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Dubai (Port Rashid-Dubai Harbour, UAE)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Asia

Local Time 2024-04-07 11:54

Port Dubai cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Dubai, Port Rashid-Dubai Harbour, UAE. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Dubai is a Persian Gulf (Arabian Sea) cruise port, the UAE's largest city (population around 3,4 million) and Emirate of Dubai's capital. Since 2020, the city has two cruise ports with 3 passenger terminals - two Terminals in Port Rashid (Mina Rashid, operational since 1972) and two new (2020-opened) in Dubai Harbour (Palm Island Cruise Terminals).

Dubai is the world's only city with cruise ports and terminals operated by a government (UAE's Department of Tourism). This provides extra attention to every passenger, along with enhanced travel experiences including certified tour guides, a swift entry system (no visa issues), premium transportation.

Approx 35 km (22 mi) to the southwest of Dubai is Mina Jebel Ali - currently ranked the world's 9th-largest by annual cargo volumes (~14 million TEU-containers), as well as the world's largest artificial harbor (1979-opened). Port Jebel Ali (locode AEJEA) is operated by DP World and currently has 67 berths and land area 135 km2 (52 mi2) which includes the Free Zone (Middle East's largest) and the National Industries Park (sized 21 km2 / 8 mi2, houses manufacturing and processing facilities). Jebel Ali is one of the Maritime Silk Road that links China with Europe via India and the Suez Canal . Due to the harbour's depth and facilities' sizes, Jebel Ali is also the most visited by US Navi vessels foreign port, including by aircraft carriers and other large battleships.

Jebel Ali and Dubai's Port Rashid are interlinked via a highway.

PCFC (Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation) is a Dubai Government organisation (2001-established) under which umbrella work several local companies and entities - Dubai Customs, JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone), Dubai Ports Authority, Dubai Development Authority (Licensing & Monitoring), Dubai Maritime City Authority.

DP World (2005-founded) is a holding formed by merging Dubai Ports International and Dubai Ports Authority. DP World (currently ranked the world's largest cargo port operator) specializes in maritime services, supply chain cargo logistics, and management of port terminals and free trade zones.

Dubai cruise port

At Dubai's cruise port Mina Rashid is currently berthed/permanently moored "RMS Queen Elizabeth 2" - the famous Cunard ocean liner (1969-built, IMO 6725418).

• In November 2008 the QM2 boat was retired and sold to Istithmar (subsidiary of Dubai World/investment company) with plans to be converted into a 500-room hotel ship with mooring at Palm Jumeirah.
• The project was postponed and the boat remained docked at Mina Rashid.
• The refurbishment started in March 2017 and was completed in April 2018.
• The QM2 ship was renamed "Float Dubai" (215-room hotel ship) and its grand opening was held on October 14, 2021.

Rashid Port's cruise ship schedule shows vessels with voyages visiting Muscat , Bahrain , Fujairah , Abu Dhabi , ports in India, East Asia and Australia (on relocation voyages). Dubai also amazes tourists with all its almost unlimited city tour possibilities.

Port Mina Rashid's proximity to Dubai Airport and the downtown makes it an ideal choice as cruise ship tourists can get easy access to all the city's attractions. The cruise port has quay wall length 2,3 km (1,43 mi) and berthing capacity to handle 7 mega-cruise liners (max 25,000 passengers) simultaneously in a day.

In 2016, Dubai and other UAE cities introduced a new (multi-entry) visa system allowing cruise passengers to visit various UAE tour destinations with 1 permit. Previously, UAE visas were only for tourists arriving and leaving the country on a cruise ship. The new multiple-entry visas allow tourists to fly to Dubai Airport, embark on cruise vessels (Mina Rashid) and travel to Abu Dhabi and other Persian Gulf ports with a single visa - rather than obtaining 2 or 3 separate visas. The new UAE visas are also cheaper (AUD 59) in comparison to Dubai's 96-hours visa (AUD 44).

In January 2017 was signed an exclusive contract between the city's RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) and DP World (Mina Rashid terminals' owner and operator). By this deal are provided taxi services for passenger transportation between the city and the new terminal Hamdan bin Mohammed at Port Rashid. RTA's services include both taxis and VIP limousines to greet disembarking cruise ship tourists. The taxi corporation has 5000+ cabs. Its 2015 annual report showed 47+ million taxi trips serving ~94 million customers.

In the period 2014-2017, the port handled around 1,9 million cruise tourists via 489 vessels. During Port's first season (2013-14) were handled 93 calls and 320,000 passengers.

During season 2016-2017 (October through July), Port Rashid had scheduled 156 cruise ship visits and handled 625,000 passengers. This was a 15% increase over season 2015-16 (134 ship calls). The number of disembarking passengers was over 625,000 (18% increase over season 2015-16). For comparison, during 2006-2007, the cruise port was visited by around 105,000 passengers. The steady annual growth of 16-18% is supported by an increasing number of visitors from India. Their number grew by 25% (2015-2016) and by 30% (2017-2018). Currently, India is the cruise port's 14th source country (following countries like Germany, Italy, UK, USA).

During season 2017-18, the port had as clients 23 cruise companies , of which 6 used it as homeport (for roundtrips). The number included the newcomers NCL-Norwegian and Thomson-Marella . In 2017-2018, Celestyal Cruises for the first time ever started offering roundtrip 3-night / 4-day Arabian Gulf mini-cruises with the ship Celestyal Nefeli .

To boost berth bookings, for October (2018) and April (2019), DP World reduced cruise port charges by 50%. During season 2018-19, Port Dubai handled ~725,000 cruise ship tourists, and ~825,000 in season 2019-2020.

In 2019, in Dubai Royal Caribbean introduced the world's most expensive cruise shore excursion. Part of RCI's "Cruise Arabia and Africa" program, the new tour is offered on 7-day Arabian Gulf itineraries starting December 2019. The cruise excursion's cost is AED 122,000 (USD 33,000) per person. The cruisetour package is inclusive of a shopping trip (with personal shopper and photo session at Dubai Mall) and a visit to Rose Arbaji Centre (with 3-course meal and 3-hour spa treatments). The exclusive tour was first offered on Jewel of the Seas (homeported in Dubai in 2019-2020).

In late-November 2020, DP World's Port Mina Rashid won again the title "World's Leading Cruise Port" at WTA-World Travel Awards 2020. The port has received this prestigious award for 13 successive years - since 2008.

On May 16, 2021, the AIDA ships AIDAprima and AIDAvita became the first vessels to dock at the new DHCT-Dubai Harbor Cruise Terminal (located between Bluewaters Island and Palm Jumeirah Island).

Following the COVID crisis, during season 2021-2022, Port Dubai received 98 cruise ship calls and 338697 tourists (passengers plus crew), and expected in season 2022-23 0,9+ million tourists.

On September 18, 2017, DP World Ltd announced that the company entered into agreements to purchase Maritime World LLC (sole owner of Dubai Maritime City) for USD 180 million. DP World also acquired Drydocks World LLC for USD 225M or made a total capital injection into Dubai port of USD 405M.

Dubai Maritime City is a world-class facility and industrial business zone in a prime location (adjacent to the Mina Rashid port). Maritime City's main business is its commercial and industrial park (sized 2,3 km2 / 1 mi2) located on an artificial peninsula. The park provides Economic Zones World additional land as an alternative to the congested Jebel Ali Free Zone (located at the city's far western end).

Drydocks World is a leading company specializing in ship repairs and operating the Middle East's largest shiprepair yard. The shipyard also has capabilities for newbuilds and vessel conversions. Drydocks were integrated into P&O Maritime - DP World's fully-owned maritime services subsidiary company.

In May 2018, Carnival Corporation and Meraas (holding company) signed a partnership deal for "Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal"/DHCT. Starting late 2020, the facility became a homeport and transit destination for Carnival Corporation ships in the region. Carnival offers roundtrips and relocation voyages from Dubai to attract passengers from India and China. Read more in the port's "Terminal" section.

In July 2018, DP World and Zhejiang China Commodities City Group signed an agreement to construct Traders Market (build-up area 3 km2) at Jebel Ali Port Free Zone. The new facility is in Jafza South (adjacent to Dubai Expo 2020) and is divided by trade sectors (including household goods, building materials, foods-beverages, cosmetics-healthcare, energy-power, engineering-technology).

• The partnership deal followed an agreement signed in 2018 between DP World and ZPG (Zhejiang Seaport Investment and Operation Group) for a warehouse in Yiwu (the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities) with cargoes destined for Dubai and the Middle East.
• Both projects will boost the UAE-China trade by offering integrated logistics, warehousing, customs clearance facilities, trade licenses. Jebel Ali Port Free Zone provides access to over 2 billion people regional market and DP World's global network of 80+ cargo terminals, enabling trade in countries with over 50% of the global GDP.

In 2017, China was ranked Dubai's number one trading partner, with total annual trade for FY2017 AED 176,5 billion (USD 48 billion).

Port Rashid (aka Mina Rashid)

Dubai's Mina Rashid port is an artificially made commercial seaport opened in 1972. In 1978, it was expanded to 35 berths (mostly used by container ships). The port is equipped with 9 gantry cranes (cargo capacity 1,500,000 TEUs). Here dock general cargo and RoRo vessels, cruise ships and luxury yachts.

