MSC World America and Icon of the Seas are two of the world’s biggest ships – combined, they have 14 pools, 22 hot tubs, over 60 dining options and 44 bars and lounges.
Icon of the Seas still holds the title of the world’s largest ship – there is just 32 metres between them – however, MSC World America is a new giant set to sail North American seas.
MSC’s new American flagship will blend European style with all the comforts and familiarities of American cruising. She will embark on weeklong Caribbean voyages from Miami every Saturday, mirroring the movements of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas.
This creates an exciting new rivalry between two of the industry’s biggest ships. Cruise Passenger has set out to discover how they measure up in our Dare to Compare series.
The stats: MSC World America vs Icon of the Seas
| Ship | Icon of the Seas | MSC World America |
| Gross tonnage | 250,800 | 215,863 |
| Length | 1198 ft | 1093 ft |
| Beam/width | 216 ft | 154 ft |
| Passenger decks | 18 | 16 |
| Passengers | 7,600 | 6,762 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 2,138 |
| Dining options | 40+ | 19 |
| Bars and lounges | 26 | 18 |
| Pools | 7 | 7 |
| Hot tubs | 9 | 13 |
What’s the difference?
MSC World America and Icon of the Seas may both be huge ships, however, they differ in dining experiences, cabin variety and entertainment.
Both ships have an incredible amount of outdoor activities, including waterslides and rock climbing walls.MSC World America is challenging Icon’s iconic waterpark with its own record-breaking facilities, including the longest dry slide at sea.
The MSC Yacht Club also sets World America apart from Icon. MSC describes the Yacht Club as “a ship within a ship”, as it offers exclusivity in its own private space, while also giving guests access to all the amenities the ship has to offer. Members can experience a 24/7 Butler and Concierge service as well as an exclusive lounge, restaurant, sundeck and pool.
Although upgrades and Royal Suite Class-only areas are available on Icon of the Seas, the level of luxury is not equivalent to MSC World America. World America offers a greater variety of cabins as well as a higher number of exclusive areas. However, Icon offers a much larger variety of dining options, bars and lounges.
Read on for more details on dining, cabins and entertainment comparisons between the two ships.
Dining
Icon of the Seas has over 40+ dining options compared to MSC World America, which has 19.
Icon has many different cuisines, including American-style comfort food in the Main Dining Room, The Surfside Eatery, Pier 7 and Basecamp. They have the popular Italian restaurant Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and a stylish Japanese restaurant that serves sushi, ramen and teppanyaki, called Izumi Sushi & Izumi Hibachi.
Icon of the Seas‘ Pearl Cafe is open 24-hours and offers coffee, snacks, pastries and sandwiches around the clock. They also have a poolside ice cream parlour Sprinkles, offering soft-serve flavours and a toppings bar right next to the pool.
The Main Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and spans over three decks. There is a set menu at dinner, offering four courses that change every day of the cruise. Windjammer Café is the main buffet venue, and is great for kids who are picky eaters, thanks to its extensive selection of food.
If you want a more fancy dining option on Icon, Empire Supper Club offers an eight-course menu of premium American cuisine, with cocktail pairings to suit every dish.
MSC World America will have the first Italian Eataly restaurant at sea, as a nod to the cruise line’s Mediterranean heritage. The restaurant features an open kitchen, fresh pasta and indulgent tiramisu. They also have Paxos Greek Restaurant, which features a fresh seafood counter, a white-washed terrace and a rooftop lounge.
The ship will also offer American-style cuisine, including Butcher’s Cut steak house, where you can surf and turf with dry-aged tomahawk and lobster. You can find American comfort food in their Promenade district, including hot dogs and cotton candy at Promenade Bites.
In contrast to Icon of the Seas, MSC World America has four main dining rooms: La Foglia, Esagono, Hexagon, and Bubbles. They’re all open for dinner. Bubbles is the best family-friendly dining room and Esagono serves a variety of international cuisine. Hexagon has a contemporary atmosphere and offers a variety of meat, seafood and vegetarian options, while La Foglia is Mediterranean-inspired.
Kaito Teppanyaki and Kaito Sushi Bar offer Japanese cuisine, with Kaito Teppanyaki offering an immersive experience as the food is cooked right in front of you. HOLA! Tacos & Cantina serves all things Mexican, so you can sip on a margarita and enjoy everything from quesadillas, enchiladas and churros.
While MSC World America may have fewer dining venues than Icon of the Seas, it still offers an impressive variety of international cuisine. Fans of Mediterranean flavours, especially Greek and Italian, will find plenty of delicious options onboard.
The winner is: Icon for dining variety, MSC for European flair
Cabins
MSC World America has a wide range of staterooms, from some more budget-friendly options to luxury suites with a 24-hour butler service. They have 2626 staterooms, compared to Icon’s 2805.
Excluding the MSC Yacht Club suites, MSC World America’s cabins range from a Studio Interior to a Grand Suite Aurea with a terrace and whirlpool. Guests may choose between promenade, ocean or balcony views.
