MSC reports record demand for Middle East as World Europa arrives in Doha

MSC has seen a record number of cruise bookings for the month of October, led by MSC World Europa sailing roundtrip from Dubai in the Arabian Gulf this coming cruise season.

MSC Cruises said that it has received nearly 400,000 bookings globally for its winter 2022/23 and summer 2023 cruise seasons.

These bookings were not only the most ever received in a single month, but also show higher than average historical occupancy levels for both seasons.

Along with MSC World Europa, the cruise line said its other new ships, the soon to be delivered MSC Seascape and MSC Euribia, also saw higher than normal interest from guests.

“October has been the strongest month for bookings in the entire history of our brand,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises. ” This reflects the continued strong investments made in our fleet, which is one of the most modern in the industry with five new state-of-the-art vessels delivered in the last three years alone and more than any other brand since 2017.”

In addition to taking delivery of new ships, MSC Cruises has also been investing in the quality of the cruise experience itself, with new dining, entertainment and shore excursion experiences rolled out in recent years.

The news comes as MSC World Europa arrives in Doha, Qatar ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, which is being hosted in the Middle East for the first time.

MSC World Europa arrived at the Doha Grand Cruise Terminal on November 10th. She will be christened on November 13th, and will then operate as a floating hotel for the duration of the FIFA tournament, alongside MSC Poesia and MSC Opera. The three ships combined can accommodate 13,000 guests.

MSC World Europa is by far the largest of them all, and the largest cruise ship ever to cruise in the Middle East. She accommodates 5,260 passengers, and will make its debut sailing in the Middle East for the winter before heading for Europe in the summer of 2023.

The ship takes inspiration from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels, with a split superstructure at the stern, the world’s longest dry slide at sea descending from the pool deck to the promenade, more than 40 restaurants, bars and cafes, and a plethora of entertainment options.