World’s third largest cruise brand says the UAE will be the base next winter for MSC World Europa, the biggest passenger ship to sail in the Middle East.
The 2,626-cabin vessel will be able to accommodate up to 6,762 passengers and will be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), the first vessel in MSC Cruises’ fleet to use the cleanest fuel currently available at scale for ocean cruise ships.
The vessel’s Swiss-based owner and operator MSC will also dedicate a second ship, 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 was made by MSC Cruises’ CEO Gianni Onorato following the official opening this week by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler’s representative in the Al Dhafra region, of a new jetty for passenger ships at Sir Bani Yas Island.
Onorato hailed the cruise sector in the UAE as being an integral part of its dynamic tourism industry, paid tribute to the health and safety measures throughout the country and described MSC Cruises’ business outlook for next winter in the UAE and the Gulf as “very positive”.
Onorato said: “The UAE is a very important market for us and next winter we are going to deploy our newest addition to our fleet – MSC World Europa – and further increase our capacity from this year with the introduction of a second ship, MSC Opera, in recognition of the region’s ever growing status in the cruise sector.”
