 31 August to 17 November 2014 

MSC Sinfonia (2005): 12 January to 16 March 2015

MSC Opera (2004): 2 May to 4 July 2015

MSC Lirica (2003): 31 August to 9 November 2015

The four Lirica Class ships were built between 2003 and 2005 at the STX yards in Saint-Nazaire, France. They are currently 251 metres long, have a gross tonnage of about 58,000 and carry 2,069 passengers. After the “Renaissance Programme”, the ships will be 275 meters long, their gross tonnage will rise to 65,000 and carry 2,680 passengers, boasting 193 additional cabins (plus 59 new cabins for crew members).