Surveys and guest feedback indicated that US travelers wanted more complimentary American food, Italian dishes, activities, and attractions, William Monts de Oca Rivera, MSC's head of guest experience innovation, told Business Insider.

"The European style is there, so now how do we lean into the American comfort?" he said.

After a three-year design process, this question led to one of the world's latest and largest cruise ships with a sports bar, a comedy club, an amusement park, and an Eataly.

"Europeans want to spend a lot of time sunbathing," Monts De Oca Rivera said during a panel in April. "Americans want to spend a lot of time doing things and being active."

And do things they shall. The Harbour, an activity hub and the "crown jewel" of the ship, according to De Oca Rivera, is MSC's take on the trend of amusement park-like cruise ships.

The playground is perfect for the youngest cruisers, while the mechanical swing that dangles riders 164 feet above the ocean is a go-to for the daredevilish. That's not to mention the ropes course, dry slide, and waterslides, including one with a virtual reality headset.

Weary parents can instead sit out, snack on empanadas, and sip on mai tais at the adjacent grab-and-go snack and drinks bar, Harbour Bar and Bites.

Another priority for Monts De Oca Rivera's team was maximizing the surface area of World America's pools.

Americans, he said, want to be near or touching water, but don't need to be completely submerged. To accomplish this, the team developed shallow sections of the pools where guests can sit without being completely submerged.

Shade was a "big, big, big, big, big, big" focus for the US-oriented ship, Monts De Oca Rivera said.

It's smartly designed on World America, from canvases shading the walkways beneath the Harbour's ropes course to slats partially covering its Bar and Bites dining tables.

According to Monts De Oca Rivera, Americans' daily eating habits follow a general trend: big breakfasts, lighter lunches, several mid-day snacks, and a big dinner. As such, World America has four fast-casual grab-and-go food concepts to appease afternoon snackers, quadruple that of World Europa's.

"Fast" is the name of MSC World America's dining game. While European guests often prefer two-hour dinners with spaced-out service, the American market favors shorter meals with chattier and more attentive servers. This has meant a push for quicker diner service aboard the new ship.

MSC's tagline has become "European style, American comfort," distinguishing itself from its US competitors. And what better way to reflect its background than through food?

The ship aims to highlight American-beloved European classics, such as a mozzarella bar in the buffet and endless pizza slices at the pool grill.

Yes, that Eataly, which takes its seafaring form as World America's signature Italian restaurant. The new venue replaced World Europa's modern Nordic restaurant, Chef's Garden Kitchen.

Similarly, Greek restaurant Paxos superseded World Europa's seafood restaurant, which was nixed after surveys of the American market showed confusion by its lack of affiliation with a single country's cuisine, according to Monts De Oca Rivera.

The new Paxos couldn't be more obviously geared to the American interpretation of Greece, as indicated by its prototypical white and blue storefront embellished with iconic bougainvilleas.

World Europa's spirits and cigar Malt Lounge became World America's All-Stars Sports Bar, finished with plenty of beers on tap, more TV screens than a single person ever needs, and dartboards.

Beer fans can also grab a pint at the onboard microbrewery, which has three new brews — an IPA, pilsner, and light beer — for the American palate.

However, following guest interest in smaller, specialized entertainment venues, the three activities now have a shared space in The Loft — a venue that otherwise operates as an English tea room on World Europa.

After all, there's nothing more European (pre-Brexit) than a tea room — and nothing more American than a comedy club and sports bar.

I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck eight for $2,000. The cruise was on sale, as it was originally priced at $3,000.

During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's own private island in the Bahamas.

The enormous ship had eight communal areas, which Royal Caribbean called "neighborhoods." Each neighborhood had its own activities.

During my cruise, the elevators were packed during busy parts of the day, so I found it faster to take the stairs on either side of the elevators.

Decks two and three have boarding areas to enter and exit the ship. Deck three is the lowest deck with staterooms.

Meals in the main dining rooms were included in the price of my ticket.

One of the venues, Studio B, is used for shows and large-scale activities like ice skating and laser tag.

