Mid-East Gulf cruise sector 'expected to double' by 2010
Improved port infrastructure in the Middle East Gulf is expected to trigger a surge in cruise line activity, according to observers.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has announced it will base the liner Brilliance of the Seas in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in winter 2010, operating a series of week-long cruises between January and April.
Costa Cruises and its sister line AIDA already use Dubai as a hub for winter cruising.
Observers say interest by several other cruise lines has prompted Dubai to announce a new cruise terminal development based in Port Rashid.
Some 82 cruise ships are scheduled to visit Dubai in 2009 and the number is expected to significantly increase during the 2010 cruise season.
Other ports that could benefit from a growth in cruise traffic include Muscat, Musandam, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar.
International cruise operators are expected to be bringing some 400,000 passengers to the region by 2010, double the number in recent years.
“As port infrastructure around the Gulf improves, there is an opportunity for guests to enjoy more land excursions and with increased hospitality developments it will only get better,” said a spokeswoman for the cruise operator Silversea.
Cruise line executives are meeting in Dubai next month at Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference.
The agenda includes port and terminal development, the role of cruise tourism in the region and the growth of the Gulf as a destination for winter cruising.
The Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition and conference is held every two years. This year’s conference takes place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14-16 December.
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| Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines looks to Dubai |
Costa Cruises and its sister line AIDA already use Dubai as a hub for winter cruising.
Observers say interest by several other cruise lines has prompted Dubai to announce a new cruise terminal development based in Port Rashid.
Some 82 cruise ships are scheduled to visit Dubai in 2009 and the number is expected to significantly increase during the 2010 cruise season.
Other ports that could benefit from a growth in cruise traffic include Muscat, Musandam, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar.
International cruise operators are expected to be bringing some 400,000 passengers to the region by 2010, double the number in recent years.
“As port infrastructure around the Gulf improves, there is an opportunity for guests to enjoy more land excursions and with increased hospitality developments it will only get better,” said a spokeswoman for the cruise operator Silversea.
Cruise line executives are meeting in Dubai next month at Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference.
The agenda includes port and terminal development, the role of cruise tourism in the region and the growth of the Gulf as a destination for winter cruising.
The Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition and conference is held every two years. This year’s conference takes place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14-16 December.
Nick Jameson | Fri Nov 14 11:15 GMT 2008