• address: "PO Box 17000. Dubai United Arab Emirates"
• phone number +971 4 301 9300
• UN-LOCODE (United Nations location code) - AEDXB
• developer/ operator - DPWorld
• supported by excellent road, metro rail and air infrastructure
• capability to accommodate 4 cruise ships at a time
• deep water berths (depth 43 ft / 13 m)
• sheltered harbor area
• access unrestricted by tides

The Terminal's area was initially sized 3450 m2 (37130 ft2), increased to 30,000 m2 (323,000 ft2) in 2020-21, when the second terminal (at Dubai Harbour) was completed.

Port Dubai, along with its cruise terminal also has a cargo ship terminal (Dubai Maritime City) and dry dock facilities (Dubai Drydocks) for marine vessel refurbishments and repairs. The cruise port is accessible the whole year round - 24/7, 365 days a year.

In 2019 was inaugurated the Dubai Ferry service linking downtown Al Wajeha Al Maeyah Marine Transport Station (near Dubai Mall / one of the world's largest and most-visited retail shopping destinations) with Dubai Marina Mall (owned by Emaar Malls, subsidiary of Emaar Properties). The ferry crossing time is ~80 min (one-way), with complimentary shuttle service to Dubai Mall and back. Tickets are priced AED 68,25 (USD 18,6) per adult and AED 52,5 (USD 14,3) for kids 5-12 years old.

On December 7, 2019, MSC Cruises signed with DP World a long-term agreement for preferential berthing rights at Mina Rashid Port. The deal was signed on the Dubai-homeported liner MSC Bellissima (2019-built). Currently, MSC is the biggest cruise shipping company operating in the Arabian Gulf.

In 2020 was completed the new Dubai Harbour Cruise Port & Marina project (read more in the Terminal section).

Cruise itineraries to and from Dubai

Follows a list of destinations visited by cruise ships leaving out of Dubai:

• World Cruises - around the world voyages starting in Europe or Australia visit Dubai before or after their Suez Canal transition . Generally are offered smaller world cruise segments with departures from Dubai to ports in Europe (westbound, to Southampton ) or on eastbound routes - in Asia (to Singapore , Hong Kong , Shanghai , Tianjin ) and Australia (to Sydney , Brisbane ). The shortest segments are between Dubai and India, Singapore, Greece, Italy, Turkey.
• 7-day Dubai cruise deals (round-trip departures) are the most common itineraries. They include visiting ports in the UAE ( Abu Dhabi , Khor Fakkan ) also in Oman ( Khasab , Muscat ) and Bahrain ( Mina Salman ).
• Transition itineraries (via Suez Canal/RepositionCruises.com) are with either eastbound routes (from Europe-Mediterranean to Asia) or the reverse/westbound routes (from Asia to Europe /via the Mediterranean Sea).

Among the cruise lines operating from Dubai are AIDA , Costa , MSC , Royal Caribbean , TUI , Marella UK , Seabourn . The list of other UAE cruise ports also includes the Sir Bani Yas Island (private resort destination for MSC and Costa ship tourists). Costa and AIDA were the first to start homeporting in Dubai (since 2006).

"Project Orient Limited" (POL) planned to build two ocean cruise liners for a regular passenger shipping service between Europe-UK and Australia (Southampton - Sydney). The scheduled itinerary is 26 days in one direction (Southampton to Sydney, and the reverse Sydney to Southampton). The included call ports are Fremantle (at the 20-day mark), also Dubai, Mumbai India and Singapore . Each of the STX France-built vessels will be 200,000 GT tons and with capacity 1600 pax. The expected cruise pricing starts from ~GBP 2900 per person (one-way fares with double occupancy).

Dubai cruise terminal

SInce 2020, Dubai City has two cruise ports and all 4 cruise terminals. The Port is located approx 15 km / 9 mi (north, 25-min drive distance) from Dubai Airport (DXB) and approx 37 km / 23 mi (south, 30-min drive distance) from Al Maktoum Airport (in Jebel Ali). It is easy to use a taxi transfer between the Port and downtown.

On May 16, 2021, the ships AIDAprima and AIDAvita became the first to dock at Dubai Harbour's new Palm Island Cruise Terminal.

Dubai Harbour is owned and operated by Shamal Holding (investment firm), which also manages Jumeirah Zabeel Saray (beach resort), Skydive Dubai and Deep-dive Dubai, Kite Beach Dubai, XDubai (adventure and extreme sports), Dubai Film (movie production and rental house), and other entertainment attractions.

(NEW) Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminals and Marina

Opened in October 2020, Dubai Harbour's two new passenger terminals (aka Palm Island Cruise Terminals) have combined floor area 27,870 m2 (300,000 ft2/two equally-sized buildings), total Quay Wall length 910 m (2950 ft), total Pier length 910 m (2985 ft, which allows 2 largest ships to be berthed simultaneously), Pier width 28 m (92 ft), Shipping Channel depth 12,5 m (43 ft), Shipping Channel width 300 m (984 ft), Turning Basin diameter 540 m (1770 ft), Bollards (Tee Head type, capacity 200 tons each), four Passenger Boarding Bridges.

Both Terminals are complete with entertainment venues, leisure spaces, premium retail shopping areas. The new cruise ship terminals in Dubai Harbour are approx 30 km (20 mi) from two international airports (Dubai International, and Al Maktoum/aka Dubai World Central) or just 30-min drive distance from the cruise docks.

Dubai Harbour's two terminals are with berthing capacity 3 mid-sized ships (simultaneously) and 13,200 passengers (at a time). The project was via partnership with Shamal Holding LLC (2016-founded, Dubai-based Investment company with 8 subsidiaries).

Dubai Harbour is linked with the city's transport network (directly connected with its road grid and monorail system).

The new facility was officially inaugurated on December 17, 2021, following the arrival of its first cruise ships - Costa Firenze and AIDAbella . The special ceremony was attended by Abdulla Binhabtoor (Shamal Holding's CPO) and Carnival Corporation top-rank executives, including Giora Israel (SVP Global Ports & Destinations Development), Torben Seidenschnur (Costa Group's Director CEO Office & Strategic Development), Michael Thamm (Costa Group's and Carnival Asia's CEO), Felix Eichhorn (AIDA's President), Mario Zanetti (Costa's President).

(NEW) Dubai Harbour Marina

Smaller ships and superyachts may alternatively dock at Dubai Harbour Marina - the largest and most advanced leisure boating facility in the region of Middle East-North Africa. The marina has total capacity 1100 (boat slots/berths) and can accommodate smaller-sized ships and mega-yachts with max LOA length 160 m (525 ft).

The new Marina is divided into three areas - Harbour Marina, Bay Marina, and Palm View Marina.

• At Harbour Marina are the Harbor Master Building, Yacht Club, a promenade/esplanade (lined up with restaurants, cafes, retail shops), Helipad (helicopter-landing platform), Crew Facility. Harbour Marina's capacity is 566 slots/berths (for yachts with max LOA length 40 m / 131 ft), including 487x slots (for 12-22-meter boats) and 79 slots (for 22-40-meter boats).
• Palm View Marina is surrounded by high residence buildings, hotels, beaches. Palm View Marina's capacity is 37 slots/berths (for superyachts with max LOA length 80 m / 263 ft), including 15 slots (for 12-22-m boats), 6 slots (22-40-m boats) and 19 slots (40-80-m boats).
• Bay Marina is Dubai’s first dedicated to large yachts facility, with a separate Helipad. Bay Marina's capacity is 180 slots/berths (for superyachts with max LOA length 160 m / 525 ft), including 72 slots (for 12-22-m boats), 73 slots (22-40-m boats), 33 slots (40-80-m yachts) and 14 slots (80-160-m superyachts).

All marinas are fitted with wastewater and power connections, fueling stations, storage facilities, waste disposal, food and beverage outlets, buggy service.

Inaugurated in 2018 (November 13th), Dubai Harbour Marina is managed by D-Marin Dubai LLC (part of D-Marin / Istanbul Turkey -based global marina service company that currently operates 14 yacht marinas in 5 countries - Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, UAE). Dubai Marina, like the cruise terminals, is one of the city's architectural landmarks, with contemporary-designed facilities housing brokerage and maritime insurance companies, crews, ship chandlers, premium retail shops, food and beverage outlets.

(NEW) Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal

Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal has 7 berths, which means it can handle 7 large-sized vessels (total passenger capacity 25,000) simultaneously. The terminal was renovated in 2010 and all cargo vessels were moved to the Jebel Ali Port. Port Rashid remained only a terminal for cruise ships. It can handle simultaneously up to 4 vessels. Cruise Terminal 3 is the largest facility (sized 125,000 m2), with capacity 14,000 passengers.

The building is in old Arabic style. Dubai Cruise Port terminal offers facilities like ATM machines, a post office, duty-free, an information center, souvenir shops, internet access, currency exchange, business center, coffee shop. Each hour, tourists can use City Center and Mercato Mall free shuttles.

Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal (Port Rashid)

Dubai's new cruise ship terminal Hamdan bin Mohammed is located at Port Rashid (passenger and cargo port). The complex is considered one of the world's top 5 luxury cruise ports to dock at.

The new terminal was inaugurated in 2015. It is the world’s largest covered cruise facility with a daily passenger capacity of 14,000. For the period 2015-2020, the Hamdan bin Mohammed terminal's business grew 55%. Top daily performances were reported in 2015 (4 liners with ~20,000 passengers+crew), 2017 (5 liners with ~24,000 passengers+crew), 2019 (6 liners with ~35,000 passengers+crew).

