Recently, Chantiers de l’Atlantique recently launched the “MSC World Atlantic,” the fourth LNG-powered cruise ship it has built for MSC Cruises, a subsidiary of Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The vessel will remain at Chantiers de l’Atlantique for interior fitting-out and final technical commissioning.
The “MSC World Atlantic” is 333.3 meters long, 47 meters wide, approximately 68 meters high, and has a gross tonnage of 215,863 GT, with a nominal maximum speed of approximately 22.7 knots. The ship features 2,626 passenger cabins and can accommodate up to 6,762 passengers, with a crew of 2,138. The vessel will be equipped with a dual-fuel propulsion system primarily powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The system consists of five engines with a total output of approximately 80 megawatts.
Construction of the “MSC World Atlantic” began on March 27, 2025, and the ship is scheduled for delivery in 2027, at which time it will become the 25th ship in the MSC Cruises fleet. According to the plan, the ship will depart from Port Canaveral, Florida, during the winter of 2027–2028 and sail to the Caribbean.
MSC Cruises stated that the itinerary will include “Ocean Reef,” MSC’s private marine reserve in the Bahamas, and Grand Turk.
According to reports, this series consists of eight cruise ships. The first ship, the “MSC World Europa,” was delivered in 2022; the second, the “MSC World America,” is scheduled for delivery in March 2025; and the third, the “MSC World Asia,” is set to complete its final sea trials in September 2026, with delivery planned for November 2026.
Construction of “World Class 5” and “World Class 6” is expected to begin in 2027, with deliveries projected for 2029 and 2030, respectively; construction of “World Class 7” and “World Class 8” is expected to start in 2029, with deliveries projected for 2030 and 2031, respectively.