Nunagoras

Well: Quite interesting. Price wise the YC is not the same it was a few years ago, touching now the other mainstream lines price tag, and even higher on occasions. Some corner's cut went away on lately as well. Me thinks the YC as a small enclave on an already big ship. An up-pemium service surrounded by such a baseline mainstream ambiance, while HAL would be up-premium elsewhere! Never gone on HAL really, even though there's a TA that arranges group sailings here where I live which from time to time would enter an Alaska itinerary that would be nice for me to do. Once MSC doesn't even consider Alaska as a destination for the times being, I'd go with that HAL sailing on the 2024-26 time frame if possible. TBHH; I'm on such a time on my life, I don't mind to pay a little more for such a classier cruise experience. Curious to see some classier service goers now enjoying such a different experience! If it is not much, can you tell me what really is HAL not doing right, please? Have a nice day!...

Maybe; and that confused me on these World Europa excitement days, we're currently. Either way; MSC Cruises USA is just their office's US branch to deal with the US market, not a cruise line by itself. If one asks me if it was any good for MSC to have a whole US division with its ships to tailor the US market; I may answer a yes, granted they so wished that business scenario. Either way; we have MSC as a mainline cruise lines. Thanks to the attention.

Hi!... Let me to have a break here!... You've made my day, sir!... HAL is a cruise line... World America is a cruise ship being built right now and set to sail by 2025!... The difference is so big that starts here!... 🙂 So now: If really available, prices for World America are that comparable to prices on HAL? Strange, but I wouldn't say anything about that. RCI's Icon of the seas suites are being billed at above Regent/Silversea/Seabourne and perhaps Hapag-Lloyd pricing lately, that means the most expensive suites at sea, and regular cabins at Viking/Oceania ones, and it seems there are people wishing to go on there!... Really: MSC is mainstream line. Do you like the RCI's Oasis class? The World class will be an Oasis size and design similar ship with an Italian twist, and at beginning sailing with all the bugs to work around. HAL is a very well stablished Premium to Mid-Luxury company with ships ranging on the 1500-3000 guests per ship. TBHH; if you just want a relaxed holiday time for a couple, and prices are that comparable, I'd just to go with HAL by the day, even if being me a huge MSC's cheerleader! I can't understand the current "luxury like" pricing schemes being applied to the megaships!... So; there is only an option: Let the hype to go on and the regular MSC discounted fare to eventually return and sail elsewhere during that period, or sailing an MSC's older ship at old MSC's pricing, if available. If Premium service is what you envision; then go HAL. Honestly!...

Perhaps, maybe: Either way; I went once on the Fantasia on what is now a "Premium Fantastica" room with a soft yellowish accent color that is not so far from the current designs. Far from Musica class, on that I agree; Musica class are warmer, and I'd prefer them than post Musica ones. Either way: I'd feel at home on each one of them all.

Yeah, classy and calming. Regular cabins with such an YC twist. Regular MSC fare upgraded to Europa. I feel at home here.

...And, if it is not much: To end the day in glory; from such a French local TV outlet. Not a review, but, no doubt a very professional document!

It seems the Spanish brigade is all in force these days!... Congrats for them to show us this incredible ship!... Little drink places to go at evening remain my main concern, even though that might to be minimized over multiuse flexibility on areas if they so want.

No! Then my question!... Have a nice day!...

Perhaps the best video to date from the ship: And it actually answer a few questions: The tea place can be also used for other things, like premium breakfasts to even a full bar by the evening if they so want. The gin bar is an up section of the pub/beer house. they may use it liberally if they so want. We're to know if food on coffee emporium will be free or not and if their drinks are inside or outside the drinks packages. I believe not, but either way far different experience than Jean Phillipe. Those places won't canibalize each other for costumers like was my concern. They may to use it liberally to use it by night for a full bar if they so wish. And another question arose me: Is the covered pool Aurea only or mainstream? It seems too sumptuous to be mainstream... And that's for now...

As far as I understand those infinite view cabins are now all on the "Premium Fantastica Ocean View" level. Maybe, the ones wishing to pay premium want the "true thing" and not the "fake thing". I highly understand them. Aurea is far overpriced for the added value these days, IMHO! So; "lower level" cabins will end up on the discount level categories. I'd say that as very predictable for quite a long time now. Enjoy it and the added Aurea bonus, though! Me thinks you'll have a great time on them!... And thanks to the deck plan information. Yeah! It's strange to see that huge premium space devoted to crew areas, apparently, but things are what they are...

Even though the Chantiers de L'Atlantique/MSC invitees for this event seemed to range in between 3rd line cruise bloggers and top shipyard workers, prime videos will to be rare for the times being. Either way; decent videos are starting to pop up eventually!

