MSC Cruises marked a trio of new ship milestones with the delivery of MSC World America, the coin ceremony of MSC World Asia and steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.
The 6,762-passenger MSC World America is the 23rd ship in the fleet and is due to be officially named at the company’s new state-of-the-art MSC Miami Cruise Terminal on April 9.
The vessel offers new venues and concepts tailored specifically to the US market, including a sports bar and comedy club.
MSC World America is being hailed as one of the most energy-efficient cruise ships in the world surpassing all design requirements under the International Maritime Organisation’s energy efficiency design index. Its latest-generation engines run on liquified natural gas (LNG) that enables a direct transition towards ‘drop-in’ bio and synthetic renewable fuels, according to the line.
The ship is also equipped with shore power to allow the engines to be switched off while in connected ports, such as the new Miami terminal. Other sustainability features include an advanced wastewater treatment system and a comprehensive on-board recycling management plant.
The ship’s inaugural season from Miami starts on April 12, sailing alternating seven-night eastern Caribbean itineraries to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and MSC Cruises’ Ocean Cay private island; and seven-night western Caribbean voyages to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay.
The traditional coin ceremony for MSC World Asia also took place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. Commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship.
MSC World Asia is set to enter service in winter 2026-27 with sailings in the Mediterranean to destinations in France, Italy, Spain and Malta.
A steel cutting ceremony was also conducted to officially start the construction of the line’s fourth World Class ship, named MSC World Atlantic, due to enter service in 2027.
The ship will be deployed in the Caribbean from Port Canaveral in Florida from winter 2027-28.
MSC Group cruise division executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said: “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.”
Chantiers de l’Atlantique general manager Laurent Castaing added: “To date, MSC World America has the best energy efficiency design index from the IMO, and therefore the lowest carbon footprint of the entire cruise industry… and we will go even further with the two sisterships we are celebrating today.”