What Happened to MSC Constellation Class?

MSC Cruises’ rumored Constellation Class was one of the most exciting cruise ship stories to emerge in 2025.

Reports suggested MSC was preparing to order four enormous ships from Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard, each measuring around 265,000 gross tons and 365 meters long. If built as reported, they could become some of the largest cruise ships ever constructed.

But more than a year later, MSC still hasn’t officially announced the ships.

And since those original reports surfaced, something important has changed: Meyer Turku’s future shipbuilding schedule has become much more crowded.

The Original MSC Constellation Plans

The Constellation project first gained attention through reports from Italian maritime publication Shipping Italy. The reported plans called for:

• Four new MSC Cruises ships
• Approximately 265,000 gross tons each
• A length of around 365 meters
• Construction at Meyer Turku in Finland
• A new class separate from MSC’s existing World Class ships

Those numbers would put Constellation above today’s MSC World Class ships and potentially among the largest passenger ships in the world.

However, there has always been one major caveat: MSC Cruises and Meyer Turku have never officially confirmed an order.

You can read our original breakdown of the rumored project in our MSC Constellation Class guide.

Meyer Turku Is Getting Very Busy

This is where things have become more interesting.

In September 2025, Royal Caribbean Group signed a long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku that secures Royal Caribbean access to shipbuilding capacity at the Finnish yard through 2036.

Royal Caribbean then confirmed two more Icon Class ships in April 2026.

Meyer Turku says its production plans are based around building three vessels simultaneously while delivering approximately one ship per year.

That makes the obvious question much harder to ignore:

Where would four MSC Constellation ships fit?

Does This Mean Constellation Is Cancelled?

No. There is currently no evidence that MSC Constellation Class has been cancelled.

Royal Caribbean’s agreement also should not be interpreted as giving the cruise line exclusive use of Meyer Turku. When the agreement was announced, Meyer Turku specifically referred to working with Royal Caribbean Group and other key partners during the coming decade.

The shipyard is also investing in its facilities and increasing capacity and productivity, so its capabilities could change considerably before the middle of the next decade.

Still, a Constellation delivery beginning in 2028 or 2029 now looks considerably harder to imagine than it did when the project was first reported.

Could New Frontier Have Replaced Constellation?

MSC has since revealed another completely new ship project known as New Frontier, but the two should not be confused.

New Frontier is being developed with Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, rather than Meyer Turku in Finland. The ships are expected to measure around 180,000 gross tons and carry up to 5,400 passengers, with deliveries planned annually beginning in 2030.

That is a dramatically different ship from the reported 265,000-ton Constellation concept.

There is currently nothing suggesting that New Frontier officially replaced Constellation.

So, Is MSC Constellation Class Still Happening?

For now, Constellation remains a rumor rather than a confirmed MSC ship class.

The original reports were detailed enough that there may have been a very real project under discussion. But between Royal Caribbean’s growing commitment to Meyer Turku, the lack of an MSC announcement and the emergence of the separate New Frontier project, Constellation’s path to becoming a real cruise ship class is less clear than it was a year ago.

It could be delayed. It could be redesigned. MSC could ultimately look elsewhere for shipyard capacity. Or the project could simply remain on the drawing board.

Until MSC or Meyer Turku says something officially, we simply don’t know.

But considering MSC’s aggressive fleet expansion, I certainly wouldn’t count Constellation out just yet.