MSC Cruises is showing no signs of slowing down as a new order has been announced to increase the fleet size by two ships.
Today, the company confirmed this expansion with an order for two additional World Class ships, World Class V and VI, from Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France.
New Ships Coming in 2029 and 2030
These new ships, set for delivery in 2029 and 2030, represent a €3.5 billion (approximately $3.95 billion USD) investment and will each carry about 6,762 passengers.
The completion of this new order will bring MSC’s fleet from 23 to 27 vessels by 2030 (including two ships already ordered and soon to be delivered), helping to meet the cruise line’s goal to bring annual passenger count from 2.5 million in 2024 to 5.7 million by 2030.
The 5th and 6th ship in the popular World Class will add about 13,524 new berths to MSC’s capacity. The move also reinforces its 10% share of the global cruise market.
These ships are also designed with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and cutting-edge environmental technologies.
The World Class series now includes the following ships with two yet to be delivered:
- MSC World Europa (2022)
- MSC World America (2025)
- MSC World Asia (2026)
- MSC World Atlantic (2027
World Class Ships
Each World Class vessel is roughly 216,000 gross tons in volume, has 22 decks and about 2,760 cabins.
Features found across the series include those introduced on the very first World Class ship, MSC World Europa. This ship includes a 702-foot World Promenade, a spacious outdoor area, along with the MSC Yacht Club and several distinct districts, including a family-friendly water park and ropes course.
MSC World America
MSC World America, which began operations in April 2025, is the latest World Class ship, and Cruise Fever had the privilege of enjoying a three-day preview sailing.
Key features of the ship include a water park, the Family Adventura District (housing waterslides and the Cliffhanger swing), LEGO activities, and the MSC Sportplex (an indoor basketball court). The ship also features a smoke-free main casino.
MSC World America is sailing out of the brand new terminal in PortMiami, offering seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises that include a visit to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the cruise line’s private island.
Pricing for cruises on MSC World America starts at less than $100 per person, per day, including taxes and port fees, with promotions for children occasionally available.
Read more: Check out pictures of the world’s largest terminal in Miami
First look at the world’s newest cruise ship that just arrived in Miami, MSC World America.
Posted by Cruise Fever on Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Boosting Capacity with the New Order
The order for World Class V and VI shows the company’s faith in both their own growth strategy and the cruise industry in general.
Each of these new ships will offer the same impressive scale of the World Class series, accommodating 6,762 passengers. This means a combined capacity boost of 13,524 passengers. To put that in perspective, this increase alone matches the capacity of five to six of MSC’s smaller ships, like MSC Armonia (2,520 passengers).
MSC’s new World Class ships have a focus on sustainability, primarily using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to reduce emissions. This new order strengthens MSC’s position as the world’s third-largest cruise line.