Flashback: Two cruise ships dock at Doha port, welcome FIFA World Cup fans on board

Two cruise ships dock at Doha port, welcome FIFA World Cup fans on board

·         MSC World Europa cruise ship naming held in Qatar

·         Ready to host World Cup fans, second ship of the MSC group MSC Poesia arrives, third one MSC Opera likely to check into Doha in the coming days

·         Floating hotels are one of several facilities provided by the State of Qatar for fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, offering multiple booking and accommodation options throughout the tournament, including apartments, villas, fan villages and usual hotels.

·         A stunning live entertainment performances and a spectacular fireworks display against the stunning Doha skyline marked cruise ship MSC World Europa naming ceremony at the revamped Doha Port on Sunday

·         22-deck Europa has 2,626 cabins, designed with the highest standards of security and safety, is a modern floating hotel and can accommodate 6,700 guests

·         MSC Poesia houses 1,265 cabins, three swimming pools, a spa and wellness center, cinema, poolside, tennis and basketball courts, in addition to four dining options, 15 coffee shops and event venues.

Armstrong Vaz

Doha, Qatar: Two cruise ships belonging to MSC Cruises, the world’s third largest cruise brand, which will host the World Cup fans in Qatar have arrived in Qatar.

The second floating hotel, MSC Poesia, docked in Doha Port on Monday morning to join MSC World Europa, which arrived in Doha Thursday, to offer a luxurious hospitality experience to fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 during the 29-day period from November 20 to December 18.

The cruise ship MSC Poesia is a modern 4-star floating hotel offers luxurious services to World Cup fans with a variety of room options ranging from traditional cabins overlooking the sea to rooms with balconies and luxury suites, in addition to multiple dining possibilities and programs and entertainment for all ages.

MSC Poesia houses 1,265 cabins, three swimming pools, a spa and wellness center, cinema, poolside, tennis and basketball courts, in addition to four dining options, 15 coffee shops and event venues.

Floating hotels are one of several facilities provided by the State of Qatar for fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, offering multiple booking and accommodation options throughout the tournament, including apartments, villas, fan villages and usual hotels.

All together three cruise ships will host fans during the football showpiece event with MSC Opera likely to check into Doha in the coming days.

On Sunday an outstanding array of stunning live entertainment performances and a spectacular fireworks display against the stunning Doha skyline marked cruise ship MSC World Europa naming ceremony at the revamped Doha Port.

The event featured a traditional maritime ceremony at Doha Port with Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, sister of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani  The Emir of Qatar, cutting the ribbon and officially announcing the name of the cruise ship at a glittering ceremony which was attended by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Qatar Tourism Chairman Akbar Al Baker, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Secretary-General HE Hassan Al Thawadi, MSC Cruises executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago, Master of the Vessel Captain Marco Massa, and several guests.

The ship’s naming ceremony turned out to be a glamorous and star-studded event took 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.

The cruise ships will offer a unique hospitality experience to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 fans.

The 22-deck ship with 2,626 cabins, designed with the highest standards of security and safety, is a modern floating hotel and can accommodate 6,700 guests and the FIFA World Cup fans will be the ship’s first paying customers and will benefit from one of the most technologically advanced cruise liners in its class.

MSC World Europa is the most innovative and environmentally advanced cruise ship in the MSC Cruises fleet. On top of ground-breaking advances in reduction of emissions and energy efficiency, the LNG-powered ship paves the way toward the uptake of carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels as soon as they are available at scale.

MSC World Europa is an ultramodern urban metropolis at sea offering a veritable world of experiences while setting a new standard for the cruise industry.

Hosted by comedian, producer and entrepreneur Hamad Al Amari, event guests were treated to performances by local artists, a cutting-edge video-mapping projection onto the ship’s hull, and a huge drone show. International singer-songwriter Matteo Bocelli, presented his solo work for the first time ever in Doha, provided the grand finale performance. His new album is due in early 2023 via Capitol Records.