Courtesy/News Source: travelandtourworld.com

The concluding 2018/2019 cruise season in Dubai affirmed its position as a premier international cruise destination. It saw a record increase of more than 51 per cent in cruise tourist footfall and a 38 per cent increase in cruise ship calls season-on-season.

Around 846,176 cruise visitors came to the Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal through 152 ship calls during the season as compared to 558,781 visitors onboard 110 ships in 2017/2018.
For the upcoming 2019/2020 season an additional 211 ship calls are now confirmed.

There were 14 maiden calls in the 2018/2019 and welcomed leading international cruise liners like TUI Cruises, AIDA Cruises, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises, P&O Cruises and Royal Carribean cruise line to the homeport in Dubai.

They are all expected to return in the upcoming season. The season concluded with the departure of the ‘Karnika’, India’s first premium cruise ship from Jalesh Cruises.

Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Mannai, CEO-P&O Marinas & Executive Director, Mina Rashid was pleased to move in the right direction in promoting Dubai as a popular destination for international cruise tourists.

Mina Rashid offers a value proposition to the global luxury cruise liner which reassures the steady double-digit increase in tourist traffic at Mina Rashid each year.

There is a stellar performance in their flagship Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal which is capable of holding 14,000 passengers each day.

Dubai has become a popular homeporting choice among international cruise liner which will boost the luxury cruise tourism industry. This will provide opportunities to connect Dubai to newer places.