MSC World America: Anchoring the Future of Cruising

MSC Cruises debuted their latest cruise ship, MSC World America during an invite-only 3 night inaugural event April 9-12, 2025 from PortMiami. The second World class vessel and sister to MSC Word Europa launched in 2022, MSC World America is the largest MSC cruise ship to home port in North America. While many of her design elements are familiar, World Class being approximately 17% larger than the next largest Meraviglia Plus class ships, affords a lot more space to be creative with structural design, amenities and innovative spaces that make it a vastly different cruise experience than anything MSC has done before. MSC Cruises Brand New PortMiami Terminal The arrival of MSC World America was planned to coincide with the completion of MSC Cruises purpose built Terminal AA at PortMiami. The construction of this cruise terminal, officially the largest in the world, was no easy feat and required months of dredging along the port’s channel. This terminal has the space to accommodate up to 3 ships at one time and 36,000 guests and also provides parking for up to 2,400 vehicles with easy direct access from the PortMiami bridge or tunnel in and out of the building. The interior is absolutely massive with ample seating and clear signage and biometric capabilities for easy check-in and boarding. With the size of the terminal, the trek to the gangway can be a long walk and fortunately MSC Cruises has installed moving walkways to assist with this. Biometrics are also used for debarkation, as guests will pass though electronic turnstiles to clear U.S. customs. New Public Spaces Designed to Connect to the Ocean If there’s one thing I look forward to on a cruise ship it’s being reminded I’m at sea and not just in a very large hotel. Many venues within the World Galleria offer a connection to the ocean with large windows and in some instances outdoor seating areas. The new Eataly specialty restaurant on Deck 8 features al-fresco dining, and you can find outdoor seating at both the Elixir Mixology Bar and The Loft Comedy & Live Music venue. The Panorama Lounge located aft on decks 6 & 7 has a wonderful wake view and in the ship’s large Aurea Spa, you can even enjoy time in the sauna with a view. Probably one of the most impressive spots on the entire ship is World Promenade. While the concept is not new to cruising, the ambiance is inviting with places to eat, enjoy a premium early morning coffee or drinks while cheering on your favorite teams in the All Stars Sports Bar or just lounging and watching the world go by. More Dining Choices Having personally sailed on many MSC cruise ships over the years, I’ve appreciated the introduction of additional speciality dining venues. Most of these newer venues are also found onboard MSC World America, like Butcher’s Cut steakhouse, Hola! Tacos & Cantina, Kaito Sushi and Teppanyaki, along with brand new up-charge offerings like Eataly located in World Galleria and Paxos located along the World Promenade. There are of course main dining rooms, a total of five in fact to accommodate the over 6,500 guests, plus two buffets located on decks 18 and 19. On most other ships in their fleet, if you wanted more included dining options, the main dining rooms and buffet were your choices, but not on MSC World America. Pizza, a mainstay on any cruise and especially good on MSC, now has its own home along with burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and more at Luna Park Pizza and Burger. This diner style eatery located on deck 6 in the World Galleria is a very popular spot with not only included food options, but also soft serve ice cream, available beer on tap and arcade games including 4 pinball machines (fee applies). The new inclusions don’t end there. Promenade Bites aft on Deck 8 World Promenade is a great choice for quick grab and go hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy with a fantastic view. More casual options await amidst the ship’s thrill district of The Harbour on Deck 20. Featuring a selection of handhelds like wra