Royal Caribbean
Icon of the Seas
- Cruises
- 14
- From
- $820
Ship comparison
Icon of the Seas vs MSC World Europa
MSC Cruises
MSC World Europa
- Cruises
- 62
- From
- $229
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Icon of the Seas is a mega Royal Caribbean ship carrying 5,610 passengers, in service since 2024. MSC World Europa is a mega MSC Cruises ship carrying 5,079 passengers, in service since 2022.
Choose Icon of the Seas if you want more crew per passenger or more of a party: it outscores MSC World Europa for party (9.0 vs 8.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has a crew member for every 2.4 passengers (vs 3.6).
Choose MSC World Europa if you want more culture, a lower starting fare or a more active cruise: it outscores Icon of the Seas for cultural (8.0 vs 5.0) and active (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $229 (vs $820).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Icon of the Seas | MSC World Europa | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Royal Caribbean | MSC Cruises |
| Ship size | Mega | Mega |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2024 (better) | 2022 |
| Gross tonnage | 250,800 | 215,863 |
| Passengers | 5,610 | 5,079 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 1,413 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.4 (better) | 3.6 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 44.7 (better) | 42.5 |
| Cabins | — | 2,630 |
| Decks | 20 | 22 |
| Length | 1,192 ft | 1,094 ft |
| Beam | 213 ft | 154 ft |
| Speed | 25 mph | — |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 14 | 62 |
| Upcoming sailings | 76 | 450 |
| Cruise lengths | 6 to 9 nights | 1 to 28 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $820 | $229 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Icon of the Seas leads on 1 of the ten, MSC World Europa on 3, with 6 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Royal Caribbean
Icon of the Seas
The massive Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest megaship, made its maiden voyage in January 2024 as the world's largest cruise ship, clocking in with a gross tonnage of 250,800. It carries a whopping 5,610 passengers at double capacity, though the ship can squeeze in up to 7,600.
Sailing now
14 cruises on sale, from $820.
MSC Cruises
MSC World Europa
The first in a trailblazing new class of ships, MSC World Europa introduced a next-generation class of ships for MSC Cruises when it debuted in December 2022. The futuristic-looking vessel holds 5,079 passengers at double capacity and 6,762 passengers at full capacity, making it one of the largest megaships in the world.
Sailing now
62 cruises on sale, from $229.
Questions
Icon of the Seas or MSC World Europa?
Which is bigger, Icon of the Seas or MSC World Europa?
Icon of the Seas is bigger at 250,800 gross tons, against 215,863 gross tons for MSC World Europa. Icon of the Seas carries 5,610 passengers and MSC World Europa carries 5,079.
Which ship is newer, Icon of the Seas or MSC World Europa?
Icon of the Seas is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2024 against 2022 for MSC World Europa.
Which has more space per passenger?
Icon of the Seas, with 44.7 gross tons per passenger against 42.5 on MSC World Europa. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Icon of the Seas, with one crew member for every 2.4 passengers against one for every 3.6 on MSC World Europa.
Which is better for families?
They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 9.0 out of 10.
Still deciding?
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