Humm... I'm not so sure... While the Europa is now a "let's see" sort of vessel, once there are very few real images of it, and the unique video review is a bad image Spanish video, let us to analise it from the information we have and our own experience on the Oasis class: Size wise, they're pretty similar. According to the Portuguese press the Europa is 216k GT, Oasis goes from 225-236 GT. Rumors are here on the Portuguese economy newspapers stating that World America will have one more steel block, pushing her to the 240k GT, 2nd largest in the world, just 10k GT shy of RCI's Icon of the Seas! They can be considered same ship category on different lines. Let us to compare the amenities, and operational workflow of both ships: Europa replaces the Aqua Show external theater with a "Cirque du Soleil" like lounge show. On Oasis class one can only to use the Aqua theater weather permitting. On Europa only the most risky shows will be suppressed on sad weather environments, and they can "easily" to turn it on just another drink place. That's a plus on Europa. While both ships have a spiral slide ending on the open promenade deck, the one on Europa is far better designed and less obtrusive to an extent. Europa's promenade is also more adult oriented; and joining together the 8th deck external and internal promenade parts, that will somewhat to spread the crowds better. Another Europa's plus. General internal promenade look and feel is far better for Europa as far as photos go. How will pool decks to be managed on Europa is set to be known, so I won't comment it. When Europa was designed, MSC told they wanted an entire move from the MDR dinner model to a 4 included buffets model of sorts. The pandemic made them to entirely redesign the concept and the MDR's are there. One of them apparently with a middle break for the internal promenade on deck 6... And there is a hidden cost: Bar/Lounge/Regular Drink space is rare to find, unless they have something on deck 5. Alas: On the MSC's website deck plans page, deck 5 doesn't fully match the upper decks plans, so, they may have done modifications, as far as I can understand. I will to give the doubt benefit here. The main pool deck buffet is more than double the average size of any Oasis class buffets though. Activities wise the Europa is better balanced. There are those nearly 15 years of technology development from firs Oasis class vessels. The Technogym brand new gym on the pool deck seems to be great for the newer generations demand on Europa, for example!... Finally the cabins. Regular Fantasia onward MSC's fare on Europa. Different from ship to ship on Oasis class. I feel more at home on the Europa's ones. And the infinity view ones resemble more of a regular hotel room in town. For long transatlantic or off-season cruises that additional real estate is to be praised for! Sincerely: Only time will tell; but I'm not wondering the Oasis putting the Europa to bed. That's unrealistic, oh, well: Unless MSC is not able to adapt themselves to the demands of such a beast the Europa is logistically speaking!... But that is for a far later day!... Have a nice day!...

Many thanks @sidari for the bonus video!... Pretty much regular MSC Fantasia onward cabin appointments with nothing really to write home about. I believe evolution with no revolution; with sort of a slight Yacht Club influence for the mainstream; other than those infinity view cabins on green accent color that resemble mostly a premium land hotel room at sea! I'd go for one of those for the extra space, especially on out of season cruises where in room real estate would be appreciated. Oh, well... But on those cruises they'll end up perhaps more expensive than regular balcony ones!... Either way; I'd feel at home at any of those cabins, and that's the most important. Sidari: Do you know for what will they use all that huge space at the very front of the ship below the bridge, from decks 9 to 14? According to the deck plans that seems all crew areas, but I can't envision such a premium like space being used for crew only, especially once true lounge type bars do seem far from lacking compared to ship capacity, and considering that they should to find a way forward to let "steerage" to have some front ship view!...

During winter? Weather is as unpredictable as it can be, but me thinks that the seas on the Med itinerary will ever be more calm or stable than out of Southampton at that time of the year. If I had to choose; I'd to choose an older ship in the Med against a newer one from Southampton. Between 2 new ships, granted they retain the Europa in the Med, I'd to go with Europa. Europa is a far better design than Euribia, IMHO, from what I've seen lately, so that could be easy. Unique caveat maybe prices: Maybe, far better ones out of Southampton though.

+1 for updated Quantum. O/I classes have very few ports where they can dock here in Europe, plus Europe is all about town attractions one don't want to miss. The current sort of global retraction on holiday and cruise demand will pave the way for some more LNG/Green Hydrogen fueled Freedom to Quantum size ships in the near future so that cruise lines retain their 2027-2030 shipyard slots as they plan, while awaiting a better economic environment for their business arises again. Quantum prototype is available, so no need to bring a whole new one, so bring in some more at a controlled building cost.

This! If they do things carefully those clients now becoming more mature won't be last. Such a thing I appreciate on the last 2 Oasis class vessels plus the Icon is that cabins are becoming somewhat designed on the same way they design Celebrity ones. Your cabin will be your "home" for the week. If you have a cabin that feels like home on Oasis, but also on Edge will facilitate your transition, when your needs move. I praise them for that. My gripe with this ship is that all the design seems cheap and the colors excessively bright elsewhere. Want to know how can we harmoniously pave the way for a fantastic all generations accommodation plus a way to deal with the natural generation move? Try to see what MSC is doing on their World Europa ship. All those young adult family like activities out there, while retaining both MSC's all times identity and trying to keep their clientele coming. Surely MSC has no mid-level trademark. RCI has. That facilitates RCI, but I'd suggest them to be somewhat more cautious. The Quantum's Dynamic Dinning fiasco wasn't so long ago!

