MSC Cruises is expanding its “World Class” series with two more newbuilds. The “MSC World Asia” was floated at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard.
MSC Cruises and the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique have announced the expansion of their long-standing partnership with the order for two more ships from the so-called “World Class”. The two newbuildings – the seventh and eighth ships in the series – are scheduled for delivery in 2030 and 2031. The announcement was made at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the floating of the new “MSC World Asia” in the building dock and the minting ceremony for the “MSC World Atlantic” were celebrated.
The “MSC World Asia” will be delivered in November 2026 and will offer 7-night cruises to the most popular destinations in the Western Mediterranean from December. The itinerary includes Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France), Genoa, Civitavecchia for Rome, Messina (Italy) and Valletta (Malta).
With a total value of €3.5 billion, the investment by MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately owned cruise line, in the four ships ordered in France this year amounts to almost €7 billion. The total investment in France, together with the World Class units already under construction, amounts to approximately €10.5 billion, MSC announced. This extensive investment plan underlines the company’s confidence in the future of cruising and its sustained commitment to excellence in shipbuilding in France and Europe. Construction of the two World Class ships, seven and eight, will begin in 2029.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s cruise division, said: “Today is a proud moment for MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique. We are celebrating three significant milestones for our future together – the launch of MSC World Asia, the coin ceremony of MSC World Atlantic and the order for two more ships. The World Class embodies our vision to set new standards for the future of cruising. These ships are among the most energy efficient in the world and we are continuing our commitment to LNG to lay the foundations for the use of renewable fuels in the future. We look forward to continuing our innovative and successful partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, our trusted partner for more than 20 years.”
“World Class” will comprise eight ships
Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, added: “We thank MSC Cruises for their renewed trust. The achievements of our shipyard are remarkable – four new ships commissioned in 2025. The World Class, which will comprise a total of eight ships, is an impressive demonstration of the expertise of our teams and the visionary strength of MSC. It exemplifies our shared commitment to continuously improve the passenger experience while further enhancing environmental performance.”
MSC Cruises’ World Class ships are 333.3 meters long with a tonnage of 215,000 GT and can accommodate up to 6,762 passengers in 2,636 cabins. According to MSC, each ship is a destination in itself. MSC Cruises’ World Class currently consists of the “MSC World Europa” (2022) and the “MSC World America”. This ship class is the third largest class in the cruise industry after the Icon and Oasis classes. The “MSC World Asia” will be delivered next year and the “MSC World Atlantic” in 2027, which will then be deployed in the Caribbean from Port Canaveral (USA) in winter 2027/28. The unnamed ships 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the World Class will then follow by 2031.
All World Class ships are equipped with dual-fuel engines for liquefied natural gas (LNG). As soon as biofuels and synthetic fuels are available on a larger scale, they will be used in line with the company’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions in ship operations by 2050. The two new orders are subject to the availability of funding, as is standard in the industry.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise company with 23 ships in operation worldwide and the market leader in Europe. The company is privately owned and has a strong and growing presence in North America. (CE)
