MSC Cruises and Emirates Extend Partnership

After 10 years of working to enhance the guest experience by integrating flight and cruise operations in Dubai, MSC Cruises and Emirates, the airline operator based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, announced the renewal of their partnership for two additional seasons. 

Over the next two years, the Fly&Cruise packages offered by MSC Cruises will feature Emirates flights from 21 different European and South American airports.

“We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Emirates,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. “Guests will benefit from a streamlined journey from home to ship and a dedicated support team for a stress-free start and end to their holiday.”

Added Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ executive vice president for passenger sales and country management, “We’re eager to continue our partnership with MSC Cruises, who have been an integral part of Dubai’s growing tourism industry. We’re confident that we have the right plans in place as we work closely to deliver a seamless sea-to-air experience for our customers.” 

Emirates offers travel experiences that include dedicated bus transfers from the airport to the ship, luggage service between the ship and the airport, and Emirates check-in counters at Dubai’s Port Rashid. These counters allow cruise passengers to check their luggage and receive boarding passes up to four hours before their flight.

Read Also: Emirates Launches New Cruise Line That Will Set Sail in 2024

Additionally, American cruise guests will soon be able to book Emirates flights through MSC Cruises from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, Orlando, and Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, due to customs regulations, cruise terminal check-in and bag drop-off will not be available for flights to the U.S.

Exclusive Flight and Cruise Packages Offered

Emirates flights are available from Milan and Rome, Italy; Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, and Dusseldorf, Germany; London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle, U.K.; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brussels, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; Dublin, Ireland; Lisbon, Portugal; Paris, France; Stockholm, Sweden; Vienna, Austria; Zurich, Switzerland; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Fly&Cruise packages booked through MSC Cruises include direct flights to and from the embarkation port, airport transfers, checked luggage and luggage recovery, and airport taxes and assistance. 

Flight times offered through Fly&Cruise are aligned with cruise embarkation and disembarkation. The packages also include the rearrangement of flights due to airport delays or with a cruise.

MSC Euribia, the 6,300-passenger flagship of MSC Cruises, will be central to the Fly&Cruise packages. Scheduled to sail from Dubai in the winter 2024 through 2025 season, the 181,000-gross-ton MSC Euribia will launch the season with a 4-night voyage from Dubai that calls on Doha, Qatar; Khalifa Bin Salman, Bahrain; and Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., on November 16, 2024.

It will then run a series of 7-night roundtrip itineraries from Dubai through the end of March 2025 to further explore Doha, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Bin Salman, and Sir Bani Yas, a natural island off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Port Rashid, also known as Mina Rashid, saw nearly 150 cruise ships during its winter 2023-2024 season. Along with ports in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Oman, the port is a member of the Cruise Arabia alliance, which promotes the Persian Gulf region as an international cruise ship destination.

Azamara Club Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Oceania Cruises, and Tui Cruises also operate out of the port with MSC Cruises, with additional cruise operators like Princess Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises calling on the port. However, MSC Cruises is the only cruise line that is in partnership with the Emirates.