Drew Barrymore, Orlando Bloom welcome MSC World America in Miami

MSC Cruises officially welcomed MSC World America to its fleet last night in Miami during a star-studded affair featuring godmother Drew Barrymore and her ‘Let’s Holiday’ Superbowl commercial co-star Orlando Bloom. The celebrities are known for playfully going head-to-head in the popular bit comparing the differences between Europeans and Americans.

From a memorable pyrotechnic drone show displaying visuals like MSC loves Miami and Let’s Holiday over the Miami skyline to performances by the likes of Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan, the hours-long naming ceremony celebration took place in what is now the largest cruise ship terminal in the world.

“I’m very prideful about it… I am the godmother,” said Barrymore, a well-known actress and host of the Drew Barrymore Show, sharing her sentiments about taking on the role of godmother.

MSC World America is designed to cater to the North American market and features notable firsts like the first Eataly restaurant at sea and thrilling attractions like Cliffhanger, the only over-water swing ride at sea where cruisers swing 50 metres above the ocean.

Entertainment wise, MSC World America offers “Dirty Dancing in Concert,” where fans of the classic film can have the ‘time of their life’ seeing the movie come to life with singers, dancers and musicians – complete with the iconic lift scene. Another hit is Queen Symphonic, a live performance for those who want to belt out hits like Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You.

“Sailing with MSC is so much more than a vacation,” added Lynn Torrent, the president of MSC Cruises North America. “We don’t want our guests to just go on vacation, we want them to discover the joys of holidays.”

Departing from Miami, MSC World America will embark on alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries with stops in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatan, Honduras. All sailings include a visit to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

At a time when many Canadians are hitting pause on vacations to the U.S., Ian Patterson, country manager for MSC Cruises Canada, told PressToday that as a European brand, the cruise line hasn’t noticed any downturns in Canadians departing from U.S. ports.

“If we look at our bookings for this year, our Caribbean bookings are up over 50 per cent versus the same time last year from Canada,” he noted. “So, we haven’t seen this, we haven’t seen a downturn in the market whatsoever.”

Notably, the newly opened MSC Miami Cruise Terminal can accommodate up to three ships simultaneously and process up to 36,000 passengers daily.

“I think travel is the great teacher,” said Barrymore during a media briefing ahead of the naming ceremony. “The more places we see in the world, the more we will understand each other, have our horizons expanded.”