MSC Cruises celebrates MSC World Asia float out and MSC World Atlantic coin ceremony

MSC Cruises marked two major construction milestones in France this week with the float out of MSC World Asia and the coin ceremony for MSC World Atlantic, as the company continues to expand its fleet leading World-class of ships.

Both events took place at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, where four World-class ships are currently at various stages of construction. The milestone ceremony coincided with MSC’s confirmation that it has ordered two further ships in the series, bringing the total number of planned World-class vessels to eight.

The float out of MSC World Asia marked the moment the vessel first touched water, signalling the transition from dockside assembly to the next phase of construction. The ship is scheduled for delivery in November 2026, when it will enter service in the Mediterranean.

MSC has confirmed that the vessel will operate seven-night itineraries from December 2026, calling at Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Messina, and Valletta.

The coin ceremony for MSC World Atlantic also took place during the event. In keeping with maritime tradition, two godmothers placed commemorative coins within the vessel’s structure as a symbol of good fortune during construction, marking the beginning of the assembly phase.

Representing MSC Cruises was Lynn Torrent, President of MSC Cruises North America. For Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the shipyard’s godmother was Agnès Sahores, Smart Yard Improvement Manager, who has worked at the yard for 25 years and oversees programmes focused on industrial performance, innovation, and environmental efficiency.

Once completed, MSC World Atlantic is scheduled to enter service in 2027. It will be deployed from Port Canaveral in the United States for the 2027/28 winter season, operating Caribbean itineraries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said the series represents the company’s long-term vision for “future standards of cruising,” noting that the ships have been designed for improved energy efficiency and future compatibility with renewable fuels.

Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, highlighted the shipyard’s ongoing collaboration with MSC, describing the scale of work underway as “exceptional,” with four vessels ordered in 2025 alone.

The World-class platform currently includes MSC World Europa (2022) and MSC World America (2025), with MSC World Asia (2026) and MSC World Atlantic (2027) to follow. Four additional ships are scheduled for delivery through 2031, subject to financing.

The World Class vessels feature an open-air World Promenade, 13 dining venues including Chef’s Garden Kitchen and La Pescaderia, the Venom Drop dry slide, Panorama Lounge shows, the Luna Park arena, MSC Yacht Club suites, multiple themed districts, six pools, an aquapark, extensive family facilities and a large thermal spa.

At 200,000 gross tons and carrying more than 6,850 passengers at full occupancy, they are the largest cruise ships in the MSC fleet, and the third-largest class of cruise ship in the world after Royal Caribbean’s Icon and Oasis class.