MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, has revealed today details of its Red Sea and Arabian Gulf cruises in the winter of 2021/22, with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as the home port for the first named ones.

The company said a few weeks ago it would expand its operations to Saudi Arabia, which is in the process of developing of its nascent tourism business.

MSC Magnifica will offer seven-night cruises, starting from 13 November 2021 through to the end of March 2022. From Jeddah, the ship will call Aqaba for Petra in Jordan, Safaga for Luxor in Egypt, then the other Saudi ports of AlWajh and Yanbu before returning back to Jeddah.

 “Located at the cross-roads of the three continents of the old world, Saudi Arabia is exceptionally rich in culture, traditions and heritage. With five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Historic Jeddah and Al-Hijr Archaeological Site in AlUla, both accessible to MSC Magnifica’s guests, the Kingdom offers an unmatched voyage of discovery,” the company said in a statement.

 This itinerary will see MSC Cruises return to Egypt calling at the historic port of Safaga, from where guests will be able to reach Luxor - the world’s largest open-air museum with world-renowned Ancient Egyptian sites. 

To make the holiday stress-free, Fly & Cruise preferred packages will be available thanks to a dedicated partnership with the country’s national airline Saudia, a long-time member of SkyTeam. With Friday night flights out of most major European airports and New York, holidaymakers will conveniently arrive in Jeddah the night before their cruise begins. 

“Thanks to the ship’s late departure on Saturday evening, there will be time to enjoy Jeddah before the cruise departs, making the most of their stay. The same variety of return flights awaits guests for a Saturday morning journey home offering guests maximum of comfort and peace of mind to enjoy their holiday to the utmost,” MSC Cruises said.

Meanwhile, as the company had stated earlier, MSC Virtuosa will also be making her debut in Saudi Arabia as her winter 2021/22 programme in the Arabian Gulf has been enriched with calls in the port of Dammam, visiting AlAhsa oasis, another UNESCO World Heritage site. 

MSC Virtuosa will spend her first winter season homeporting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From there, the ship will sail to the nearby modern metropolis of Abu Dhabi, on to Sir Bani Yas Island, where guests will have a chance to discover an exotic array of wildlife or bask in the warm sun on the immaculate beaches, all exclusive to MSC Cruises on the days which the ships call. The ship also calls Doha, the futuristic capital of Qatar, before returning to Dubai with an overnight in the city to discover all the marvels it has to offer.