At 216,000 gross tons, 1,093 feet, 22 decks and up to 6,700 passengers, MSC World America is the absolute biggest ship in the MSC fleet. It’s also the largest ship from any cruise line not named Royal Caribbean.
I just got off the ship and having sailed MSC multiple times before, I felt I had a good idea of what was coming before I even set foot onboard. But I can tell you that when it came to sailing the biggest ship in the fleet, there was plenty that I didn’t expect.
Below, I’ve got the good, the bad, and the definitely unexpected…
A 7-Day Cruise From Miami
Let’s begin with a little background on this cruise. My trip was a 7-day sailing from Miami in mid-August to Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Ocean Cay. Now, I’ve been to all these ports a number of times, so I booked this not only because I had never sailed on the World-class ships from MSC, but also because it was an unreal deal.
MSC Cruises has always been known as pretty affordable, but this trip was just $460 per person with taxes and fees included. A 7-day cruise in the summer aboard one of the biggest and newest ships around for under $500 per person is a hell of a deal.
That’s when I got my first big unexpected surprise.
I’ve taken dozens of cruises across nearly every major line — including MSC. I know how the game works. What you pay in cruise fare is just the start of the cost of the cruise. It’s all about the extras that you pay up for onboard.
And immediately after I booked, the sales push started. I booked this cruise only about 30 days before it set sail. By my count, in that time I received 27 marketing emails trying to get me to book everything from drink packages to excursions before I got on the ship. Some days I was even sent multiple emails.
I’m used to getting regular marketing from a cruise line to get you to pre-book packages. But this massive amount of emails? I’ve never seen anything like it, even on previous MSC trips.
In fact, that actually ties into something else that surprised me on this trip, which I’ll get into a little later. Before I do, the ship itself was a major reason I booked this cruise, and trust me, you’re going to want to hear the details there.
The Biggest Ships in MSC’s Fleet… And It’s Definitely Different
It’s well known that Royal Caribbean has the biggest cruise ships in the world. Literally all nine of the biggest ships are part of the line. And if you’ve sailed those bigger ships like the Oasis and Icon class, then you know it’s completely different than sailing a normal ship.
Well, MSC World America is the tenth largest cruise ship in the world, the biggest ship outside of Royal Caribbean, and it’s about 20% larger than the next biggest class of ships in the cruise line’s fleet. Having been on several different MSC ships, I can tell you that it just feels different.
Let’s start with the look. There’s no mistaking a world-class ship for anything else. That wave design is definitely unique. In fact, it almost looks more like a space ship in some ways — especially at the bow — than a cruise ship.
And you have to be next to it to really get a sense of the scale. The hull of the ship towers above you when you are on the dock. It looks, feels, and is BIG.
Step onboard and there’s some really interesting things to note. Let’s start with the design and decor. As a style, MSC loves polished and mirrored surfaces. That continues on this ship. You’ll see a lot of your reflection everywhere, so if you have something in your teeth, you’ll be able to check it out no matter where you are.
Inside the ship, the main promenade is three decks and wide open. It feels open and airy, which is one of the big positives about sailing a massive ship, there’s just more space. Along the sides of the promenade are all the shops and most specialty restaurants. There’s a small arcade area, and the promenade leads into the casino and the theater on either end. The ceiling in the promenade is also pretty neat with a video board that shows different scenes throughout the day, so it’s always changing.
Up on the pool deck, you’ve got a large double pool that’s the focus up here. There’s also an indoor pool with retractable roof, and at the back of the ship is the adults-only area in a massive space with two pools. That’s where I found myself hanging out as it’s just quieter than the main pool.
If you’re sailing with kids, in between the main pool and the adults-only spot is The Harbour. This has the Cliffhanger, which is unique to these MSC ships and is a massive swing that takes you out over the edge of the ship. The ride is $10 and lasts only about a minute. It’s where I also learned that as I get older, I’m getting more freaked out by heights. I rode it, but once is good enough for me.
The Harbor also has multiple waterslides, the sport court with basketball and bumper cars, and more.
I’ll be honest, I could go all in on the features and amenities on the ship, but we’d be here all day. Point is, the ship is massive and beautiful. If you have an upcoming cruise, I think you’re going to be impressed.
But there were definitely some surprises.
Design Inspiration From Rivals?
Remember how I mentioned Royal Caribbean earlier? If you’ve sailed some of their newer ships, then lets just say you might see some “inspiration” aboard World America.
At the back of the ship is the World Promenade on Deck 8, an outdoor area with cabins on either side, and even a massive slide from The Harbour down to this deck. Maybe it’s just me, but it sure does remind me of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships.
Another spot is the Panorama Theater at the back of the ship on Deck 7. It’s a great space, and I loved the shows here. Seriously, don’t miss them. Still, it does seem somewhat familiar to Two70 on some Royal Caribbean ships. Maybe it’s just a coincidence?
Of course, cruise ships share some similarities no matter the line. And I really liked the ship overall, but there was one major issue that surprised me, as it’s something I think most other lines have trended away from with new ships.
A Beautiful Ship, But My One Issue…
My issue is that I felt there’s hardly any public spaces to feel connected to the ocean on MSC World America.
You’re at sea, but often you’d have no idea. Across most areas of the pool deck, there aren’t just railings, but massive glass walls. So good luck trying to look out without a layer of glass in your way.
A view from the front of the ship? It seems the high-end rooms and exclusive spaces of the MSC Yacht Club have taken over all the front views. Since I didn’t pay up for these fancy rooms, I couldn’t find any place to get a view from the bow, and I even asked the staff.
There is Deck 7, which features a walkway around the ship and closer to the ocean. But it goes back behind the lifeboats much of the time, and there’s literally no furniture here even if you wanted to sit and take in a view.
