MSC World America ship starts sea trials ahead of 2025 debut

   December 13, 2024 ,   Cruise Industry

The MSC World America commenced her maiden sea trials on Thursday, December 12th, departing from the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard/STX France in Saint-Nazaire.

The vessel left the C-class dock shortly before 2:00 p.m. for a 2-day evaluation period in the Atlantic, carrying several hundred personnel tasked with monitoring the ship's performance. The team includes representatives from Chantiers de l'Atlantique, MSC Cruises, the Bureau Veritas certification body, and other co-developers finalizing the ship's outfitting.

The sea trials will assess the ship's operational readiness through comprehensive testing, including advanced maneuvers and performance benchmarks. Captain Dino Sagani, the ship's inaugural master appointed in November 2024, will oversee these pivotal evaluations.

Scheduled for delivery in spring 2025, MSC World America is set to depart Saint-Nazaire in April to begin her inaugural Caribbean season, operating from homeport Miami.

The ship represents the second vessel in MSC Cruises' World Class series and will be followed by further fleet expansion. Two additional vessels of the same class were ordered in late 2023, while the MSC World Asia, the 3rd in the series, is under construction and anticipated to debut in 2026.

A naming ceremony for MSC World America has been confirmed for April 9th, 2025, in Miami, marking a significant milestone in MSC Cruises' continued growth in the North American and Caribbean markets.