Annually, 0,5+ million cruise ship tourists visit Dubai City via Port Rashid's terminals. The complex has as facilities coffee bar lounge, mini-mart, deli (lunch restaurant), premium shops (souvenirs, watches, jewellery, electronics), post office, business center, currency exchange office, ATMs, concierge tour services (to assist day tours in Dubai City). Among the services offered at the terminal are free Internet (and Wi-Fi) and 2 free of charge shopping shuttle buses (1 to Mercato Mall, 1 to City Center Drive) leaving from the terminal's station each hour.

(NEWEST/Carnival) Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal

DHCT-Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is a new port development project which started in January 2017 and was completed in 2021. Among the attractions that the new complex features are a new building (total area 150,000 ft2 / 13,935 m2, max passenger capacity 6000) and Dubai Lighthouse (height 4380 ft / 135 m) housing a luxury hotel and featuring an observation deck.

This is Dubai's newest (second) cruise terminal facility for which construction was contracted Meraas (holding company, subsidiary of Dubai Holding/owned by the country's ruler/Sheikh). This way, the port became the world's first ever to build 2 new terminals simultaneously, with combined annual capacity 1,2 million passengers. As a location, Dubai Harbour connects some of the city's most famous neighborhoods.

Dubai Harbour is on King Salman Str, between JBR Walk (shopping / dining promenade) and Palm Jumeirah (the famous man-made archipelago). The new complex covers a total area of ~1,9 km2 (0,72 mi2). The project included the cruise port terminal, a large shopping mall (0,33 km2 / 0,13 mi2), a yacht marina (capacity 1400 berths), 3x helipads, an events arena, as well as residential and office buildings, hotels and shops.

Dubai Lighthouse's facade is used as a screen for HD video projections and light shows. The residential complex includes both high and low buildings, as well as waterfront houses and villas, numerous retail shops, cafes and restaurants.

Construction works started in May 2018 after Meraas and Carnival Corporation signed an agreement for partnership, including port development and terminal management. The 186-hectares (1,9 km2 / 0,7 mi2) land development project was officially approved in January 2017 by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Ruler of Dubai).

In July 2019 was contracted ASGC Group (UAE-based and Dubai's largest construction company) to build the new Dubai Cruise Terminal (Meraas's real estate complex) located between Bluewaters and Palm Jumeirah (Dubai Harbour). ASGC will conduct all construction works (for both main terminal buildings), the 1-km long quay (docking area), also will implement all associated fit-out and external works and will install buildings' fixtures, fittings and equipment. Upon completion, the new terminal will have total floor area 2,7 hectares and daily passenger capacity of 15000.

Dubai Ferry Terminal

All sea connections between the city and the other UAE port cities are served by Mina Rashid Ferry Terminal. It is adjacent to the cruise ship terminal. Ferries dock in the Coastal Berth area. Dubai's Ferry Terminal (like all cruise terminals) is owned by DP World. Among the modern facilities are luggage belts, separate arrival/departure gates, security (police), UAE Customs office. The Ferry Terminal handles around 20,000 passengers per year.

Adjacent to Port Rashid are Dubai Drydocks and Dubai Maritime City. However, there's a plan all cargoship operations to be moved to Jebel Ali Port (by March 2018) leaving Port Rashid as a dedicated cruiseship terminal. The plan also included part of the port to be reclaimed by Nakheel (Dubai real-estate developer) to create an urban waterfront complex housing over 200,000 residents.

In 2019 was inaugurated the Dubai Ferry service linking downtown's Al Wajeha Al Maeyah Marine Transport Station near Dubai Mall (one of the world's largest and most-visited retail shopping destinations) with Dubai Marina Mall (owned by Emaar Malls, subsidiary of Emaar Properties). The ferry crossing time is ~80 min (one-way), with complimentary shuttle service provided to Dubai Mall and back. Tickets are priced AED 68,25 (USD 18,6) per adult and AED 52,5 (USD 14,3) for kids 5-12 years old.

• Dubai Creek and Creekside Park: this saltwater water way is 24-hour crowded with boats sailing to and from India, Arabia and East Africa. Take a water taxi, visit Creek and its Creekside Park with cafes, mini-golf, gardens and fishing quays.
• Gold Souk: located on the north side of Dubai Creek, find the lowest prices in the world of dimanods, gold, silver, platinum and precious germs.
• Spice Souk: right next to Gold Souk. A spice market. Smell the aromatic atmosphere of flower petals, incense, medicinal herbs, spices and aromatic oils.
• Dubai Museum: located in the Al Fahidi Fort, on the Dubai Creek south coatsline. The place where you will find the history, traditions and Dubai culture and you will reveal the life in the desert.
• Mall of the Emirates: enormous shopping center with over 400 shops, one of the worlds biggest. Find almost all world brands, restaurants, galleries, a ski slope, two mosques and a cinema.
• Bastakia Quarter: located on Dubai Creek north coastline. Ancient area good for a walk.
• Burj Al Arab hotel: the only seven-star hotel, fabulous and spectacular Burj Al Arab soars the sky. If you don’t want to book a room, try the restaurants or take a look at it from the Majlis Al Bahar beach.
• Burj Khalifa: the tallest building in the world, 2,625 ft.
• Al Mamzar Beach: beautiful park with gardens, beaches, play area, picnic tables, showers, cafes and lifeguard. Special day is Wednesday – Al Mamzar Beach is reserved only for women and children.
• Jumeirah Beach Park: only a mile away from the Dubai cruise port terminal, direction South
• The Desert: 4x4 tour in the desert to visit a native village, taste a local meal and all that combined with amazing belly dance.

Dubai tours, shore excursions, hotels

City tours and shore excursions.

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All about the Dubai Cruise Terminal

Located at Port Rashid, Dubai Cruise Terminal is one of the most luxurious ports in the region. As per official figures, over 500,000 people dock at the terminal each year. It can serve six cruise vessels and caters to 25,000 passengers at a time.

It is one of the world’s largest covered cruise facilities. Moreover, the terminal was built using recycled material including interlocking bricks, steel structure and shipping wooden pellets. A green wall shade system is present to reduce heat. The controlled LED and daylight illumination helps in reducing electricity usage. Irrigation and landscaping is also a feature at the Dubai Cruise Terminal.

This blog provides a complete overview of the Dubai cruise ship terminal. Here are some of the specifics about the different terminals in operation. 

Dubai Cruise Terminal 1

• Berth No: 10
• Terminal Size: 2750 square metres
• Baggage handling space: 900 square metres

Dubai Cruise Terminal 2

• Berth No: 31
• Terminal size: 3450 square metres
• Baggage handling space: 2400 square metres

Dubai Cruise Terminal 3

• Berth No: 33-34
• Total terminal and baggage handling space: 27,000 square metres

Facilities at Dubai Cruise Terminal

There is a wide range of facilities at the Dubai Cruise Terminal for passengers. You can find complimentary maps in multiple languages at the help desk. Moreover, in case you forget to exchange currency in the city, a money exchange facility is available at the terminal. ATM service is also present. Companies often use the post office at the terminal to courier documents within and outside of the UAE.

Sometimes, the wait at the terminal can be rather long. You can go to the Duty-Free and other retail outlets to do some shopping. Furthermore, the in-house restaurant, café and mini-mart can also be visited just to fill up on delicious food and kill time. Complimentary WiFi also helps, obviously. A beautiful prayer room is located within the premises of the terminal, 

Those who want to travel to the city can take either taxi from the rank. It is monitored by RTA, the Roads & Transport Authority. Alternatively, the complimentary bus service can also take you to selected malls across Dubai. For those who want to go to the Dubai airport from Dubai Cruise Terminal, paid shuttle buses do the rounds.

The most important bit part of the terminal is the service provided to the incoming and outgoing travellers. The customer services at the Dubai Cruise Terminal are top-notch. The baggage handling areas are well–equipped and covered. The check-in facilities are streamlined for passengers, with six check-in counters with CAT network. This ensures swift passenger turnaround. 

Your stay at the Dubai Cruise Terminal will be a pleasant one. If it’s a short stay, you can just wander within the terminal premises. Or you can check out swiftly and enjoy the wonders that this city has to offer.

List of Cruises using Dubai Cruise Terminal

Following is the list of cruises that have used Dubai Cruise Terminal.

• Aida Cruises
• Costa Cruises
• MSC Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International (RCL)
• TUI Cruises
• Hapag-Lloyd
• Holland-America Line
• P&O Cruise

Dubai Cruise Terminal to Airport

The distance from Dubai Cruise Terminal to the airport is about 14.9 km. Usually, it takes around 25 minutes to make the journey in a taxi. However, if the traffic is heavy, naturally it will take longer. The average cost of a taxi can be in the range of AED 50 to AED 60. All taxis are operated by the RTA, hence prices are non-negotiable. This includes the AED 20 surcharge when you hire a taxi from within the Cruise Terminal or the Dubai Airport.

The Future of Dubai Cruise Terminal

In 2018, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, laid the foundation of a new project with Carnival Corporation. As per the government’s diversification policy, the Cruise Terminal was identified as one of the growth areas. It was decided that by October 2020, all cruise ships arriving at Port Rashid will be redirected to Dubai Cruise Terminal. The improvement in facilities would help maintain Dubai’s image as a place for business as well as leisure.

Owing to these upgrades Carnival Corporation will launch new cruises and attract tourist from newer markets like India and China. It is estimated that by the year 2030, the maritime tourism sector will contribute more than AED 1.5 billion to the Dubai economy.

