Giant cruise ships to serve as hotels arrive on Nov 10, 14

Two giant cruise ships to serve as floating hotels during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will anchor at Doha Port on November 10 and 14, an official has said. They will have a capacity to accommodate over 9,000 people.

“We made an agreement with MSC Cruises to charter two giant cruise ships to accommodate fans during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” said Executive Director of Housing Department at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), Omar Al Jaber. 

Speaking to Qatar TV yesterday, he said one of the cruise ships is under construction and will be making its first trip to Qatar slated to be anchored on November 10, 2022, at Doha Port. “A ceremony will be held on November 13 to name this brand new cruise ship. The second cruise ship will anchor on November 14,” said Al Jaber.

He said that both cruise ships with a combined capacity of 4,000 rooms can accommodate up to 9,400 people.

The cruise ship hotels will offer a variety of cabin options, from traditional and ocean-view cabins to balcony cabins and luxurious suites. 

The cruise ship hotel will offer multiple dining possibilities and an entertainment programme for all ages. Speaking about booking accommodation in the cruise ships, Al Jaber: “In March we launched an official website for booking for the World Cup www.qatar2022.qa. Through this website, fans can book tickets for the matches and in the second phase they can book accommodation if not residing in Qatar. The third phase is for residents and fans from the outside to get issued Hayya Card, which is a fan ID.”

He said all booking are available at this integrated website, including cruise ships, fan villages, hotels, camping accommodation and other options. Speaking about the preparations to provide accommodation to fans, Al Jaber said: “We are almost ready on many fronts. A big portion of residential units were readied; only final touches are going on. The remaining will be readied in coming period.”

He said there are multiple accommodation options available to the fans. “They can book accommodation through www.qatar2022.qa which offers cabin accommodation, fan village, camping accommodation, hotels, floating hotels and empty homes among others.” 

He said details of new accommodations upon completion are being uploaded on the website on a weekly basis. Al Jaber urged fans who have secured match tickets to book accommodations as soon as possible to ensure their travel to Qatar for mega sporting event.