Costa Crociere SpA, the cruise operator in Europe, will be offering cruises with departures from Dubai starting December in a marketing move which is unprecedented in the…
Costa Crociere SpA, the cruise operator in Europe, will be offering cruises with departures from Dubai starting December in a marketing move which is unprecedented in the global cruise industry.
The Italian group which operates the brands AIDA Cruises and Costa Crociere made the announcement during a series of official meetings conducted in Dubai by its top management team during a two-day tour on February 1 and 2.
From December 2006, two ships – the Costa Classica and AIDAcara – will depart every week from the Dubai Cruise Terminal on Persian Gulf cruises.
A total of 25 departures and 70,000 passenger movements are forecast. The seven-day itinerary features two nights in Dubai plus one-day stopovers in the ports of Fujairah, Muscat (Oman), Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
A delegation from Costa Crociere headed by Costa Crociere SpA Chairman & CEO, Mr. Pier Luigi Foschi, Costa Crociere President, Mr. Gianni Onorato, and AIDA Cruises Senior Vice President Operations, Mr. Michael Ungerer held talks with the Dubai government officials, including those from the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
The DTCM Director General, Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem, said: “Cruise industry plays a crucial role in the overall growth and development of the tourism industry in Dubai and the region. We realized its importance long ago and created the infrastructure and services that were needed to tap its potential.”
He added: “We welcome Costa Crociere’s decision and hope that it will be a shot in the arm for the regional cruise industry. We will continue to devote our efforts to further promote this most-promising sector of the tourism industry.”
Addressing a Press conference at Dubai Cruise Terminal, Mr. Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Acting Manager of Dubai Cruise Terminal, said: “Costa Crociere’s decision reconfirms the potential of Dubai as the regional cruise industry hub. We are delighted with their decision and assure of our whole hearted cooperation and support to make the initiative successful. We are confident that this will help expand the cruise tourism industry in the region and stimulate other cruise operators to use the emirate as a cruise hub.”
Among those who addressed the gathering included Mr. Domenico Pedata, Italian ambassador to the UAE, who along with the Costa Crociere Chairman and CEO, Mr. Pier Luige Foschi, held talks with Mr. bin Sulayem earlier.
The DTCM and Dubai Cruise Terminal have been promoting the excellent cruise facilities in the emirate in different trade forums in overseas markets.
Costa Crociere SpA Chairman & CEO, Mr. Pier Luigi Foschi, said: “The local authorities in Dubai have been involved in this important development programme aimed at making the UAE and the Arabian Gulf a major travel destination for European tourists. I believe that the arrival in Dubai of an international operator like Costa Crociere can make a significant contribution towards achieving this objective.”
He added: “The importance of the cruise industry locally is confirmed by the substantial investments made in the last few years for the construction of a new cruise terminal and related port infrastructure. I also want to stress that the spirit of cooperation, approachability and commitment of the local authorities has played a vital role in our decision. We hope that in the future Dubai will become a regular destination for our cruises.”
It is for the first time a cruise operator has decided to schedule itineraries intended for an international clientele with departures out of Dubai, which is easily accessible from Europe and renowned for its fine, sunny weather and mild winter.
The new Dubai-based cruises will be offered throughout the 2006/2007 winter season by two ships belonging to the Italian group – the Costa Classica and AIDAcara. The Costa Classica will depart on Saturdays while the AIDA will leave every Friday.
In all, the two ships will be deployed on a total of 25 cruises, 17 on the Costa Classica (from December 23, 2006 to April 14, 2007) and 8 on the AIDAcara (from December 22, 2006 to February 9, 2007).
A total of around 70,000 passengers will be handled. The majority of guests on the Costa Classica and AIDAcara will be Europeans: exclusively Germans and Austrians on the AIDAcara; mainly Italian, German, Austrian, French and Spanish passengers on the Costa Classica.
They will fly to Dubai from Europe and embark in the UAE port. The Costa Classica and AIDAcara will be positioned in the Persian Gulf by means of two spectacular cruises via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
The Costa Classica is due to depart from Savona on December 5 and reach Dubai on December 22, 2006, with stopovers en route in Naples, Alexandria (Egypt), Port Said (Egypt), Sharm el Sheik (Egypt), Aqaba (Jordan) Safaga (Egypt), Hodeidah (Yemen), Mukalla (Yemen), Salalah (Oman) and Muscat (Oman).
The AIDAcara will reach Dubai by means of two separate cruises: the first, departing from Palma de Majorca on December 1 and arriving at Sharm el Sheik on December 9, 2006; the second, departing from Sharm El Sheik on December 9 and arriving in Dubai on December 21, 2006.
Costa Crociere President, Mr. Gianni Onorato, said: “The Dubai cruises are a veritable innovation, not only for us, but for the cruise industry as a whole. At present we’re the only international operator to provide this vacation option. It further extends the range of choices we are offering our guests, alongside our winter holidays in the Caribbean, South America and the Mediterranean.”
“The new cruises are intended for our company’s key European markets, in the context of our business development strategy and also in response to the requests of our most loyal guests who are looking for different itineraries.”
Mr. Michael Thamm, President of AIDA Cruises, said: “Dubai has been on our radar screen for quite a while and we are now delighted to be able to offer the Arabian Gulf experience to our guests on AIDAcara next winter. The newly created itineraries, including our attractive Suez Canal cruises, are a perfect addition to our successful Caribbean and Mediterranean program. The exciting Arabian Gulf program will enhance AIDA`s position as the leading cruise operator in Germany.”
In 2005, the port of Dubai handled cruise ships with over 12,000 passenger movements. The Dubai cruise terminal opened in 2001 at the Port Rashid complex.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
