Quick look: Inside MSC’s new giant cruise ship set to take over Icon of the Seas

Symbol of the sea There is going to be some serious competition.

Develop fast MSC Cruises on Friday gave TPG a preview of the giant ship it is building in response to the outcry Royal Caribbean ship in the Caribbean, and it is a sight to behold.

Huge waterslides, giant pool areas and an impressive indoor promenade full of restaurants and bars are among the features TPG sees taking shape on the giant ship being built. built at a shipyard in France.

To be called MSC World AmericaThe largest MSC Cruises ship ever is scheduled to launch in April 2025. It will sail week-long Caribbean cruises out of Miami every Saturday, setting up an epic showdown between three of the world’s biggest cruise ships.

In addition to Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, Miami is also home to Festival cruise lineThe largest ship of the two years old Masquerade festival.

Icon of the Seas also sails weeklong Caribbean cruises from Miami every Saturday. Carnival Celebration sails weeklong Caribbean cruises from Miami every Sunday.

As TPG saw during a sneak peek at MSC World America, which took place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, the ship is being built on a scale rarely seen in the yachting world.

At a staggering 20 stories tall, MSC World America is as tall as the Icon of the Seas. The second ship is also 20 stories high.

That means it’s slightly longer than the Icon of the Seas, resulting in a slightly smaller overall size when measured in gross tons – a measure of internal space used by shipbuilders.

At nearly 216,000 tons, MSC World America will be the world’s eighth largest cruise ship when it launches in April. It will be able to accommodate a near-record cruise ship capacity of 6,762 passengers with each berth filled.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to MSC Cruises

With a total weight of 248,863 tons, Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world. With a gross weight of 183,521 tons, Carnival Celebration is the 16th largest cruise ship in the world. The two ships can accommodate 7,600 passengers and 6,631 passengers respectively.

Like both ships, MSC World America will have a large family play area on the top deck, including everything from a giant water park to a zip line.

Dubbed The Harbor, the complex will target families in a way MSC Cruises has never done before, with a mix of water and non-water attractions, takeout options and relaxation area.

Related: Epic fun! The new MSC cruise ship will have a large play area

Among the most impressive elements of the area that TPG saw under construction Friday were three giant waterslides that tumble from the ship’s top deck to the landing area below. There is also a fourth, smaller waterslide for younger children, not far from the three larger slides.

Also on display during the preview, which appears to be nearing completion, is a two-level ropes course that is 6,210 square feet and includes two “sky rails” similar to zip lines.

Touring the area with MSC Cruises executives and representatives from several other media outlets, TPG also saw the still-under-construction venue for the first ferris wheel ride over the water on a ship called Cliffhanger.

A themed children’s playground modeled after the lighthouse at MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Sanctuary, is also in the works in the area.

Additionally, The Harbor area features a shark-themed entrance to a 10-story dry slide called Jaw Drop. Still largely incomplete, the appeal will gradually decrease from Deck 20 to Deck 8. While that appears to be a reduction of 12 decks, it will only drop to 10 decks as MSC World America will not have Deck 13 or Deck 17. These two numbers are considered unlucky in some cultures.

The dock will be one of three family-friendly areas in close proximity to each other on the ship that will be collectively known as the Family Aventura area. The other two areas are the Doremiland children’s program area, which will have seven different children’s rooms, and the Sportsplex, a multi-purpose pavilion for cars, rollerblading and other family-friendly activities.

MSC World America will also have six pools and 14 hot tubs – all of which were under construction as of Friday.

The pools include an unusually long main pool located in the center of what will be one of the largest pool areas at sea.

Like Icon of the Seas, MSC World America will also feature a massive indoor restaurant, bar and shopping area as well as an outdoor bar and restaurant area aft of the ship.

The interior area of ​​MSC World America will be called the Galleria, while the outdoor area will be called the Promenade.

MSC World America is the second ship in MSC Cruises’ new line of ships World class line of the ship. The first ship in the series, MSC World Europa, launches in late 2022 and is specifically designed to sail to Europe.

Although MSC World America will have similarities to MSC World Europa, executives at Friday’s press conference said about 30% of MSC World America’s public areas will be different from what is currently available on MSC World Europa.

Related: Explaining the 6 types of MSC cruise ships

The changes, which include the addition of a sports bar along the Promenade and an Eataly-branded Italian restaurant, were made to appeal to the specific tastes of the North American market.

The World Class ships are nearly 20% larger than any previous MSC Cruises ships and are similar in size to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships, which have dominated the list of largest, multi-territory ships. highest score in the world for many years.

Aside from the six ships in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class line and the Icon of the Seas, which is a class of its own (Icon Class), World Class ships are the only cruise ships in the world with a gross tonnage exceeding 200,000 tons. .

The two World Class ships are larger and have more locations than any ship operated by Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess yacht or any other major cruise brand besides Royal Caribbean.

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