Dubai, United Arab Emirates – MSC Cruises today signed two new orders for their globally successful World Class ships. The order with French ship builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, will see the total number of World Class ships in the MSC Cruises fleet expand to six. The two new ordered vessels – currently referred to as World Class 5 and 6 – will be delivered in 2029 and 2030 respectively and demonstrates the Company’s ongoing commitment to France and European shipbuilding.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said, “The confirmation of the orders for the two new World Class ships marks a new milestone in our remarkable journey of shipbuilding in France and the continuation of our long-term industrial plan.  This milestone underscores our commitment to building some of the highest performing ships in the world, creating a legacy of excellence and innovation in collaboration with the Chantiers de l’Atlantique – our long-term partners of more than 20 years. The highly successful World Class platform combines the very best in environmental technology with the latest advancements in guest experiences.”

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique added, "We thank MSC Cruises for their continued trust. It is the synergy of our two companies’ expertise that has led to the creation of this high-potential World Class series, meeting the challenges both in terms of passenger experience and environmental performance. World Class V and VI mark a milestone in the history of the cruise industry, with the best energy efficiency.”

The new ships will join MSC World Europa and MSC World America along with MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic, which are currently under construction and will enter service in 2026 and 2027 respectively.

The World Class ships are already the most energy efficient ships in service, significantly outperforming the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the new vessels will continue to uphold the high energy efficiency standards set by their sister ships.  All World Class ships are ready for a variety of alternative fuels including bio and synthetic LNG.  Additionally, they will feature a new configuration of the latest generation dual fuel internal combustion engines, which feature new technology to further reduce methane slip.

The new vessels will feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port, the most advanced wastewater treatment systems designed in line with the IMO, new advances in waste management, and a comprehensive range of onboard energy efficient equipment to optimise engine use and hotel energy needs to further reduce emissions.


As with the other World Class ships, the new vessels will seamlessly blend MSC Cruises’ signature elegant European design with comfort to offer an unparalleled guest experience centred around a districts concept with facilities, and experiences tailored to the needs of different types of traveller. Each new ship MSC Cruises builds offers something new and distinctive and World 5 and 6 will be no different.

The two new orders will be subject to access to financing, as per industry practice. 

NOTES

MSC Cruises’ first LNG ship, MSC World Europa was launched in November 2022 and the latest ship in this class, MSC World America entered service in April 2025 and is operating in the North American cruise market.  There are currently two vessels under construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire in France, MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic. These ships will be delivered in 2026 and 2027 respectively. 

All World Class ships feature dual engines and as bio and synthetic fuels become available at scale, emissions from MSC Cruises’ World Class vessels will be further reduced.

LNG is key to the development of low carbon solutions for shipping as emerging technologies such as fuel cells can be operated with LNG until zero emissions bio and synthetic LNG become available at scale.

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique are actively involved in several projects to develop and make these technologies viable in partnership with regulators, academia, and industry.

About MSC Cruises

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the privately-owned MSC Cruises is the world’s third largest cruise line and the market leader in Europe with a strong and growing presence in North America.

A global cruise brand with 23 modern ships offering cruises across five continents, guests can visit more than 100 countries worldwide with more than 300 destinations, making unforgettable memories and enjoying the finest hospitality.

About Chantiers De L’Atlantique

Thanks to the expertise of its teams and its network of subcontractors, combined with top industrial technology, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is a key leader in the design, integration, testing and precise delivery of cruise ships, naval vessels, electrical substations for offshore wind farms and fleet services. The company is a pioneer in the challenges of tomorrow. Thanks to its research and development, Chantiers de l’Atlantique offers ships with the highest environmental performance, as well as equipment for offshore wind farms, making it a major player in global energy transition.

For further information, please contact:
Ghida Abou Zaki | Elise Nacouzi
Belarabi Group
ghida@belarabigroup.com | elise@belarabigroup.com