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Epic fun! New MSC Cruises ship will target families with massive top-deck play zone

July 24, 2024
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4 min read
MSC World America
Epic fun! New MSC Cruises ship will target families with massive top-deck play zone
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Call it the most family-friendly MSC Cruises ship ever.

The world's third-largest cruise line on Wednesday announced that its next new vessel, MSC World America, would have a massive family fun zone on its top deck with everything from a giant water park to a ropes course and a rock climbing wall.

Dubbed The Harbour, the sprawling complex will target families in a way the line never has before, with a mix of watery and non-watery attractions, grab-and-go food options and a lounging area.

It'll also offer live musical performances designed to keep parents entertained while their kids play on the attractions around them.

The new zone will debut in April 2025 as MSC World America begins sailings out of Miami.

Currently under construction at a shipyard in France, MSC World America will be the biggest MSC Cruises ship ever to sail in North America and one of the biggest ships from any line to have sailed in the region.

Measuring 216,000 gross tons, it'll be the world's seventh-biggest cruise ship when it debuts. Only Royal Caribbean's recently unveiled Icon of the Seas — the world's largest cruise ship — and Royal Caribbean's six giant Oasis Class vessels are bigger.

MSC World America features list
MSC World America will have massive family-friendly play zones. MSC CRUISES

MSC Cruises has designed MSC World America specifically to appeal to North Americans looking for a megaship experience. In sailing out of Miami, it'll be competing head-to-head with Icon of the Seas and one of Carnival Cruise Line's biggest ships, Carnival Celebration, in a battle royale for the megaship-loving family cruiser.

Related: 3 of the world's biggest cruise ships soon will battle for supremacy out of Miami

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Like those two vessels, it'll be packed with onboard restaurants, bars, lounges and top-deck attractions, many of them aimed squarely at families.

As part of Wednesday's announcement, MSC Cruises said the new Harbour family zone atop MSC World America would include:

  • The Harbour Aquapark, a watery play zone with four waterslides, including a 90-degree vertical drop slide that starts with a freefall through a trap door
  • Jaw Drop @ The Spiral, an 11-deck-high dry slide that spirals down from the area to another passenger zone below
  • A rock-climbing wall
  • The High Trail Ropes Course, a two-level ropes course that spans 6,210 square feet and includes two "sky rails" that are similar to a zip line
  • The Harbour Light House, a themed playground for kids modeled after the lighthouse at MSC Cruises' private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
  • The Harbour Bar & Bites, a family-friendly grab-and-go eatery
  • The Family Dwelling Area, which has family-friendly seating
  • Cliffhanger, an overwater swing ride that MSC Cruises announced for the ship earlier this year

The Harbour will be one of three family-friendly areas in close proximity on the ship that together will be known as the Family Aventura district. The two other areas are the Doremiland kids program zone, which will have seven different kids rooms, and the Sportsplex, a multiuse pavilion for bumper cars, rollerblading and other family-friendly activities.

MSC World America will also have six pools and 14 hot tubs, making it one of the most pool-covered ships at sea.

For the summer of 2025, MSC World America will sail from Miami on Saturdays on seven-night trips to the Caribbean.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

Featured image by MSC CRUISES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • 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.
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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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  • $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.
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