Work on two new cruise terminal buildings is in progress. These buildings span over an area of 30,000 square metres and will be joined by a one-kilometre long single quay. They will accommodate Carnival Corporation’s newest and advanced cruise ships as well as XL class ships. This means that these terminals will deal with up to 13,000 passengers at a time.

Hotels near Dubai Cruise Terminal

If you intend to stay in Dubai for a few days before boarding the cruise again, there are a number of hotels close to the Dubai Cruise Terminal such as the QE2 Palm Beach Hotel Dubai, Royal Ascot Hotel Apartment, Sea View Hotel, The Canvas Hotel Dubai, Savoy Central Hotel Apartments, Palm Beach Hotel and Hyde Park Hotel.

You will find excellent services at the hotels near Dubai Cruise Terminal. The cost can range from AED 170 to AED 300 per night. It depends on the range of service on offer at a particular hotel.

Besides the international cruise tours that are boarding at the Dubai Cruise ship Terminal, there are other city cruises that you can take. Dinner cruises in Dubai offer the perfect night out on a special occasion. Yacht cruises in Dubai Marina are particularly famous for their splendour and luxury. Dubai international cruises have also grown in popularity as many prefer a cruise vacation over flying to another country and spending time inland.

To sum up, it could be stated that the cruise culture in Dubai has taken root. With the advancements being brought about at the Dubai Cruise Terminal, more and more people would opt for cruise tours in the near future.

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The Dubai Cruise Ports: Your Comprehensive Guide!

Posted on Last updated: February 9, 2024

Dubai, often referred to as the “City of Gold,” isn’t just a haven for luxury shopping, avant-garde architecture, and a bustling nightlife scene; it’s also a shining star in the world of cruising.

So, tighten your life vests and grab a free cruise planner , for the adventure into Dubai’ cruise ports is about to begin.

History of Cruise Ports in Dubai

Dubai’s emergence as a global hub for commerce, tourism, and luxury isn’t just a tale of modern-day innovation; it’s a legacy that’s been centuries in the making.

While today’s travelers associate the city with its towering skyscrapers and vast shopping malls, seafarers of the past recognized Dubai as a vital trading port, its waterways bustling with dhows and ships from distant lands.

The Early Days

Historically, Dubai’s geographical position played a pivotal role in its maritime importance. Long before the age of commercial flights and highways, the waters of the Arabian Gulf were the lifeblood of trade, connecting the Middle East to the rest of the world.

Dubai’s creek, known locally as the Khor Dubai, was a bustling trade route, welcoming merchants from India, Africa, and beyond. Pearling was a major industry back then, and the city’s port saw a regular exchange of these shimmering treasures.

Enter Modernity

As the world evolved, so did Dubai’s vision. Recognizing the potential for growth in the cruise industry, the leadership embarked on an ambitious journey to transform the city into a major port of call for international cruise liners.

This vision materialized in the form of the iconic Port Rashid or Mina Rashid. Inaugurated in the 1970s, this port laid the foundation for Dubai’s dominance in the cruise industry.

Over the years, Port Rashid evolved, boasting state-of-the-art facilities and attracting the world’s most renowned cruise lines.

The emphasis was not just on infrastructure but also on curating experiences, ensuring that every cruiser stepping onto Dubai’s shores was met with unparalleled luxury and hospitality.

Setting Sail to the Future

As Dubai’s reputation solidified on the global cruise map, there emerged a need for expansion, leading to plans for the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal and other visionary projects.

Aiming to merge luxury, efficiency, and sustainability, these new ventures are set to redefine the cruising experience, solidifying Dubai’s position as the go-to destination for maritime luxury.

The history of Dubai’s cruise ports is not just a narrative of structures and ships; it’s a testament to the city’s unwavering spirit of innovation. From humble beginnings as a trading post to its current status as a cruise industry titan, Dubai’s journey is a tale of vision, ambition, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Dubai Cruise Terminal

Dubai Cruise Terminal, situated within Port Rashid (Mina Rashid), has rapidly become the gateway for international cruise liners in the Middle East.

Offering state-of-the-art facilities combined with Dubai’s trademark hospitality, it has transformed the experience of cruisers touching down in this cosmopolitan oasis.

Location and Accessibility

Centrally located, the Dubai Cruise Terminal is a mere few kilometers away from the heart of Dubai’s downtown.

With its proximity to the city’s major attractions and seamless connectivity through roads, it becomes a convenient docking point for travelers eager to explore Dubai.

Facilities and Services Available

• Modern Infrastructure : Designed to accommodate some of the world’s largest cruise ships, the terminal boasts cutting-edge boarding and immigration facilities, ensuring quick and hassle-free processing for passengers.
• Duty-Free Shopping : On disembarking, travelers are greeted with a variety of duty-free shopping options, from high-end luxury brands to local souvenirs, ensuring they carry a piece of Dubai with them.
• Hospitality Desks : For those looking to experience Dubai beyond the port, numerous hospitality desks offer excursion packages, city tours, desert safaris, and more.
• Connectivity and Transfers : Recognizing the needs of international travelers, the terminal provides a range of transportation options. From taxis and limousines to shuttle services connecting major hotels and attractions, getting around the city is a breeze.
• Amenities : The terminal understands the diverse needs of its travelers. Hence, it offers a plethora of amenities such as free Wi-Fi, lounges, currency exchange counters, ATMs, and a dedicated prayer room.

Transfers and Connectivity to Other Parts of Dubai

For those venturing beyond the terminal, Dubai’s efficient road network and public transportation system make traveling hassle-free. The metro system, with its extensive network, is a popular choice among tourists.

Taxis, readily available outside the terminal, offer a comfortable means to reach any part of the city. For a more luxurious experience, private car hires and limousines can be arranged.

The Dubai Cruise Terminal, with its blend of modern facilities and Emirati warmth, ensures that the journey of every cruiser docking on its shores is nothing short of spectacular.

Whether you’re just passing through or planning an extended stay in the city, the terminal offers a seamless and luxurious transition into the heart of Dubai.

Port Rashid (also known as Mina Rashid)

Port Rashid, fondly known as Mina Rashid, stands as a testament to Dubai’s maritime ambitions.

Named after the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum , the port encapsulates Dubai’s vision to become a global nexus for trade and tourism. With its advanced infrastructure and strategic location, Port Rashid is not just a docking point but a symbol of the city’s forward-thinking prowess.

History and Significance

Emerging from the sands in the 1970s, Port Rashid was Dubai’s answer to the evolving global maritime trade. Initially designed to handle cargo, it soon realized the potential of the booming cruise industry.

Over the years, it expanded and transformed, moving beyond its initial remit to accommodate a growing fleet of international cruise liners.

Its strategic location, at the crossroads of East and West, made it a preferred port of call for many global cruise operators, establishing Dubai as a key player in the international cruise itinerary.

Facilities: Passenger Terminals, Amenities, and More

• Passenger Terminals : Port Rashid’s passenger terminals are a blend of functionality and luxury. Equipped to handle multiple mega-cruise liners simultaneously, they ensure a swift and smooth transition for passengers.
• Recreational Areas : Recognizing the needs of waiting passengers, the port offers a range of recreational areas. Spacious lounges, restaurants offering international cuisines, and cafes make for a comfortable waiting experience.
• Shopping : Echoing Dubai’s reputation as a shopper’s paradise, Port Rashid houses a range of retail outlets. From luxury brands to local artisanal crafts, there’s something for everyone.
• Dedicated Services : Keeping in line with the city’s commitment to hospitality, the port offers a range of dedicated services like concierge desks, luggage handling, and a medical facility.

Nearby Attractions and Sites of Interest

Proximity to the heart of Dubai makes Port Rashid a convenient starting point for many excursions:

• Heritage Village : A short drive from the port, this attraction offers a glimpse into Dubai’s rich history and traditions.
• Jumeirah Mosque : Renowned for its beautiful architecture, this mosque is a must-visit for those interested in the cultural facet of Dubai.
• Gold Souk & Spice Souk : Experience the charm of old Dubai by visiting these bustling markets, filled with fragrant spices and dazzling gold jewelry.
• Dubai Frame : Offering panoramic views of the city, this architectural marvel is a short drive from the port and provides a unique perspective of Dubai’s evolution.

Mina Rashid, with its advanced facilities and strategic positioning, serves as a gateway to the myriad experiences Dubai offers. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or on your maiden voyage, Port Rashid promises an unforgettable start or conclusion to your cruising journey in the Arabian Gulf.

The Upcoming Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal

As Dubai’s insatiable appetite for innovation and luxury continues to flourish, the city unveils yet another ambitious venture – the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal. Slated to be one of the most advanced and luxurious cruise terminals globally, this project underscores Dubai’s intent to further solidify its position as a premier cruise destination.

Overview and Vision Behind its Inception

Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal isn’t just another addition to the city’s infrastructure; it’s a reimagining of the cruise experience. Envisioned to span over 20 million square feet, the terminal will be nestled between Palm Jumeirah and Jumeirah Beach Residence, two of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

The grand vision behind its inception is to provide an integrated maritime experience, blending seamless operations with unmatched luxury.

