MSC Cruises and French shipbuilder, Chantiers de l’Atlantique have celebrated significant milestones for three ‘World’ class cruise ships at Saint-Nazaire, France on one day.
These were the delivery of ’MSC World America’, the coin laying ceremony for ’MSC World Asia’ and steel cutting ceremony for the recently named ’MSC World Atlantic’.
‘MSC World America’ is the 23rd ship in the cruise line’s fleet and is due to be officially named on 9th April at the company’s new MSC Miami, Florida cruise terminal, the world’s largest.
She offers new venues and concepts tailored specifically to the US market.
Capt Gianluigi Aponte, Founder and Group Chairman of MSC attended the events with Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Marc Ferracci, the French Government’s Minister for Industry and Energy, along with representatives of MSC Cruises’ newbuilding team and workers from the shipyard who built the ship for the last 30 months.
Vago, said, “Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet.
“Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five groundbreaking prototypes and 19 ships.
“Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming ‘MSC World Asia’ and ‘MSC World Atlantic’,” he said.
He added that the three ships represented a total investment of more than €3.4 bill in France and its shipbuilding economy.
‘MSC World Asia’s’ traditional coin ceremony was also held on the same day, when commemorative coins were placed inside the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship.
She will enter service in winter 2026/27 with sailings in the Mediterranean, covering France, Italy, Spain and Malta.
MSC Cruises’ third celebration was a steel cutting ceremony to officially start the construction of the line’s fourth ‘World’ class ship, due to enter service in 2027.
Her name was revealed as ’MSC World Atlantic’. She will be deployed in the Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Florida, from winter 2027/28.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s Castaing, said, “It is with great emotion that we are marking today not one, but three MSC ‘World’ class ships.
“Continuous improvement of the on board experience, ever more optimised energy performance—what a journey MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique teams have accomplished so far.
“To date, ‘MSC World America’ has the best energy efficiency design index (EEDI) from the IMO and, therefore, the lowest carbon footprint of the entire cruise industry. And we will go even further with the two sister ships we are celebrating today,” he said.
Minister Ferracci, added, “Industrial excellence and a spirit of ambition are the hallmarks of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
“Thanks to the privileged relationship with world leader MSC Cruises, and with the support of the state, the Saint Nazaire shipyards continue to make France and Europe shine across the seas.
“I pay tribute to the commitment and expertise of the men and women who work in this industrial sector essential for our sovereignty,” he concluded.
‘MSC World America’ is one of the world’s most energy-efficient cruise ships surpassing all design requirements under the IMO’s EEDI. Her latest-generation engines run on LNG that enables a direct transition towards drop-in bio and synthetic renewable fuels.
She is also equipped with shore power to allow the engines to be switched off while in connected ports, such as the new Miami MSC cruise terminal.
Amongst several other features, the ship has an advanced wastewater treatment system and a comprehensive on board recycling management plant, which combined, significantly reduces the waste output.
Classification Society, Bureau Veritas has awarded ’MSC World America’ its Platinum Pearl Award in recognition of MSC Cruises’ 20-year commitment to health, safety and environmental protection throughout its fleet.
