MSC Cruises cuts steel for LNG-fueled American-market ship

MSC World America will be the second of MSC Cruises’ 6,850 guest LNG-fueled World Class ships

Geneva, Switzerland, headquartered MSC Cruises and French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique today marked the official start of construction on MSC’s second World Class ship by cutting the vessel’s first steel. The cruise line also revealed that the ship will be named MSC World America and will be dedicated to the U.S market when it enters service in 2025. With more LNG-fueled cruise ships starting to be developed, The ship will be the first of MSC Cruises’ LNG-fueled ships to be deployed in North America and will be customized for the American market.

“MSC World America is testament to our ambitious growth plans in the U.S. and the Caribbean and further solidifies MSC Cruises as a major player in the North American market with another of our largest, most glamorous ships coming to the region,” said Rubén A. Rodríguez, president, MSC Cruises USA. “In addition to delivering a state-of-the-art cruise experience, MSC World America exemplifies our commitment to sustainability with its advanced environmental technology.”

MSC World America will be the second of MSC Cruises’ World Class ships, which have a length of 1,083 feet and a beam of 154 feet and feature 2,760 staterooms and a maximum occupancy of 6,850 guests, the highest passenger capacity in the global cruise fleet. This second ship will have elements similar to MSC World Europa, but aspects of the vessel’s design and guest experience will be specifically tailored to appeal to guests from North America.

Today’s announcement comes shortly after MSC Cruises unveiled plans for its largest-ever U.S. presence with five ships serving the region for the winter 2023-2024 season:

MSC Meraviglia – Sailing her inaugural winter season from Brooklyn, New York to Bermuda—or Florida and The Bahamas—following an inaugural summer season that will have included sailings through Canada and New England.

MSC Seascape – Offering 7-night itineraries from PortMiami to the eastern and western Caribbean with calls at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas.

MSC Divina – Sailing from PortMiami with a variety of itineraries ranging from quick Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve getaways to extended sailings through Central and South America.

MSC Magnifica – Sailing short cruises from PortMiami to Key West and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

MSC Seashore – Sailing from Port Canaveral and offering short cruises to The Bahamas along with longer western Caribbean itineraries, all of which offer calls at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.