Cruise Spotlight
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MSC World Atlantic vs Carnival Encounter
The MSC World Atlantic is still being built and will debut in 2027. The World Atlantic will sail out of Port Canaveral starting in November 2027. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding. The World Atlantic is still under construction and MSC hasn't released all the details yet. It's 25 years newer than the Encounter, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2026. The Carnival Encounter is a rebranded ship, previously sailing as Star Princess with Princess Cruises and the Pacific Encounter for P&O Australia. It has been brought into the Carnival family and they added things like the HUB app and Camp Ocean, but it missing several key Carnival elements. For example, they charge for pizza outside of lunch hours and there is no complimentary soft serve ice cream or burgers.
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 Atlantic is considered an extra large 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 Carnival Encounter, the World Atlantic is 98% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC World Atlantic holds 100% more passengers than the Encounter based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, the MSC World Atlantic holds more than double the number of people as the Encounter.
When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the World Atlantic has less space per person compared to the Encounter.
The World Atlantic uses a district layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| MSC World Atlantic | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | World | Adventure |
| Gross Tonnage | 215,863 | 108,865 |
| Length | 1,092 | 951 |
| Beam/Width | 155 | 118 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,264 | 2,636 |
| Passengers (maximum occupancy) | 6,758 | 3,115 |
| Crew | 2,142 | 1,100 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 35 |
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 Atlantic has sixteen different dining options like Eataly, Il Mercato, and Kaito Sushi Bar. Of those options, twelve are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other ten options have an additional fee.
The Encounter has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Dragon Lady, and Waterfront Restaurant. Six of these restaurants are complimentary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the World Atlantic might be a better choice. It has 45% more dining options than the Encounter.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Encounter might be a better choice than the World Atlantic. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC World Atlantic | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 16 | 11 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 10 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 38% | 45% |
| 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 Barq's Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out the recent bar menus for the Encounter 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 Atlantic 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.
Carnival Encounter has fewer pools than the World Atlantic and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Encounter. 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 Atlantic.
| MSC World Atlantic | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 13 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 6 |
| 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. On both ships, 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
| MSC World Atlantic | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cliffhanger | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edge Adventure Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Production Shows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| VR Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC and Carnival 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 Atlantic will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Encounter.
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 may 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 Atlantic | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.25 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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