MSC Cruises’ MSC World Europa made historical past on January 12 when she grew to become the primary cruise ship to name and disembark company at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, the dominion’s conventional cargo port on the Arabian Gulf. Saudi and cruise line officers marked the event with a standard Plaque & Key Exchange Ceremony on board the ship.
Kingdom Aims to Create Major Cruise Port
The arrival of MSC Cruises’ latest ship, the 6,774-guest MSC World Europa, at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam heralds a brand new starting for the cargo port as the dominion takes steps to ascertain itself as a premier regional and world cruising vacation spot.
Representatives of the Saudi Red Sea Authority, the Saudi Ports Authority, and Cruise Saudi, a government-funded cruise growth company, had been available to rejoice the ship’s first name on the gulf port.
Cruise Saudi CEO Lars Clasen stated, “As we welcome the first cruise ship and first group of passengers to King Abdulaziz Port, we open a new and important gateway connecting Saudi Arabia to the rest of the world – via the Arabian Gulf.”
Clasen added, “By leveraging the temperate climate, high-quality infrastructure and easy access to both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, we provide global cruise lines the opportunity to operate year-round cruising [and] position the region as a promising player in the global industry.”
According to Cruise Saudi, the dominion’s cruising season within the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf is from November to May, and the vacation spot this season will obtain about 75 port calls by ships from 5 cruise traces.
MSC World Europa is crusing 7-night roundtrip voyages from three departure ports, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, Qatar. All cruises function calls at Sir Bani Yas Island and Dammam. Shore tour choices in Dammam embody a go to to the Al Ahsa Oasis, a UNESCO World Heritage website.
World Europa First of Line’s World-Class Vessels
MSC World Europa, the cruise line’s first LNG-propelled ship, entered service in December 2022 and is the primary of the road’s World-class vessels. Three extra World-class ships are on order for the road.
The 205,700-gross-ton ship affords 19 stateroom classes, seven swimming swimming pools, and several other journey actions akin to Venom Drop The Spiral, the business’s longest dry slide at sea, spanning 11 decks. It additionally options the biggest waterpark within the MSC fleet.
New Eatery Plus a Micro-Brewery Onboard
The ship is the primary at MSC to supply company two new meals and beverage partnerships. Michelin-starred chef and writer Niklas Ekstedt has collaborated with MSC Cruises to design the menu for the specialty restaurant Chef’s Garden Kitchen, which sports activities the business’s first hydroponic backyard at sea.
The MSC World Europa additionally companions with award-winning brewmaster Teo Musso, who created a variety of MSC signature craft beers which can be brewed at sea within the ship’s full-scale micro-brewery inside the Masters of the Sea pub.
Following its inaugural season within the Middle East, MSC World Europa in mid-March will reposition to the Mediterranean to start year-round cruises calling on the Italian ports of Genoa, Naples, and Messina, in addition to Valletta in Malta, Barcelona in Spain, and Marseille in France. MSC Cruises at the moment operates 21 ships.