After just getting off Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, I’m back at it again, this time revisiting a ship I sailed exactly one year ago on its inaugural voyage: MSC World America.
When World America debuted in Miami last year, it not only became the first World Class ship to homeport in North America, but it also brought MSC’s biggest ship class yet to the U.S. market. That title originally belonged to MSC World Europa, the first ship in the class, which entered service in 2022. These ships are absolute beasts, built to carry roughly 6,700 passengers at full capacity. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of these giants, as I find being around this many people to be frustrating at times, and I just don’t think any cruise line can really delivery a “quality” experience to that many people. However, ships aren’t getting smaller, so here we are.
The design is also one of the things that makes this class stand out. If you look at the back of the ship, it has a Y-shaped aft that opens onto the outdoor World Promenade that’s lined with bars, restaurants, and shops. Royal Caribbean fans will immediately recognize the concept because they first introduced this design with their Oasis Class, but for MSC, this was a first.
Now, I’m not expecting a ship this new to feel too different just one year later, but it will be interesting to see whether anything has changed, whether operations feel more polished, and how the ship is holding up after a full year in service. Inaugural sailings are one thing. Coming back a year later, when the ship is just doing its regular weekly thing, is usually when you get a much better feel for what the real experience is like.
For that trip, as well as this one, I am not in the cruise line’s ship-within-a-ship Yacht Club, however, contributor Jason and his family did their first MSC cruise on this ship choosing Yacht Club over “gen pop.” You can read about their experience by clicking here.
This particular sailing is a repeat of that inaugural itinerary with stops in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas. A look at the itinerary is below.
MSC Cruises – 8-Day Caribbean
World America
Dates: April 18–25, 2026
Homeport: Miami, Florida, USA
Ship Facts: 2025 build • 205,700 GT • 6,774 passengers (double occupancy)
| Date | Port | Country |
| Apr 18 | Miami (Depart 6:00pm) | USA |
| Apr 19 | At Sea | – |
| Apr 20 | Puerto Plata (Arrive 9:00am, Depart 5:00pm) | Dominican Republic |
| Apr 21 | San Juan (Arrive 9:00am, Depart 11:00pm) | Puerto Rico |
| Apr 22 | At Sea | – |
| Apr 23 | At Sea | – |
| Apr 24 | Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (Arrive 8:00am, Depart 8:00pm) | Bahamas |
| Apr 25 | Miami (Arrive 7:00am) | USA |
Embarkation at PortMiami + First Impressions
Whenever I sail out of Miami, I usually take the Brightline from Boca Raton to Miami because it beats the hell out of the traffic, chaos, and aggravation that comes with any departure from what I still consider the worst cruise port in North America. But for this trip, I decided to hire a private car instead, and it didn’t take long to realize that the only sane way to get to Miami from anywhere in South Florida is to take the train.
Traffic and construction on I-95 turned what should have been a 55-minute trip into a two-hour slog through brake lights, detours, and the kind of frustration that makes you question every life decision that brought you to that moment. Meanwhile, the Brightline does Boca to Miami in exactly one hour. So the takeaway here is simple: take the train, Scott. Take the train.
After sitting in traffic and weaving through side streets to avoid the worst of the mess, we finally arrived at MSC’s beautiful new home at PortMiami, Terminal AA. And that’s the point where the chaos suddenly disappeared and everything became smooth sailing.
MSC’s terminal is massive. In fact, it’s the largest cruise terminal in the world at just under half a million square feet. It can accommodate up to three ships at once and handle as many as 36,000 passengers in a single day. On this particular day, it was home to MSC World America and, in a bit of a twist, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas as well.
Why is Royal using MSC’s terminal? Because Royal is currently down one terminal in Miami after its oldest one was demolished to make room for a new one. In the meantime, when their other terminal next door is full, they’ve been leasing space in MSC’s facility.
Once you arrive, you drop your bags and head inside. If you’re sailing in Yacht Club, there’s a separate entrance for you. For everyone else, the process is almost ridiculously easy. You stand in front of a machine, it scans your passport, takes your photo, and that’s it. From there, you head to security, run your bags through the scanner, do one more facial recognition check, and boom, welcome aboard.