Down the hall from Studio B is the casino, where guests can gamble on a floor full of game tables and slot machines.

While most shows were free, many restaurants like Izumi cost extra.

I thought the Royal Promenade felt like a mall.

A venue called the Royal Theater also hosts shows on decks four and five.

The Royal Promenade neighborhood also has two coffee shops — Starbucks and Cafe Promenade.

The Boardwalk deck caters to families with kids with a carousel, a candy store, and rock-climbing walls.

There are two restaurants on the Boardwalk: a hot dog stand, which is included for guests, and a Johnny Rockets, which has burgers and shakes for an added fee.

Across from the Boardwalk restaurants is Playmakers, a sports bar.

This is where Royal Caribbean hosts outdoor movies and a water show featuring dancers, divers, and acrobats.

At night, the boardwalk lights up for the show.

Just past the Vitality at Sea entrance is a café before the spa area and gym, which was full of cardio and strength machines I've seen in most fitness centers.

From the fitness center, there's access to an indoor track.

This deck is home to 20,000 plants, according to Royal Caribbean.

This lush neighborhood has many spaces to chill, including benches and outdoor couches. I thought it was the most relaxing area on the ship.

The restaurants are Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, and Giovanni's Italian. There's also Park Cafe, a casual eatery that is free for guests.

The Central Park deck also has two bars — Trelli's and Rising Tide, a moving bar that goes up and down floors five through eight.

The deck is a kids' area with an escape room.

Three large pools made me feel like I was at the beach, with water coming up and around the lounging chairs.

The deck also has a handful of whirlpools, small plunge pools for relaxing, and a water playground called Splashaway Bay.

In the middle of the pool deck, Sprinkles has all-you-can-eat soft-serve ice cream with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mixed flavors. It's included for guests.

The lounge has pools, a bar, a complimentary bistro, and stunning views.

Outside the Solarium, there's a bar called Vue with more ocean views.

The buffet served a wide range of food options, including everything from waffles and bacon to fried chicken and tacos.

There are also covered casitas for lounging that guests may reserve.

Up here, there's an indoor arcade, outdoor mini-golf, table tennis, basketball, water slides, and a stationary surf simulator.

Decks 17 and 18 are accessible only for guests with suites and include private pools and terraces.

As we left the port to start our journey, I marveled at how the ships passing by looked like toy boats in comparison.

Russell Galbut, the founder and chairman of Crescent Seas (and the cofounder of Crescent Heights), told Business Insider that his company has paid a deposit to charter the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings-owned vessel.

Still in operation as a Regent Seven Seas ship, Navigator is scheduled to undergo a $70 million refurbishment in the fall of 2026 to become long-term living-proofed.

When the vessel embarks on its new life, so too will its residents.

After its relaunch, Navigator and its cabin owners can expect to sail around the world, spending several days at destinations like the North Pole, Galapagos Islands, and French Polynesian islands.

Throughout this indefinite journey, the 420 residents can look forward to onboard amenities such as butlers, Starlink WiFi, and a pickleball court — all for $750,000 to $8 million per cabin, not including an annual $220,000 maintenance fee.

The industry has seen an influx of residential cruise startups — many of which have sunk as quickly as they've popped up.

Life at Sea Cruises faced backlash after canceling its never-ending voyage two weeks before its debut in 2023. Similarly, concepts such as Storylines and Victoria Cruises Line have repeatedly delayed their launches, facing skepticism that they'll ever set sail.

As of now, 23-year-old The World and seven-month-old Villa Vie Odyssey are the only residential ships in operation, although not without prior hiccups.

Galbut said Norwegian is expected to continue overseeing the floating condominium's operations. The ship will also retain its original crew and hospitality provider, Apollo Group.

"What differentiates us is that we have a product that we now own that has been operating at the very highest level of luxury for 20 years," Galbut told BI. "When we buy fuel, unlike these one-off ships, we're going to be buying fuel as if we're part of the Norwegian brand."

Galbut served as the chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings from 2018 to 2024. (He told BI that his former position did not result in preferential treatment during negotiations for Navigator.)

