doha cruise ship world cup

A massive new cruise ship is set to function as a floating hotel for the Qatar World Cup, and rooms start at $220 a night. Take a look inside.

• MSC Cruises launched a new luxury liner ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
• The ship is expected to host more than 6,700 fans at the World Cup.
• A single night's stay on the docked ship during the World Cup starts at $220.

MSC Cruises just launched a new cruise liner called the MSC World Europa. The luxury cruise is currently moored in Doha, Qatar, and is expected to host thousands of fans during the World Cup in November.

Chantiers de l'Atlantique, one of the world's biggest shipyards, started construction on MSC World Europa in 2019. The ship was fully constructed and delivered to MSC Cruises in October, and it's scheduled for its maiden voyage around the Middle East in December.

MSC World Europa is slated to be used as a hotel for fans at the Qatar World Cup from November 19 to December 19.

MSC Cruises did not reply to Insider's requests for comment.

MSC Europa is the largest ship in the cruise line's fleet — it has a gross tonnage of 215,863. In comparison, the Titanic had a gross tonnage of 46,328, which is about four times less.

The MSC Poesia and MSC Opera, two other cruises in the fleet, are also currently docked in Doha to accommodate fans. MSC Cruises has a  fleet of 22 ships.

Source: MSC Cruises

The massive ship has 22 decks and 2,626 cabins, which means it can accommodate more than 6,700 guests at a time.

The ship is large enough to accommodate 2,138 crew members.

Sources:   MSC Cruises  

The ship is designed with a yacht club, which is an area exclusive to VIP guests.

The yacht club has 152 cabins and two suites, accounting for a fraction of the 2,626 cabins on board. Its amenities include a private pool and 24-hour butler service.

Booking up a yacht club cabin for the ship's nine-day maiden voyage start from $2,290.

Source: MSC Cruises, Clean Cruising

A nine-day cruise around Qatar and the United Arab Emirates costs around $1,070 for an entry-level interior cabin. The ship is expected to begin cruising after the World Cup in December.

There are four main room categories on board: interior, balcony, suite, and yacht club, cruise booking website Clean Cruising shows. The interior cabin does not have windows, a virtual tour shows.

During the duration of the World Cup, however, the ship will stay docked in Doha, and will be used as a floating hotel.

A night's stay at the docked MSC Europa is slated to start from $220 per person. Prices fluctuate according to which stage of the tournament is being held on the day of the accommodation. 

Sources: Clean Cruising , MSC Cruises, Associated Press

MSC Europa claims it's home to the world's longest dry slide in a ship, which spans 11 decks.

There are six pools and 14 whirlpool baths on board.

There's also a spa with thermal baths, in addition adults-only pools and water facilities made specifically for children.

There are 10 dining venues on board, including four main restaurants, three buffets, and six specialty restaurants.

Restaurants on board include a sushi bar, a tacos and cantina restaurant, and a steakhouse.

Sources: MSC Cruises

The ship also has 21 bars and lounges, as well as a casino.

In addition to the casino, there's a massive panoramic lounge that's slated to host dozens of music-themed experiences. The ship also has luxury boutiques, a water park, a sports complex with a bumper cars, and video arcades.

After MSC Europa's winter tour, it's expected to cruise in the Mediterranean.

The ship's summer tour is expected to begin on April 16. It's slated to cruise for eight days at a time, across six places in Europe: Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Messina, and Malta.

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Doha Set for Three MSC Ships and Other Cruise Ships for World Cup

• September 21, 2022

Three MSC Cruises ships will serve as hotel accommodations for the FIFA World Cup fans in Qatar. The MSC World Europa and MSC Poesia will be berthed next to the new Grand Cruise Terminal, and the third cruise ship, the MSC Opera, will be on the opposite side of the port.

At a maximum capacity, all three vessels can accommodate over 13,000 guests, significantly increasing the much-needed berths during the event.

In addition, two Ponant ships are expected to be berthed at a premium location in the heart of Doha Port, alongside the Golden Horizon which is set to host Croatian fans.

The 22nd edition of the competition which will take place from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18 is the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Arab country. The host nation expects about 1.2 million fans to arrive in Qatar during the competition.

The Grand Cruise Terminal, which is at its final construction stage, is part of an ambitious project set by Qatar Tourism to attract over six million international visitors a year by 2030. The terminal building is set to be inaugurated at the naming ceremony of MSC Cruise’s newest ship the MSC World Europa.

The facility will have two cruise terminals with an aquarium in the middle section and an art gallery. The terminals are designed to simultaneously handle a complete passenger turnaround for two mega-size cruise ships.

With its structural and decorative functions, the building honors traditional Arab architecture and restores the historical link between Doha and the sea. The visually stunning architecture incorporates 1154 elegant arches, representing unity, purity, and glory.

Located in the heart of Doha, the new Grand Terminal is a stone’s throw away from the city’s most popular tourist attractions; the gorgeous promenade Corniche, the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum of Qatar, Msheireb Downtown and the traditional market Souq Waqif.

Constructed to expand the intended use as a cruise terminal and transform into a flexible multi-functional space for year-round public events, exhibitions and conferences, Doha’s Grand Cruise Terminal has the potential to become city’s next landmark.

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Qatar Cup 2022 News

Old Doha Port to welcome first World Cup cruise ship on Nov 10 

Msc world europa sets to arrive qatar for the world cup this week.

Doha: The Grand Cruise Terminal of the renovated Old Doha Port will witness its first arrival this Thursday, November 10, 2022, when the MSC World Europa is expected to arrive. This is the first of three cruises that will serve as floating hotels for World Cup visitors. 

The about-to-be-inaugurated Grand Cruise Terminal will ensure marine access to Doha and the Gulf during the World Cup and beyond. 

Named one of the world’s most beautiful cruise terminals by Forbes, the Doha Port’s Grand Cruise Terminal honours traditional Arab architecture and restores the historic link between Doha and its sea.

With its 24,000 square meters built-up area, the terminal is also exceptional in its open terraces, located on the first-floor level. These spaces can be used for separate events to provide additional commercial revenue, and during the off-season when there are no ship movements, they can be integrated with the first-floor halls of the terminal, thus generating more flexibility in the use of the building. The halls on the ground level can also function as exhibition centres. 

Passengers using the facility will experience a trip through an aquarium to discover local fish types and through a city gallery that introduces them to miniature models of main landmarks in Doha. In order for this experience to be fairly shared between the passengers of both mega-ships, the aquarium and the city gallery are located between the two terminals at the centre of the building.

According to Qatar Tourism, the terminal is expected to receive more than 300,000 tourists annually.

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