MSC Cruises' Onorato pledges commitment to UAE

Following the event, Onorato announced, ‘The UAE is a very important market for us and next winter we are going to deploy our newest addition to our fleet - MSC World Europa - and further increase our capacity from this year with the introduction of a second ship, MSC Opera, in recognition of the region’s ever growing status in the cruise sector.’

He added, ‘MSC World Europa…will be an additional benefit to the UAE’s tourism industry. The ship will attract many international passengers from around the world, especially from Europe, and we hope to also see strong interest from guests from the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially the UAE.’

Onorato noted MSC Cruises shares the UAE’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050, stating the LNG-powered MSC World Europa represents a major milestone in the company’s strategy to achieve its goal of eradicating carbon emissions.

MSC World Europa

The 205,700gt MSC World Europa – the line’s biggest and greenest vessel – will be able to accommodate up to 6,762 passengers. It is currently under construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France and scheduled for delivery in October. On completion, it moves to the Arabian Gulf from where it will operate from December until March 2023.