MSC Cruises will place three ships in the Middle East for the 2023-2024 winter season.
The MSC Orchestra will provide a total of 20 departures, offering an itinerary to discover the ancient civilizations of the world with the possibility of embarking from Safaga, in Egypt, from the port of Sokhna or from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The itinerary is also enhanced by the new stopover in Sharm El Sheik, from where it will be possible to embark with the cruise package only. From Safaga it will be possible to go to Luxor, while from the port of Sokhna it will be possible to go to Cairo and from Aqaba to visit Petra. The “Fly&Cruise” program for MSC Orchestra Red Sea cruises will offer return flights throughout the season and will be available from major European cities.
The MSC Virtuosa will make 17 rotations of 7 nights in the Gulf adding the new stopover from Manama to Bahrain. The itinerary then includes stops in Doha and Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island, also in the Emirates and also in Dubai. Customers can choose between three different embarkation ports: Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Embarking in Doha on Sunday will allow guests to spend more time in futuristic Dubai with a night to admire the soaring skyscrapers lit up. The Virtuosa will also be the protagonist to welcome automobile enthusiasts during the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which will be held from November 24 to 26.
The MSC Opera returns to the region after last season’s success with 22 departures and 7-night itineraries from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Khasab in Oman or Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the Omani capital Muscat and then back to Dubai. MSC’s ‘Fly&Cruise’ program for winter 2023-24 offers the opportunity to reach the Gulf region with non-stop flights both to Dubai with Emirates and to Doha with Qatar Airways from Europe. About the “flight + cruise” packages, see also our article on the competitor Costa:
