INTERNATIONAL. “Welcome to the future class of cruising and the next generation of cruise retailing, sailing next Winter from Dubai.” That’s how MSC Cruises Head of Retail Adrian Pittaway introduces the spectacular new MSC World Europa, the company’s newest cruiseship, saying “she is going to be unlike anything you have ever seen before”.
At 333m long, 22 decks high and with 40,000sq m of public space, MSC World Europa is the longest ship in the fleet (see video below). She will come into service on December 2022 and will spend her inaugural season in the Gulf, starting with a four-night sailing from Doha to her new homeport of Dubai.
The new vessel, said the company, “will offer a world of unique experiences onboard, with a mix and variety of never-before-seen concepts and creative areas unlike anything at sea today”.
Pittaway said: “We are really excited to present a total re-invention of our cruise retail offering onboard the jaw dropping MSC World Europa. On this amazing new ship we will launch our first ever ‘department store at sea’, our first ever outdoor luxury boutiques and a truly exciting new vision for our logo stores built around sustainability. When MSC World Europa launches next year with her maiden first season in the Middle East, we will really bring an exciting wow factor as you would find in Dubai into our cruise retailing that you simply would not expect to find on a ship. A really exciting future awaits.”
MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said: “Quite unlike anything else at sea today, MSC World Europa and the entire MSC World Class redefines the cruise experience in so many ways: from the future-proof on board technologies that this completely new platform introduces for the first time all the way to its ground-breaking marine and interior design features. Put simply, MSC World Europa marks the beginning of a new era for cruising.
“We want to provide our guests not only with a truly unique and memorable holiday but also a sustainable one, so this is an intrinsic part of our innovation programme. This is why MSC World Europa, our first LNG ship and our most environmentally advanced yet, signifies another important step forward for us in terms of our long-term vision for zero emissions.”
The new ship is currently under construction in Saint-Nazaire, France.
After its inaugural cruise next year, MSC World Europa will offer seven-night cruises from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Her programme in the Gulf will also include calls in the port of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and Doha, Qatar.
Departing Dubai on 25 March 2023, MSC World Europa will head to the Mediterranean Sea. That summer, she will offer cruises calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples and Messina, as well as Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain and Marseille in France.
