San Juan picked as stop for MSC World America cruise ship starting April 2025
MSC Cruises announced it has opened sales today for MSC World America, an liquefied natural gas-powered ship that will set sail from Port Miami to the Caribbean in April 2025.
The cruise will offer two seven-night itineraries, one of which includes a stop in San Juan.
The Eastern Caribbean route offers stops in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas. While the Western Caribbean route will stop at Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas.
“The ship’s itineraries are designed to maximize time available for guests to fully discover the various ports of call. All sailings will include visits to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve — MSC Cruises’ stunning private destination in The Bahamas,” the company stated.
MSC said World America will be optimized for North American cruising with new restaurants, bars, public spaces and experiences, where “different cultures will come together from around the world as elegant European design meets American comfort.”
The executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co., Carlos Mercado, said MSC’s decision to include San Juan in its routes “responds to the efforts that the government of Puerto Rico has been carrying out, through the Tourism Co., in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, to maximize and foster the development of the cruise industry in all regions of the island.”
“Once again, Puerto Rico has been able to stand out for its diverse offer, quality of service, modern facilities and other competitive advantages in a market as popular as the Caribbean region,” Mercado said. “The fact of having been chosen to be part of the select group of destinations that MSC World America will visit reconfirms that the work plan … and the aggressive marketing strategies to boost Puerto Rico’s profile as a leader in the tourism industry, have been successful.”
For his part, the executive director of the Ports Authority, Joel Pizá, praised MSC Cruises’ announcement and stressed his agency’s commitment to continue modernizing the maritime infrastructure to meet the growing demand for the Port of San Juan.
“We’ll continue working tirelessly to provide first-class port facilities to the millions of cruise passengers who visit our beautiful island. We thank MSC Cruises for betting on Puerto Rico and its incomparable offer. We look forward to seeing the majestic MSC World America anchoring at our docks,” he said.
One of the new experiences on board MSC World America will be The Harbor — a new outdoor destination designed for kids and families to play and relax together. The new area on deck 20 places all the components of the “perfect family experience at sea in one convenient location. The Harbor combines a water park, interactive water features, new thrills, and comfortable areas to relax with delicious food and cool beverages,” the cruise line said.
The Harbor offers some of the best views of the ocean, alongside adventures like the intricate High Trail course and zip line, sensory play areas for little ones, and the Harbor Lighthouse—a thematic playground kids are sure to love. The Harbor will feature fun food trucks at sea, serving up convenient snacks and refreshments within steps of five new spaces offering plenty of well-shaded seating and stunning sea views.
With its ocean views, the Harbor provides a range of activities, including the High Trail course and zip line, as well as play areas for young children, such as the Harbor Lighthouse, “a thematic playground kids are sure to love.” In addition to these attractions, there will be five new areas with shaded seating and sea views and food trucks providing quick snacks and refreshments.
“MSC World America will be another major milestone in our North American growth story and a fantastic new experience for our guests, whether they’re local or visiting from different parts of the world,” said Ruben Rodríguez, president of MSC Cruises USA.
“Our goal with this ship is to go beyond her long list of features with thoughtful touches that make each guest’s cruise experience unique and memorable. On board, they’ll find the elegant European design that’s a hallmark of our entire fleet, mixed with classic American elements and hospitality. We can’t wait to have our guests experience our next U.S. flagship,” he said.
