A relatively new player in the North American cruise market, MSC Cruises has turned heads — and for good reason.
The line's newest ship, MSC World America, is a beaut, and after sailing on some of the world's largest ships, including Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, I knew I had to see if MSC's mega-ship could hold its own.
As MSC's first-ever newbuild for the North American market, it's full of features designed to appeal specifically to U.S. travelers, including a sports bar, comedy club, and British-style pub.
MSC World America is the line's second World Class ship and is similar in size to its predecessor, MSC World Europa, measuring 215,863 gross tons and boasting a passenger capacity of over 6,700.
I thought I knew what to expect after sailing with MSC Cruises in Europe. However, everything about my experience on MSC World America blew me away.
Read more: 10 best things about MSC World America, Miami's newest mega-ship
MSC World America cabins
MSC World America has six categories of staterooms: Studio, Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, Suite, and MSC Yacht Club.
All cabins feature a minimalist, contemporary aesthetic. Regardless of whether you book an inside cabin or multi-story suite, you can expect updated charging options, an ensuite bathroom, daily housekeeping, and more.
MSC Yacht Club, MSC's most exclusive accommodation category, offers a ship-within-a-ship experience designed for travelers seeking dedicated service, private amenities, and upscale rooms.
There are 152 suites within the MSC Yacht Club on MSC World America, ranging from the entry-level Interior Suite to the massive Royal Duplex Suite.
Unlike other ship-within-a-ship concepts, MSC has interior suites in the Yacht Club for those who want to experience luxury but are on a budget.
Beyond the suites, MSC Yacht Club guests have access to butlers, multiple exclusive restaurants, a private sundeck, priority embarkation, unlimited drinks, and even a reserved beach at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
During my Caribbean cruise on MSC World America, my partner and I splurged on a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. It wasn't the largest or expensive Yacht Club cabin, but it had a spacious balcony and spa-like bathroom.
The location was great, too. We didn't have to venture far to access the Yacht Club-exclusive areas, like the Topsail Lounge, pool deck, or restaurant.
MSC World America cruise amenities
As one of the largest cruise ships at sea, MSC World America is packed with some pretty neat amenities.
Over-the-water swing? You betcha. Virtual reality water slide? Duh. A spiral dry slide that takes you from Deck 20 to Deck 8? Of course. All of that's in addition to the bumper cars, Formula 1 race simulator, LEGO family zone, and more.
One important note is that not all of the attractions on MSC World America are included. For example, the Cliffhanger swing costs $9 per person, while riding bumper cars will set you back $7 per car.
Another extra-cost amenity worth mentioning is the thermal suite in the Aurea Spa. As Yacht Club sailors, we had complimentary access to the thermal suite and were surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Treatment areas include a thalassotherapy pool, heated lounge chairs, two saunas, a snow room, a steam room, a salt room, a Mediterranean bath, a Ganbanyoku Room, and Walking Kneipp hydrotherapy pools.
The price varies depending on whether you want a single-day or multi-day pass. During my sailing in July, a one-day thermal suite pass was $89, while a 3-day pass cost $169.
Moreover, although I enjoyed the amenities on MSC World America, the entertainment was hit or miss. The original shows in the main theater felt disjointed. "Hall of Fame," in particular, left a lot to be desired. The singers were pitchy, and the choreography wasn't special.
The best shows we saw onboard were "Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert" and the Queen Symphonic tribute performance in the Panorama Lounge.
The food on MSC World America was great
The MSC World America cruise ship has over 15 dining venues on board, including complimentary (included) and specialty (extra-charge) restaurants. From late-night bites at Pizza & Burger to quick buffet meals, it's impossible to go hungry on the mega-ship.
While MSC gets a bad rap for its food, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety on MSC World America.
To start, my favorite complimentary restaurant was the La Brasserie. During the day, the space serves as an extension of the popular. At night, however, it's turned into a Yacht Club-exclusive restaurant.
