MSC Cruises Receives World America, Marks Milestones for Sister Ships
Let the final countdown to the debut of MSC Cruises’ biggest ship to date begin!
On March 27, 2025, the 215,863-gross-ton MSC World America was officially handed over to MSC Cruises from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard. What comes next will be a parade of firsts for the vessel.
The delivery ceremony took place in Saint-Nazaire, France. For the occasion, with the cruise line’s second World Class vessel is ready to set sail, Captain Gianluigi Aponte, founder and group chairman of MSC Cruises, and Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Group’s Cruise Division’s executive chairman, were on hand.
They were joined by the shipyard’s General Manager, Laurent Castaing; Marc Ferracci, the French Minister for Industry and Energy; and the ship’s many engineers, builders, officers, and many others involved in the ship’s construction over the past 30 months.
“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,” said Pierfrancesco.
“Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five groundbreaking prototypes and 19 ships.”
Boasting an array of sustainability enhancements, such as advanced shore power connectivity and wastewater treatment, the 6,762-passenger MSC World America is one of the cruise line’s greenest ships.
Castaing shared that it even “has the best energy efficiency design index (EEDI) from the International Maritime Organization.”
“And we will go even further with the two sister ships we are celebrating today!” Castaing added.
But for future passengers, the handover means they are one step closer to sampling the ship’s brand-new restaurants, entertainment, and activities.
Her big reveal to the North American guests she is built for takes place at MSC Cruises Terminal in PortMiami on April 9, 2025.
Following a star-studded christening event that features the ship’s recently named godmother, Drew Barrymore, MSC World America will set off on a three-night introduction voyage, giving industry insiders a taste of what’s to come.
Her maiden sailing will take place on April 12, 2025, bringing her first official guests on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise to visit the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the cruise line’s private resort destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.
She will remain homeported in Miami and offer alternating 7-night journeys between the Eastern and Western Caribbean, with the latter calling in Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras, as well as Ocean Cay.
Additional World-Class Ships Feted
The partnership between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and MSC Cruises was further highlighted during the handover by additional milestones taking place simultaneously.
“It is with great emotion that we are marking today not one, but three MSC World Class ships,” said Castaing.
Read Also: Things to Know About Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
“Continuous improvement of the onboard experience, ever more optimized energy performance – what a journey MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Antlantique teams have accomplished so far.”
The cruise line’s third World Class ship, MSC World Asia, celebrated its traditional coin ceremony during the jam-packed day to inspire good fortune and safe sailing when she joins the fleet in the winter of 2026-27.
Meanwhile, the cruise line also revealed the name of its fourth World Class vessel, MSC World Atlantic, and commemorated her steel-cutting at the French shipyard – the beginning of her official construction.
This ship will be added to the fleet in 2027 to offer Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida.
MSC Cruises Receives World America, Marks Milestones for Sister Ships