MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique marked major milestones for three World Class ships on March 27 at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The events included the delivery of the MSC World America, the coin ceremony for the MSC World Asia and the steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.
The MSC World America is the 23rd ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet and will be officially named on April 9 at the MSC Miami Cruise Terminal. Designed for the U.S. market, the ship features new venues and concepts tailored to American guests.
The ceremonies were attended by MSC Group Founder and Chairman Gianluigi Aponte, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises Pierfrancesco Vago, Chantiers de l’Atlantique General Manager Laurent Castaing, French Minister for Industry and Energy Marc Ferracci and representatives from MSC Cruises’ newbuild team and the shipyard workforce.
“Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet,” said Vago. “ Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five groundbreaking prototypes and 19 ships. Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic.”
The coin ceremony for MSC World Asia was conducted by godmothers Marialuisa Iaccarino, vice president of shore excursions, MSC Cruises, and Flavie Biondo, chargé d’affaires, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The ship will enter service in winter 2026-27, sailing in the Mediterranean to France, Italy, Spain and Malta.
In his speech during the ceremony, Vago also stated that the three ships being celebrated on Thursday represent an investment of over €3.4 billion in France and its shipbuilding industry.
