MSC World Europa is MSC Cruises’ largest cruise ship to date, with 13 dining venues, 6 specialty restaurants, the world’s longest slide at sea, an interior promenade, 6 pools, 14 whirlpools, an entire deck for children and families and an adults zone as well.
MSC World Europa will homeport in the Middle East next year
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The first thing you notice looking at the design for MCS World Europe is that she has been heavily inspired by Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels, with that Y-shaped aft superstructure, the slide at the stern and the various ‘zones’ throughout the ship.
From the front, the bow of the vessel also appears to be channeling Virgin Voyages’ Lady Ships, with the superstructure brought right forward so that staterooms sit almost right over the bow. The design is eye-catching, and also provides the cruise line with an immense amount of additional volume to play with (in an already huge footprint).
Early renderings of MSC World Europa didn’t include The Spiral slide at the stern
“At MSC Cruises innovation will and has always been at the heart of our business, driving how with each new class of ships we reimagine the guest experience, the operations as well as every single aspect of the technology that brings it all together,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises.
And MSC World Europa really is a major advancement in MSC Cruises’ product. It features a Y-shaped design at the stern that splits the superstructure into two sections, with a vast interior promenade between them.
Here there will be a variety of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops, although MSC Cruises hasn’t revealed the exact details yet.
Entertainment and leisure aboard MSC World Europa
At the stern of the Europa Promenade area a dry slide descending through 11 decks will be the longest in the world and is clearly inspired by Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate Abyss, as is the whole of this dual-superstructure area.
The Spiral slide at the aft of the Europa Promenade will be the longest on any cruise ship
The size of the ship allows for completely distinct districts, each with their own mood and experiences, and the promenade is one of them, as is the separate family district with ten new children’s facilities and attractions.
Also among the family facilities is the kids sundeck, while a separate Aquapark for all passengers will feature integrated virtual reality technology.
There will be six pools and 14 whirlpools aboard the ship
Among the host of leisure options on board, guests will have the option of six pools and 14 whirlpools, as well as full-scale production shows in an immense theatre and new immersive performance venues.
Dining aboard MSC World Europa
MSC World Europa will feature dining based around seasonality and carefully curated immersive experiences. There will be a strong focus on artisanal and craft products, particularly in the variety of bars and lounges, as well as new exceptional gourmet dining concepts, according to MSC.
Hola! Tapas, which debuted aboard MSC Bellissima, will be available aboard MSC World Europa as well
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MSC World Europa will offer 13 dining venues, six of which will be speciality restaurants. While many of the restaurants will be brand classics, such as the American steakhouse Butcher’s Cut and the Asian-inspired Kaito Teppanyaki Grill and Sushi Bar, the ship will also debut all-new concepts.
Butcher’s Cut will also make a return aboard MSC World Europa
Because of her size, MSC Cruises has been able to introduce new immersive experiences that weren’t possible aboard its ‘smaller’ ships. MSC World Europa’s restaurant line-up will include the new trendy Chef’s Garden Kitchen focussing on flavourful microgreens and La Pescaderia, a traditional seafood grill with alfresco seating.
The 105-metre Europa Promenade will be the social heart of the ship where many of the restaurants will be located
The Latin American street food-inspired Hola! Tacos & Cantina that debuted aboard MSC Virtuosa earlier this year will also be available aboard MSC World Europa, and instead of one main cruise ship buffet restaurant, aboard MSC World Europa there’ll be three.
And one of them will be open 24-hours a day.
Bars and cafes aboard MSC World Europa
When it comes to bars, MSC Cruises hasn’t revealed much beyond the fact that there will be “numerous” options. It has announced that the ship will debut many new concepts, as well as brand favourites, such as Masters of the Sea Pub, which will be split across two decks and will brew craft beer specially on board for the first time.
New concepts will include the Elixir – Mixology Bar with elaborate signature cocktails, a South Asian-style tea room filled with perfumes from the East, an authentic Emporium coffee bar with selections from around the world, a widely stocked Gin Project inspired by a real distillery, a zesty juice bar made from fresh ingredients, and a gelateria with a multitude of flavours.
Staterooms aboard MSC World Europa
MSC World Europa will feature 19 different cabin categories, with 65% of cabins including a balcony. Seven of these 19 categories will be new to the cruise line, including balcony cabins overlooking the interior promenade, MSC Yacht Club duplex suites, Aurea spa suites, Infinity Ocean View cabins.
Infinite Ocean View cabin with folding window
The duplex Yacht Club suite is one of the most exciting, it will be MSC Cruises’ most luxurious suite yet, even outdoing the Swarovski crystal suite it debuted aboard MSC Bellissima in Dubai in 2019. The Yacht Club duplex will feature large balconies and a private hot tub, as well as an open living/dining room area.
The Ocean View Infinity Cabins meanwhile will introduce Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-class Infinity concept aboard MSC, with cabins that feature a panoramic sliding window that turns into a glass balustrade when open.
Green technology aboard MSC World Europa
When it comes to the environment, MSC World Europa also has a few tricks up her sleeve, such as LNG-fuelled engines, advanced waste water treatment plants, energy saving technology onboard and more.
MSC World Europa will be the lead ship of the second-largest class of cruise ships in the world
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“We want to provide our guests not only with a truly unique and memorable holiday but also a sustainable one, so this is an intrinsic part of our innovation programme,” says Vago.
“This is why MSC World Europa, our first LNG ship and our most environmentally advanced yet, signifies another important step forward for us in terms of our long-term vision for zero emissions,” he added.
MSC World Europa will be the first LNG-powered vessel in MSC Cruises’ fleet. LNG is one of the world’s cleanest marine fuels available at scale and is set to play a key role in the transition to the decarbonisation of international shipping.
It vastly reduces local air pollutant emissions like sulphur oxides by up to 99% and nitrogen oxides by up to 85%. It also plays a key role in climate change mitigation as it offers CO2 reductions amounting to 25% and is a gateway technology to the uptake of sustainable non-fossil fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.
MSC World Europa will also feature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, shore-to-ship power connectivity, advanced wastewater treatment systems designed in line with the International Maritime Organization’s MEPC 227(64), an underwater radiated noise management system and a wide range of energy efficient equipment that help reduce and optimise engine use.
MSC World Europa itineraries
MSC World Europa will debut in December, 2022 and will spend her inaugural season in the Arabian Gulf. She will spend November as a hotel ship in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup and will then sail a 4-night maiden voyage from Doha, Qatar to Dubai in the UAE.
MSC World Europa will then homeport in Dubai for the winter 2022/23 cruise season, sailing 7-night roundtrip cruises from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dammam, Sir Bani Yas Island and more.
Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach
At Sir Bani Yas Island, guests will have a chance to discover an exotic array of wildlife or bask in the warm sun on the immaculate beaches, which will all be exclusive to MSC Cruises on the days on which the ship calls.
The port calls in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, will give guests the chance to visit Al Ahsa oasis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Every cruise from Dubai will also feature an overnight port call in the city at the end of each cruise.
Al Ahsa Oasis in Dammam
MSC World Europa will remain in the Middle East until March 25th, 2023, when she will head to the Mediterranean. In summer 2023, she will offer 7-night cruises calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples and Messina, as well as Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France.
At 333 metres long, 22 decks high and with 40,000 m2 of public space, MSC World Europa is MSC Cruises’ longest, largest ship in the fleet, and the largest ever to cruise from Dubai, let alone homeport in the city for a full season.
The ship is currently under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and is the first of at least four ships of the World-class for MSC Cruises.
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