Recently, MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique have signed a shipbuilding agreement worth up to $4 billion, formally ordering two additional new cruise ships. This move is seen as an ambitious further bet by the cruise industry on the prospects of sustained market growth over the next decade.
It is reported that the Geneva-based cruise giant announced this significant news during a milestone ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France, for two additional sister ships of its “World Class” fleet.
According to the agreement, the two newly ordered cruise ships are tentatively named “World Class 7” and “World Class 8”, and are expected to be delivered in 2030 and 2031 respectively. With their addition, MSC’s total investment in the “World Class” series will expand to a staggering $12 billion. Currently, there are a total of eight ships in this series at various stages of planning and construction.
Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, commented on this: “We are very grateful for the renewed trust from MSC Cruises. The achievements of the shipyard today are extraordinary; we have received orders for four new ships scheduled until 2025! The expansion of the ‘World Class’ series to eight ships is both a reflection of our team’s professional capability and a testament to MSC’s strategic vision.”
Pierfrancesco Vago, Head of the Cruise Division at MSC Cruises, pointed out that this investment strongly reflects the company’s firm confidence in the future development trajectory of the cruise industry. He particularly emphasized the energy efficiency of the new ships, noting that the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a transitional fuel will pave the way for the future use of cleaner alternative fuels.
Currently, the “MSC World Asia”, after completing its outfitting and delivery, is planned to commence Mediterranean route operations in December 2026. The ship’s itinerary will include weekly calls to famous ports such as Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Messina, and Valletta. The “MSC World Atlantic” is expected to be delivered in 2027 and will, starting from the 2027-2028 season, operate Caribbean routes from Port Canaveral.
After completing its outfitting and delivery, the “MSC World Asia” will commence Mediterranean route operations in December 2026. The ship’s voyage plan includes routes with weekly calls to ports such as Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Messina, and Valletta. The “MSC World Atlantic” is expected to be delivered in 2027 and will, starting from the 2027-2028 season, operate Caribbean routes from Port Canaveral.
The “World Class” series began with the “MSC World Europa” delivered in 2022, and the “MSC World America” has already entered service this year. Previously, four other unnamed ships in this series were planned for completion between 2028 and 2031. The two newly ordered ships are expected to officially commence construction in 2029.
