MSC Armonia

MSC Armonia is a cruise ship operated by MSC Cruises, one of the four ships of the Mistral class, also marketed by MSC as the Lirica class. She was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, and entered service in 2001 as European Vision for Festival Cruises. She now measures roughly 65,500 gross tons at 275 metres across 13 decks.

Within weeks of her delivery the new ship was chartered to accommodate delegates and staff at the G8 summit held in Genoa in July 2001, an unusual early assignment that placed her at the centre of one of the most heavily reported international gatherings of that year.

Festival Cruises collapsed in 2004 and MSC acquired the vessel, renaming her Armonia and pairing her with the former European Stars, which became MSC Sinfonia. Together with the newbuilds Lirica and Opera they formed a coherent four-ship class.

In 2014 Armonia became the first ship to undergo MSC's Renaissance Programme, cut in two at Fincantieri in Palermo and fitted with a prefabricated 24-metre midsection. The conversion added cabins, an expanded buffet, a spray park and water slides, and refreshed interiors, and the process was then repeated on her three sisters.

She has since operated Mediterranean and Northern European itineraries, with seasonal deployments including Cuba and the Caribbean, and remains the oldest ship in the MSC fleet.