The Latest Addition to MSC Cruises Is Their Largest and Most Eco-Friendly Ship Yet

Don't let its size fool you. The latest cruise ship from MSC Cruises, the 6,774-passenger MSC World Europa, measures nearly 1,100 feet in length, boasts 21 decks, and weighs 205,700 gross tons, making it the sixth-largest cruise ship in the world.

This ship plays a crucial role in the cruise line's commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Traditionally, cruise ships have not been seen as eco-friendly options for travel, so it's understandable if some are skeptical about a mega ship aiming for sustainability. However, MSC World Europa is the first of four vessels in MSC’s latest generation, designed to operate on cleaner, alternative fuels.

The inaugural journey of the MSC World Europa began in Doha in December 2022, shortly after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the ship served as a floating hotel for fans. By April 2023, it will be cruising the Mediterranean for the rest of the year. Dinogo got an exclusive preview of the ship in November, highlighting our key impressions.

Discover where to enjoy the finest cuisine, cocktails, and brews on board

With a staggering 13 restaurants and buffets, the MSC World Europa offers an abundance of dining options that can be quite overwhelming. During the inaugural festivities, one of our most unforgettable meals was at the Chef’s Garden Kitchen, where many herbs and vegetables are cultivated in a hydroponic garden right within the dining area. This restaurant is led by Niklas Ekstedt, a renowned Swedish chef known for his Michelin-starred restaurant Ekstedt, as well as being a TV personality and author. He shared that the menu combines traditional Nordic dishes with contemporary techniques. If you visit, make sure to try the scallop ceviche and the almond cake, the latter being his mother’s recipe.

A fresh addition to MSC's offerings is La Pescaderia, a seafood restaurant inspired by a Mediterranean fish market. Guests can browse whole fish on display and select their preferred catch for preparation.

The ship also boasts 20 bars and lounges, including the Coffee Emporium, which serves coffee brewed in various styles (I opted for the Turkish brew, as the barista claimed it was the strongest). The Rajo Polo Tea House offers a delightful afternoon high tea, while the Fizz-Champagne Bar features an extensive selection of bottles. The Gin Project showcases over 70 craft gins from around the globe, available neat, with one of its many craft tonics, or in creative cocktails like a tropical Gin Fizz. At the Elixir-Mixology Bar, you can either choose from the menu or describe your preferred flavors (such as “fruity” or “floral”), and the bartender will concoct something special just for you.

MSC World Europa also introduces the first brewery at sea, where beers are crafted using desalinated water. Brewmaster Teo Musso, who established Baladin Farm Brewery in Italy in 1996, has created three signature craft beers exclusively available on the ship: a pilsner, a bitter, and a wheat beer. As a certified beer judge, I found the pilsner to be crisp with subtle herbal notes, standing out among the others.

A delightful blend of fun and relaxation

During the vessel's design phase, it was essential to strike a healthy balance between entertainment options and amenities for relaxation, MSC CEO Gianni Onorato shared with Dinogo during the inaugural voyage.

To achieve this, MSC World Europa incorporates distinct neighborhoods that cluster similar amenities together.

Most of the specialty restaurants, bars, and shops are located in an interior promenade known as the World Galleria, spanning decks six to eight. The ceiling features an LED “sky screen” that shifts throughout the day, displaying scenes like humpback whales swimming or the starry sky. At the back of deck eight, there's an open-air area centered around the longest dry slide at sea, a corkscrewing enclosed slide that descends eleven decks, called Venom Drop @ The Spiral. Although I didn’t get to try it due to long lines, my travel companions did and described it as surprisingly enjoyable.

The Family Zone offers a variety of facilities for kids, featuring designated areas for different age groups, along with bumper cars, a roller skating rink, an arcade, a Formula 1 simulator that provides an immersive racing experience, and a Lego Room filled with millions of Legos and sets.

On the upper decks, you'll find six pools (including two exclusively for adults), 14 hot tubs (yes, 14—those near the Zen Pool offer stunning views at the back), and the kid-friendly Aurora Borealis Aquapark, complete with a dedicated pool for toddlers.

For those seeking tranquility, the ship’s expansive 10,000-square-foot Balinese-style Aurea Spa serves as a serene escape. The treatment menu features all the essentials, including massages and facials. It also features a thermal area with a hydrotherapy circuit that includes saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges, hot tubs, and even a unique snow room, giving guests the experience of being in an igloo.

A diverse selection of staterooms and suites

MSC World Europa offers 17 different categories of staterooms and suites. The most basic option is an interior stateroom measuring 160 square feet, featuring a wardrobe, a bathroom with a shower, a double bed that can be split into two singles, and a mini bar. At the top end, the MSC Yacht Club Owner’s Suite spans just over 1,076 square feet, complete with a balcony that includes a seating area and private hot tub, dining and living areas, a walk-in closet, a bathroom with separate shower and tub, a bar, and an espresso machine.

How “MSC World Europa” embraces sustainability

When encountering a ship of this magnitude, one might ask—what makes it greener than previous models? For starters, MSC World Europa is the first MSC vessel to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

According to Linden Coppell, MSC’s vice president of sustainability and environmental social governance, using LNG instead of diesel will lower the ship’s overall emissions by 25 percent.

“LNG represents progress; it’s not the final destination,” MSC CEO Onorato shared with Dinogo. “It significantly reduces our fossil fuel usage and, as a result, emissions.”

The cruise industry as a whole is aiming for net zero emissions by 2050, though achieving this will require major technological and supply chain advancements. MSC views LNG as a transitional fuel, Coppell explained during a press briefing. It won’t alone achieve net zero, but it will help “future-proof” MSC World Europa and its sister ships by allowing them to adopt new fuels, such as biofuels or synthetic options, as they become available. With the necessary infrastructure for alternative fuels already in place, MSC World Europa can transition smoothly—unlike diesel-powered ships, which would require retrofitting to use greener fuels.

Another component of MSC’s journey towards emissions neutrality involves the use of solid oxide fuel cells. This technology generates electricity to power and heat the ship through an electrochemical reaction rather than traditional combustion, making it 25 to 30 percent more efficient, according to Coppell.

Combined, these and other sustainable technologies—such as utilizing shore power when available (allowing the ship to connect to the local power grid in ports and turn off its engines), advanced wastewater treatment systems, and a system to manage underwater noise to protect marine life—make World Europa MSC’s most environmentally friendly ship.

Coppell stated that her team believes World Europa achieves the “lowest emissions per passenger of any ship currently in operation.”

Cruising the Middle East and Mediterranean

From January to late March, World Europa will explore the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. At the end of March, it will begin its repositioning journey to the Mediterranean, with stops in Doha (Qatar), Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE), Muscat (Oman), and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), before navigating the Suez Canal and arriving in Naples, Italy, on April 10. (Guests can board the ship at any point during the journey.) For the rest of the year, it will operate continuous loops connecting ports in Malta (Valletta), Spain (Barcelona), France (Provence), and Italy (Genoa, Naples, and Taormina). Itineraries for 2024 and beyond are still being developed. Prices start at $179 per person for a two-night cruise.