Limited accommodation options in Qatar have made the World Cup controversial. Doha, the capital of Qatar, has a developed infrastructure, but in size it is relatively small. All the stadiums are built in Doha city. There will be an average of three matches played each day, which implies that about 2,40,000 people will watch matches each day throughout the group stage. The manner in which Qatar manages to cope with this problem is going to be difficult. Qatar is doing everything possible to deal with this situation. A total of 3 cruise ship fan hotels during the FIFA World Cup will be operating in Qatar and the count may increase.
Also, read – Where Will Qatar Get Its Water During The FIFA World Cup?
3 Cruise Ship fan hotels during FIFA world cup
The organisers of the World Cup in Qatar decided on Monday to hire a third cruise ship to serve as a hotel for soccer fans throughout the event. The ship will be anchored in Doha Port and will provide more rooms for the competition.
Geneva-based Just six weeks before the commencement of the World Cup on November 20, MSC Cruises made the announcement that they had reached an agreement. The MSC Opera, which has 1,075 cabins, will be available from November 19 to December 19.
On Monday, the prices for the Opera were announced on MSC’s website, and they began at 470 Swiss francs ($470) per person each night during the group stage, with a minimum stay requirement of two nights.
Because Qatar lacks the hotel capacity to accommodate all of the World Cup teams, employees, volunteers, and spectators, the country is establishing camping and cabin sites, chartering cruise ships, and encouraging supporters to stay in neighbouring countries and fly in for games.
MSC had already entered into an agreement with the government of Qatar in 2019 to offer two ships, each with around 4,000 cabins, to act as floating hotels to assist in housing the anticipated 1.2 million foreign guests.
The MSC Opera made her first trip in 2004, and the sailing season that it participated in three years ago was very exciting.
When the ship arrived in Madeira, Portugal, in March 2019, after sailing from the Caribbean, passengers were detained on suspicion of smuggling 18 kilos (40 pounds) of cocaine concealed in bowls and packages of snacks. The passengers were seized when the ship stopped at the island.
After another three months, the Opera was involved in a collision in Venice, Italy, with a tourist boat and its pier.
Prior to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, cruise ships were brought up as a possible solution to Rio de Janeiro’s lack of available hotel rooms. The tournament was held in Brazil. In the end, organisers decided not to employ them, and the city only played host to seven of the 64 games.
Despite this, the United States basketball teams competed at the 2016 Olympics while staying aboard a cruise ship that was parked in Rio. A second ship served as a hotel for the many parties involved in the Olympic Games.
During the competition, when there are fewer teams competing, there is a reduction in the cost of cruises. The lowest accommodations on MSC Opera were 320 Swiss francs ($320) during the round of 16 and the quarterfinals, but during the final week, the same rooms cost just 220 Swiss francs ($220).
The basic prices include breakfast on board, and guests have the option of paying an additional daily extra of 90 euros (about $87 at current exchange rates).
On board, passengers may anticipate the availability of alcoholic beverages, with MSC providing wine and draught beer.
Qatar is a predominantly Muslim country that restricts the consumption of alcohol to high-end hotels as a matter of course. However, the country has relaxed its policies regarding alcohol consumption for commercial partners of FIFA, such as the company that provides corporate hospitality at the stadiums and the company that sponsors the World Cup and is the brewer of Budweiser.
