• Official naming event of MSC Group’ newest MSC Cruises flagship to take place on 13 November 2022
• Partnership with Qatar Airways forms part of the Cruise Division of MSC Group’s commitment to the country and importance of the wider Gulf region
• International event to welcome travel trade and media from around the world
• MSC World Europa, the line’s first trailblazing World Class ship will welcome guests in the Gulf region for winter 2022/2023 season

The Cruise Division of MSC Group in partnership with Qatar Airways today announced that the naming ceremony for MSC Cruises’ trailblazing new flagship, MSC World Europa, will take place on 13 November in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where she will officially inaugurate the city’s brand new Grand Cruise Terminal.  This latest announcement is part of MSC’s overall commitment to Qatar and the continued importance of the Middle East, where MSC Cruises is brand leader, and also supports Qatar’s Vision 2030 pledge to triple the number of international tourists visiting the country by that year.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, Cruise Division of MSC Group, said, “We are incredibly proud that in November we will name our most innovative, futuristic and the world’s largest environmentally-focused cruise passenger ship in Doha. MSC World Europa represents the future of cruising, a totally new platform that will provide our guests with an unforgettable cruise not experienced anywhere before, so it is fitting that this monumental event will take place in one of the seven new Urban Wonders of the World and inaugurate the city’s magnificent new Grand Cruise Terminal.”

“Qatar will continue to play an important role in our strategy to expand our presence in the broader Gulf region as we see greater demand from our guests to visit this culturally rich and yet fully discovered part of the world. I would like to thank Qatar Airways for its collaborative partnership and strong support in making this event happen.”

“And it is only fitting that this event marks the coming into service of the highly anticipated MSC World Europa, the first in our trailblazing ‘World Class’ of ships that introduces a completely new cruising platform that boasts future-proof marine and onboard hospitality technologies, state-of-the-art environmental technologies as well as ground-breaking and ultramodern design. The ship will become the biggest and most environmentally high-performing passenger ship to sail out of Doha and across the Middle East and welcome guests from around the world for the winter 2022/2023 season.”

The ship naming ceremony is set to be a glamourous and star-studded event and celebrated with an outstanding array of stunning live entertainment and performances as well as the traditional maritime bottle breaking moment to name a new ship against the backdrop of a firework-lit stunning cityscape skyline of Doha. Further details of the special event will be revealed in due course.

His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, commented: “Qatar has taken important steps to position itself as a world class destination for cruise passengers and the naming ceremony of MSC World Europa in Doha is another landmark event as we grow this important tourism sector. As Qatar places great importance on sustainability, it is fitting that we host this ceremony for such an environmentally focused cruise ship. In addition, the opening of the new Grand Cruise Terminal is a state-of-the-art facility that firmly puts Qatar on the map for cruise ships and positions Doha as one of the most modern ports in the world.”

The special occasion will take place at Doha’s brand new Grand Cruise Terminal, a state-of-the-art 24,000 square metres facility that will handle up to 28,000 passengers a day and has the capacity to host two mega-cruise ships a day.  Cruise passengers are set to enjoy an incredible aquarium in the terminal and a gallery that specialises in Islamic art, among its many features.

The ship will make for her maiden voyage on December 20, offering 7-night cruises to Doha, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island, United Arab Emirates, plus Dammam, Saudi Arabia. For the upcoming winter season MSC Opera will also offer 7-night itineraries in the Gulf region to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas island plus two destinations in Oman – Muscat and Khasab.

MSC World Europa from March 2023 will then move to the Mediterranean Sea where she will offer 7-night cruises to the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples and Messina, as well as Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France.