What to Expect: Advanced Features and Amenities

• Mega Cruise Facility : Designed to handle over a million passengers annually, the terminal will feature state-of-the-art passenger processing, ensuring quick embarkation and disembarkation.
• Yacht Club : Going beyond the traditional cruise experience, the terminal will also feature a luxurious yacht club, catering to the elite maritime travelers.
• Retail and Dining : Building on Dubai’s reputation for luxury shopping and gastronomic delights, the terminal will house an array of boutiques and restaurants, promising a diverse shopping and dining experience.
• Entertainment Hub : Recognizing the evolving needs of modern travelers, the terminal will also feature entertainment zones, including theaters, recreational areas, and more.
• Eco-friendly Initiatives : Staying true to global sustainability goals, the terminal will incorporate several eco-friendly measures, from waste management to energy efficiency, emphasizing responsible tourism.
• Integrated Transportation : With helipads, tram lines, and seamless connectivity to the city’s road network, getting to and from the terminal will be a breeze.

Significance for the Future of Cruising in Dubai

The Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is more than just a maritime project; it’s a statement. As the cruise industry evolves, destinations need to offer more than just docking facilities.

By providing an integrated experience – one that blends luxury, entertainment, and efficiency – Dubai is setting the benchmark for the future of cruise tourism. This terminal is poised to attract a diverse set of travelers, from the traditional cruisers to luxury yacht aficionados, underscoring Dubai’s commitment to catering to all facets of maritime tourism.

As the sun sets on the Arabian horizon, casting a golden hue on the shimmering waters, the silhouette of the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal stands tall, beckoning the world to a new era of cruising. As we await its completion, one thing is clear: Dubai’s maritime story is far from over; in fact, a new chapter is just beginning.

Getting Around from the Dubai Cruise Ports

Whether you’re a cruiser with a few hours to spare or you’re embarking on an extended stay in the vibrant city of Dubai, knowing how to navigate from the cruise ports is essential. Dubai boasts a seamless transportation system, designed with both efficiency and luxury in mind. Here’s how to make the most of it when you disembark at the city’s cruise ports.

Taxis: The Quickest Way to Begin Your Adventure

• Standard Taxis : Easily identifiable by their cream-colored exterior, these taxis are metered and readily available outside the cruise terminals. They offer a convenient and relatively affordable means to reach any part of the city.
• Ladies Taxis : For female travelers or families traveling with women, Dubai offers pink-roofed taxis driven by female drivers, ensuring comfort and safety.
• Luxury Taxis : For those seeking a more opulent experience, there are luxury taxis, often Lexus vehicles, available at a slightly higher fare.

Metro: Dubai’s Lifeline

• The Dubai Metro, with its state-of-the-art, driverless trains, connects major parts of the city. While there’s no direct metro station at the cruise terminals, a short taxi ride will get you to the nearest station.
• There are two main lines: the Red Line and the Green Line, connecting major attractions and commercial hubs.

Buses: Extensive Network for the Budget Traveler

• Dubai’s bus network is vast and efficient. If you’re looking to explore the city on a budget, buses are a great option.
• Many bus routes connect with metro stations, ensuring seamless transfers.

Trams & Monorails: A Scenic Route

• The Dubai Tram is another excellent transportation option, especially if you’re staying around the Marina or JBR area. It offers scenic views of some of Dubai’s iconic structures.
• The Palm Jumeirah Monorail connects the Palm’s Atlantis resort with the mainland and offers breathtaking views of the man-made island and the city skyline.

Water Taxis & Abras

• Experience Dubai the traditional way! Water taxis or Abras can be hired for a unique journey across the Dubai Creek, providing a blend of the old and new.

Private Car Hires & Ride-Sharing

• Apps like Uber and Careem (Dubai’s local favorite) are operational in Dubai. They offer a convenient way to book rides right from your smartphone.

Hop-On Hop-Off Tour Buses

• For those short on time and eager to see the best of Dubai, the Hop-On Hop-Off buses provide an organized tour of the city’s main attractions, complete with commentary.

Car Rentals

• If you’re confident in navigating Dubai’s roads and have an international driving license, numerous car rental agencies offer everything from compact cars to luxury vehicles.

Getting around Dubai from the cruise ports is a breeze, thanks to the city’s diverse and efficient transportation options. Whether you opt for the traditional charm of an Abra or the modern comfort of a metro, each journey promises a unique perspective of this dynamic city.

Nearby Attractions and Day Trips from Dubai Cruise Ports

Dubai, a dazzling gem in the Arabian desert, is teeming with attractions that cater to all tastes and interests. While some iconic landmarks are just a stone’s throw away from the cruise ports, other treasures lie slightly farther afield, promising exciting day trips. Here’s your guide to making the most of your time in and around Dubai:

Nearby Attractions

• Dubai Creek and Al Fahidi Historic District : Step back in time and explore Dubai’s roots. Ride a traditional Abra across the Creek and wander through the winding alleys of the historic district, taking in museums and art galleries.
• Dubai Frame : Get a panoramic view of both old and new Dubai from this architectural marvel.
• Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa : A shopper’s paradise, the Dubai Mall offers everything from high-end boutiques to an underwater zoo and aquarium. Adjoining it is the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, where you can ascend to the observation deck for breathtaking views.
• Dubai Opera : Located in Downtown Dubai, this architectural masterpiece offers an array of performances, from operas to ballets and concerts.
• Jumeirah Mosque : Embrace the local culture and architecture with a visit to this stunning mosque, one of the few in the UAE open to non-Muslims.

• Desert Safari : No trip to Dubai is complete without venturing into its golden sands. Experience dune bashing, camel rides, traditional dances, and a sumptuous Arabian feast under the stars.
• Abu Dhabi : A short drive away, the UAE’s capital offers attractions like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Ferrari World.
• Hatta : Nestled in the Hajar Mountains, Hatta offers a refreshing break from the city’s hustle. Explore the Hatta Dam, go kayaking, or simply enjoy the serene mountainous terrain.
• Sharjah : Known as the cultural capital of the UAE, Sharjah boasts a range of museums, art galleries, and the iconic Blue Souk. It’s a haven for history buffs and art lovers.
• Ain Dubai : Located on Bluewaters Island, this gigantic observation wheel offers stunning views of Dubai’s coastline and skyline.
• Ras Al Khaimah : For adventure enthusiasts, the Jebel Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaimah offers the world’s longest zip line and scenic hiking trails.

Dubai’s strategic location makes it an excellent base for exploring both its urban wonders and the natural beauty of its surroundings. Whether you’re a culture vulture, an adventure junkie, or someone seeking a luxurious escape, Dubai and its neighboring emirates promise an unforgettable experience.

Dining and Cuisine Near the Dubai Cruise Ports

Dubai is a culinary melting pot, offering a vast array of flavors from around the globe. Its cosmopolitan nature is reflected in its dining scene, where you can savor everything from traditional Emirati dishes to international haute cuisine. Being near the cruise ports, you’re poised to embark on a delightful gastronomic journey. Here’s a curated list of dining options and local delicacies to explore:

Fine Dining

• Pierchic : Located on a pier with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf, this overwater restaurant is famous for its seafood dishes and romantic ambiance.
• Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara : Nestled inside the Burj Al Arab, dine amidst an enchanting aquarium setting and indulge in a menu curated by a Michelin-starred chef.
• Zuma : A favorite among locals and visitors, this contemporary Japanese restaurant in the heart of the city offers exquisite dishes in a stylish setting.

Local Eateries

• Al Ustad Special Kabab : An institution in Dubai, this eatery has been serving mouth-watering Iranian kebabs since the 1970s.
• Al Fanar Restaurant & Café : Experience traditional Emirati flavors in a rustic, nostalgic setting reminiscent of 1960s Dubai.
• Ravi Restaurant : This no-frills Pakistani restaurant is an icon, renowned for its flavorful curries and biryanis.

Cafés and Casual Dining

• One Life Kitchen and Café : Located in Dubai Design District, it’s a great spot for health-conscious diners offering organic dishes and fresh juices.
• The Brass Coffee & Community : A blend of traditional and modern, savor specialty coffees with flavors from the Middle East and beyond.
• Karak House : A contemporary take on local dining, enjoy Emirati-inspired dishes and, of course, a cup of the beloved ‘karak’ tea.

Street Food

• Al Rigga Street : This bustling street is a haven for street food enthusiasts. From shawarmas to falafels and fresh fruit juices, it’s a treat for the senses.
• Deira Fish Market & Grill : Choose fresh seafood from the market and have it grilled or cooked to your liking at nearby stalls.

Local Delicacies to Try

• Al Harees : A simple dish with just wheat, meat, and a pinch of salt, it’s traditionally cooked in large clay pots and is a staple during Emirati celebrations.
• Camel Meat : While it may sound exotic to many, camel meat (often served as burgers or stews) is a local delicacy that’s both healthy and flavorful.
• Luqaimat : These are sweet dumplings drizzled with date syrup and sesame seeds, a must-try dessert!

Being in the vicinity of the cruise ports in Dubai opens up a world of culinary delights. From the opulence of fine dining restaurants to the humble yet flavorsome street food stalls, the city’s diverse dining scene is sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.

Cultural Etiquette and Tips for Cruise Travelers in Dubai

Dubai is an impressive blend of ancient traditions and ultra-modern living. While it’s one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Middle East, it still holds its cultural values and traditions in high esteem. For cruise travelers docking in this dynamic city, understanding and respecting these etiquettes will enhance the travel experience. Here’s a guide to ensure a smooth and culturally respectful visit:

Dress Modestly

• While Dubai is quite liberal compared to some other Middle Eastern countries, it’s still advisable to dress modestly, especially in public places like malls, markets, and public transport.
• Women should ideally wear dresses or skirts that are knee-length or longer, and tops that cover the shoulders. Swimsuits are reserved for beaches, pools, and water parks.
• Men should avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts in public places, especially in cultural or religious sites.

