Royal Caribbean in all the way with Gulf region sailings
Demand for cruise vacations is high in the Gulf region. How high? So high that the number of cruise ship calls in Dubai has quadrupled in the last five years and Dubai is looking to expand its cruise terminal facilities. Royal Caribbean International is a major player in the region and is extending its third consecutive season to six months running from November 2011 through to April 2012.
18 roundtrip seven-night sailings and two Dubai and India 12-night sailings will make the longest season to-date for Royal Caribbean. 2,110-passenger Brilliance of the Seas will run seven-night itineraries in Dubai, via Fujairah and is expected to dock in Muscat where guests will enjoy an over-night stay, becoming an increasingly popular option, especially in ports where hotel stays are quite expensive. Brilliance then continues, spending the day at sea, via Abu Dhabi and then back to Dubai.
Royal Caribbean also offers two new 12-night itineraries, which include ports in India. Sailing from Dubai to Mumbai spending three days at sea, Brilliance of the Seas then calls into Goa, New Mangalore and Cochin before docking in Muscat and then sailing back to Dubai.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman have become increasingly popular cruise destinations with 135 calls bringing 375,000 passengers to Dubai. Abu Dhabi had 78 calls with 140,000 passengers and the Muscat port saw 109 calls with 340,000 passengers in 2010.
In Dubai alone, this years cruise season is expected to bring 425,000 passengers on 120 cruise ships increasing gradually each year up to 180 ships with 625,000 passengers in 2015.
We have to expand our capacity. Our dock takes up to five ships. The numbers are going to increase and our cruise terminal is not enough. There are expansion plans for the future and we will announce them at that time, Hamad Mohammad Bin Mejren, executive director of Business Tourism at the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said on the sidelines of a press conference yesterday.
The cruise terminal, which was opened last year, is currently used by Royal Caribbean, Aida and Costa Cruises but the number of cruise lines using the facility is also expected to increase.
Related articles
Related articles
Carnival’s John Heald takes top cruise award
Cruise line wins top environmental impact award
Disney Bahamas Cruises
Disneyland Deals - Save up to $450
Cruise ship fitness programs for everyone
| Why people choose sea cruises? And why once having visited cruise, it would be desirable to come back there again and again? From year to year, the ships in swimming from century to century leave, and always strangers wave to leaving liners, say goodbye to them. And proud handsome men salute to them in the answer, as though telling «thanks for a shelter and good-bye!». |
Navigation
Info
