Lolowa Al-Meghaiseeb
Two ships from Mediterranean Shipping Company Cruises — MSC
Bellissima and MSC Lirica — will make a total of 24 visits to Qatar during the
2019-20 cruise season. MSC Bellissima arrived at Doha Port,
bringing over 5,000 visitors on its maiden call to the destination.
To welcome the ship at Doha Port, officials including
Minister of Transport and Communications, H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti; Akbar
Al Baker, Secretary General of QNTC and Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways;
Captain Abdullah Al Khanji, CEO of Mwani Qatar; Eng. Badr Al Meer, Chief
Operating Officer, Hamad International Airport; Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC
Executive Chairman; Carlotta Colli, Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian
Embassy in Qatar, among others, were present.
A crest exchange ceremony took place between Qatari Officials
and the ship’s captain Giuseppe Maresca, upholding a maritime tradition that
celebrates maiden voyages to a new port.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, MSC will provide two cruise
ships that will be used to provide accommodation for fans and visitors. HE
Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti praised the partnership with the MSC saying
“Doha Port is playing
a key role in reinforcing Qatar’s position as an attractive tourist destination
through securing and receiving international cruise ships, as well as providing
all the facilities necessary for the growth of a sector that is considered a
key contributor to the economic diversity pursued by Qatar National Vision
2030.”
MSC Cruises has played a significant role in Qatar’s cruise
tourism since December 2016 when MSC Fantasia made its maiden voyage to Qatar.
It was the first mega ship to dock at the Doha Port, followed by 27 more calls
by ships belonging to MSC Cruises during the 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19
seasons.
More recently, Qatar collaborated with MSC Cruises to
charter two of its ships during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, providing
visiting fans with accommodation in 4,000 cabins on the ships.
Akbar Al Baker, said, “Our partnership with MSC Cruises goes
beyond adding Qatar to cruise itineraries, to supporting the development of
Doha Port and ultimately offering unique accommodation options to the visiting
fans in 2022. Together with the high-end experience aboard MSC Cruises’ ships,
Qatar’s bespoke and authentic tourism offerings, and state-of-the-art sports
venues and transport systems, fans are in for a truly unforgettable World
Cup.” The 2019/20 cruise season had
kicked off last month with the launch of Doha Port’s new temporary terminal,
and is set to be the biggest yet for Qatar, bringing a total of 248,123
passengers aboard 74 ships, showing a growth of 121 percent and 66 percent
respectively, over the previous season.
Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “We are pleased to
be here today to celebrate MSC Bellissima’s maiden call to Doha, another
milestone of the broader partnership that our Group enjoys with Qatar and its
people.
“MSC Bellissima is the largest and most modern cruise ship
deployed in the region. And, together with MSC Seaview – which from next season
will be calling weekly, she is a testimony of our commitment to develop further
the potential of Doha as a homeport. We are also participating in travel agent
roadshows across Italy with Qatar Airways to attract more tourists to Qatar,”
he said.
Featuring 19 decks, 12 international dining venues, an
80-metre-long LED dome and 2,217 cabins and suites equipped with the world’s
first digital cruise assistant ‘Zoe’ – MSC Bellissima, launched in March this
year, has the capacity of up to 5,686 guests. MSC Bellissima features some of
the latest and most advanced environmental technologies at sea to minimise and
continuously reduce her environmental impact
including : a cutting-edge hybrid Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS)
that removes up to 97 per cent of sulphur oxide emissions; advanced waste
management and wastewater treatment systems; ballast water treatment system;
latest-technology systems for the prevention of oil discharges from machinery
spaces and various state-of-the-art energy-efficiency improvements – from heat
recovery systems to LED lighting.