First look: Terrifying, record-breaking slide coming to a cruise ship

Fast-growing MSC Cruises is about to set a new record for the longest — and dare we say most terrifying — slide on a cruise ship.

Measuring a whopping 266 feet from start to finish, the newly announced The Spiral @ Tree of Life atop the soon-to-debut MSC World Asia will be about seven feet longer than the current record holder, The Ultimate Abyss slide on Royal Caribbean's two-year-old Utopia of the Seas.

Like the latter slide, The Spiral @ Tree of Life will be a dry slide — that is, you won't be careening down it on a wave of water — and plunge from near the very top of the ship to a low-level deck.

In the case of The Spiral @ Tree of Life, that plunge will be a record 12 decks — two more than the vertical plunge of The Ultimate Abyss on Utopia of the Seas.

The announcement of The Spiral @ Tree of Life this week marks the latest in a tit-for-tat game of one-upmanship between MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean in a battle for the title of cruise line with the most over-the-top slide.

Royal Caribbean kicked off the rivalry in 2016 with the debut of its first The Ultimate Abyss mega-slide atop the then-new Harmony of the Seas.

That slide and three more The Ultimate Abyss slides added to Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas in 2018, 2019 and 2022, respectively, measured 216 feet in length.

MSC Cruises then blew past that record by more than 30 feet just a few months later with Venom Drop @ The Spiral atop the then-new MSC World Europa. It measured 250 feet in length.

But MSC Cruises didn't hold the record long. Royal Caribbean pulled ahead again just two years later with the unveiling of its latest The Ultimate Abyss slide on Utopia of the Seas. That slide measured 259 feet in length.

The arrival of The Spiral @ Tree of Life atop MSC World Asia makes MSC Cruises the record holder once again.

MSC World Asia Tree of Life — An artist's drawing of the entry area for the slide. IMAGE BY MSC CRUISES.

Such rivalry has been par-for-the-course for MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean in recent years as they have battled for mega-cruise ship fans, particularly big-ship loving families, around the globe.

The two brands are known for the world's biggest, most amenity-filled cruise ships — vessels loaded with all sorts of decktop amusements, including sprawling water parks and pool zones, showrooms with big production shows, and dozens of eateries and bars.

Scheduled to sail in Europe starting in December, MSC World Asia is the latest vessel in MSC Cruises' giant World Class series of ships that rise 20 decks high and can carry an astounding 6,762 passengers, with every berth filled. Utopia of the Seas is the latest vessel in Royal Caribbean's record-breaking Oasis Class series of ships that are even bigger, with a capacity of up to 6,988 passengers.

The two series of ships, along with Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class of vessels, account for all 11 of the world's biggest cruise ships.

Currently under construction at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, MSC World Asia will be MSC Cruises' new flagship.

Like two previous vessels in the World Class series (MSC World Europa and MSC World America), it'll feature a top deck with a giant waterpark, multiple pool areas and other attractions, including a ride that swings you out over the sea. Its interior will feature a giant, three-deck-high promenade loaded with restaurants and bars that connects to multiple entertainment areas.

MSC World Asia will operate seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises starting Dec. 4. The sailings will feature stops at Barcelona, Spain; Marseille, France; Messina, Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Naples in Italy; and Valletta, Malta.

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