It's here! The giant, new MSC Cruises ship taking on Icon of the Seas has arrived in Florida
The latest contender for the title of North America's greatest cruise ship — MSC World America — has arrived in Florida.
The massive 20-deck-high vessel from MSC Cruises — one of the largest ever built by any cruise line — sailed into the Port of Miami on Monday after a multiday voyage from the shipyard in France where it had been under construction for nearly two years.
Custom-built for the North American market, the new megaship will sail weeklong Caribbean voyages out of Miami every Saturday, setting up an epic matchup between three of the world's biggest cruise vessels.
Miami already is home to Royal Caribbean's much-ballyhooed, 2-year-old Icon of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship and, until now, the undisputed queen bee of the megacruising universe.
Additionally, Miami is the base for Carnival Cruise Line's biggest ship ever, 2-year-old Carnival Celebration.
Icon of the Seas sails weeklong Caribbean voyages out of Miami every Saturday, just as MSC World America will. Carnival Celebration sails weeklong Caribbean voyages out of Miami every Sunday.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival and MSC Cruises are the world's three biggest cruise lines and operate many of the world's largest and most amenity-filled ships.
As TPG saw during a sneak peek of MSC World America in November when it was still under construction, the ship has been built on a scale rarely seen in the cruise world.
Enormous waterslides, giant pool zones and an impressive indoor promenade full of restaurants and bars that rivals anything found on any other ship are all among the standout features of the vessel.
Both MSC World America and Royal Caribbean's record-setting Icon of the Seas soar to 20 decks.
That said, MSC World America is a tad shorter than Icon of the Seas, resulting in a slightly smaller overall size when measured by gross tons — a measurement of interior space used by shipbuilders.
At nearly 216,000 gross tons, MSC World America is the world's eighth-largest cruise ship, behind only Icon of the Seas and the six giant vessels in Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class series.
MSC World America's passenger capacity of 6,762 passengers is a near record for any cruise ship.
Related: The ultimate guide to MSC Cruises ships and itineraries
By comparison, Icon of the Seas measures 248,663 gross tons and can hold up to 7,600 passengers with every berth filled. Carnival Celebration measures 183,521 gross tons and can hold up to 6,619 passengers.
Like both of the other ships, MSC World America has a sprawling family fun zone on its top deck that includes everything from a giant water park with four waterslides to a ropes course.
Dubbed The Harbour, the complex is designed to target families in a way MSC Cruises never has before, with a mix of watery and nonwatery attractions, grab-and-go food options and a lounging area.
Related: Epic fun! New MSC Cruises ship will target families with massive top-deck play zone
Among the most impressive elements of the complex is the two-level ropes course spanning 6,210 square feet that includes two "sky rails" that are similar to a zip line. The area also has a first-of-its-kind-on-a-ship overwater swing ride called Cliffhanger and a shark-themed, 11-deck-high dry slide called Jaw Drop @ The Spiral.
The Harbour is one of three family-friendly areas in close proximity to one another on the ship that together are known as the Family Aventura district. The two other areas are the Doremiland kids zone, which has playrooms for kids, and the MSC Sportsplex, a multiuse pavilion for bumper cars, rollerblading and other family-friendly activities.
MSC World America also has a whopping six pools and 14 hot tubs, including an unusually long main pool that sits at the center of what is one of the largest pool areas at sea.
Like Icon of the Seas, MSC World America's interior features a massive indoor promenade with restaurants, bars and entertainment areas, as well as a back-of-the-ship outdoor restaurant and bar zone.
MSC World America is the second vessel in MSC Cruises' new World Class series of ships. The first vessel in the series, MSC World Europa, debuted in late 2022 and was designed specifically to sail in Europe.
Related: MSC World Europe cruise ship review: A top pick for megaresort lovers
While MSC World America has similarities to MSC World Europa, about 30% of its public areas are different from those found on the latter vessel.
The changes, which include the addition of an American-style sports bar along the outdoor promenade area and an Eataly-branded Italian restaurant, were made to appeal to the specific tastes of the North American market.
The World Class vessels are nearly 20% bigger than any MSC Cruises ship that has come before and on a similar scale to Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class vessels, which have dominated the list of the world's biggest, most venue-packed ships for years.
Related: The 6 types of MSC Cruises ships, explained
Other than the six ships in Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class series and Icon of the Seas, which is in a class of its own (the Icon Class), MSC's World Class vessels are the only cruise ships in the world to exceed 200,000 gross tons.
The two World Class ships are bigger and more venue-rich than any vessel operated by Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises or any other major cruise brand other than Royal Caribbean.
As previously announced, MSC World America will sail both Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean voyages out of Miami.
The ship's Eastern Caribbean voyages will include stops at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Ocean Cay, MSC Cruises' private island in the Bahamas. Western Caribbean sailings will include stops at Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay.
Fares for the sailings start at $689 per person, based on double occupancy.
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