Glitzy Miami unveiling of MSC World America sets up epic battle of the megaships
The great battle of the Miami-based megaships has begun.
The biggest MSC Cruises ship ever built — MSC World America — was officially unveiled at the Port of Miami late Wednesday, kicking off an epic matchup between three of the world's biggest cruise vessels.
The Port of 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, the port is the base for Carnival Cruise Line's biggest ship ever, 2-year-old Carnival Celebration.
The three ships will go head-to-head for supremacy in the market for megaships out of Miami starting this weekend, when all three depart on weeklong sailings to the Caribbean.
"It's just a huge milestone in our journey to ... make MSC Cruises a household name here," Lynn Torrent, president of MSC Cruises USA, said during a meeting with travel writers in advance of a glitzy coming out party for MSC World America that lasted late into the night.
The event included a nearly two-hour naming ceremony that featured the famed actor Drew Barrymore cutting a ribbon to send a bottle of Champagne smashing against the ship's hull, a gala dinner, late-night parties across the vessel — including a deck-top performance by Florida-based singer Gloria Estefan — and a spectacular drone and fireworks display over the ship.
Europe-based MSC Cruises, which is already the biggest cruise line in Europe, South America and South Africa, has been expanding its presence in North America rapidly in recent years in an effort to become a major player in cruises around this continent, too. But the arrival of MSC World America can be seen as a singular moment in its efforts to become more widely known in the region.
Custom-built for the North American market in a way no other MSC Cruises ship has been before, the vessel is significantly bigger and more venue-packed than any other ship MSC Cruises has deployed to the region. It's the first on the same sort of giant scale as the biggest Royal Caribbean ships, which have dominated the megaship cruising market in North America for years.
Related: It's here! The giant, new MSC Cruises ship taking on Icon of the Seas has arrived in Florida
"It's the first time we designed a ship with the U.S. guest in mind," Torrent noted, pointing to U.S.-aimed venues on the ship that range from an American-style sports bar overlooking the water to a pub with American-style beers.
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.
Like Icon of the Seas, MSC World America soars 20 decks high — higher than almost any other cruise vessel. 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 216,638 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.
Icon of the Seas, by comparison, measures 248,663 gross tons and can hold up to 7,600 passengers. Carnival Celebration measures 183,521 gross tons and can accommodate up to 6,619 passengers.
Like both of those ships, MSC World America has a sprawling family fun zone on its top deck that includes features like a giant water park with four waterslides and a ropes course.
Related: Epic fun! New MSC Cruises ship will target families with massive top-deck play zone
MSC World America also has six pools and 14 hot tubs, including a long main pool that sits at the center of what is one of the largest pool areas at sea.
MSC World America's interior features a sprawling indoor promenade with restaurants, bars and entertainment areas, as well as an outdoor restaurant and bar zone at the back of the ship.
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
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.
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 $674 per person, based on double occupancy.
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