Dubai cruise tourism gets a boost with 5 ships

Jason · December 11, 2006

Dubai cruise tourism gets a boost with arrival of five ships

Source: United Arab Emirates Press Release

Dubai welcomed five cruise ships at its state-of-the-art cruise terminal in the first 10 days of December, with a total of 1420 passengers and 831 crew members on board the luxury vessels.

Island Sky, one of the five cruise ships which docked in Dubai since the start of this month.

The passengers and crew members hailed from various nationalities, including the US, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Canadian, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.

The cruise ships which docked in Dubai were: Hebridean Spirit (twice), Island Sky, Silver Cloud, and Nautica.

On arrival on different dates, the cruise tourists were accorded a warm welcome in traditional Arabian style at the pier. School children welcomed the visitors by offering flowers, and they were offered Gahwa (Arabic coffee).

Traditional dances were performed at the site which also had heritage and handicraft displays. Dubai Police band provided a memorable touch to the ceremony. Literature and brochures about Dubai, including maps, were provided to them in different languages.

The cruise tourism industry's winter season runs until March 2007 with several vessels docking at the port.

Mr. Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Acting Manager of Dubai Cruise Terminal operated by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: 'Dubai is becoming a popular cruise destination in the world. The arrival cruise ships speak volumes about the status that Dubai enjoys on the world cruise tourism map.'

Dubai handled 13,000 cruise passenger movements in 2005 and is projected to handle 85,000 cruise passengers in 2007.

The ship-shaped cruise terminal, opened in 2001, measures 3300 square metres and is able to accommodate two ships simultaneously on a 335-metre quay The Dubai Cruise Terminal is the world's first to receive ISO-9002 certification and also the world's only cruise facility run by the government tourism body.