FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Cruise Ships To Provide Floating Hotel Stay For Football Fans

In anticipation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the organizers are hiring cruise ships to work as floating hotels for the fans coming in from around the world, with a third ship being announced on Monday to be docked at the Doha Port.

The Housing Department at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has reportedly chartered two cruise ships in August with at least 4,000 rooms each as a way of increasing accommodations in the country for the FIFA World Cup, which they expect to get over a million visitors over to watch the games, according to Fast Company Middle East.

In an effort to increase the accommodations in the country, however, a third cruise ship is expected to dock at Doha Port during the games in November, with Geneva-based MSC Cruises announcing the new agreement that will allow the 1,075-cabin MSC Opera to be available in time for the football matches, VOA News reported.

The price for a stay in the MSC Opera was released as well, with a starting price point of $470 per person per night, with a minimum of two-nights’ stay for each guest in the compound. The rates will include breakfast on board, as well as an option to pay a $87 daily supplement for meals. Alcohol will also be allowed in the premises.

The price for a stay at the MSC Opera will reportedly drop as teams leave the country once they are eliminated. The cheapest price point during the round of 16s and quarterfinals will be $320, while the cheapest price point during the final week will be $220.

The MSC Opera, which had its maiden voyage in 2004, has had a storied history, with passengers being arrested in Portugal in March 2019 after they were alleged to have been smuggling 40 pounds of cocaine onboard the ship.

An expected 1.2 million people will be going to the FIFA World Cup, and the Qatari government has pushed towards accommodations for the guests during this time, setting up a website where they can book accommodations and reservations for the short-term travelers.