December 5, 2023

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MSC Reveals Details of MSC World America, Opens Bookings

When MSC Cruises’ next made-for-North America cruise ship debuts in April 2025, it will sail seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami. The line made the announcement, and revealed details of the ship – including a brand-new family experience called The Harbor – during a press conference at the Seatrade Global Convention in Fort Lauderdale. Bookings for the ship’s inaugural season are now open.

During the press conference, Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, also revealed that for the first time in MSC Cruises history, the USA is its top market, even beating Italy.  

“MSC World America will be another major milestone in our North American growth story and a fantastic new experience for our guests, whether they’re local or visiting from different parts of the world,” said Ruben Rodriguez, president of MSC Cruises, USA. “On board, they’ll find the elegant European design that’s a hallmark of our entire fleet, mixed with classic American elements and hospitality.”

MSC America will be the second in the line’s new World Class, following World Europa, which debuted earlier this year. While the ships will be identical in layout, the onboard experience on World America will be optimized for the North American market.

Family-Friendly
One of the new experiences onboard will be The Harbor, an outdoor destination designed for kids and families to play and relax together. Located on deck 20, The Harbor combines a water park with interactive water features with comfortable areas to relax and food and beverage venues.

Adventures in The Harbor will include a High Trail course and zip line, a sensory play area for little cruisers, and the Harbor Lighthouse playground. The Harbor will also feature food trucks serving up convenient snacks and refreshments, with steps of five new spaces offering plenty of well-shaded seating.

Other fun for the whole family will include an 11-deck high dry slide made of stainless steel, an expansive water park with water slides that incorporate a VR experience; six pools and 14 hot tubs, including a spacious indoor pool with retractable roof.

Two adults-only Zen pools will also be available at the back of the ship.

Also new will be the Comedy Club featuring an interactive and comical dueling pianos experience, along with standup comedy sets.

Food & Drink
World America will also have a reimagined sports bar that combines sports memorabilia, technology and entertainment. Guests will be able to grab a beer or soft drink and watch a game on one of the many TV screens. Bar food like wings and sliders will also be available, as will traditional sports games like darts and foosball.

The Masters of the Sea will be a classic British-style pub complete with full-scale micro-brewery making signature MSC beer onboard.

Other changes include a re-imagined outdoor World Promenade with dining, lounging and entertainment options; two new specialty dining concepts, one of which is a Greek restaurant that Onorato said pays homage to the line’s Mediterranean roots, and the addition of The Gin Project bar (staffed by knowledgeable gin-tenders).

Other features on MSC America include the indoor World Galleria lined with bars, restaurants and shops; six specialty restaurants including Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, Kaito Sushi and Teppanyaki, and Hola! Tacos and Cantina; four main restaurants and two buffets; and 20 bars and lounges.

As for the onboard accommodations, MSC America will have a variety of staterooms and suites – 20 categories in total – including Infinite Ocean View cabins (similar to the infinity balconies found on Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-class ships), balconies that overlook the outdoor World Promenade, and connecting family staterooms.

Itineraries
All sailings onboard MSC World America will visit Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the line’s private destination in The Bahamas. Options include:

  • Eastern Caribbean: Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Ocean Cay.
  • Western Caribbean: Costa Maya and Cozumel (Mexico), Roatan (Honduras), and Ocean Cay.

Advisors with clients that have previously cruised on MSC Cruises can remind their clients that as members of the line’s Voyager’s Club they get a 5% + 5% discount, double membership points for the type of experience chosen and a $50 onboard credit if they book 12 months ahead of departure. Voyager’s Club members who book by April 12, 2023 will receive an additional onboard credit of $50.

The 2,626-cabin MSC America will be the third LNG-powered ship in the MSC fleet, but the first for the line in North America. It will span 22 decks and offer more than 420,000-square-feet of public space.