Public Behavior

• Public Display of Affection (PDA) : Acts such as kissing or excessive hugging are considered inappropriate in public places. Holding hands, especially for married couples, is generally acceptable.
• Photography : Always ask for permission before taking photos of local people, especially women. Avoid photographing government buildings, military sites, and some palaces.

Religion and Religious Practices

• Ramadan : If your cruise docks during the holy month of Ramadan, be aware that Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours is prohibited. However, many hotels and designated areas cater to tourists during this time.
• Call to Prayer : The Muslim call to prayer (Adhan) can be heard five times a day. It’s a sign of respect to pause and remain silent during its duration if you’re nearby.

• Tipping is not obligatory in Dubai, but it’s a common practice. In restaurants, a tip of 10-15% is appreciated, although some establishments might include a service charge. For bellboys, porters, or taxi drivers, a small tip is a kind gesture.

Alcohol Consumption

• Alcohol is available in licensed hotels and bars, but it’s illegal to drink in public places or be publicly drunk. Always carry a legal ID when entering places that serve alcohol.

Interacting with Locals

• Always greet with a polite “As-Salaam-Alaikum” (Peace be upon you). The reply is “Wa-Alaikum-Salaam” (And upon you be peace).
• When offered something, like tea or a gift, it’s polite to accept with your right hand, not the left. The right hand is also preferred for eating and giving or receiving items.
• Bargaining is common in traditional markets (souks). Start by offering half or two-thirds of the initial price and negotiate from there.
• It’s essential to be respectful and friendly during the bargaining process.

Respect for Emirati Culture

• While Dubai is home to many expatriates, showing interest and respect for the Emirati way of life, traditions, and customs will be appreciated by locals.

Dubai offers a unique blend of cultural richness and contemporary luxury. As a cruise traveler, immersing oneself in the city’s culture while respecting its traditions will undoubtedly make for a memorable and enriching experience.

Events and Seasonal Highlights in Dubai

Dubai, a city that never truly sleeps, offers a rich calendar of events year-round. However, for cruise travelers, timing your voyage with some of the city’s seasonal highlights and signature events can elevate your experience tenfold. Here’s an overview of the must-experience events and seasonal attractions:

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF)

• When : Typically held in January-February.
• Highlights : Mega sales, street performances, live concerts, and raffles with luxury cars and gold up for grabs. It’s a shopaholic’s paradise!

Dubai Food Festival

• When : Usually in February-March.
• Highlights : A gastronomic delight, experience food markets, beachside canteens, celebrity chef demos, and the diverse culinary offerings of the city.

Dubai International Boat Show

• When : Generally in March.
• Highlights : Perfect for cruise enthusiasts, witness luxury yachts, marine equipment, and aquatic sports in action.

Dubai World Cup

• When : Last Saturday of March.
• Highlights : Known as the “richest day in racing,” it’s not just about the horse races, but also fashion, live entertainment, and the celebratory atmosphere.

Ramadan and Eid Celebrations

• When : Varies according to the Islamic lunar calendar.
• Highlights : While daytime is quieter due to the fasting period, nights come alive with Iftars (evening meals to break the fast), special events, and night markets. Eid, marking the end of Ramadan, is celebrated with grandeur, fireworks, and festive meals.

Diwali – Festival of Lights

• When : October or November, depending on the Hindu lunar calendar.
• Highlights : Witness parts of the city, especially areas like Bur Dubai, illuminated in festive lights, special events, and Indian cultural performances.

Dubai Fitness Challenge

• When : Usually October-November.
• Highlights : Join the city in a challenge to do 30 minutes of activity for 30 days. There are numerous free fitness events, classes, and community activities.

UAE National Day Celebrations

• When : December 2nd, with celebrations often extending over several days.
• Highlights : A patriotic event marking the UAE’s formation, experience spectacular fireworks, parades, and cultural performances.

New Year’s Eve

• When : December 31st.
• Highlights : Dubai’s New Year celebrations are legendary, with breathtaking fireworks at the Burj Khalifa, parties, and events across the city.

Dubai Jazz Festival

• When : Usually in February.
• Highlights : Enjoy performances by international and local jazz and blues artists in a relaxed and vibrant setting.

Seasonal Highlights

• Winter (December-February) : Ideal for outdoor activities, beach visits, and desert safaris.
• Spring (March-May) : Blooms in the Miracle Garden, moderate temperatures, and al fresco dining opportunities.
• Summer (June-August) : Indoor attractions like the Dubai Mall, Ski Dubai, and the Dubai Aquarium shine, coupled with great hotel deals. However, prepare for high temperatures.
• Autumn (September-November) : Pleasant weather returns, making it great for beach visits and outdoor events.

Dubai cruise ports offer a myriad of events and seasonal attractions that cater to diverse interests. Whether you’re docking in winter to escape the cold or looking to partake in the city’s vibrant festivals, there’s always something happening to make your cruise stopover truly unforgettable.

Dubai Cruise Ports – An Oasis of Luxury, Adventure, and Culture

Dubai, often hailed as the jewel of the Middle East, effortlessly marries the allure of ancient traditions with the sophistication of modern life. As a cruise traveler, docking at the pristine Dubai cruise ports offers more than just a glimpse into this dynamic metropolis.

In closing, Dubai is not just a destination; it’s an experience. For cruise travelers, this city promises stories that will be shared for generations, photographs that capture more than just moments, and memories that remain etched in the heart long after the journey has concluded.

Safe travels, and may the City of Gold offer you tales as timeless as the desert sands. 🌟🌆🚢

FAQs on Dubai Cruise Ports

The Dubai cruise ports are a hub for travelers from all over the world. As such, numerous questions often arise from first-time visitors and seasoned cruisers alike. Here are some frequently asked questions to help you navigate your Dubai cruise experience more smoothly.

1. How many cruise terminals are there in Dubai?

• Currently, the primary cruise terminal is in Port Rashid, which hosts multiple berths. The upcoming Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is set to be a significant addition to the city’s cruise infrastructure.

2. How far are the cruise ports from Dubai International Airport?

• Port Rashid is approximately 15 kilometers away from Dubai International Airport, which is about a 20-minute drive depending on traffic.

3. Is there Wi-Fi available at the cruise terminals?

• Yes, free Wi-Fi is typically available for passengers at the cruise terminals.

4. What transportation options are available from the cruise ports?

• Numerous options are available, including taxis, car rentals, shuttle services, and public transport such as buses and the metro. Dubai also has ride-hailing services like Uber and Careem.

5. Can I stay overnight at the cruise terminal?

• No, the Dubai cruise ports are not equipped for overnight stays. However, there are numerous hotels nearby, catering to various budgets.

6. Are there facilities for differently-abled passengers at the cruise terminals?

• Yes, Dubai’s cruise terminals are designed to be accessible, with ramps, wheelchair accessibility, and special assistance when required.

7. How can I find out about shore excursions in Dubai?

• Many cruise lines offer shore excursions that can be booked in advance. Alternatively, there are local tour operators available upon disembarkation or for pre-booking online.

8. Is it safe to explore Dubai on my own?

• Absolutely! Dubai is known for its safety and low crime rate. However, as with any major city, always be aware of your surroundings and exercise regular precautions.

9. What currency is used in Dubai?

• The official currency is the United Arab Emirates Dirham, often denoted as AED or Dh.

10. Are there any dress code regulations I should be aware of while exploring Dubai?

• While Dubai is relatively liberal, it’s advised to dress modestly in public areas. This generally means clothes that cover the shoulders and knees. Swimwear is reserved for beaches, pools, and water parks.

11. Can I bring alcohol into Dubai from my cruise ship?

• Travelers can bring a limited amount of alcohol for personal consumption. However, public intoxication and drinking in unauthorized areas can result in hefty fines or legal action.

12. Are there shopping facilities near the cruise terminals?

• Yes, there are shopping facilities within and around the Dubai cruise ports. Moreover, Dubai is renowned for its shopping malls, many of which are easily accessible from the cruise ports.

13. Do the cruise terminals offer luggage storage facilities?

• Yes, most cruise terminals in Dubai provide luggage storage facilities for passengers. It’s advised to check with your cruise line or terminal for specific details and rates.

14. What language is commonly spoken at the cruise ports?

• Arabic is the official language of the UAE. However, English is widely spoken, especially in the tourism and service sectors, including the cruise terminals.

15. Are there any ATM machines or currency exchange services at the cruise terminals?

• Yes, ATMs and currency exchange counters are available at the cruise terminals. They dispense UAE Dirhams, which is the local currency.

16. Is there a medical facility or pharmacy at the cruise terminals?

• While basic first aid services are available at the cruise terminals, for more specific medical needs, passengers are usually directed to nearby hospitals or clinics. Some terminals may have a pharmacy or direct you to the nearest one.

17. Can I walk from the cruise terminal to nearby attractions?

• Depending on the specific terminal and berth, some attractions might be within walking distance. However, given Dubai’s vast urban layout, it’s often more convenient to take a taxi or public transportation to most attractions.

18. Are pets allowed at the cruise terminals?

• Pets are typically not allowed at the Dubai cruise ports unless they are service animals. However, it’s crucial to check regulations regarding bringing pets into the UAE, as there are strict quarantine and vaccination requirements.

