MSC Cruises wants “to take the bar higher” for its next generation of ships after the ‘World’ class, the line’s executive chairman has disclosed.
Speaking at the St Nazaire shipyard where its latest ship MSC World America is being constructed, Pierfrancesco Vago said: “We are talking to Finnish, Italian and French shipyards and we are looking to the next generation after World. We want to take the bar higher.”
He was responding to a question about rumours that MSC Cruises was considering building larger ships than Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships, which are currently the largest in the world.
An MSC spokesperson said that nothing was signed or announced regarding a new line of ships.
Meanwhile, the next vessel in the line’s World class, the 6,762-passenger MSC World America, is due to make its debut in April 2025 from Miami operating sailings to the Caribbean.
It is the 18th ship French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique has built for MSC Cruises since the start of a partnership in 2000.
The ship is “tailored for the American market” but retains its “Mediterranean heritage”.
Lynn Torrent, MSC Cruises USA chief commercial officer, explained: “This ship really takes the European style and combines it with American comfort, which is really a clear point of distinction for MSC.”
She added: “At the same time we’re looking at customers worldwide, so we’re really looking forward to welcoming guests from around the world when MSC World America gets to Miami.”
Vago added MSC Cruises has “an incredible British market” and that it had experienced “a boom of bookings” for MSC’s first cruises in Alaska next year from European, and particularly British, passengers.
Sailings out of Southampton, fly cruises on MSC Europa and destinations such as Bridgetown and New York have also helped the UK market, and he anticipated a similar approach for MSC World America.
Vago said: “We are a global company with a local approach to our clients, customers and passengers.”
The next ship in the series is MSC World Asia, due to sail in 2026, with a fourth ship in the class after that, and potentially a fifth ship to come.