Today the signing with Chantiers de l’Atlantique for the World Class VII and VIII, with delivery scheduled for 2030 and 2031. The announcement on the sidelines of the float out of Msc World Asia and the coin ceremony of Msc World Atlantic
Geneva – Msc Crociere invests another 3.5 billion euros in the construction of 2 more cruise ships. The group controlled by the Aponte family and Chantiers de l’Atlantique today announced the construction of two new units belonging to the “World Class” – number 7 and number 8 – whose delivery is scheduled for 2030 and 2031 respectively. The announcement took place during the double event organized to celebrate two other World Class ships currently under construction at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard in France: the float out of Msc World Asia, the moment the ship touches the water for the first time, and the coin ceremony of Msc World Atlantic, an ancient maritime tradition involving the welding of a medallion inside the hull of the ship under construction as a symbol of blessing and good omen.
The orders announced today bring Msc Crociere’s investment to almost 7 billion euros for the four ships ordered this year, which reaches 10.5 billion euros if the two units currently under construction are also considered. Therefore, there are six new ships that Msc Crociere will take delivery of
by 2031, the year in which the Company’s fleet – currently 23 units – will reach a total of 29 ships. “This important industrial plan – a note explains – reflects the confidence of the Msc group’s owner, Gianluigi Aponte, in the future of the cruise sector and his continuous commitment towards excellence in shipbuilding in Europe”.
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the Cruise Division of the Msc group, stated: “Today is a day of great pride for Msc Crociere and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a moment in which we celebrate important milestones for our future: the float out of Msc World Asia, the coin ceremony of Msc World Atlantic and the order of two new ships. The World Class platform is the symbol of our goal to set new standards for the future of cruising. We are talking about some of the most energy-efficient ships in the world that testify to our commitment to using LNG, and allow us to always be ready for future renewable fuels. We look forward to continuing our innovative and successful collaboration with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, our long-standing partner for over 20 years.”
Leonardo Massa, vice president Southern Europe of the Msc Cruise Division, added: “Our next flagship, Msc World Asia today touched the sea for the first time. In just over a year this jewel of the seas will enter service operating cruises departing from three Italian ports: Genoa, Civitavecchia and Messina. And in the summer of 2027 it will also depart from Naples every week. A choice that demonstrates, once again, the centrality of the Italian market in the Company’s global strategies, with increasingly significant economic impacts on the involved territories thanks to the scheduled arrival of tourists, distributed throughout the year.
Contrary to what is often mistakenly thought, this is a high-spending, quality tourism with a good propensity for travel; therefore, the most far-sighted local administrations are constantly organizing themselves to the best of their ability to welcome cruise passengers in order to convince them to return as soon as possible for a longer and more in-depth vacation.
Laurent Castaing, general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said in turn: “We are deeply grateful to Msc Crociere for the renewed trust. What our shipyard is achieving today is truly incredible: four new ships ordered in 2025”.
The construction of the World Class 7 and 8 ships will begin in 2029. Msc World Asia will be delivered in November 2026, ready to sail in the Mediterranean. Msc World Atlantic will enter service in 2027 and will be deployed in the Caribbean from Port Canaveral (USA) for the 2027-28 winter season.
