3 of the world's biggest cruise ships soon will battle for supremacy out of Miami
Get ready for the Battle of the Cruise Ship Giants out of Miami.
Fast-growing MSC Cruises on Thursday officially announced its North America schedule for the summer of 2025, including a Miami deployment that will set the stage for an epic matchup between three of the world's biggest cruise vessels.
As part of the announcement, MSC Cruises confirmed that its soon-to-debut MSC World America would sail from Miami from April 2025 through at least October 2025. This will place it in a head-to-head matchup with Royal Caribbean's just-unveiled Icon of the Seas and Carnival Cruise Line's one-year-old Carnival Celebration.
All three of the vessels will be the biggest in their respective fleets.
Scheduled to begin sailing in April 2025, MSC World America will be the world's seventh-biggest cruise ship when it debuts and the biggest MSC Cruises ship ever deployed to North America. Unveiled in January, Icon of the Seas is the world's biggest cruise ship.
Dating to November 2022, Carnival Celebration is the world's 14th biggest cruise ship.
For the summer of 2025, both MSC World America and Icon of the Seas will sail from Miami on Saturdays on seven-night trips to the Caribbean. Carnival Celebration will sail out of Miami on Sundays on six- to eight-night trips to the Caribbean.
As confirmed on Thursday, MSC World America will operate alternating itineraries to the Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean.
- Eastern Caribbean voyages will bring stops at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Ocean Cay, MSC Cruises' private island in the Bahamas.
- Western Caribbean sailings will stop at Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay.
Icon of the Seas will rotate among four different itineraries across the Eastern and Western Caribbean that bring visits to such destinations as St. Thomas; St. Maarten (the Dutch side of the island of St. Martin); Roatan; and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
Related: Yikes, does Icon of the Seas really cost that much?
Carnival Celebration will mostly sail to Eastern Caribbean destinations such as St. Thomas, San Juan and Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. It'll also operate some Southern Caribbean cruises.
The matchup between MSC World America and Icon of the Seas is particularly notable as it marks the first time vessels measuring more than 200,000 tons from two different cruise brands have competed on sailings out of a North American port.
Giants of the seas
MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean are currently the only cruise brands in the world with ships measuring more than 200,000 tons. MSC World America is expected to measure around 216,000 tons. Icon of the Seas measures 248,663 tons. Carnival Celebration measures 183,521 tons.
All three vessels are among the most venue-filled in their respective fleets, with dozens of restaurants, bars, showrooms and over-the-top attractions on the decks.
Related: Our first impressions of the giant Icon of the Seas
MSC World America and Icon of the Seas, in particular, have several similarities, including public area venues segmented into "districts," as MSC Cruises calls them. Royal Caribbean calls them "neighborhoods."
Both ships have been designed around a central interior promenade with entertainment, shops and bars.
Among the standout features planned for MSC World America will be an Aquapark with multiple waterslides that integrate virtual reality technology. MSC Cruises also announced last week that the ship would have what's billed as the only overwater swing ride at sea; the attraction is called Cliffhanger, and it's suspended 160 feet above the water.
MSC World America will also have six pools and 14 hot tubs, making it one of the most pool-covered ships at sea.
Related: The 6 types of MSC Cruises ships, explained
As part of its Thursday announcement, MSC Cruises confirmed summer 2025 plans for three other vessels sailing out of North American ports:
- The 4,540-passenger MSC Seascape will operate three-, four- and seven-night itineraries from Miami departing on Thursdays and Sundays. Stops will include Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan; Puerto Plata; Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Ocean Cay.
- The 4,488-passenger MSC Meraviglia will operate seven-night itineraries from New York City to Florida and the Bahamas and Bermuda, departing on Sundays. Stops on the Bahamas cruises will be Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau; and Ocean Cay. The Bermuda cruises will bring an extended call at Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyard.
- The 4,540-passenger MSC Seashore will operate three-, four- and seven-night itineraries from Port Canaveral with a range of port options departing Thursdays and Sundays.
All three of the vessels are among the 25 biggest cruise ships in the world.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.