The third-largest cruise line in the world is making its biggest play yet in the North American market with the upcoming launch of its newest megaship: the 6,762-passenger MSC World America, which will make its inaugural passenger sailing from Miami in April 2025.
Aiming to expand its presence across the Atlantic, the Geneva-based company MSC (which stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company—it also has a cargo division) developed a strategic formula for MSC World America, sister ship to the MSC World Europa, which debuted in 2022. The idea is to integrate MSC’s European-inspired design with the tastes of North American travelers, resulting in enhanced family offerings, European-inspired dining venues—including the first-ever Eataly at sea—an exclusive Yacht Club ship-within-a-ship concept, and sustainable elements throughout, MSC executives told media representatives during a shipyard preview of MSC World America in Nantes, France, in mid-November.
“We’re designing this ship with the North American guest in mind,” said Lynn Torrent, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of MSC Cruises USA. “This ship really takes European style and combines it with American comfort, which is really a clear point of distinction for MSC. We’re introducing the concepts that will resonate with our North American guests, and at the same time, we’re staying true to our European brand heritage.”
The 155-foot-wide, 22-deck megaship will feature seven “districts” encompassing dozens of restaurants, bars, and onboard entertainment options, as well as a 10,000-square-foot kids’ club, MSC’s largest yet, with amped-up LEGO offerings.
As for the onboard Eataly concept, since it first opened in Italy in 2007, the dining concept has garnered a fervent following across Europe and the U.S.—another reflection of MSC World America’s integration of transatlantic cultures and tastes.
MSC World America will cross the Atlantic to Miami on March 27, 2025, ahead of its naming ceremony on April 9 and inaugural passenger sailing on April 12. After that, it will predominantly sail itineraries in the eastern and western Caribbean. Here’s what guests can expect.
Plenty of family fun
Like its sister ship, MSC World Europa, the forthcoming MSC World America will be packed with onboard options for families. For adrenaline seekers, MSC’s newest thrill, Cliffhanger—a four-person swing stretching over the ship’s top deck, some 160 feet above the ocean below—promises a rush. Similar to the soaring swing at Amsterdam’s A’dam Tower, which claims to be the highest in Europe, at some 300 feet above ground, Cliffhanger will be the first ride of its kind at sea, according to MSC executives. The attraction, along with a couple of others, will come at an extra charge. (No word yet on the cost, but you can see a preview of the experience on MSC’s YouTube channel.)
However, the majority of family-focused entertainment will be free, including a newly added area called the Harbor on Deck 20 that will feature a full-scale water park, a themed playground, and a ropes course. Another highlight: a dry slide called Jaw Drop at the Spiral, which will whisk guests 11 decks down after they enter the toothy mouth of a shark.
LEGO lovers, meanwhile, will be in building-block nirvana aboard MSC World America. The LEGO offerings will include an expanded Family Zone area, LEGO character parades, and family game shows and competitions that will take place in the ship’s theater area. The 10,000-square-foot Doremiland kids’ club is being created specifically for the ship by LEGO, which is an official MSC partner.
Matteo Mancini, family entertainment senior manager for MSC, shared with Afar another notable new entertainment option for MSC World America: specialized, experienced “coaches” for kids and adults across various categories. “One is for technology, one for arts and crafts, one is for wellness, and one for sport,” he explained. “And we will have them for kids and teenagers, but also for adult guests. So this will be something very new that we’ve never done before.”
The coaches will work closely with existing staff to enhance activities and programs, Mancini said. “Maybe [children] love to play basket[ball], and they play basket[ball] with the youth staff, and clearly, it’s fun, but what if, together with the youth staff, we will have a professional sports coach? Probably the basket[ball] level will be even more exciting, and that’s what we are doing.”
Finally, for the adults only, there are 20 onboard bars and lounges to choose from while the kids are being entertained, including two new concepts: a comedy club and a sports bar.
The first Eataly at sea and a new Greek restaurant
Guests who want to twirl pasta at the only Eataly at sea will need to make reservations for the 94-seat restaurant, which will span 2,120 square feet, including a 22-seat patio area for alfresco dining.
In addition to classics like pasta alla carbonara and spaghetti cacio e pepe, the menu also will feature several notable dishes exclusive to MSC World America, including black truffle tagliatelle and a fried, breaded bone-in veal chop, Milanese-style, for two.
Eataly will be one of six specialty restaurants (and 13 total!) on the ship. Another establishment to debut is Paxos Greek Restaurant (and Paxos on the Go), which will showcase a seafood-centric, Greek-inspired menu, including a fresh fish counter display that guests can choose from.
The most impressive Yacht Club yet
For its newest ship, MSC is enhancing its signature Yacht Club product—an upscale, front-of-boat offering that it describes as a “ship-within-a-ship” concept. The exclusive area will have 152 suites across Decks 19, 20, and 21.
Yacht Club guests enjoy a bevy of exclusive perks, including 24/7 concierge and butler service; access to a private restaurant, lounge, and pool deck; and priority embarkation and disembarkation, to name a few.
MSC introduced the concept in 2008, and it’s gained more traction recently as a growing number of cruise passengers are craving ways to escape the crowds and enjoy a more upscale and exclusive onboard experience. Not surprisingly, rates can be up to four times higher than those of standard staterooms. Even so, Yacht Club has proved so popular among passengers that many Yacht Club staterooms sell out for upcoming sailings, including on some of MSC World America’s first sailings.
From Miami to the Caribbean
The new ship will have a new home in Miami: MSC’s new $400 million, state-of-the-art terminal in PortMiami—which will be the largest in North America at nearly 1.8 million square feet. The sleek, four-story facility, which is equipped to handle 36,000 guests daily, will host MSC World America’s naming ceremony on April 9.
Three days later, the ship will set sail for her inaugural season, with seven- and 14-night itineraries in the eastern and western Caribbean. Stops will include Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatán, Honduras; and MSC’s privately owned Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.
MSC’s most sustainable ship to date
Traditionally, the cruise industry hasn’t always been at the forefront of the sustainability movement, but MSC Cruises is among the companies making advances to achieve an industry-wide goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions operations by 2050. To that end, MSC World America is poised to become the line’s most environmentally friendly vessel yet, fueled by next-generation technology and innovative design features to maximize the ship’s efficiency and minimize its footprint.
MSC World America will be MSC’s third cruise ship—and its first based in North America—that utilizes liquified natural gas (LNG). MSC World Europa was the first in the fleet to feature the new technology when it launched in December 2022, followed by MSC Euribia, which began service in June 2023. LNG is considered to be the cleanest marine fuel currently available at scale.
The ship also is equipped with shore power connectivity, which allows it to be powered by locally produced electricity and to switch off its engines, further reducing in-port emissions so as not to adversely affect local air quality. Other sustainability-centric features include a specially designed hull, noise-reducing propellers, and a robust wastewater recycling system.