The naming ceremony for World Europa is just on November 13 in Doha, Qatar. Yesterday was just the delivery ceremony. Shipyard delivery ceremonies tend to pass quite unnoticed along the lines, no matter the company or the ship, unless a company wants to make said ceremony the naming one, like as my memory can go, has been the case for some of the Seaside class ones. There was a Spanish cruise news outlet that made a live video yesterday's evening. I linked it on my own other thread on World Europa. Yeah; here in Europe, gin is quite loved with an assortment of gin varieties and gin centric cocktails being so appreciated that a fair number of premium gin lover bars are popping up in towns lately. The World Europa seems well balanced from tradition to future mainstream cruising experience, right the opposite of what Royal is doing with the Icon which seems designed from kids to kids, IMHO. To each, its own. I'm excited with the new design, and I want to be there one day! Surely kids and young family friendly, but in such a way one has their activities spread out quite nicely. 90% of this ship seems to be distinctively MSC feature and design wise, appealing to a broad audience. And at least they've found a way forward to solve the "cavernous" look and feel of regular, both Silja Lines ferries, RCI Voyager onward classes and even the MSC Meraviglia class! The one on World Europa, at least resembles a nice piazza in Italy, or at least the grand public entrance for many Las Vegas or Macau casino resorts! Bravo MSC! Yeah; it's possible to cram a non "cavernous" promenade inside a cruise ship!... There is one thing that really fits your concerns, which I can see as accurate from that unique video I saw of the ship though: The lack of classic hotel/cruise ship lounge space for the ship's capacity. Surely Jean Phillipe or the Coffee Emporium can seat a large number of guests, but ones don't go on said venues to enjoy some live music while sipping a nice nightcap adult drink. For World America they'll need to add some more lounge space, perhaps by removing the afternoon tea venue that doesn't seem to make most sense on such a mainstream 2022 onward vessel. Surely there is the 2 decks show lounge at the back of the ship, but that is likely for the paid apart shows and possibly after hours disco.

Oh, thanks! I don't remember those from my last cruise early in 2018!... Have a nice day!...

From such a Spanish blogger/cruise news outlet, obviously in Spanish language. Bad image quality, but one can envision the whole thing from here! Something for everyone, mostly a classy, distinctively MSC ship!

Pretty much similar to the Fantasia onward cabins. Evolution with no revolution, that's good. Sadly the photo seems far from professional, and I can't understand what that MSC "cover" on the bed is about...

Surely, get the terminal first!...

Oasis has a sort of balanced environment for everyone, while the Icon is kids and young families only. That's the difference. Standards not features.

Thanks to the thought provoking post. Problem is: CC members are just a tiny part of the current cruise clientele; and till not so long ago; the cruise clientele community as a whole could have been considered among the most "conservative" ones on the whole tourism industry, with the CC members subset running towards the most "conservative" part of them all. While I'm surely open to novelty, innovation, and such, there are at cruise market level some minimal standards I wish to see fully delivered. And TBHH; apart Virgin Voyages, and now the Icon project, I have never seen departures from said standards. Even Oasis is up to par with them. Solidly! Strongly!... So now; or is it only those marketing materials, or this ship will need a huge revision. Read the social media of the likes of Business Insider or any of the other mainstream media outlets on the icon's news! Reactions are mostly on the not so positive. Maybe they'll be able to sell and sail her "as she is", but hey... I seriously doubt all the Oasis "naysayers" to have gone with the program and actually sailed her. I believe more the more mature crowd to be running towards the X/Princess business model. As prices go, the difference is not that big, and to say the least; both companies are entering the market with large enough ships!...

At those suite prices being shown here, give me a regular Regent/Silversea/Seabourne/Hapag-Lloyd one by the day!... To each, his own!... Meanwhile they'll to sell them as far as there are interested ones on buying them. Regular launching season prices for a new ship, especially if 1st in class are always set to be higher than regular mainstream ones.

For off-season? Yeah! They already make those decisions all the day. Better to have a 4 beds cabin filled with 2, than empty! So, now, let me to show such a growing trend here in Europe: 4 friends will book a regular hotel room that fits 4 and will just go by themselves. Some hotels are counteracting their "airbnb" like providers and offering shared rooms for 4 or 5 individuals inside. That said; the Icon is a family/small group oriented ship. On peak season they'll just fill all those 3/4/5 guests per stateroom by the day. Out of season they may to entry the small young adults groupy thing like here in Europe these days. That's not either the problem. I hope that for us, "traditionalists" the X/Princess/HAL/older RCI ships combo will just to suffix, filling our needs!... Oh; and NCL and MSC to an extent for the times being!...