 while the 17-deck Wonder of the Seas carries up to 7,084 people and is 235,600 GRT. That's about the size of three-and-a-half QE2s – the beloved Cunard liner that's now a floating hotel in Dubai. World Europa has an 11-deck spiral slide, dodgem cars, seven pools, a water park with a virtual technology ride plus 13 dining venues. Wonder – launched in March as the latest of five sisters each passing on the title of the biggest cruise ship in the world – also has a superslide, as well as a water theatre, ice rink, robot bartenders and surf machine. Both ships have a deck missing for superstitious reasons. Wonder of the Seas, like many US vessels, has no 13th floor. The MSC fleet, with its Italian roots, misses out deck 17 because in Roman numerals it's XVII, an anagram of 'VIXI', meaning 'I lived' or 'my life is over'. Well, life is certainly going on inside World Europa, I've discovered on a three-night stay ahead of it being used as a floating hotel by World Cup fans – reportedly including wives and girlfriends of the England team. From its vertical bow to the Y-shaped open promenade at the stern, the ship is a constant hive of activity, with theatre shows, dance){kind=link}
As a colossal new cruise ship becomes temporary accommodation in Doha, our writer asks if giant vessels have had their day
Even before the World Cup kicks off, a contender for an international title has arrived in style in Qatar.
At stake is not the Fifa trophy but the bragging rights to the most headline-grabbing megaship on the planet.
MSC World Europa – dubbed an ‘ultramodern urban metropolis at sea’ – was christened with a drone display and fireworks against the futuristic skyline of Doha last weekend, becoming the biggest cruise ship afloat after the Oasis class of Royal Caribbean giants, most recently Wonder of the Seas.
The styles are very different, contrasting MSC’s European flair against Royal’s American might – even though both new ships were built at the same French shipyard.