Iran’s tourism ministry (MCTH) will launch the cruise ship
in the southwestern port of Bushehr as the port prepares to process passengers
traveling between Iran and Qatar for the 2022 World Cup tournament, said a
ministry official.
Mostafa Fatemi, who leads the domestic tourism department at
MCTH, said the cruise ship has been purchased by an Iranian private owner from
a French company. The nine-storey cruise liner will be able to handle 1,700
people and 700 cars, said Fatemi, adding that the ship will have a passenger
capacity of 520.
The official said that the ship will start its services by
domestic trips between southern Iranian ports, including the port of Chabahar
on the Sea of Oman.
He said, however, that the private owner of the ship hopes
to use the liner for transferring passengers between Bushehr and ports in Qatar
during the World Cup tournament in November and December.