By
Alex Smith |
MSC Cruises’ first LNG-powered ship, MSC World Europa, is to be named in a ceremony on 13 November in Doha, Qatar.
“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,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the cruise division of MSC Group. “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.”
The ceremony will take place at Doha’s new Grand Cruise Terminal, a 24,000-square-metre facility that will be able to handle up to 28,000 passengers and two large cruise ships a day. The terminal also includes an aquarium and a gallery specialised in Islamic art.
“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,” said His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, chairman of Qatar Tourism of Qatar Tourism and group chief executive Qatar Airways. “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.”
MSC World Europa will set sail on its maiden voyage on 20 December, offering seven-night cruises with calls at Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. From March 2023, the ship will then move to the Mediterranean Sea where she will offer seven-night cruises to the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples and Messina, as well as calling at Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France.