Double celebration at MSC: sailing of MSC World Asia and start of construction of MSC World Atlantic

Cruise company MSC Cruises last week celebrated the maiden voyage of MSC World Asia and the MSC World Atlantic. The double ceremony at the Chatiers de L'Atlantique shipyard took place on Tuesday 11 November and included the announcement of the order of the seventh and eighth World-Class ships. As this is a significant event in the history of the construction of both ships, we are bringing a second article on it a week later, this time dedicated to the design milestones of the construction of both vessels.

First float-out of MSC World Asia

The first part of the ceremony at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, was the float-out of the half-finished ship MSC World Asia. The first sailing ceremony is a traditional maritime ceremony in which the ocean water touches the hull of a ship for the first time.

For obvious reasons, it represents the completion of the external work on the hull, which is now floating on the surface of the sea. On this occasion, some of the inflowing water will be captured, which the shipyard will present to the ship's captain next year to commemorate the moment.

During the night after the ceremony, the MSC World Asia will be relocated to the adjacent "wet" dock where work will continue on her interiors and equipment. Interestingly, at this stage, the ship can only sail with the help of tugs as the ship's propulsion units are not yet running.

Sales of cruises on the new MSC World Asia have already started - a list of her sailings and booking options can be found on our website here.

MSC World Atlantic Coin Ceremony

Alongside the maiden voyage of MSC World Asia, the traditional MSC World Atlantic coincided with the first sailing. During this ceremony, the ship's godparents, from among the representatives of the shipping company and the shipyard, placed commemorative coins in the ship as a sign of blessing during construction and for the ship's good fortune. MSC World Atlantic will be commissioned in 2027 and will be deployed in the Caribbean Sea from Port Canaveral in the US during the winter of 2027-2028.

Lynn Torrent, president of MSC Cruises for North America, has become the godmother of MSC Cruises, overseeing all commercial and operational functions in the region. As an experienced cruise industry executive, she plays a key role in developing MSC Cruises' strategic growth in the North American market.

The godmother of the ship from the Chantiers de L'Atlantique shipyard was Agnès Sahores, Manager for Intelligent Shipyard Improvement, who has worked at Chantiers de l'Atlantique for 25 years. She oversees the implementation of the company's improvement plan, which focuses on industrial performance, innovation, environmental efficiency and collective success.

🎥 You can watch a montage of the most important moments of the day on our Facebook.

Dominik Číž (Riviera Tour)

Foto: MSC Cruises, Cruise Industry News