The whole process from curbside to stepping onto the ship took less than 10 minutes and was absolutely flawless. Other cruise lines need to take a serious lesson from MSC here because this is hands down the most stress-free embarkation process in the business.
Now once you actually walk onto the ship, that’s where MSC World America fails absolutely miserably.
I really do not know who thought this was a great way to welcome guests aboard, but they should probably be reassigned to something that doesn’t involve first impressions. Normally, when you board a cruise ship, you walk into a grand atrium or some stunning public space that makes you stop and say, “holy hell, this is impressive.” On MSC World America, you walk into what basically is an elevator lobby. It’s small, it’s crowded, it’s loud, and it has all the visual appeal of a cat’s rear end.
And instead of taking in the moment, you’re immediately being barked at by crew members to keep your boarding pass out and go to your muster station. Over and over again. “Keep your boarding pass out and go to your muster station.” It’s chaotic, it’s maddening, and it is an absolutely terrible welcome aboard for MSC’s $1.25 billion-dollar flagship.
So I followed the shouted instructions and headed to my muster station. Nobody explains anything. Nobody gives you a quick rundown of where to go in an emergency or asks if you have any questions. They scan your card, it beeps, they say thank you, and that’s the whole interaction. After that, it’s up to you to watch the safety video either on your stateroom TV or in the MSC for Me app. And if you don’t, the app will keep nagging you until you do. Also worth noting, you can’t make purchases onboard, including grabbing a drink, until you’ve checked in at your muster station.
And since we’re on the topic, let’s talk about the MSC for Me app.
It’s buggy.
Very buggy.
Maybe it was because half the ship was trying to watch the safety video at the same time, but the app kept insisting I wasn’t connected to Wi-Fi, even when I clearly was. It would start the video, then throw up an error saying there was no connection. Then after getting through the full video, it would act like it never finished and make you start over. It was frustrating and way more annoying than it needed to be.
Once those irritations were out of the way, it was finally time to head to the room.
Balcony Stateroom 15233 on MSC World America
For this trip, I booked the same type of room I had last time, even though I previously said I might not do that again. Clearly I have trust issues with myself. So once again, I’m in one of MSC’s balcony staterooms with promenade and ocean view, located aft on Deck 15. These are the rooms that face into the Y-shaped promenade area, so you get a view of all the action happening below, along with a partial look out to the wake. It’s not exactly the world’s greatest ocean view, but it does give you a little bit of both.
A few days before the cruise, I started getting the usual PlusGrade emails inviting me to bid on an upgrade. I thought about throwing in a bid for a regular ocean view balcony, but the problem with upgrade bids is that you lose control over your location. I didn’t want to end up in a connecting room, or with an obstructed view, so I left well enough alone and stuck with what I had.
One thing MSC does right is that you can head straight to your room after boarding to drop off your carry-on bags, even if the rooms are not officially open yet. They just ask you not to stick around until the staterooms are fully ready. When I got to mine around 1:20 p.m., it was already done, even though the official announcement that all rooms were ready didn’t come until 2:00 p.m. Some cruise lines won’t let you anywhere near your room until the magic hour arrives, so being able to drop your stuff and go is a nice little perk.
Now as for the room itself, these are not traditional balcony cabins in the way a lot of cruisers are used to. Instead of being long and narrow with the bathroom right near the entrance, followed by the main living area and then the balcony, these rooms are more square in shape and feel a little tighter. Cozy is probably the best word for them.
That said, I actually like the layout.
When you walk in, you’re immediately in the living area. There’s a bed that can be split into two twins, with USB-C ports on both sides, though one of mine wasn’t working. You also get a reading light on each side of the bed. Across from the bed is the TV, phone, more power outlets, USB-A and USB-C ports, and a fully stocked minibar, which is available for an extra charge unless you’re in Yacht Club. The safe is tucked away inside a drawer, and there’s also a small stool and table in the room.
Storage-wise, it’s perfectly fine for two people. There’s a decent-sized wardrobe for hanging clothes, a spot for shoes, and another section with shelves and drawers. Since this room only accommodates two guests, the storage felt more than adequate, and for once I actually had some room to spare.
The balcony is actually a nice size. there are two chairs and a small table / footstool. Unlike some balconies I’ve had, you can sit here, stretch out, and not have your knees touching the glass.
The bathroom, however, is on the smaller side.
