MSC Cruises is growing rapidly and expanding its presence into the US, and now it seems the popular European cruise line may also be expanding its fleet according to gross tonnage. The cruise line is reportedly in talks with Meyer Turku about new construction projects that could be in excess of 200,000 gross tons.
Any new large ships for MSC Cruises would be several years or even up to a decade away, depending on the terms of agreements, design processes, shipyard scheduling, labor availability, financing arrangements, and more.
According to Shipping Italy, MSC Cruises currently has “well-established discussions” with Meyer Turku, the first time the cruise line has explored such projects with the Meyer Werft group. Previously, MSC Cruises has worked with Fincantieri and Chantiers de l’Atlantique for their new vessel construction.
It is possible that the change in shipyard considerations may not be due to size at all, but rather could be a scheduling issue. With cruising popularity sailing far past pre-pandemic levels, many cruise lines have new vessels already under construction or on order.
Fincantieri is currently building vessels for Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises. Meanwhile, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is building ships for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, among others.
MSC Cruises’ MSC World America coming in 2025 and the third as-yet-unnamed World-class ship with delivery scheduled for 2027 are also contracted to Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
If MSC Cruises is interested in bigger-than-ever ships, only a few shipyards in Europe are capable of that type of construction. This further narrows the selection of where such ships could be built, which could add more time to any construction schedule as shipbuilder calendars are already quite tightly booked.
How Big Could the New Ships Be?
While no firm numbers have been released about what size of project MSC Cruises may be considering, current speculation is that the new vessels would be in excess of 200,000 gross tons. Exact numbers are often hard to confirm until construction on a new vessel is nearly complete, particularly for premier projects or first-in-class designs.
It is possible that the project could eclipse the current largest ships in the world – Royal Caribbean International’s Icon class. Icon of the Seas debuted in January 2024, and the second ship in the class, Star of the Seas, is scheduled to set sail in August 2025. The Icon-class ships measure 248,663 gross tons and can welcome 5,610 guests at double occupancy (7,600 passengers if fully booked!).
MSC Cruises is already well represented for large cruise ships, claiming 8 of the top 25 slots in the world according to gross tonnage. MSC World Europa is the cruise line’s largest ship at 215,863 gross tons, the seventh largest active ship in the world – behind Icon of the Seas and every Oasis-class ship, all in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
MSC Euribia ranks at #12 (184,011 gross tons), followed by MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa tied at the #17 spot (181,541 gross tons). MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima both come in at #21 (171,598 gross tons), and MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape also rank in the top 25, coming in at #23 (169,400 gross tons).
Bigger ships offer new and unique features for guests to enjoy, as well as more innovation and distinction. From thrill rides to transformative spaces to technological wonders, bigger ships have a lot of bells and whistles that aren’t possible on smaller ships.
Read Also: MSC Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class
Undoubtedly, MSC Cruises may have spectacular things in mind as new and larger ships are considered, but only time will tell what will be possible and when such new ships may come to be.
