Inside the ‘HMS WAG’, where Qatar’s strict rules don’t apply: the US$1 billion MSC World Europa cruise ship is docked in Doha for the World Cup – and hosting the England squad’s wives and girlfriends

Nov 22 , 2022

The MSC World Europa cost US$1 billion to build and has all manner of luxury amenities on board. Photo: @mscworldeuropa/Instagram

Fifa World Cup 2022

The MSC flagship cruise liner is docked in Doha and reportedly hosting the partners of England’s star footballers – from Harry Kane’s wife Katie to Eric Dier’s model fiancée Anna Modler

From the private Yacht Club section of the ship, the WAGs have access to everything from snow rooms to restaurants by Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt – oh, and cocktails, too

Known for their pampered lives of extreme luxury, the wives and girlfriends (“WAGs”) of England’s top footballers are certainly living up to their stereotype during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Shunning conventional and unexciting forms of accommodation, many of the WAGs at this year’s tournament are reportedly opting for a stay aboard the MSC World Europa, MSC Cruises’ recently launched new flagship cruise liner.

The MSC World Europa is MSC Cruises’ brand new flagship cruise liner. Photo: @mscworldeuropa/Instagram

Nicknamed the “HMS WAG” for this reason, the seafaring behemoth is set to welcome passengers for commercial cruises from December once the World Cup is over, according to its website. As the very first guests of the vessel – which is currently docked in the Qatari capital Doha, where the official naming ceremony recently took place – the WAGs at this year’s games are certainly in for a sumptuous stay while their significant others compete for the World Cup trophy.

So what do we know about the MSC World Europa? Let’s take a closer look inside the massive cruise ship.

The MSC World Europa by numbers

The MSC World Europa has been dubbed the HMS WAG due to the fact that its currently home to several English footballers’ wives. Photo: @mscworldeuropa/Instagram

As described on the MSC Cruises website, the MSC Europa is the cruise line’s “most innovative, most environmentally advanced and most exciting ship to date”.

At 47 metres in width and weighing over 215,000 gross tonnes, the vast vessel boasts 22 decks, more than 2,600 guest cabins and some 40,000 square metres of public space. Furthermore, the so-called “ultra-modern urban metropolis at sea” features a selection of more than 30 restaurants, bars and lounges, including six speciality restaurants and seven new bars and cafes. These range from Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt’s Chef’s Garden Kitchen to MSC’s first on-board microbrewery.

The MSC World Europa recently had its official naming ceremony in Doha, Qatar. Photo: MSC

Hailed by the media as a “floating palace”, the MSC World Europa reportedly cost US$1 billion to construct.