Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
MSC World Asia vs Norwegian Encore
The MSC World Asia is still being built and will debut in 2026. The World Asia is named for the cultural theme of the ship, not where it's sailing. Guests will find unique Asian-inspired veneues on board. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding. The World Asia is still under construction and MSC hasn't released all the details yet. It's 7 years newer than the Encore, which was built in 2019 and renovated in 2024.
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 Asia is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,092 feet long and 155 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 Norwegian Encore, the World Asia is 29% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC World Asia holds 69% more passengers than the Encore 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 Asia has less space per person compared to the Encore.
| MSC World Asia | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | World | Breakaway Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 215,863 | 167,800 |
| Length | 1,092 | 1,094 |
| Beam/Width | 155 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 6,758 | 3,998 |
| Crew | 2,142 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 42 |
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 Asia has eighteen different dining options like Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe, Kaito Sushi Bar, and Kaito Teppanyaki. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Encore has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are American Diner, Q Texas Smokehouse, and Food Republic. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other thirteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the World Asia might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Encore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the World Asia might be a better choice then the Encore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC World Asia | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 18 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 13 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 13% |
| 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 Encore 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 Asia 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.
Norwegian Encore has fewer pools than the World Asia and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Encore. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? Two of the pools are adults only on World Asia.| MSC World Asia | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 13 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 5 |
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 Asia. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Encore, 57% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC World Asia | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cliffhanger | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Observation Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Production Shows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Race Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| VR Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC and Norwegian are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. 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.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on MSC World Asia will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Encore.
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 Asia | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
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.