MSC Cruises has announced that its newest ship, the MSC World Europa, will be based in the United Arab Emirates starting next winter. The World Europa will be “the largest and most environmentally friendly passenger ship to sail in the Middle East,” according to a press release.
MSC will also dedicate a second ship, the MSC Opera, to the Gulf region for the 2022-23 sailing season, as it aims to further strengthen its position as the region's number one line for holidays at sea.
The announcement of the deployment was made by MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato, following the official opening this week of a passenger ship pier on Sir Bani Yas Island by Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler's representative in the Al Dhafra region of the United Arab Emirates.
“The UAE is a very important market for us and next winter we will be deploying our newest addition to our fleet – the MSC World Europa – and further increasing our capacity from this year with the introduction of a second ship, the MSC Opera, in recognition of the region’s growing status in the cruise industry,” said MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato.
The World Europa is currently being built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, France, and will be delivered in October 2022 before setting sail for the Arabian Gulf to conduct cruises from December until March 2023.
The ship, with 2,626 cabins, will have a capacity for 6,762 passengers and a gross tonnage of 205,700 GT, and will be the first in the MSC Cruises fleet to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
On March 26, the MSC Virtuosa will end its scheduled voyages in the United Arab Emirates and will be replaced by the MSC Bellissima between April 2 and June 25, 2022. This is the first time MSC Cruises has extended its sailing season in the Gulf and is offering spring cruises. From December, the World Europa will be based in the UAE, offering seven-night cruises from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Sir Bani Yas Island, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and Doha in Qatar.
The Opera will offer a different seven-night itinerary from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which also includes a stop at Sir Bani Yas Island. Guests will then explore Oman with stops in the capital, Muscat, one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, and Khasab, the country's northernmost city. The cruise concludes with an overnight stay in Dubai, giving guests time to explore the metropolis.
