MSC Cruises will offer cruises in the United Arab Emirates during the 2011-12 winter season.
The 2,069-passenger MSC Lirica will be based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, offering alternating seven-day cruises form those ports from October 28, 2011, through March 9, 2012.
Besides three calls in the UAE (Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai), the ship will call in Bahrain and Muscat, Oman.
MSC will join other cruise lines in the region in 2011, including Costa, the first major line to offer a full season of cruises from Dubai. Costa will base two ships there this year.
Royal Caribbean International will have the 2,501-passenger Brilliance of the Seas operating seven-day cruises from Dubai this winter and next.