Now if you read my Koningsdam review, you may remember my toilet drama in that room, where the bowl was positioned so awkwardly close to the shower wall that the only realistic way to use it was sideways. Thats not the case here. On MSC World America, the toilet placement actually works, even if you’re six feet tall.
Counter space and storage in the bathroom are pretty limited, though. The shower is small, but not the smallest I’ve ever had on a cruise ship, and I had no real issue using it. It has a glass door instead of one of those clingy shower curtains that wants to become part of you. But if you’re a larger person, it may feel a bit tight.
Also worth noting, because MSC is a European line, washcloths are not automatically provided, so if you want them, you’ll need to ask.
Now for the important part: the bed.
After a full night’s sleep, I can say the bed was incredibly comfortable. It’s on the firmer side, which I prefer, but whatever MSC is doing with these mattresses, they’ve managed to solve one of cruising’s great annoyances: the dreaded midnight crack between two pushed-together beds. No sliding into the middle waking up trapped in the canyon. Just a solid, comfortable sleep. The air conditioning also worked beautifully, and the room stayed nice and cold all night, which automatically earns bonus points from me.
One thing you absolutely need to know about these promenade-view rooms is that yes, they do get noise from the activities happening below. During the day, you’ll hear music and the occasional screams of people flying down the Jaw Drop slide. At night, you’ll hear more music, though it usually wraps up by around 11:00 p.m. If you value peace and quiet, do not book one of these rooms. Book a regular ocean view balcony instead.
For me, it’s not a big deal since I sleep with white noise and sleep buds, but if you’re the type who needs total silence to sleep, this is probably not the cabin for you.
Video Tour of Stateroom 15233 on MSC World America
While I was waiting for the all-clear that rooms were officially ready, I did some wandering around the ship and was very quickly reminded what it’s like to be back on a vessel carrying more than 6,000 people.
That is a lot of people.
MSC World America and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships are the largest ships I’ve sailed on, and coming off the much more intimate 750-passenger Explora I and smaller Holland America ships over the past few months, this was a bit of a rude awakening. People were everywhere. Now to MSC’s credit, the ship’s layout does a pretty good job of spreading entertainment, bars, restaurants, and public spaces around so one single area doesn’t become a complete disaster. But the popular spots absolutely get crowded. The pools fill up fast, and the buffet, which I very clearly remembered being a bottleneck from my last time onboard, was once again doing buffet things. As the afternoon went on, though, people started to spread out more and the congestion eased up a bit. Still, there’s no getting around it: World America is a huge ship, and you are sharing it with a whole lot of humanity.
Back in the room, my luggage had arrived, so it was time to unpack and get ready for the evening.
Main Dining Rooms on MSC World America
On embarkation day, most people tend to spend the evening just settling in. A lot of guests sailing MSC in the U.S. have flown in from overseas, spent the previous night in a hotel, and are really just looking to ease into the trip. Because of that, the main dining room and buffet tend to get hammered on night one.
And speaking of the dining room, there isn’t just one. There are multiple. If you booked open seating, you have your own dining room. If you have assigned early or late seating, you’ll be placed in one of two restaurants. If you’re staying in an Aurea class stateroom, there’s a separate dining room for that. And then of course there’s the Yacht Club restaurant for those guests. Your dining time is assigned onboard and printed on your keycard, which in my case came with a 5:30 p.m. dinner time.
Hell no.
So like many others, I made my way down to the dining room to get that changed. The whole process is clunky, and the people working there had that very specific embarkation day expression that says they have spent the last several hours doing nothing but reassigning dinner times for people who also said “hell no” to 5:30.
Before moving on, here’s a look at what was on the menu for the main dining rooms and the Yacht Club Restaurant:
MSC World America Main Dining Room Dinner Menu A
Available in Bubbles Restaurant, Esagano Restaurant, Hexagon Restaurant, La Foglia Restaurant, Les Dunes Restaurant
Available on: MSC World America
MSC World America Yacht Club Restaurant Dinner Menu A
Available on: MSC World America
My first stop that evening was at my favorite watering hole on the ship, The Gin Project. Yes, a bar dedicated entirely to gin cocktails, with a heavy focus on gin and tonics. This was one of the places my liver absolutely hated me for last year, and I’m fairly certain it will hate me again by the end of this cruise.
