Geneva (Switzerland), February 12, 2020 – MSC Cruises has signed a long-term agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports for preferential berthing rights at both the Port Zayed terminal, the main gateway for cruise passengers to the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and on Sir Bani Yas Island, an oasis of beautiful beaches 170 kilometers off the coast of the UAE.
The contract under which this agreement is signed was signed at the company's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, by its CEO Gianni Onorato and Noura Rashid Al Dhaheri, Director of Cruise Business at Abu Dhabi Ports.
Gianni Onorato stated: “This new agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports for preferential berthing rights demonstrates a further step in MSC Cruises’ long-term commitment to the Gulf and will further consolidate our position as the largest passenger cruise operator in the region. Abu Dhabi is a very important embarkation port and a popular destination for shore excursions during winter cruises. We are currently serving the city and Sir Bani Yas Island with MSC Bellissima, one of the most modern cruise ships in our fleet and one of the most environmentally advanced to sail in the Gulf, as well as with MSC Lirica.”
The CEO of MSC Cruises added: “MSC Lirica will return to Abu Dhabi and the Gulf in winter 2020-2021 to join the highly innovative MSC Seaview, a ship specially designed to operate in warmer climates. Looking ahead, we will deploy our largest ship to the Gulf region for winter 2021-22, MSC Virtuosa, a 331-meter-long ship that can accommodate up to 6,334 passengers and will be launched this year.”
MSC Seaview, which has the highest ratio of open space per passenger in the cruise industry, will make its first visit to Abu Dhabi on December 6, 2020 and to Sir Bani Yas Island the following day.
The ship will sail 14 itineraries between December 2020 and March 2021 from Abu Dhabi to Sir Bani Yas Island; Manama in Bahrain; Doha in Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE. MSC Lirica will offer 21 sailings between November 2020 and April 2021 from Abu Dhabi with stops in Sir Bani Yas, Muscat in Oman, and Dubai.
The Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal has reported significant growth over the past 12 months, registering a 47% increase in visitor numbers and a 45% increase in ship calls year-on-year. The terminal's excellent year is partly due to MSC Cruises' commitment earlier this season to add 17 new calls at Port Zayed.
In December of last year, the terminal marked one of its busiest days of the 2019/20 winter season to date, when it welcomed more than 8,000 visitors as part of a triple stop in Abu Dhabi, which included the first visit of MSC Bellissima.
Noura Rashid Al Dhaheri, Director of Cruise Business at Abu Dhabi Ports, said: “Our continued collaboration with MSC Cruises is a testament to our strong relationship and reflects the quality of services we provide to the world’s leading cruise operators at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal and Sir Bani Yas Island. Our success in substantially increasing passenger volume year after year demonstrates our commitment to developing a world-class cruise destination.”.
“With continued investment in infrastructure and enhanced operations and services to cater to cruise ships arriving in Abu Dhabi, we have solidified our position as the leading destination in the Gulf region. The Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal is becoming a key disembarkation point for international cruise ships,” the Director emphasized, adding: “We are committed to further developing our offering and strengthening our sales proposition by developing flexible and intelligent solutions to ensure all our passengers enjoy the best possible port experiences.”.
Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at the Abu Dhabi Government's Department of Culture and Tourism, explained that “this landmark agreement will play a significant role in positioning Abu Dhabi as a leading cruise destination in the region. MSC Cruises was a key player in helping us attract over 500,000 cruise visitors to the capital last year, and we have no doubt about the successes it will bring in the coming years. From our perspective, we remain committed to providing MSC Cruises and all passengers with exceptional service and extraordinary experiences during their visit to the capital of the UAE.”.
