Emirates and MSC Cruises have signed a memorandum of understanding at Arabian Travel Market to expand their long-standing fly-cruise partnership into distribution, passenger handling, crew travel and customer loyalty.
The agreement builds on 10+ years of cooperation between the Dubai-based airline and MSC Group's cruise company. The companies plan to expand fly-cruise distribution across the Emirates network in line with MSC’s seasonal homeport deployments. They will develop through-fares and open-jaw itineraries, allowing passengers to combine flights and cruises that start and finish in different destinations.
The partners will also assess additional gateway markets where air and cruise services could be integrated and will develop products supporting MSC Grand Voyages and repositioning cruises. These longer itineraries often require one-way air travel, and the companies intend to use Emirates’ international network to facilitate connections for passengers joining or leaving the voyages.
Passenger handling is another area covered by the agreement. Emirates and MSC Cruises will examine whether elements of the model currently used at Dubai’s Port Rashid can be introduced at other cruise ports. The existing system includes terminal check-in, through-baggage services and coordinated transfers between airports and cruise terminals.
At Dubai and Abu Dhabi cruise terminals, remote check-in facilities allow cruise passengers to complete airline check-in and baggage arrangements before spending additional time in the city. The partners will also examine joint procedures for managing travel disruptions and passenger repatriation.
The Port Rashid model provides a framework for closer coordination between airline and cruise operations, particularly for international passengers beginning or ending their cruises in Dubai. Applying elements of the system at other destinations could reduce the number of separate handling procedures required when passengers transfer between aircraft and ships.
The partnership will also expand crew transportation. Emirates is expected to become a preferred carrier for MSC Cruises’ seafarer rotations, with the agreement covering dedicated crew fares, additional baggage allowances and services designed for crew members travelling to and from ships.
The memorandum also includes cooperation on customer loyalty initiatives, although the companies have not yet provided further details on the planned programmes.
The agreement was among several partnerships signed by Emirates during Arabian Travel Market, covering areas including tourism, travel technology, business organisations and financial services.
For MSC Cruises, the memorandum broadens its relationship with Emirates beyond conventional fly-cruise packages to encompass distribution, operational coordination, crew mobility and passenger handling. The two companies have worked together for more than a decade, including in connection with MSC Cruises’ seasonal cruise operations from Dubai.