MSC World Asia Completes Sea Trials: 6700 Guest Mega Ship (2026)
Barcelona PortFrance CountryMSC Cruises Cruise LineRoyal Caribbean Cruise LineCivitavecchia PortGenoa PortLe Havre PortMarseille PortMessina PortNaples Port
MSC Cruises' newest mega ship just completed her first sea trials — and she's one of the biggest cruise ships ever built. MSC World Asia, the third vessel in MSC's World class (after World Europa and World America), departed the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, on July 15, 2026, and spent four days at sea off Belle-Île testing propulsion, maneuverability, navigation, and safety systems for the very first time before returning July 18. The numbers are staggering: 333 meters long, over 215,000 gross tons, room for roughly 6,700 passengers and 2,100 crew, running on cleaner LNG dual-fuel. MSC marked the milestone on social media with a simple message: "SEA TRIAL COMPLETE." Delivery to MSC Cruises is set for November 25, with a naming ceremony November 28 at Le Havre. Her maiden season kicks off December 4 from Barcelona with 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises calling at Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Messina, Naples, and Valletta. MSC is spending billions to challenge Royal Caribbean and Carnival for the biggest ships at sea. So the question: have you ever cruised MSC, and how do you think it stacks up against Royal Caribbean or Carnival? Comment below. SOURCES: - CruiseMapper: https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/16487-msc-world-asia-begins-sea-trials - Ouest-France: https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/entreprises/stx/video-sous-le-soleil-de-saint-nazaire-le-msc-world-asia-part-en-essais-mer-jusquau-18-juillet-a5f8f0a6-32c1-3b8d-8fee-56017f386920 - MSC Cruises (official): https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/ships/msc-world-asia (Stock image: MSC World-class ship — sister ship MSC World Europa shown, as real photos of the new MSC World Asia are not yet publicly available.) T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY: Comment sub'd to enter. Every 100 subscribers I'll pick one random subscriber to win a free Lido Burrito T-shirt - then again at 200, 300, and beyond. US only. Must be subscribed to win. Winner contacted via YouTube and announced on the channel. BOOK YOUR NEXT CRUISE: - Mediterranean shore excursions & cruise tours (Viator): https://www.viator.com/searchResults?text=mediterranean+cruise+shore+excursions&pid=P00308799&medium=link&campaign=lidoburrito - Travel insurance for cruisers (SafetyWing): https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=26558778&utm_source=26558778&utm_medium=Ambassador #MSCCruises #CruiseNews #MSCWorldAsia #CruiseShip #MegaShip