The only place I found to really be able to sit, relax, and enjoy actually being on the water — and seeing the ocean without a wall of glass in front of me — was the back of the outdoor promenade.
It’s not a deal breaker, but definitely something that surprised me. But perhaps nothing was as unexpected as my other passengers.
The Most International Cruise I’ve Ever Taken
MSC Cruises was founded in Italy. And while stateside the line is becoming more of a household name, in other parts of the world they are much better known.
When I first sailed MSC years ago, I was surprised at how international it was. My first cruise on the line I also sailed from Miami, but I saw passengers from all over South America and Europe.
A few years later I sailed again on a short cruise from Port Canaveral. It was a typical cruise crowd from Florida, meaning it was mostly American. I thought that the cruise line had entered the mainstream and the passengers onboard were reflecting that. Turns out, that’s not the case.
This cruise was by far the most international sailing I’ve ever taken. Spain, Portugal, France, Dominican Republic, Canada, Germany, and lots of folks from Italy, and that’s really just a start. Even on my previous MSC cruises, I’ve never been on a ship with this many people from different nationalities.
All the ship’s announcements were in English, followed by Italian, French, and Spanish. When you walked the ship, the conversations were every language you can imagine, with lots of Italian being spoken.
And I can tell you, this might have also been the most beautiful crowd I’ve ever seen on a cruise. While there were people of all shapes, sizes, and ages, in general the crowd skewed younger and was more fit than what I normally see on my sailings.
But, you should know this trip might have been a a special case. I was talking to some folks at dinner one night who were on the second cruise of a back-to-back trip. They brought up how much more international this sailing was than the previous trip the week before.
When it Came to Food, I Wasn’t Expecting This…
Since this wasn’t my first cruise on MSC, I had an idea of what to expect when it comes to food. Still, there were some surprises there, both good and bad.
Let’s start with the buffet. I’ll be honest on other MSC cruises I’ve sailed, the buffet has been pretty mediocre.
The buffet on MSC World America was light years better. There was tons of variety, including things I normally don’t see on cruises like bowls of ramen. It was definitely a step above what I’ve found on other lines, and even other MSC trips. They even make their own mozzarella balls on the ship, and I can tell you they were fantastic.
Of course, you can’t talk about MSC without talking about pizza, which is hands down the best pizza served on any line. Here, they have it at several spots around the ship, so if you want a bite, it’s always there and always fresh.
The main dining room I found to be on par with other lines in that the food wasn’t bad, but not fantastic. I didn’t have a bad meal here, but definitely had dishes that could have more flavor or spice.
And then it comes to the specialty restaurants. Now, I always tell people to eat at least one meal at a specialty restaurant to break things up. But the prices here were eye-popping to me. Most are between $45-$60 per person. It’s really hard to justify that kind of spending, and in fact, some restaurants like the steakhouse seemed to get traffic while others looked practically empty anytime I passed by.
But I thought I found a compromise. Paxos, the Greek restaurant that costs $45 per person to dine, has a grab and go window with prices that are around $10. So I grabbed an order with calamari, shrimp, and fish to try out.
Being a guy born on the Gulf Coast, fried shrimp nearly fine dining for me. So I was excited to chow down. That’s until I looked at these and to my surprise, they were looking back at me.
I’m guessing it’s some authentic Greek style that I’m too uncultured to know about, but the shrimp in this were battered and fried with head and legs on. Sorry, I just can’t do it.
So overall, the food onboard was pretty solid, but head-on shrimp is just a step too far for me.
Surprised By How Much Prices Have Jumped… $40 For a Lounger?!
Now I told you about the cheap price for a 7-day cruise, followed by email after email pushing upgrades and pre-booking packages.
I have to say that it comes with the territory that when you book an inexpensive trip, you can expect to have to spend for lots onboard. But after so many cruises, I was even surprised at some of that push.
Not long ago MSC used to have some of the cheapest drinks and drink packages. Now it’s on par — if not slightly more expensive — than rivals. A 12-ounce beer costs $9, along with 18% gratuity. Cocktails are $14-$16, when many were just $10 the last time I sailed a few years ago.
The phone app would give me notifications all the time, and it seemed like nine times out of ten it was a sales pitch. Excursions were priced higher than I’ve ever seen before, but perhaps the biggest surprise was at MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay.
This was my third or fourth visit to the island. I love the place because it’s huge, and while it caters to cruise passengers, it hasn’t turned into an amusement park. When they have overnight stays, it’s amazing to go explore at a time when you’re normally on the ship.
The last time I went, I remember feeling a bit sour that while the chairs were free to use on the beach, you had to pay for an umbrella. Charging for a little bit of shade at a private island just seems wrong to me.
Well, things have changed. Now, instead of having to pay for an umbrella, you also have to pay for loungers if you want to use them. Two loungers and an umbrella were $40 for the day. Charging for a cabana? Sure. A clamshell? Yep. But of all the other private islands I’ve visited, I’ve never had to pay for a chair or an umbrella.
What’s more, when I asked about them they were already sold out. So even if I wanted to pay the $40, I was still out of luck.
Huddled under a tree sitting on a towel on the ground isn’t exactly how I pictured the day.
My Overall View of Sailing MSC World America
So what’s the total takeaway from this cruise? I know I talked about some of what was unexpected, and not all of it was always glowing. But that’s also why it stood out in my mind because so much about this trip and ship was great.
Never having experienced MSC’s biggest ship, I’m impressed. It’s different from the other ships in the fleet I’ve sailed. Really, they aren’t even close. And it has a ton to offer and at a price tag that’s lower than what you find on other lines. I’d sail it again in an instant.
If you have an upcoming cruise on the ship, then you should be excited. And I hope that I’ve given you a better idea of what to expect… and maybe headed off some of the unexpected things that stood out to me.
