MSC lays keel for MSC World America, takes delivery of MSC Euribia 

MSC Cruises has laid the keel for its upcoming mega-ship MSC World America at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.

The cruise line held a traditional coin ceremony to mark the keel laying, with two Godmothers, MSC Cruise Divisions’ Silvia Turbia and Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s Séverine Blandin, each placing a commemorative coin under the keel before it was laid.

The coins will be retrieved when the ship is ready to be floated out, and will be affixed to her navigation mast before delivery.

MSC World America is a sister ship to MSC World Europa and is the second in MSC Cruises’ World-class of ships, its largest to date and the second-largest in the world after Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class (until the delivery of Icon of the Seas at least).

She is the third LNG-powered ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet and the first LNG MSC ship to be based in the U.S.

When she is delivered in 2025, MSC World America will feature many of the environmental innovations present on MSC World Europa and the smaller MSC Euribia, but with the addition of new technology to near-eliminate methane slip from LNG when in operation.

“This 19th ship – the second of the World Class series – is the result of a long partnership between MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique,” said Henri Doyer, MSC Program Director, Chantier de l’Atlantique. “I am thrilled to announce that MSC World Europa, MSC Euribia, and MSC World America are the three most energy efficient, most environment-friendly ships of the cruise industry.”

The day before the keel laying for MSC World America, MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique celebrated the delivery of MSC Euribia, the latest in its Meraviglia-Plus class and its most environmentally friendly to date.

MSC Euribia is powered by LNG, the cleanest fossil fuel available for maritime operations, but her delivery voyage from France will also be the industry’s first-ever emissions-free cruise as she will be powered by bio-LNG.

When she commenses passenger services the ship will use conventional LNG, but will still emit up to 19 percent less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per passenger per day than her sisterships that use conventional marine fuels.

“With the delivery of MSC Euribia, we have taken yet another huge step towards our net zero GHG emissions goal,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group. “Alongside her many best-in-class environmental innovations, MSC Euribia features a truly groundbreaking energy efficient design that will deliver huge reduction in GHG emissions throughout her lifetime.”

Although the vessel can be powered using LNG, the ship design can today accommodate drop-in renewable fuels with retrofits that will enable MSC Cruises to use renewable fuels that are not yet available currently such as green methanol.

Vago added: “It’s important to us that our ships being built today are ready to accommodate the new sustainable fuels that are on the horizon. We also want to ensure they can easily be retrofitted with new technology and new efficiencies that will help deliver net zero greenhouse gas emissions. This is a ship truly built with the future in mind.”