MSC doubles down on GCC cruise sector with two-year Emirates partnership

Despite the significant disruption to Middle East cruise itineraries as a result of the ongoing Red Sea security crisis, MSC Cruises has indicated it remains committed to growing its presence in the regional cruise sector.

The Italian cruise line, the market leader in the GCC cruise sector by capacity, renewed its fly-cruise partnership with Emirates for another two years during the Arabian Travel Market exhibition and conference in Dubai.

The agreement cements Dubai’s position as the leading homeport hub for cruise lines in the Arabian Gulf, and provides MSC Cruises with the ability to offer fly-cruise packages to holiday makers with return flights to Dubai from 21 airports across Europe and South America.

In a release, Emirates said the partnership builds on an existing 10-year relationship and will leverage the strengths of the airline and MSC Cruises to enhance the guest experience and support the growth of Dubai’s cruise tourism eco-system. 

“We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Emirates for MSC Euribia Fly&Cruise packages from Dubai this winter season,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. 

“Both Emirates and MSC Cruises are recognised as leaders in their fields, so it’s a perfect match to offer Emirates’ high-quality flight service with the outstanding experience waiting for guests on board our ship,” he added. 

MSC Cruises is homeporting its newest Meraviglia-Plus class ship MSC Euribia in Dubai for the coming 2024/25 cruise season, sailing a series of 7-night roundtrip voyages in the Arabian Gulf.

The ship will call at destinations including Doha, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and some of the itineraries include Sir Bani Yas – the largest natural island in the United Arab Emirates which offers pristine beaches and diverse wildlife.

Benefits of the Fly&Cruise packages include being met at arrivals with a dedicated bus transfer to the ship. On return, guests can drop their bags in the cruise terminal, and collect them directly once they arrive at their destination.

The MSC Fly&Cruise packages including Emirates flights are available from Italy (Milan, Rome), Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Dusseldorf), United Kingdom (London Heathrow, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle) and Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Lisbon, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna, Zurich and São Paulo.

Dedicated Emirates check-in counters at Port Rashid allow passengers who are disembarking from their cruise to check in their luggage and get their flight boarding passes up to four hours before flight departure, breezing through all their airport formalities directly to their departure gate. 

American cruise guests will also soon be able to book their Emirates flight through MSC Cruises from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Washington.