MSC Cruises has confirmed the order of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels with French ship builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The two new ordered vessels – currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 – will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
MSC says its World Europa and World America are already the most energy efficient ships in the industry – performing significantly better than the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirement.
The new ships, with an option for a fifth, will be an evolution of the state-of-the-art World Class prototype with innovative solutions to maximize the energy efficiency, with extensive use of heat recovery and other technological solutions, which will see the vessels having an even further reduced carbon footprint, says MSC.
Additionally, the new ships will be ready for a variety of alternative fuels including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. The ships will also be fitted with the next generation dual fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.
“The World Class is a truly innovative prototype and together we are building some of the most advanced ships in the world,” says MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago. “We are committed to researching and investing in future environmental technologies as they become available, to ensure we continue progressing on our decarbonization journey to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
The new World Class 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 optimize engine use and hotel energy needs to further reduce emissions.
In other MSC news:
EXPLORA JOURNEYS
EXPLORA I arrived in PortMiami earlier this month marking the ship’s debut in South Florida. The ship is the first of a fleet of six for the luxury ocean travel brand of the MSC Group. Through March, the luxury ship will explore the Caribbean and Central America, calling on ports like Samana/Dominican Republic and Bridgetown/Barbados, with stops in Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, Cartagena, Saint Barthélemy and the Grenadines, among others, before heading to the US West Coast.
EXPLORA II will enter service in summer 2024 and operate until April 2025 in the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East. EXPLORA III and EXPLORA IV will both be powered by liquefied natural gas and enter service in 2026 and 2027 respectively. EXPLORA V and EXPLORA VI will both be powered by hydrogen and enter service in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Teen program
MSC Cruises has revealed a new and expanded Teen and Young Program across its entire fleet, accompanied by a new MSC Cruises’ original teen music video dedicated to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Now in effect, the Young and Teens Club on board all MSC Cruises’ ships offers extended opening hours and eight hours of daily live entertainment. During the day, guests from ages 12 to 17 have access to dedicated facilities packed with the latest consoles, games, and VR tech.
Guests can also expect an array of organized activities on board including sports, cutting-edge amusement options, fun-filled entertainment possibilities at the aquapark as well as a dinner organized exclusively for young guests and teenagers. Each evening there’s a different exclusive prime-time game show that will be offered for teenagers, followed by a teen disco, ensuring endless entertainment throughout the cruise.