Cruise Spotlight
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MSC World Atlantic vs MSC Poesia
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 19 years newer than the Poesia, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2025. The Poesia will receive a major dry dock refurbishment before its North America debut in May 2026 that will add new venues and Yacht Club cabins with associated areas.
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 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 MSC Poesia, the World Atlantic is 133% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The MSC World Atlantic holds more than double the amount of people as the Poesia 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 Atlantic has less space per person compared to the Poesia.
The World Atlantic uses a district layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| MSC World Atlantic | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | World | Musica |
| Gross Tonnage | 215,863 | 92,627 |
| Length | 1,092 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 155 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 6,758 | 2,550 |
| Crew | 2,142 | 1,027 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 36 |
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 Kaito Sushi Bar, Kaito Teppanyaki, and Il Mercato. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other ten options have an additional fee.
The Poesia has nine fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, Kaito Sushi Bar, Seven of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the World Atlantic might be a better choice. It has more than double the amount of dining options than the Poesia.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the World Atlantic might be a better choice then the Poesia. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on MSC World Atlantic & Poesia
| Restaurant | MSC World Atlantic |
MSC Poesia |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Il Mercato | ✓ | ✗ | |
| La Brasserie Buffet | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Luna Park Pizza & Burger | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Promenade Bites | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Harbour Bar & Bites | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| All-Stars Sports Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Eataly | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sweet Temptations | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Butcher's Cut | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| HOLA! Tacos & Cantina | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Kaito Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Kaito Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| MSC Yacht Club Restaurant | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
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. Alcohol is not included in the base price of this cruise ship. To see if you would save money with a drink package, try our Drink Package Calculator.
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.
MSC Poesia has fewer pools than the World Atlantic and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Poesia. 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 | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 13 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 |
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 the World Atlantic, 55% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Poesia, only 43% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| MSC World Atlantic | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cliffhanger | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Production Shows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| VR Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC is 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.
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 MSC Poesia.
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 understand what you might spend onboard a MSC ship.
| MSC | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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