During its 54-day dry dock, Navigator's bathrooms, pool deck, spa, and restaurants will be redone, and its furniture and decor will be replaced, according to Galbut. Adding a new pickleball court, sports simulator, and indoor hydroponic spice garden is also in the plans — as is the conjoining of several cabins to create more suites, dropping the ship's accommodations from 248 units to 210.

Enjoy collecting wine from different countries? Galbut said there will be a designated storage facility for them.

Want to bring your electric bike or scuba equipment on board? Expect specialized storage for them, too. (You don't have to bring your own — guests can expect onboard scuba equipment, zodiacs, and sea-doos.)

To keep on track with its ambitious five-year and -ship plan, Crescent Seas says it will debut a second residential vessel, Insignia, a year after Navigator's launch. Cabins are currently priced between $650,000 and $10 million each.

Like its predecessor, Insignia will be another Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings vessel, this time Oceania's. Upon its transfer to Crescent Seas, the ship would similarly undergo an over $50 million refresh.

In the future, the company expects to offer an "exchange program" that would allow residents of different Crescent Seas ships to swap cabins.

"71% of the Earth is covered by water, so it's natural that residents will start to exist at sea," Galbut said. "It seems to me that the world is getting to be a smaller place, and we have to build these communities at sea because it gives people the opportunity to be in every gateway city of the world."

When I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas, my space was small — just 181 square feet with a 50-square-foot balcony — but the room was clearly set up with efficiency in mind.

The cabin had a king bed that could convert to two twins, plus a couch that turned into a double sofa bed. I loved that the bed was high enough that I could put my suitcase under it after I unpacked.

Since Utopia generally sails three- and four-night itineraries out of Port Canaveral, Florida, I didn't need to bring a lot of stuff.

Even so, there was plenty of storage even if I had. My room had two closets and a set of drawers in the main living area, which fit everything for a three-night sailing.

I traveled with a guest, and I found the balcony was big enough for both of us, with two chairs and a small table.

Cruise-ship bathrooms are notoriously small, but this one made me feel like I needed to shrink to the size of a child to comfortably fit inside it.

Although there was a shelf above the sink and one below it, I didn't have a ton of counter space for my toiletries.

The lack of storage in the bathroom and the dark, small shower was a big letdown for me.

My balcony room on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady, was 185 square feet, including the balcony, and could accommodate two people.

The room had a minimalistic design with a queen bed that could be split into two twins. I didn't like that the beds weren't raised enough for me to put my suitcases below it, as this limited my storage space.

My room also had a single chair if I didn't want to sit on the bed.

In terms of storage, there was a small set of shelves attached to the desk and a closet with a curtain covering.

The closet had some shelves with bins for things like socks and swimsuits. It would've been nice to have a dresser.

I love how spacious the balconies tend to be on Virgin Voyages ships.

On this sailing, my outdoor space had two chairs, a small table, and a red hammock. I spent many afternoons gazing out over the ocean in the hammock.

Although both ships have tiny bathrooms, I liked the setup of Virgin Voyages' better.

The toilet was across from the shower instead of next to it, which felt more comfortable. The bright lighting around the space helped the bathroom feel bigger, too.

The shower felt fairly bright and also had a rainfall showerhead, which felt like a luxurious touch.

I'm not sure if this shower was technically bigger than the one on the Utopia, but it certainly felt like it was.

If I had to choose which ship to sail on again based strictly on the balcony rooms, I'd pick the Royal Caribbean Utopia.

I loved the ample storage in my room, even though the bathroom was not my favorite. For most travelers, however, cost is going to be the biggest factor when choosing a ship.

When comparing two upcoming four-night sailings for the Utopia and Valiant Lady, the balcony rooms on Virgin were much cheaper. A balcony room for two in April is about $2,300 on the Valiant Lady and about $3,400 on the Utopia.

However, prices change often, and cabins aren't necessarily the only deciding factor when booking a cruise. It's important to also look at each ship's perks and ports before selecting your next sailing.