8 | CRUISE NEWS
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February 2023 CRUISING INTO HISTORY
Voyage along with Andrea McVeigh as she makes history on board MSC World Europa...
IT’S NOT often you go on a cruise and make history! But that’s exactly what happened to me, and
around 7,000 other passengers, when the MSC World Europa docked at King Abdul Aziz port in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on 11 January – the first cruise ship ever to do so. Getting off the tour bus on a half-day Cultural Dammam excursion that had been booked via MSC, my fellow passengers and I were greeted with tunes from traditional musicians, a phalanx of media cameras, and Saudi tourism reps. “Welcome to Dammam,” our Saudi tour guide
said, to claps and cheers from the passengers and bemused attention
obviously interested to see the first cruise ship guests to visit the port city. As day excursions go, it was more than
memorable. Not just because we were the first ship to dock in Dammam, but also because the
from onlookers,
alcohol isn’t served on-board while the ship is in Saudi waters, so it was mocktails only until a couple of hours after sailing away from the port of Dammam that evening. The MSC World Europa was launched just last
year and made news as MSC’s newest and most environmentally-advanced ship. It’s an incredible 22 decks tall, and boasts The
Venom Drop, the longest dry slide at sea, spanning 11 decks. It also acts as an architectural centrepiece for the open-air 104-metre long World Promenade, lined with shops and venues, with beautiful ocean views and photo opportunities. Being so new to the MSC fleet, the World Europa’s interiors are both stylish and contemporary with an abundance of public space and well thought- out and spacious cabins (all 2,626 of them), with some balcony cabins overlooking the Promenade. You might have read about the World Europa during the World Cup in Qatar last year, as it was used as a floating ‘hotel
ship’ for the duration of the event and was even officially named in Doha last November, ahead of the FIFA tournament.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) isn’t traditionally known for its tourism. But that is changing, with tourism opening up to global visitors and more cruise ships now adding the country to their itineraries. To get off the ship in Dammam, you’ve got to personally apply for an eVisa ahead of the cruise. MSC send out information about this to all guests on the sailings that take in Saudi Arabia, and the information is on their website too, which makes things easy. Full details are given about applying for the visa, including online links, while guidance is provided about filling in the form correctly and how to pay (it cost me approx. £20 for the visa). All visas were emailed to passengers two days before we docked in Dammam, and the whole process couldn’t have been more straightforward. Those passengers not wishing to apply for a visa
or see the sights can stay on the ship and take the opportunity to explore its attractions, visit the spa or chill out on the sun deck. Alcohol is completely banned in Saudi Arabia and in respect to Saudi law,
My seven-night sailing in the Arabian Gulf departed from Dubai on a Saturday and took in Abu Dhabi; Sir Bani Yas island, the largest natural island in the UAE; Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Doha in Qatar, before returning to Dubai for an overnight before disembarking the next day. I booked my cruise directly with MSC online and the sailing was so full that although I would have
preferred a cabin with a balcony, all that was left on offer was a Deluxe Ocean View room. As it turns out, I really didn’t miss a balcony, as I loved my cabin and looked forward to waking up every morning to look out of the massive porthole window to see where we had docked. The ship has 19 different cabin categories, ranging from interior cabins to the Yacht Club Owner’s Suite, with seven brand new designs. There are a total of 33 restaurants, bars and lounges on board, each with its own distinct style and ambiance, including six specialty restaurants and seven brand new bar and café concepts. And it’s also a great ship for younger guests, with dedicated clubs for kids and teens as well as bumper cars, a 5D cinema and a Hall of Games. Then there’s the shops, where you can browse for souvenirs or pick up a designer watch or a piece of fine jewellery, depending on your preference. There are numerous entertainment options and
six swimming pools in different parts of the ship. There’s also MSC’s ‘cruise within a cruise’ experience if you book the exclusive Yacht Club. It offers a dedicated private area of the ship accessible only to Yacht Club guests, who can enjoy 24-hour butler service, a dedicated concierge and lavishly- appointed suites. I was travelling with two friends and we soon got into an enjoyable routine each evening,
of pre-dinner
cocktails in the Dolce Vita bar before dining in one of the main fine-dining restaurants that’s included in all packages (as an alternative, the Il Mercato buffet is also available at all hours for a more casual dining experience). We’d also all booked a package of three speciality
restaurants for an additional fee, so we were able to sample half of the six speciality restaurants, one of which was the Chef’s Garden Kitchen, which focuses on natural ingredients. It has a fantastic farm-to- ocean ethos, as well as a hydroponic garden and offers guests the opportunity to watch the master chef prepare the menu’s extraordinary creations in an open kitchen, against a backdrop of panoramic sea views. Also offering front-row opportunities to see dishes being lovingly prepared is the Kaito Sushi Bar (it also boasts a Teppanyaki menu), which was also part of our trio of three distinct dining experiences, as was the fabulous Butcher’s Cut steakhouse. One of the great things about MSC is being able to download the MSC for Me app, which provides daily itineraries and allows you to keep track of the restaurants, shows and spa treatments you’ve booked. There are also numerous touch screens around the ship, allowing you to book shows, restaurants and activities on the go. The shows were an after-dinner highlight, with extravaganzas including the J’Adele tribute show; A Night on Broadway (a spectacle of showtunes); the magical duo The Conjurors, as well as my favourite, the Ultimate Disco which featured classic 1970s hits along with high-flying aerial cirque performances and is exclusive to the
MSC World Europa. It really is a ‘something for everyone’ ship
with activities ranging from a casino and spa to roller discos and a Sundowner DJ party each evening. That’s not forgetting the 300-seat Luna Park Arena entertainment venue, which hosts everything from films to game shows, kids’ activities and different themed parties and events, such as the daytime VR Drone Academy and evening interactive audio- visual spectaculars.
Although my friends and I tried our best to visit all
of the bars onboard, sadly we didn’t quite manage it, missing out on the Masters of the Sea pub and the Gin Project bar to name but two. But luckily we did spend some fantastic quality time in the Fizz Champagne Bar; the Zen pool bar (overlooking the pool area); the South-Asian style Raj Polo Tea House and the TV Studio and Bar (which I can personally recommend as a great spot for karaoke, although I’m not so sure the people forced to listen to me sing out-of-tune would agree!).
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