In November 1994 the Achille Lauro caught fire off the coast of Somalia while en route to South Africa, with 979 passengers and crew aboard, two of whom died during the evacuation.

[6] In 1997 MSC purchased the Atlantic from Premier Cruise Lines, and renamed the ship Melody.

In the early 2000s, MSC initiated a rapid expansion program, and placed its first new build orders with Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, for 65,000-ton ships.

The Lirica also became the first MSC ship to be christened by Sophia Loren, a tradition that has continued for all but one of the company's new builds.

In 2015, MSC Cruises announced that the four Mistral class ships had undergone renovation under the Renaissance Programme.

[11] These ultra-luxury vessels were to be based on the cruise line's luxury concept, the MSC Yacht Club.

[18] In January 2023, MSC Cruises announced a new multi-year partnership agreement with the New York Knicks.

[22] The restoration required the work of many scientists to bring the area back into a functioning marine habitat.

[23] Largest ship built for MSC Cruises and first in the fleet powered by LNG with solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and having "G"-shape bow design.