Over the years, the “arms race” to provide cruise passengers with thrills has reached a fever pitch. Norwegian Cruise Line put go-kart racing aboard their ships. Carnival debuted roller coasters at sea. Royal Caribbean put in “Crown’s Edge” — a ropes course that features a harnessed ride out over the water.
Now, MSC is offering what might be the most adrenaline-pumping thrill ride at sea.
Next year, the cruise line is debuting its newest ship, MSC World America. The massive new ship will be among the largest in the world. It will have 22 decks, six pools, more than 2,600 staterooms, and seven different districts around the ship.
But it’s a just-announced feature that may have people talking the most. In a press release, the cruise line shared that MSC World America will be the only ship in the fleet to offer Cliffhanger.
This new ride is a four-person swing that sits atop the ship on its side. Powered by arms that push riders out, passengers will swing back and forth over the edge of the ship with nothing other than the seat in between them and the water.
“Cliffhanger’s four seats start off close to the deck before powered arms lift them into the starting position—up and out over the edge of the ship. From there, riders are propelled back and forth, high above the waterline and dangling 160 feet above the ocean below,” the cruise line says.
The renderings of the new ride are wild. If you’re someone that’s scared of heights, you might not even want to look. They show riders swinging well out over the edge of the ship, with nothing underneath them than blue water.
Another overhead view shows the look straight down from above. For some people, it’s straight out of a bad dream. For others (including us!) it looks like something we’d love to do.
So far there aren’t any details on the specifics of the ride, such as how long it will last or if it will be included in the cost of the cruise or an extra charge. Given the logistics involved, we’d expect this is something that would only operate while the ship is in port, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
What we do know is that if you want to ride, then you’ll have to book a sailing aboard MSC World America. The new mega-ship debuts in April 2025, sailing 7-day cruises from Miami.
Prices currently start at $649 per person.
