MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique celebrated milestones on Thursday for three World Class ships in Saint-Nazaire, France, with the delivery of MSC World America, the coin ceremony for MSC World Asia, and steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.
Attendees included Captain Gianluigi Aponte, Founder and Group Chairman of MSC; Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division; Laurent Castaing, Chantiers de l’Atlantique General Manager; and the French Minister for Industry and Energy, Marc Ferracci. They were also joined by representatives of MSC Cruises’ new build team and shipyard workers who built the ship over the last 30 months.
MSC World America
MSC World America is the 23rd ship in the cruise line’s fleet and will be officially named on April 9 at the company’s new state-of-the-art MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, the largest in the world. The ship offers new venues and concepts tailored specifically to the North American market, combining European style with American comfort.
“Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet. Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five groundbreaking prototypes and 19 ships. Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic.” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of Cruise Division, MSC Group.
MSC World Asia celebrated its coin ceremony, during which commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship. Two godmothers, Marialuisa Iaccarino, VP Shore Excursions for MSC Cruises; and Flavie Biondo, Chargé d’affaires for Chantiers de l’Atlantique placed the coins in the ship’s hull. MSC World Asia will enter service during winter 2026-27 with Mediterranean cruises to destinations in France, Italy, Spain, and Malta.
MSC Cruises’ third celebration was a steel-cutting ceremony to start construction of the line’s fourth World Class ship, due to enter service in 2027. The ship’s name—MSC World Atlantic—was revealed for the first time. MSC World Atlantic will offer cruises from Port Canaveral, sailing to the Caribbean starting with the winter 2027-28 season.
The World Class platform set new standards in cruising with the introduction of MSC World Europa in 2022, and it continues to evolve with each new ship incorporating innovations in design, technology and guest experience. World Class ships are named in honor of the world’s continents and oceans but do not necessarily indicate where they will be deployed. The naming convention reflects the global nature of MSC Cruises, which sails to all parts of the world.
MSC World America is one of the most energy-efficient cruise ships in the world, surpassing all design requirements under the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index. Her latest-generation engines run on LNG, which enables a direct transition toward drop-in bio and synthetic renewable fuels.
The ship is also equipped with shore power, which allows the engines to be switched off while in connected ports that offer it, such as the new MSC Cruise Terminal in Miami. The ship also has an advanced wastewater treatment system and a comprehensive onboard recycling management plant, which significantly reduces waste output.
The Classification Society, Bureau Veritas, has awarded MSC World America its Platinum Pearl Award in recognition of MSC Cruises’ 20-year commitment to health, safety, and environmental protection across its fleet of ships.
MSC World America‘s inaugural season of Caribbean cruises from Miami will start on April 12. 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries include calls at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and MSC Cruises’ private island—Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. The ship’s 7-night Western Caribbean voyages will call at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay.
