MSC Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class

MSC Cruises has 22 ships currently in service in 2024 following the addition of the newest ship, MSC Euribia.

With so many ships, it can be tricky to know which one to choose. When you see a particular cruise advertised, it’s good to know if it’s on one of the newer, bigger ships or an older, smaller one. This can help you to work out if the cruise you want to book is good value for money.

Even regular cruisers can get mixed up about which ship is which, so I’ve created this handy guide to MSC Cruises ships, with tables to order the MSC ships by size, year and class.

MSC Ships By Size

The following table shows MSC cruise ships by size, ordered from largest to smallest:

Ship	Gross Tonnage	Passengers	Length (Metres)	Decks	Guest Decks
MSC World Europa	215,863	6,762	333	21	16
MSC Euribia	184,011	6,334	331	19	15
MSC Virtuosa	181,541	6,334	331	19	15
MSC Grandiosa	181,541	6,334	331	19	15
MSC Bellissima	171,598	5,686	316	19	15
MSC Meraviglia	171,598	5,655	316	19	15
MSC Seascape	170,412	5,877	312	19	16
MSC Seashore	169,400	5,632	339	19	16
MSC Seaside	153,516	5,336	323	19	15
MSC Seaview	153,516	5,119	323	19	15
MSC Preziosa	139,072	4,345	333	18	14
MSC Divina	139,072	4,345	333	18	14
MSC Splendida	137,936	4,363	333	18	14
MSC Fantasia	137,936	4,363	333	18	14
MSC Magnifica	95,128	3,013	294	16	13
MSC Poesia	92,627	3,013	294	16	13
MSC Orchestra	92,409	3,013	294	16	13
MSC Musica	92,409	3,013	294	16	13
MSC Opera	65,591	2,579	275	13	9
MSC Lirica	65,591	2,548	275	13	9
MSC Sinfonia	65,542	2,546	248	13	9
MSC Armonia	65,542	2,520	275	13	9

Gross tonnage is a measurement of the overall internal volume of a ship. It’s one of the best ways to measure the size of a cruise ship.

The passenger number is based on how many passengers each cruise ship can accommodate at maximum occupancy. That would mean that all the extra beds are in use.

In reality, ships don’t cruise at maximum occupancy because sometimes you will have just two people in a cabin and so they won’t use the sofa bed or Pullman beds.

How Big Are MSC Cruise Ships?

MSC Cruises’ ships range in size from 248 metres long to 333 metres long. Each ship can accommodate between 2,520 and 6,762 passengers over 13 to 21 decks.

Compared to other mainstream cruise lines, MSC Cruises’ ships are quite average in size, with some mega-ships, some large ships and a few medium-sized ships.

MSC Cruises has no small ships. However, in 2023, the MSC Group launched a new cruise line called Explora Journeys. This features only small, luxury ships, the first of which was Explora I.

Which MSC Cruises Ship Is the Biggest?

The biggest MSC Cruises ship is MSC World Europa, which launched in November 2022. This World-class mega-ship can accommodate up to 6,762 guests with 21 decks.

MSC World Europa was used as a World Cup Cruise Ship Hotel in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Yacht Club area of the ship provided accommodation for the family members of the players while the rest of the ship offered luxury accommodation for fans.

MSC World Europa is one of the top-10 biggest cruise ships in the world, behind Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships and the newer Icon Class. MSC World Europa is only around 5% smaller than the Oasis-class ships. However the rest of the MSC fleet is more aligned with other cruise ship sizes, not quite being the biggest.

Prior to the launch of MSC World Europa, the biggest MSC cruise ship title was a tie between MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa.

These virtually identical sister ships are 331 metres long and can accommodate up to 6,334 passengers. They each have 19 decks, 15 of which are accessible to passengers.

Are Bigger Cruise Ships Better?

Which size of ship is the best is a matter of personal preference and each has its advantages. For some people, bigger is always better, whereas other people will only choose to cruise on small or medium-sized ships.

Bigger ships tend to be newer and have more features and attractions on board, this can also mean that cruise tickets cost more.

Smaller ships have their advantages in that they tend to offer more port-intensive itineraries as they can access some ports which larger ships cannot.

MSC Ships By Year

The following table shows MSC Cruises ships from newest to oldest…

Ship	Year Built
MSC World America (coming soon)	2025*
MSC Euribia	2023
MSC World Europa	2022
MSC Seascape	2022
MSC Seashore	2021
MSC Virtuosa	2021
MSC Grandiosa	2019
MSC Bellissima	2019
MSC Seaview	2018
MSC Seaside	2017
MSC Meraviglia	2017
MSC Preziosa	2013
MSC Divina	2012
MSC Magnifica	2010
MSC Splendida	2009
MSC Fantasia	2008
MSC Poesia	2008
MSC Orchestra	2007
MSC Musica	2006
MSC Opera	2004
MSC Lirica	2003
MSC Sinfonia	2002
MSC Armonia	2001

Which Is the Newest MSC Cruises Ship?

The newest MSC Cruises ship currently in service is MSC Euribia, which launched in 2023. She’s not the biggest ship in the fleet, but instead focuses on being a super-stylish cruise option packed with innovative technology.

Future MSC Cruises ships

In 2025, we can expect to see a sister-ship to MSC World Europa with the name of MSC World America. Third and fourth World-class ships will follow in 2026 and 2027.

MSC Ships By Class

In the MSC Cruises fleet, the ships are grouped into classes. Each ship in a class is very similar, with a few small differences on board.

The following table shows MSC Cruises ships grouped by class…

Ship	Class
MSC World America*	World Class
MSC World Europa	World Class
MSC Euribia	Meraviglia Plus Class
MSC Virtuosa	Meraviglia Plus Class
MSC Grandiosa	Meraviglia Plus Class
MSC Bellissima	Meraviglia Class
MSC Meraviglia	Meraviglia Class
MSC Seascape	Seaside EVO Class
MSC Seashore	Seaside EVO Class
MSC Seaview	Seaside Class
MSC Seaside	Seaside Class
MSC Preziosa	Fantasia Class
MSC Divina	Fantasia Class
MSC Splendida	Fantasia Class
MSC Fantasia	Fantasia Class
MSC Magnifica	Musica Class
MSC Poesia	Musica Class
MSC Orchestra	Musica Class
MSC Musica	Musica Class
MSC Opera	Lirica Class
MSC Lirica	Lirica Class
MSC Sinfonia	Lirica Class
MSC Armonia	Lirica Class

Seaside EVO Class

MSC Cruises had a new class of ship for 2021, the Seaside EVO-class. Beginning with the launch of MSC Seashore in August 2021, Seaside EVO-class ships are slightly larger than Seaside-class ships.

Ultra Luxury Class

In the spring of 2023, MSC launched the first of a new class of small, ultra-luxury cruise ships. These six new ships, built over five years, will be the smallest in the fleet at around a third the size of MSC Grandiosa. These aren’t part of the MSC Cruises fleet, instead, they fall under a new sister brand called Explora Journeys.

MSC’s Ultra Luxury Class ships will be aimed at guests who enjoy the MSC Yacht Club, offering a premium experience for wealthy guests who want the best of the best. They will be named Explora I to Explora VI.

To Conclude

MSC Cruises has ships of various sizes, with the largest ships being almost three times the size of the smallest ones in terms of volume (gross tonnage). As with all cruise lines, ships have got bigger over the years and the newest ships tend to be larger.

If you prefer smaller, more intimate ships, then look out for the MSC Group’s new ultra-luxury ships in the Explora Journeys brand.

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