The World Cup is never without its share of spectacle, and now there’s a new luxury cruise ship on hand to kick off the matches.
MSC Cruises just christened its latest ship, the MSC World Europa, in Qatar — and it’s really something. The next people to sleep on it? Visitors to the World Cup.
The new ship will serve as a floating hotel/massive residential yacht for soccer fans coming to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that takes place Nov. 20 to Dec. 18, as reported by Insider.
(The line also has two other ships docked there to play host, the MSC Poesia and MSC Opera.)
The MSC World Europa has 22 decks and around 2,600 cabins for guests. This isn’t a soggy-fries-and-mandatory-fun kind of cruise, either: There’s a yacht club, microbrewery and hydroponic garden on board.
The cruise line says it’s meant to drive tourism to the region, with departures leaving from Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai — it arrives back in those ports as well, so you can choose between a roundtrip voyage or an open-jaw one so you can spend longer in two places.
Other journeys on the MSC World Europa will live up to the ship’s name and cruise on to Europe, with voyages as long as 22 nights leaving the Middle East and arriving in Barcelona, Marseille and Genoa. In the meantime, the cruise ship will remain in Doha, the capital of Qatar, to receive fans.
MSC Cruises just launched a new cruise liner called the MSC World Europa. The luxury cruise is currently moored in Doha, Qatar, and is expected to host thousands of fans during the World Cup in November.
MSC Europa is the largest ship in the cruise line’s fleet — it has a gross tonnage of 215,863. In comparison, the Titanic had a gross tonnage of 46,328, which is about four times less.
The massive ship has 22 decks and 2,626 cabins, which means it can accommodate more than 6,700 guests at a time.
The ship is designed with a yacht club, which is an area exclusive to VIP guests.
A nine-day cruise around Qatar and the United Arab Emirates costs around $1,070 for an entry-level interior cabin. The ship is expected to begin cruising after the World Cup in December.
MSC Europa claims it’s home to the world’s longest dry slide in a ship, which spans 11 decks.
There are six pools and 14 whirlpool baths on board.
There are 10 dining venues on board, including four main restaurants, three buffets, and six specialty restaurants.
The ship also has 21 bars and lounges, as well as a casino.
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