MSC Cruises has announced plans to extend its current season in the Arabian Gulf after the destination proved to be “particularly attractive” to its customers this winter.
Bellissima will finish its planned Red Sea itineraries homeporting in Jeddah on 26 March and then move to the Arabian Gulf to take over from Virtuosa on 2 April.
The vessel will then offer additional seven-night cruises calling in Dubai, Sir Bani Yas and Doha from 2 April through to 25 June.
Virtuosa, which has sailed the region since November 2021, will sail back to Europe to homeport in Southampton for the summer season.
In July, Bellissima will move to the Far East to perform its itineraries in Japan and China. Sales for the additional Bellissima cruises opened today.
The line said its Arabian Gulf sailings have proven to be “particularly attractive” to guests this winter, thanks to the “appeal of the itinerary” with extended stays in port and two overnights in Dubai.
Gianni Onorato, chief executive of MSC Cruises, said: “We have seen that the itineraries in the UAE and Qatar have been very popular with our guests and so to respond to this demand we have decided to extend our presence in the region.
“The decision to deploy MSC Bellissima for this extended part of the season was taken because this is a highly popular and well-appreciated ship with a richness of features, entertainment and dining as well as offering the MSC Yacht Club.”
The resumption of global cruise operations is keeping drydock busy around the world. With more cruise ships restarting service, cruise companies are rushing to get necessary work done before welcoming the passengers back onboard, as predicted by Cruise Industry News earlier this year.
In Europe some drydocks have seen a dramatic increase in the number of cruise ships projects, almost seemingly overnight.
Popular among several cruise lines, the Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, has been one of the busiest facilities.. Working on vessels from brands such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Marella and Azamara, the yard currently has five ships in Cádiz, with two more on the way.
According to the local press, Navantia plans to work on18 cruise ship projects through the end of the year. the year.
The work performed by the facility includes necessary classification society inspections, technical maintenance and modernization. Recent work included the Liberty of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Celebrity Constellation, which underwent repairs and revision of propulsion and steering equipment, hydro blasting and application of silicone paint.
Marseilles, has also been a the hotspot, working closely with Carnival Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Group’s Silversea.
Carnival completed four drydocks in the facility recently, with all vessels undergoing regular maintenance and a change of hull colors. A fifth Carnival vessel – the Carnival Legend – is currently at the shipyard, along with Silversea’s Silver Spirit.
Also recently,, the Palumbo Malta Shipyard worked on several MSC ships for their restart operations. Located in Valletta, the yard was partly acquired by the MSC Group in 2020 and currently has the MSC Preziosa docked there.
Bigger Projects Making a Comeback
While most of the current drydock projects are limited to mandatory and technical work, some vessels are also seeing significant refurbishment and conversion projects in 2021.
After virtually all those projects scheduled for 2020 were cancelled or postponed, a few are now being carried out.
Work on Carnival Victory was also resumed recently. The vessel is set to be transformed into the Carnival Radiance with all new interiors and revamped cabins in a $200 million project.
Another big project confirmed for the year is the conversion of the Silver Wind into an ice-class expedition vessel. Previously scheduled for 2020, the project is now set to be completed by the end of 2021.
The MSC Seashore is currently in the final stages of construction at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard. The third ship in the Seaside Class, its scheduled to enter service on August 1.
MSC Virtuosa Year Built: 2021 Capacity: 4,888 guests Location: United Kingdom
One of the MSC ships in service, the MSC Virtuosa is currently cruising in the United Kingdom.
MSC Virtuosa arriving in Liverpool, photo by Dave Jones
MSC Grandiosa Year Built: 2019 Capacity: 4,888 guests Location: Western Mediterranean
Like the MSC Virtuosa, the MSC Grandiosa is back in service. The vessel is presently offering a 7-night itinerary to Italy, Spain and Malta with calls in ports such as Naples, Civitavecchia, Barcelona and La Valletta.
MSC Seaside Year Built: 2017 Capacity: 4,140 guests Location: Western Mediterranean
Another MSC ship back in service, the MSC Seaside is presently sailing in the Western Mediterranean. The vessel offers seven-night cruises in the region, visiting Italy and Malta.
The MSC Preziosa remains docked in the Port of Naples, Italy. Until late 2020, the Fantasia-class ship was spending the operational pause in the Bahamas, along other U.S.-based MSC ships.
The MSC Magnifica welcomed the passengers back on June 20, offering cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean. The vessel is currently sailing from Venice, on a seven-night itinerary with calls in Bari, Piraeus, Mykonos and Split.
Sailing from Trieste, the MSC Splendida resumed service on June 12. The Fantasia-class ship is now offering seven-night cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean, with calls in Greece, Croatia and more.
MSC Fantasia Year Built: 2008 Capacity: 3,300 guests Location: Malta
The MSC Fantasia is presently in Malta. The vessel recently docked in the port of La Valletta, near the Palumbo Group Shipyard, which was partly acquired by MSC in 2020.
On June 5, the MSC Orchestra became the first MSC ship to resume service in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Musica-class ship is currently sailing from Venice, offering a seven-night itinerary to Greece and Croatia.
MSC Musica Year Built: 2006 Capacity: 2,550 guests Location: Genoa, Italy
After some time in Augusta, in Southern Italy, the MSC Musica recently arrived in Genoa. The vessel is currently docked at the Ponte dei Mille Cruise Terminal.
MSC Opera Year Built: 2004 Capacity: 1,712 guests Location: Augusta, Italy
The MSC Opera is anchored off the Port of Augusta, in the island of Sicily, Italy.
MSC Lirica Year Built: 2003 Capacity: 1,560 guests Location: La Valletta, Malta
Along with the MSC Poesia, the MSC Sinfonia is docked in Trieste. The vessel arrived in Italy in December, from Brazil.
MSC Armonia Year Built: 2001
Capacity: 1,554 guests Location: Ocean Cay, the Bahamas
The MSC Armonia is currently near Ocean Cay, MSC’s private island in the Bahamas. As the other U.S.-based vessels of the fleet, it has been spending the operational pause in the region.
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