No effusions in public, no beer/alcoholic drinks, and so on: they are quite a few bans imposed by Qatar, the host country of the World Cup that just started football. It’s not surprising that many of the “wags”, the wives, and current girlfriends who are accompanying the players of different national teams, preferred following the event from further away, seeking refuge where the restrictions of the emir are not applicable — in international waters. A billionaire cruise vessel has reportedly been docked off the Doha coast for days, with unique services dedicated to escorts and the football players’ family members.
It regards the MSC World Europa that was launched on 13 November in Doha and will be nearby for the ongoing tournament. A luxurious, one-of-its-kind vessel where guests can access a luxury experience with less stringent rules than on the mainland: on board, guests can consume alcohol, party, or stay in the pool in their bathing suits.


The luxury cruise boasts a green soul.
The vessel has 2633 cabins, spread over 22 floors, and can accommodate about 7000 individuals in what is famous as an ultra-modern metropolis.
Using the cleanest fossil fuel available in the market, liquefied natural gas (LNG), World Europe is a floating playground with an onboard amusement park and seven swimming pools. One comes with an avant-garde kids club, a sliding roof, a water park, and a spiral slide for running down fast along 11 high bridges. There’s all that you seek not to be bored from a gastronomic angle, with restaurants offering specialities from Italian to sushi, from steakhouses to Latin American dishes, and the Chef’s Garden Kitchen, the first hydroponic garden in the sea from which the chefs can get the vegetables they demand.
At the disposal of the wags, the area Yacht Club is private, referred to as a ship within a ship, boasting 152 luxury suites with a 24/7 butler and concierge, a private sun terrace, a restaurant, and a pool accessed by a glass staircase that is encrusted with Swarovski crystals.
Besides the wags, the cruise hosts several thousand fans, who’ve received the opportunity to follow the World Cup without the need to give in to the imposed bans and without hunting for a hotel in a small country (Qatar is only slightly bigger than Abruzzo), that tourists from all over the world suddenly stormed. Although, for now, a freer cruise vessel seems preferable in the eyes of the Western public.
References: Spark Chronicles, Marine Industry News, Khaleej Times