19. What is the procedure for lost and found items at the cruise terminals?

• There’s usually a designated lost and found section within the cruise terminal. If you misplace something, report it immediately, providing as much detail as possible. It’s also helpful to keep a close eye on your belongings at all times.

20. Are there dining options available within the cruise terminals?

• Yes, the cruise terminals generally offer a range of dining options, from cafes and snack bars to more upscale restaurants, ensuring passengers have access to a variety of culinary choices.

21. Is smoking allowed at the cruise terminals?

• Smoking inside the terminal buildings at the Dubai cruise ports is typically prohibited. However, designated smoking areas are provided outside the terminal structures.

22. Can I get a SIM card or mobile connectivity services at the cruise terminals?

• Yes, there are kiosks and counters for local telecom providers at the terminals, where you can purchase temporary SIM cards or mobile packages suited for tourists.

• Sunday, April 7, 2024

CruiseToTravel

Dubai harbour cruise terminal officially welcomes first guests.

With the arrival of Costa Firenze and AIDAbella, the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal has officially opened its door to cruise passengers. The arrival of the ships coincides with the start of the cruise season and the ships’ homeporting seasons from Dubai.

The opening of the new cruise terminal represents a significant milestone in realizing  Dubai’s goal of becoming the world’s most visited city , underscored with the October launch of the highly popular Expo 2020 in Dubai.

For the occassion Carnival Corporation , the world’s largest cruise company, along with Shamal Holding, welcomed government, business and community representatives to celebrate the new cruise port in one of the most spectacular harbour skylines in the world.

As the region’s first-ever dedicated, twin-terminal cruise port, Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is capable of accommodating two large cruise ships simultaneously. The world-class facility spans over 120,000 square meters (nearly 1.3 million square feet) and includes two purpose-built terminal buildings that offer passengers and crew a safe, comfortable and seamless embarkation and disembarkation experience. The state-of-the-art terminals are equipped with four bespoke Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges that can simultaneously support the full turnaround of the largest class of cruise ships in the industry.

The cruise terminals, which are part of Dubai Harbour development, offer a wide array of amenities and services for passengers and crew – from ample seating areas to washrooms, currency exchange outlets, ATMs, cafes, retail outlets, duty-free, dedicated parking, taxi stands and more. The facilities are designed to be fully accessible for all visitors and complimentary Wi-Fi is enabled for guests and crew to stay connected.

The world’s most visited city

Located in the heart of modern Dubai, the new twin-terminal facility is conveniently positioned for international visitors traveling in and out of Dubai. Dubai Harbour’s spectacular backdrop, iconic vista and accessible location are combined with a wide range of living, retail and hospitality choices, as well as comprehensive berthing facilities, to comprise the region’s most unique lifestyle offering – including experiences such as Dubai Harbour Yacht Club, Dubai Harbour Pier Club, Dubai Harbour Marinas, Skydive Dubai and Zero Gravity.

As a gateway to the Arabian Gulf cruise destinations such as Oman and Abu Dhabi, Dubai has been a highly popular destination for the company’s Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises brands, which first began operating from Dubai in 2006. In late November, AIDAbella arrived in Dubai at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the first time, marking the first regular cruise passenger operation for the new terminals and the start of the ship’s winter season. In addition, Costa Firenze ‘s recent arrival marked the start of the ship’s season from Dubai, where it is homeporting for the first time ever.

Costa Firenze’s itinerary, which includes long stops at the ports of Dubai (two days) and Abu Dhabi (a full day, from 9am to midnight), allows guests to enjoy Expo 2020 Dubai to the fullest. Thanks to its collaboration with the Italian Pavilion, of which Costa Cruises is a gold sponsor, the company offers exclusive visits, which are true ‘grand tours’ to discover the Italian excellence showcased at the Expo. The tours include a panoramic visit of Dubai or Abu Dhabi, after which Costa Firenze guests enter Expo without queuing up, with a privileged entrance, to discover this extraordinary exhibition which includes about 200 pavilions. At the end of the visit, participants in the ‘grand tour’ of Costa’s Italian Pavilion are guests of Bvlgari for a unique gastronomic experience. 

Together, six brands from Carnival Corporation – AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and Seabourn – will visit the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal by 2023 and in total the six brands are expected by then to make 90 calls to the new twin-terminal cruise port. Costa Firenze will be homeporting weekly at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal through March 2022.

Also read : 8 things you should know about cruising with Costa

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Dubai Harbour's new cruise terminals to receive 150,000 visitors this season

Dozens of ships expected to dock at two new facilities at dubai harbour cruise terminal.

A cruise ship berthed at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal ahead of the season starting in November. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai's new cruise terminals will officially open next week, nearly a year after they were ready for action.

The first passengers will arrive at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal - which consists of two facilities - on November 25, with more than 30 ships expected to call and 150,000 visitors expected before April 2022.

Its launch was delayed by Covid-19, after concerns over high numbers of cases on board cruise ships led to all trips being cancelled in 2020.

Major operators require all passengers over 12 to be vaccinated, with the final dose of their inoculation administered at least 14 days before sailing.

Dubai Harbour is the first dedicated cruise port in the region, with two reception buildings that can receive two mega-ships at the same time.

The terminal's bespoke Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges can process more than 3,250 passengers an hour, which means tourists can board quickly and disembark easily for a day trip around Dubai.

The terminals span 15,000 square metres each and are positioned on a 910-metre long pier in the new Dubai Harbour district.

The maritime centre includes the world's largest marina of 700 berths, two restaurants, plus a helipad and space for the world's biggest superyachts.

Amenities at the cruise terminals include duty free shops, cafes, tour operators, complimentary Wi-Fi, currency exchanges and ATMs. The entire area is designed to be accessible for wheelchair users.

Shamal Holding, who own the cruise terminals, said two international cruise lines – Aida Cruises from Germany and Costa Crociere from Italy – will make Dubai Harbour their home port for the winter season.

Most passengers embarking on a cruise from Dubai travel around the Arabian Sea or head further afield along the African coastline or north into southern Europe.

Dubai already has the largest cruise port in the UAE, with two terminals at Mina Rashid with the capacity to fit seven mega-cruise ships at one time.

The city welcomed more than 800,000 people during the 2018-2019 season. This year, 126 liners and more than 500,000 visitors are expected to visit Dubai across all ports.

Before the pandemic , the cruise industry was the fastest growing in the travel sector.

Demand soared by 20.5 per cent in the past five years, taking the industry’s value close to $207 billion (Dh760.2bn) in annual global revenue, with 270 vessels across more than 50 operators, KPMG reported.

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Cruise ships dock at Port Rashid .

Since 2021 the new Dubai Harbour Cruise terminal is also in use, It is placed between the Palm View Marina, part of Dubai Marina, and Dubai Lighthouse. The project has two terminals, which can, at the same time, manage two turnarounds of the ships with 5000+ passengers.

Three large modern cruise terminals next to each other offer their services. Taxis are plentiful. The drive to Dubai Mall is about 10 minutes. Around 10 Euro. Return rate slightly less. If you take a taxi anywhere in the UAE, ask for the meter to be switched on even if you make a tour by taxi.

Hop on/off buses will be at each terminal, transporting you to a point where the red and blue lines meet. (Wafi Mall) Here you can take an hop on/off bus . This bus will also take you back to the port. It is recommended to buy the 48-hour ticket if you want to see most of the sights.

As the whole terminal area is fenced off, walking is not an option here and there is nothing to see anyway within walking distance.

Some shopping malls also offer free shuttles, they have a desk in the terminal. (Marcato Mall, Al Ghurair City, Dubai Outlet Mall and Burjaman, the latter closest to a Metro station.)

From the cruise terminal to Dubai airport is about a 15-minute drive. About $15 per taxi.

Hotels in Dubai.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Map of Dubai.

Check here for festivals and events in Dubai when you are in port.

Watch a destination video .

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Monthly Climate Averages for Dubai United Arab Emirates

Sightseeing:

Known as the City of Merchants, Dubai is the second largest of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE. In the entire Gulf, there is no place quite like Dubai. Its history began in the 1830s when the city broke away from Abu Dhabi and became a center of commerce and trading in its own right. In fact, Dubai's wealth is founded on trade, not oil. When oil was discovered in 1966, it merely contributed to the city's prosperity and sped up modernization.

Modern development began at the turn of the last century with heavy import-export trading, mainly in gold. What opium was to the growth of Hong Kong, gold was to Dubai.

As the leading center for business and tourism in the Middle East, Dubai offers a fascinating kaleidoscope of contrasts in a distinctive blend of modern city and timeless desert, east and west, old and new. As an exotic destination with a cosmopolitan lifestyle, Dubai combines the comfort and conveniences of the Western world with the unique charm of Arabia. Even with a high degree of tolerance for different lifestyles, Dubai remains close to its heritage. Dubai's souqs and huge shopping malls are crammed with goods, at some of the world's best prices.

But there is more to the city than shopping. Visitors find an outstanding museum and superb recreational facilities, ranging from golf and water sports to desert safaris and dhow cruises.

As the sports capital of the Middle East, Dubai boasts four championship golf courses; it is a regular fixture on the European and Asian PGA circuits and hosts the Dubai World Cup - known as the world's richest horse race. An endless array of restaurants and nightspots offers a wide choice of cuisine and entertainment. Dubai is a place of fascinating contrasts, a distinct blend of modern city, timeless deserts, rugged mountains, and miles of sandy beaches. The streets are clean and safe. With so many attractive attributes, it is not surprising that Dubai rates highly with world-class travelers, businessmen and the international jet set.