Extending over the seven upper foredecks, the MSC Yacht Club onboard MSC World America features 152 suites.
Luxury suite options include the MSC Yacht Club Owner’s Suite, which features floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors, a private terrace with a whirlpool bath and a separate dining room. The MSC Yacht Club Royal Duplex Suite can sleep up to 6 guests, and includes two decks, a spiral staircase and a private balcony.
Icon of the Sea’s cabin options range from Interior Staterooms, Ocean View Staterooms, Balcony Staterooms and Suite Staterooms. The ship has 276 ocean-view rooms, 1,405 balcony rooms and 179 suites.
For upgraded cabin experiences, guests can select the Royal Suite Class when booking their cruise, giving them access to exclusive experiences and amenities. Perks include access to the Suite Sun Deck and Suite Lounge, luxury bathroom amenities and an exclusive concierge service.
Icon is a great family-friendly cruise option and the Ultimate Family Townhouses are the epitome of fun for young guests. For over $100,000 for a one-week cruise, the townhouse includes a slide, karaoke, a backyard, indoor cinema, and much more.
The winner is: Icon for families, MSC for luxe couples.
Entertainment
MSC World America has the World Theatre, which can seat 1,150 guests. Given that their entertainment will be specifically tailored to the American market, it’s no surprise that they’ve announced a production of Dirty Dancing in Concert to be performed in the World Theatre. The production will feature a live band, singers and dancers.
The Panorama Lounge is located at the back of the ship and features live theatrical music performances. Queen Symphonic will be performed there, which showcases a blend of band Queen’s greatest hits, performed by a live rock band. The Street Theatre spectacles will keep guests entertained throughout the sailing, as there will be pop-up performances from entertainers throughout the ship.
Onboard entertainment is not just limited to theatre. The adult-only Loft is a new comedy club, hosting stand-up, karaoke, duelling pianos and late-night DJ sets. There is also an acrobatic spectacle produced by Anystage Creative, which will follow the story of Homer’s Odyssey. In addition to acrobatics, World America’s resident guest artist will perform one of largest illusion shows ever produced at sea.
Beating the size of World America’s main theatre space, Icon of the Seas Royal Theatre has a capacity of 1,229. The ship is currently showing The Wizard of Oz, accompanied by an orchestra, in what they’re calling their “most advanced production ever”. The ship also has an elegant music hall, which seats 331 guests.
The Absolute Zero Ice Rink onboard Icon is an incredible feature of the ship’s entertainment. Guests can watch performers spin and twirl on Royal Caribbean’s biggest ice arena ever. Similarly to World America, Icon also offers karaoke and duelling pianos. However, many will focus on Icon’s outdoor entertainment, thanks to its staggering amount of options and the sheer size of them.
The winner is… Icon has the bigger theatre but MSC has Queen’s greatest hits… You be the judge!
Outdoor Activities
MSC World Cruises and Icon of the Seas both have some of the most extensive and exciting outdoor activities and infrastructure in the world. You are guaranteed to never run out of things to do aboard these ships.
MSC World America offers the only over-water swing ride at sea, titled the Cliffhanger. Although World America doesn’t have a waterpark quite as big as Icon’s, the Cliffhanger is bound to give you an adrenaline rush as you swing over breathtaking heights.
World America’s vast outdoor space, called the Harbour, is perfect for teens and kids. It features a rock-climbing wall, an impressive range of water slides and a high-trail rope course. In addition to the waterslides, she also has the longest dry slide at sea, called Jaw Drop, which goes down 11 decks.
Back to Icon of the Seas- it is difficult to picture the boat without automatically thinking of its huge waterpark. Featuring six-record breaking slides, Icon’s waterpark is the largest at sea, and includes rides like the Pressure Drop- the first open freefall waterslide at sea. They also have Lost Dunes mini golf, the surf simulator ‘Flowrider’ and a rock climbing wall.
Overall, both ships have a mind-boggling number of outdoor activities that elevate the cruising experience to a new level.
The winner is… Icon for waterslides, MSC for over-water swings
Conclusion
It’s the battle of the Italian Stallion versus the American Dream. Although it is clear that both Icon and World America boast an incredible array of dining options, entertainment and activities, some differences between the two may impact which of these cruising giants you’d rather set sail on.
Icon has perfected the formula for that short weekend cruise. Choose Royal Caribbean’s mega-ship if you want a quick getaway where your kids can expel all their energy. Icon remains the better pick for families, thanks to its vibrant atmosphere, variety of entertainment and world-famous waterpark.
Choose MSC World America if you’re after something slightly more elegant, but still want to explore lots of different activities and dining options. If you’re travelling with a group of friends or slightly older teens, World America provides the same amount of fun as Icon, but with a bit more style. You can also upgrade to MSC Yacht Club if you’re after a more exclusive and luxurious experience aboard World America.
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