MSC Cruises orders 2 further World-class cruise ships, bringing planned total to 8

MSC Cruises has extended its partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique with orders for two additional World-class cruise ships, bringing the total number of vessels in the series to eight.

The two newly announced ships are expected to be delivered in 2031 and 2032, continuing one of the cruise industry’s largest long-term shipbuilding programmes.

The agreement was confirmed at a ceremony held at the French shipyard, where MSC also marked important milestones for two ships currently under construction: the float out of MSC World Asia and the coin ceremony for MSC World Atlantic.

The new orders are valued at €3.5 billion, bringing MSC’s investment in vessels ordered from French shipyards this year to nearly €7 billion. In total, the company now has €10.5 billion in direct investment currently committed in France.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said the additional orders reflect the company’s confidence in the long-term outlook for cruise tourism. He added that the World-class platform was developed to “set new standards” for the sector, with improvements in efficiency and readiness for alternative fuels such as renewable LNG.

Chantiers de l’Atlantique General Manager Laurent Castaing described the continued partnership as a vote of confidence in the shipyard’s capabilities, noting that securing orders for four ships in a single year was “exceptional.”

Castaing said the expansion of the World-class series demonstrates shared intent to advance both passenger experience and environmental performance.

Construction of the seventh and eighth World-class ships is expected to begin in 2029. Technical specifications for the new vessels have not yet been detailed, but they will follow a platform that has progressively incorporated new design elements, evolving with each vessel in the series.

MSC’s World-class ships include MSC World Europa, delivered in 2022, and MSC World America, due in 2025. They will be followed by MSC World Asia in 2026 and MSC World Atlantic in 2027, with the fifth and sixth ships due before the end of the decade.

The two newly announced vessels, subject to financing, will complete the series, supporting MSC’s wider investment strategy, which aims to modernise its fleet and increase capacity in key markets across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

At 200,000 gross tons and carrying more than 6,850 passengers at full occupancy, the World Class 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.

MSC World Europa showcases the World-class design with its 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.

The new vessels are expected to reflect a similar range of dining, entertainment, and amenities, but will be tailored to the markets in which they will primarily be deployed. MSC World America, for example, has seen significant customisation for the North American market.