Seetours, the German branch of the world`s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation Plc, has announced that its…
Seetours, the German branch of the world`s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation Plc, has announced that its 14-deck AIDAblu cruise ship will stop in Dubai for the first time later this year.
Dubai has been included on Seetours` Premier-Trans-Suez Cruise and the AIDAblu, which has 832 cabins, seven restaurants, seven bars and cafes, sun decks and a wellness centre, will dock in the emirate on October 31 leaving on November 2. It will be manned by a crew of 677.
Seetours is just one of several liner operators being targeted actively by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai (DTCM) as part of its campaign to position the emirate as a winter cruise hub.
We are in talks with other operators and anticipate a number of new liners coming to Dubai next winter, said Awadh Al Seghayer, Acting Manager, Cruise Terminal, DTCM.
Dubai has all the requirements to be a winter hub for cruise operators. It is the only major passenger traffic hub from Athens to Singapore and it takes only three days to relocate a ship from Europe to Dubai.
The winter cruise hub positioning is to be marketed by the DTCM at the Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition and conference being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from December 6-8.
When working out a routing we take a careful look at market surveys and trends, explained Michael Thamm, President of Seetours. The main focus is on politically stable locations and regions, operability of flight transportation, possibility of tourist pre-and post-stays and attractive ports of call within the routings. Dubai is a fascinating port we would gladly include in our itinerary more often, especially as our Trans Suez itinerary received high interest among our customers and was almost fully booked in a very short time.
This success shows how appealing Dubai as a port of call really is. Given that the political situation in the entire Arabian region stabilises, Dubai is certainly a really attractive alternative as a starting point for our winter programme in the long term.
Seatrade Middle East Maritime, the region`s premier forum for the maritime industries, will feature four dedicated conference streams including the fourth Seatrade Middle East Cruise conference.
This conference is going from strength to strength and Seatrade Middle East Maritime, and the associated Dubai International Maritime Awards, is greatly assisting our efforts to ensure Dubai is firmly on the international cruise industry map, said Al Seghayer.
We are working closely with the private sector to realise our winter hub positioning and will be presenting this to some of the world`s leading cruise operators, business developers and itinerary planners which we will host to Seatrade Middle East Maritime.
The potential of the Gulf and Indian Ocean for the cruise industry will be in the spotlight at Seatrade Middle East Maritime and the Dubai International Maritime Awards.
The Fourth Seatrade Middle East Cruise conference, which will be held from December 6-7, will explore how to unlock the region`s cruise potential, including itinerary options and infrastructure development.
For some time the potential of the Gulf and Indian Ocean for cruise tourism has been recognised, said Chris Hayman, Managing Director, Seatrade. This year looks like being an important one for the realisation of that potential with imminent decisions on cruise ship deployment.
The Seatrade Middle East Maritime hosted VIP cruise programme has a crucial role as there is no better way to convince the world`s cruise lines of the merits of the region as a cruise destination than to give them first-hand exposure to it.
The Fourth Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference will reinforce the message that, given political stability, this region is poised to be the next major growth area for cruise ship deployment. Some conference discussions will centre around the structural and regulatory issues that still need to be addressed if the growth is to happen.
Key industry speakers to take to the platform include: Luis Ajamil, President of the USA`s Bermello, Ajamil & Partners Inc; Lennart Ekstedt, Owner of Sweden`s Tillberg Design AB; Emilio Freeman, Senior Vice President, Operations, ResidenSea Ltd; William Gibbons, Director, Passenger Shipping Association; Marketing Director, European Cruise Council; Mrs Rani Jadhav, I.A.S., Chairperson Mumbai Port Trust; Joyce Landry, President & CEO of Miami`s Landry & Kling Inc meeting planners; John Tercek, Vice President, Commercial & New Business Development, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd; Dr Jacob Thomas, I.A.S., Chairman, Cochin Port Trust; Rhys Thomas, Director, Tufton Oceanic Ltd; and Aris Zarpanely, Executive Vice President – Sales, Silversea Cruises UK Ltd.
Seatrade Middle East Maritime will also include a free one-day training seminar for regional cruise travel retailers covering the diversity of cruise products and how to succeed in cruise selling.
Meanwhile, the DTCM is sponsoring the first Dubai Cruise Award, part of the inaugural Dubai International Maritime Awards.
This award, which will recognise a company`s contribution to the expansion of cruise tourism in the Middle East, is a clear signal that the industry has finally arrived in the Gulf, said Al Seghayer.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
