Offering natural light, access to fresh air, and, often, additional space, balcony cabins are the most popular cruise ship accommodations. I’ve stayed in dozens of them, but the latest was on brand-new MSC World America, MSC Cruises’ latest World Class vessel.
Although the ship resembles some members of the Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line fleets in layout and onboard offerings, its cabins are more reminiscent of MSC’s Seaside Class ships, featuring elegant but simple furniture and a neutral color scheme.
Here’s what I liked and what I didn’t, so you can see if a Deluxe Balcony cabin will meet your needs the next time you set sail.
What I loved about my Deluxe Balcony cabin
Beyond the new-ship smell, which will eventually wear off, there was a lot I liked in my 183-square-foot Deluxe Balcony digs. Here’s a rundown.
The balcony
Let’s start with the obvious selling point: The balcony. Mine was small, but it afforded fantastic views.
Because I sailed on a three-night inaugural voyage, the only port we visited was MSC’s private island destination, Ocean Cay. Unfortunately, my cabin, Deluxe Balcony room 11269, was on the wrong side of the ship, so I wasn’t able to view land from my room.
But I did have the luxury of an unobstructed sunset when we left port, which was a nice bonus and made for great photos. And, for anyone who loves quick access to fresh air, a balcony cabin is an absolute must. The sitting area on my balcony consisted of two mesh upright chairs and a small matching footstool that doubles as a table for drinks.
Super comfy beds
Deluxe Balcony accommodations come with a king bed that converts into two twins upon request. I had some of the best sleep of my life on MSC World America, which uses Dorelan bedding and offers a choice of two pillow types – firm and less firm. Frankly, I couldn’t tell the difference, but they were both comfortable.
My room also had a sofa bed, which was able to sleep two additional passengers. I didn’t try it, so I can’t attest to its comfort level, but I did like the way that the cabin’s coffee table and stool were able to be tucked away under the desk/vanity to make more space, whether the sofa bed is pulled out or not.
A pleasant shower experience
The bathroom in my cabin was a standard size, but I appreciated the fiberglass shower, which had enough space that I didn’t constantly bang my elbows on the walls while washing my hair.
The shower head had four adjustable settings that allowed me to increase or decrease the pressure to suit my preferences, which was a nice amenity.
Thoughtful extra touches
Lots of little things combined to make my cabin functional, including luxury hangers that you can remove from the closet and rearrange as needed, a cutout in the closet shelving to allow for the hanging of long garments, and a large in-drawer keypad-operated safe that opened from the top and was large enough to store most laptops.
Additionally, there are two floor-to-ceiling mirrors (including an extra-large one for making sure your outfit looks just right), switches to request either cleaning or to not be disturbed (instead of magnets or placards), several built-in hooks for hanging towels or wet bathing suits (because the clothesline in the shower was comically small), and plenty of outlets, including a couple of European-style ones, two universal outlets, one standard USB, and several USB-Cs, including one by each side of the bed.
One of my absolute favorite features, though, was a nightlight that automatically kicked on when I removed my keycard from the slot. (The room requires a card to be inserted to turn the main lights on.)
I found it super useful when I returned to my cabin at night so I could see well enough to re-insert my card. It also meant I didn't have to fumble to find the bathroom in the dark after bedtime.
What I didn’t love about my Deluxe Balcony Cabin
The pros far outweighed the cons in my stateroom, but there are still a few niggles worth calling out.
Closet access and storage space
As with some of MSC’s other ships, many cabins on World America position closets next to the beds. Not only can it be a tight squeeze to access items because of the bed’s proximity, but the closets are designed so that you can only access one side at a time via sliding quiet-close doors, rather than doors that open outward.
Additionally, the amount of storage space in the cabin probably would have been fine for two people (I was by myself), but it would have been difficult to find enough drawers, shelves, and hanging bars if the cabin were at its four-person maximum.
One side of the closet has five shelves but only two drawers, and the space to hang items that would otherwise wrinkle is at a premium, with just one hanging bar.
The vanity area has four additional drawers. However, one is shallow, one is completely taken up by the safe, and another is where the hairdryer is stored.
Although the hairdryer is powerful and dried my hair in just a few minutes, I was frustrated that it took up already limited storage space. It’s also the type that requires you to hold the button in for it to function.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of under-bed storage for suitcases, though.
Odd placement or total lack of certain amenities
Let’s start with the bathroom. Although it’s largely functional, there are some placements that had me scratching my head.
For example, the makeup mirror has pointed edges, and if you don’t tuck it away so it’s against the wall after each use, you or one of your travel companions will end up with bruises.
The under-sink door, which opens to storage shelves and a trash can, is difficult to open and close without skinning your knuckles. It also isn’t a quiet-close door, so it slams each time you shut it.
Two noticeable omissions or near omissions were tissues (there were none) and standard USB ports. There was only one standard USB in my room; the other three were USB-C.
To MSC’s credit, the latter is a sign that the line was forward-thinking about how long the ship will be around. For now, USB-C outlets are great for those who have the newest devices, but not everyone (including me) does.
Bottom line
Overall, my Deluxe Balcony cabin on MSC World America met my needs.
Although there are a few elements I’d change if I could, it provided a comfortable place to sleep; thoughtful functionality in the way of extra hooks, a nightlight, and a makeup mirror; a workable shower setup, and other touches that made it feel like home during my brief voyage.
If you'd like to try out a Deluxe Balcony cabin on MSC World America, you can snag one on the ship's seven-night Eastern or Western Caribbean cruises through 2026 from $1,054 per person (based on double occupancy). The vessel's 14-night sailings start from $2,114 per person.
Ashley Kosciolek
Ashley boarded her first cruise more than 20 years ago and never looked back. Her experience encompasses nearly 100 sailings across every major cruise brand, as well as niche luxury, river and expedition lines. She has written thousands of cruise tip features; ship, port and shore excursion reviews; and industry news articles for The Points Guy, Cruise Critic and other publications. She has been quoted as an expert by outlets that include The New York Times, CNBC, Fox Business, Forbes, Good Morning America and others.