The bar has gone through some changes since launch, mainly in the gin selection. The variety has definitely been pared down. Right now, the lineup seems to focus on American gins, with the European choices mostly gone, which is a bit disappointing. Still, there’s enough variety to keep things interesting. Some of my favorite bartenders from last year were still there, and even better, they remembered how I take my G&Ts, which is either a sign of excellent service or a cry for help.
One thing to know about The Gin Project is that it doesn’t have a traditional sit-down bar. There are seats and a rail where you can perch while overlooking the Masters of the Sea pub below, where live music is usually happening, but you’re not pulling up a stool at a bar counter here. Not a dealbreaker though, because the drinks are excellent and that’s really the important part.
Dinner at Hola! Tacos & Cantina on MSC World America
When dinner time rolled around, I decided to skip the main dining room and go with one of the specialty restaurants instead. Embarkation night is actually a great time to do specialty dining because those venues tend to be much quieter while everyone else flocks to the buffet and main dining room. My choice for night one was Hola! Tacos & Cantina, which remains one of the best values on MSC.
For $25 per person, you get an all-you-can-eat selection of Mexican food including tacos, burritos, enchiladas, desserts, and more. They also have very good margaritas and a nice mezcal selection. Hola! is available on other MSC ships too, and for the price, it’s tough to beat. You can order à la carte if you want, but honestly, that doesn’t make much sense unless you somehow wandered in with no appetite.
Hola! Tacos and Cantina Menu
Available on: MSC Bellissima, MSC Euribia, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seascape, MSC Virtuosa, MSC World Europa, MSC World America
I went with the all-you-can-eat option and started with chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso. From there, I ordered one of each taco so I could sample the full lineup of their street taco offerings. It was a great way to try a variety without committing to just one or two choices. For dessert, I went with what I was told is a newer option that replaced the rice pudding: chocoflan cake, which is exactly what it sounds like, a combination of flan and chocolate cake. And yes, it was good.
Service was great, the food was very good, and for the price, dinner at Chipotle would probably cost you more.
After dinner, I headed to the casino to try my luck. One thing MSC World America gets very right is the casino setup. The main casino floor is completely non-smoking, with a large bar right in the center.
If you want to smoke while losing your money, there’s a separate enclosed smoking casino room with a handful of machines and what feels like an 85% chance of lung cancer by the time you walk out. It is incredibly smoky in there, but for those who insist on smoking while chasing a jackpot, the option exists.
I give MSC a lot of credit for this setup. Most cruise lines do the opposite, making the main casino floor smoking and shoving non-smokers into some sad little corner with a few token machines. MSC flipped that around, and it’s a huge win.
After donating some money to the casino, I wandered around the ship a bit more while the Miami Nights party was happening in the indoor promenade and various activities were taking place all over the ship. But it had been a long day between the traffic nightmare, embarkation, unpacking, and reacquainting myself with life on a mega ship, so I called it a night fairly early.
Tomorrow is a full sea day as we make our way to our first port of call, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. More on that tomorrow, and as always, thanks for following along.
