MSC World America: Captain Sagani takes over the new ship - maiden voyage in spring 2025

Bild: stern.de
Last week, Captain Dino Sagani, MSC Cruises' experienced navigator, boarded the company's new flagship - the MSC World America - for the first time at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. With his arrival at the shipyard, he will accompany the final phase of the construction work and will actively shape the completion process until the ship is delivered. It is planned that the MSC World America will be handed over to MSC Cruises in spring 2025 and will be christened on April 9 of the same year in its future home port of Miami.

The exterior of the new cruise ship is largely complete: The MSC World America was already launched in April of this year and towed out of the building dock a short time later. Since then, the final work on the pier at the shipyard has been underway. Sea trials are planned before the end of the year, during which the ship will sail independently on the open sea for the first time to carry out demanding maneuvers. Captain Sagani will also be on board during this important phase to familiarize himself with the ship's steering characteristics and other special features.

It is common for a captain from the shipping company to be on board when new cruise ships are completed, even though the ship is still officially owned by the shipyard. This early involvement of the future captain enables him to familiarize himself with the intricacies and technical features of the ship right from the start and to play an active role in its completion.

The MSC World America is the first sister ship to the MSC World Europa, which entered service at the end of 2022. This second newbuilding in the World Class series was designed specifically for the North American market and will be based in Miami, from where it will offer week-long cruises to the Caribbean. In addition to the MSC World Europa and the MSC World America, MSC Cruises is planning two further newbuilds in this series: the MSC World Asia is scheduled to follow in 2026, while the fourth ship in the World Class fleet is planned for 2027 but has not yet been officially named.