The menu focuses on elevated shared plates — think lobster curry, Korean beef ribs, croquettes, vegetable samosas, and more.
It's the kind of place where you want to go hungry and with an open mind. Some of the dishes are more adventurous, but everything was delicious. The hot stone lobster curry and grilled beef ribs were standouts.
You don't want to miss dessert, either. The soft-baked cookie that's topped with vanilla ice cream rivals the Campfire Cookie on Royal Caribbean ships. Our waiter said that it's so popular that some Yacht Club cruisers return later in the sailing just for the dessert!
Moving on, my partner and I also enjoyed meals in the upscale Yacht Club Restaurant, Yacht Club Grill, Pizza & Burger, Il Mercato Buffet, Kaito Teppanyaki, and Eataly.
The Yacht Club Restaurant is essentially the main dining room for suite guests. However, unlike other cruise lines, you won't find the standard ship fare like French onion soup, shrimp cocktails, strip steaks, and lamb chops on the menu.
Instead, MSC's food, including in the regular dining rooms, showcases MSC's European roots. Options included veal osso buco, pumpkin risotto, asparagus-stuffed tortelli, and duck and chicken terrine.
Still, my partner is a particular eater and has more dietary restrictions than me, and she was always able to find something appealing, even if it was ordering the same freshly-made penne pasta.
Throughout the week, we also enjoyed the grab-and-go options at Pizza & Burger in the World Galleria. It wasn't anything fancy, but the variety was impressive.
The complimentary restaurant offered everything from freshly made pizza to chicken tenders, build-your-own nachos, cheeseburgers, mac & cheese, and even buffalo chicken wings — all for no extra cost! It was open late, too.
However, MSC World America has multiple specialty restaurants that focus on elevated cuisine in more intimate settings. We couldn't resist skipping our favorite (teppanyaki) or trying the only Eataly at sea.
The experience at Kaito Teppanyaki is different from standard hibachi restaurants, though. For starters, all diners are given three different preset menus to choose from.
Each began with a selection of sushi and sashimi. Then, everyone got miso soup, followed by a seasonal teppan salad, seafood course, garlic fried rice, and a second protein (either chicken or beef). Dessert rounded out the meal, and a vegetarian option was also available.
Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions, though. The crew was more than willing to work with us to accommodate our personal preferences.
Neither my partner nor I eats raw fish, so instead of the preset sushi and sashimi course, they brought us the vegetarian option. We were also able to substitute the seafood course for garlic noodles! Needless to say, we did not leave disappointed — the experience was fun, and the food was even better.
That said, Eataly should be on everyone's must-eat list. We enjoyed everything from the burratta to the fried seafood platter, massive freshly made rigatoni, and tiramisu.
MSC World America itineraries
MSC World America sails exclusively from Miami, Florida, to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This is not expected to change until at least October 2027.
The weeklong sailings call at various Caribbean ports like Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Roatán, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Each voyage also includes a scheduled stop at MSC's private island in The Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Overall MSC cruise review: Is MSC World America a good cruise ship?
MSC World America is a beautiful mega-ship that directly competes with Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class vessels in terms of size and amenities. There's a lot to appreciate onboard, including the top-notch dining, stateroom variety, elegant interior promenade, expansive recreational facilities, and more.
The price is also an appealing factor. Compared to other cruise ships, sailing on MSC World America is shockingly affordable. For example, an interior cabin for two guests on the October 3, 2026, voyage starts at $1,470. An interior stateroom on a 7-night cruise on Icon of the Seas starts at $3,010 for the same week.
That said, I'd be remiss not to mention the cons about MSC World America. Many of the popular amenities are not included in the cruise fare. Moreover, the public areas can feel crowded if you don't have the Yacht Club-exclusive spaces to retreat to.
Still, I'd argue that MSC World America delivers a high-value cruise experience that competes with the largest, most technologically savvy ships on the market.
You’ll find a lot of bells and whistles on board, which is great for cruisers who want a modern experience but don't want to shell out thousands of dollars to sail on Icon of the Seas.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