MSC World America Day 1 Daily Program
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00am – 08:45pm | Acupuncture: Free Tongue & Pulse Analysis | MSC Aurea Spa (Deck 8 Fwd) |
| 11:00am – 09:00pm | Free Foot Analysis | MSC Gym (Deck 20 Mid) |
| 11:00am – 06:00pm | Free Spa Tours & Massage Tester | MSC Aurea Spa (Deck 8 Fwd) |
| 12:00pm – 06:00pm | MSC Gym Orientation & Class Sign Up | MSC Gym (Deck 20 Mid) |
| 01:00pm – 03:00pm | Meet your Port & Shopping Guide Mick | Port Shopping Desk (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 02:00pm – 04:00pm | A Gift for you: EFFY Momentum Pendants & Charms Tracker | Fine Jewellery (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 03:00pm | MSC Cruise and Travel Show | World Theatre (Deck 7 Fwd) |
| 03:00pm | Live music with Mark Steel Pan | Mar Azul (Deck 18 Mid) |
| 03:00pm – 04:30pm | Arts & Crafts: Open House | Dolce Vita Bar (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 03:00pm – 04:30pm | Sports: Welcome to your Sports Program | MSC Sportplex (Deck 20 Mid) |
| 03:00pm – 05:00pm | Tech: VR Sign Up (13+) | Dolce Vita Bar (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 04:00pm | DJ Poolside Vibes | Mar Azul (Deck 18 Mid) |
| 04:00pm – 07:00pm | Hospitality Desk (ITA, FRA, ESP) | World Galleria (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 04:15pm | Spa Raffle | MSC Aurea Spa (Deck 8 Fwd) |
| 04:30pm | Welcome Aboard Party | Mar Azul (Deck 18 Mid) |
| 05:00pm | Friends of Bill W (unhosted) | Business Center 2 (Deck 6 Fwd) |
| 05:00pm – 07:30pm | Free Ship Charm Pick Up & Meet Guide Mick | Port Shopping Desk (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 06:00pm | Solo Travellers Get Together | Champagne Bar (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 06:00pm | Live music with Valentina, AJ Duo & Soul Band | Dolce Vita Bar (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 06:30pm | Crack the Code – Win a Diamond Pendant! | Port Shopping Desk (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 07:00pm – 07:30pm | Gaming Lessons | Signature Casino (Deck 7 Aft) |
| 07:00pm | Omega’s Grand Opening | Omega (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 07:00pm – 11:30pm | Guess the Carat Weight | Fine Jewellery (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 07:00pm – 11:30pm | Sunglasses Sales | Shopping Gallery (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 07:00pm | Luxury at Sea – Certified Pre-Owned Handbags | Luxury Accessories (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 07:00pm | Live music with Chris J Clarke & Diego | Masters of the Sea (Deck 7 Mid) |
| 07:30pm | Dance Class: Salsa | Dolce Vita Bar (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 07:30pm | Theater Show: Odyssey | World Theatre (Deck 7 Fwd) |
| 08:00pm | Queen Symphonic: A Rock & Orchestra Revolution! | Panorama Lounge (Deck 7 Aft) |
| 08:00pm | TimeVallée’s Grand Opening | TimeVallée (Deck 7 Mid) |
| 08:00pm | #MSCKids: Lucky Box | The Studio (Deck 19 Mid) |
| 08:00pm – 11:00pm | DJ Music Vibes | Elixir Bar (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 08:15pm | Palm Tree Show | World Promenade (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 08:15pm – 08:45pm | Shuffle Board Tournament | All-Stars Sports Bar (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 08:30pm | Live music with Mark Steel Pan | World Promenade (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 08:30pm – 09:30pm | EFFY Jewelry Welcome Aboard Toast | Fine Jewellery (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 08:30pm – 10:00pm | Be a Karaoke Superstar! (18+) | The Loft (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 09:00pm | LGBTQIA+ Get Together | Elixir Bar (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 09:00pm | World of Jewels Grand Opening | World of Jewels (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 09:15pm | Palm Tree Show | World Promenade (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 09:30pm | Dance Class: Bachata | Dolce Vita Bar (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 09:30pm | Theater Show: Odyssey | World Theatre (Deck 7 Fwd) |
| 09:30pm | Movie Time: Fly Me to the Moon | Mar Azul (Deck 18 Mid) |
| 10:00pm | Palm Tree Show | World Promenade (Deck 8 Aft) |
| 10:00pm | Queen Symphonic: A Rock & Orchestra Revolution! | Panorama Lounge (Deck 7 Aft) |
| 10:00pm – 11:00pm | Liquor Tasting | Shopping Gallery (Deck 6 Mid) |
| 10:00pm | TAG Heuer – Designed to Win | TimeVallée (Deck 7 Mid) |
| 10:15pm | Dueling Pianos (18+) | The Loft (Deck 8 Mid) |
| 10:15pm | Party: Miami Nights | MSC Luna Park (Deck 6 Fwd) |
| 10:45pm | Night Club After Dark with DJ (18+) | Panorama Lounge (Deck 7 Aft) |
| 11:15pm | Paradise Lotto | Signature Casino (Deck 7 Aft) |
| 11:15pm | #MSCTeens: Boxes | The Studio (Deck 19 Mid) |
| 11:15pm | Dueling Pianos (18+) | The Loft (Deck 8 Mid) |