Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
MSC World America vs Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady
The MSC World America is a fairly new ship, being built in 2025. The World America was built specifically for the American market with customized venues like MSC's first sports bars and an onboard brewery. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding. It's 4 years newer than the Scarlet Lady, which was built in 2021 and renovated in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The World America is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,093 feet long and 154 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady, the World America is 96% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The MSC World America holds more than double the amount of people as the Scarlet Lady based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the World America has less space per person compared to the Scarlet Lady.
| MSC World America | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | World | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 215,863 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,093 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 154 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 6,762 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 2,138 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 41 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The World America has eighteen different dining options like Paxos, Eataly, and Butcher's Cut. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Scarlet Lady has six fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Galley, The Dock / The Dock House, and Gunbae. twelve of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the World America might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Scarlet Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Scarlet Lady might be a better choice then the World America. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC World America | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 18 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 100% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Scarlet Lady below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The MSC World America has a total of 7 pools and 13 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 3 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady has fewer pools than the World America and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Scarlet Lady. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? Two of the pools are adults only on World America.| MSC World America | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 13 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the World America. Only 50% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Scarlet Lady, 55% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC World America | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cliffhanger | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Production Shows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| VR Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Virgin Voyages, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| MSC World America | Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | Included |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | Included |
| Soda Price | Included | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day. |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.