Dubai Museum This excellent museum features a great collection of interesting artifacts from Dubai's pre-oil days when the city was known as an important pearl diving and trading center. The museum is air-conditioned and exhibits are labeled in both Arabic and English. Since its renovation, the museum has become one of Dubai's main attractions. On Fridays, the museum is closed in the morning.

"Old Dubai" is best viewed at the Creek . Around bus stop 10 (red route) one will still see ships completely loaded by hand. A huge contrast in this city of glamor, but surely a photo opportunity.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

The best way to see Dubai is by Hop on/off bus , see above. If there on a Friday take the Blue Line first and then the Red Line, as most of the downtown is "closed" in the morning.

Travel on foot is not recommended: too hot and the sights are too spread out. Taxis are very cheap!

The big thing to do in Dubai is to go to "At The Top", the viewing platform of the Burj Khalifa , the world’s tallest building. Don’t do this on a shore excursion – it’s too rushed. Instead, on the night you’re in port in Dubai , go it alone. It’s easy. Tickets are time-controlled so book online a long way ahead and time your visit for sunset. Take a cab from the port. Wander round the shops and market, watch the spectacular musical fountains and then head for At The Top to watch the sunset.

While you are there visit the Dubai Fountain , the world's largest dancing fountain and one with a very enticing display - a definite must see. The show takes place at the Burj Dubai Lake. An easy way to approach it is via the Dubai Mall. Daily 1 pm and 1.30 pm (on Friday 1.30 pm and 2.00 PM) and from 6 pm to 11 pm every half an hour.

It pays to compare your cruise line tours here .

Nearby Places:

Shopping and food.

Dubai is a shopper's paradise due to its free port status, low import duties and no taxation. Modern, air-conditioned shopping malls are found throughout the city. The more traditional souqs can be a place for bargains, ambiance, and entertainment. Interesting buys include everything from gold jewelry to designer creations, cameras, electronics and oriental rugs. Shops at the malls are open from 10 am till late at night.

The Mall of the Emirates even offers the largest indoor ski slope in the world. You have to see it to believe it!

Dubai Mall boasts over 1200 stores and eateries, a walk through the huge aquarium, huge waterfalls, an ice skating rink and the magic fountains in front of the Burj Khalifa. See above. For automobile aficionados: just watch the world's most beautiful cars being parked around the entrances of the mall.

The currency is the United Arab Emirates dirham (AED, local abbreviation dhs). The Dirham is pegged to the USD, so rate variations with this currency are unlikely.

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Communication:

Free Wifi facilities in the terminal. When the crew members are using the facilities in great numbers, speeds are very slow to no connection at all. Wait till the crew has to be onboard (a half before guests boarding time) and you will find that the connections are improving. Some Hop on/off buses now also offer free WiFi.

Opening Hours and Holidays:

Shopping hours Daily 0900-1300 and 1600-2100, but many and all mall shops are open all day. Shops sometimes close for prayers Fri 1130-1330.

Holidays in the United Arab Emirates

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Dubai’s 2022-2023 cruise season to kick off on 29 October

09 Oct, 2022

Mansoor bin Mohammed: The cruise industry is an integral part of Dubai’s tourism sector and plays an important role in reinforcing the emirate’s status as a global tourism hub “The increase in cruise liners and passengers visiting the city’s shores is driven by Dubai’s exceptional maritime infrastructure and the world’s most outstanding tourist attractions” Dubai to see 166 ship calls and more than 900,000 passengers and crew during the 2022-2023 cruise tourism season Sultan bin Sulayem: Owing to Dubai’s strengths, including tourism industry investments and cruise terminals’ expansion, we are predicting another robust cruise season Helal Al Marri: With world’s top luxury liners heading to Dubai, we’ll work with our partners to encourage cruise tourists to enjoy our diverse offerings, especially the winter sun proposition Abdulla Binhabtoor : We look forward to building on last year’s efforts and providing world-class infrastructure and seamless experience to support the region’s maritime tourism Dubai’s 2022-2023 cruise season will kick off on 29 October when the leading luxury cruise Mein Schiff 6 is set to arrive at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid Underscoring Dubai’s status as the region’s leading cruise hub, the emirate is set to welcome 900,000 cruise tourists during the 2022-2023 season, which kicks off with the arrival of the cruise liner TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff 6) at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid, on 29 October. The 2022-2023 season is scheduled to see 166 ship calls between Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour, bringing in an estimated 900,000 cruise passengers and crew. Commenting on the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Border Security Council, said: “The strong outlook for Dubai’s 2022-2023 cruise season will help accelerate its drive to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the world’s most visited destination and the best city to live and work in.” His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed added: “The cruise industry is an integral part of Dubai’s tourism sector and plays an important role in reinforcing the emirate’s status as a global tourism hub. Dubai’s robust port infrastructure and state-of-the-art terminal facilities can handle some of the world’s largest cruise ships, underpinning the city’s reputation as one of the world’s most advanced cruise destinations and a key gateway for regional and international cruise itineraries.” His Highness said: “The scheduled increase in cruise liners and passengers visiting the city’s shores this season is driven by Dubai’s exceptional maritime infrastructure and the availability of some of the world’s most outstanding tourist attractions. Dubai’s position at the forefront of the rebound in international tourism underscores its emergence as a hub for cruise tourism.” Some major cruise liners scheduled to visit Dubai this season include MSC Cruises & TUI Cruises and Ponant (MSC World Europa, Opera, Mein Schiff 6 & Le Bougainville), which will make the award-winning Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal their home port for the season. In addition, C.S. Aida Cosma (arriving on 17 November) and C.S. Costa Toscana, the two new LNG-powered cruise ships, will arrive at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal. Several cruise liners arriving in Dubai have outlined their commitment to sustainability and decarbonisation. Coupled with the energy-efficient infrastructure and facilities in Dubai’s ports, this will help achieve the ambitious sustainability goals outlined in the UAE’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UAE Net Zero 2050 initiative. The cruise industry continues to significantly contribute to the city’s tourism sector and is set to build on the remarkable rebound of Dubai’s wider tourism sector. Dubai received 98 ship calls and more than 338,697 passengers and crew during the 2021-2022 cruise season. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World , said: “Cruise Tourism has become an increasingly key contributor to Dubai’s economy. The emirate’s central location, midway between Europe and Asia, is vital to its success as a primary homeport for cruise ships in the Arabian Gulf and the wider Middle East and its popularity as one of the top destinations. Owing to Dubai’s strengths, including decades of investments in the tourism industry and the expansion of cruise terminals, we are predicting another robust winter for the 2022-2023 season. At our cruise terminals, we expect 123 calls from some of the largest cruise operators, which is a 100 per cent increase over the last season. Additionally, passenger and crew inflows are forecast to rise to around 600,000, more than double the previous season.” His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism , said: “Dubai continues to chart a steady course to enhance its position as the region’s leading cruise destination, in line with the leadership’s vision to make the city the world’s most sought-after travel destination. We are grateful to our valued network of stakeholders and partners for their continued cooperation and support, which has led to a growing number of international cruise operators looking to anchor in the emirate. With the world’s top luxury liners heading to Dubai during the new cruise season, we will work with our partners to encourage cruise travellers to enjoy the destination’s diverse offerings, especially our unique winter sun proposition. Dubai remains a blueprint for global tourism recovery. We look forward to another successful cruise season as the launching pad to generate further momentum across the regional cruise industry and maintain Dubai’s position as a global tourism hub.” Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer, Shamal Holding, said: “Following the successful debut of the largest standalone dedicated twin cruise terminal in the eastern hemisphere, we have a positive outlook for the forthcoming cruise season. With the C.S. Aida Cosma and C.S. Costa Toscana homeporting at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminals along with the arrival of other visiting world-class cruise liners, we will be welcoming thousands of passengers, acting as a natural gateway to the attractions that Dubai has to offer. We look forward to building on last year’s efforts and providing the world-class infrastructure, facilities, and seamless experience necessary to support the region’s maritime tourism, contributing to Dubai’s ambition to become the most visited city in the world.” Dubai has taken important steps to facilitate cruise travel through the strong ongoing development of ports and cruise terminal infrastructure, hassle-free entry procedures and visa facilities, and strengthening collaborations with leading industry players and stakeholders to further drive cruise visitation. Its popularity as a cruise destination has expanded significantly over the past decade, resulting in the world’s biggest cruise liners consistently including Dubai as a port of call in their cruise itineraries. Notable facilities include the award-winning Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid, capable of simultaneously handling seven mega-cruise vessels and 14,000 cruise passengers. In addition, the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal features the most advanced facilities, including bespoke Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges. Strategically located in the heart of new Dubai, close to international airports and iconic tourist attractions, it can process 3,250 passengers per hour per terminal.

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Costa Toscana arrives in Dubai for first-ever Middle East cruise season

Costa Toscana has debuted in the Middle East, arriving at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the first time Friday to commence her Arabian Gulf cruise season, sailing roundtrip from Dubai .

Costa Toscana is one of the largest and newest cruise ships homeporting in Dubai this season. She was delivered last March and is built on the same platform as AIDAcosma, which is also cruising roundtrip from Dubai this season .

The two vessels are owned by separate cruise lines, but Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises are part of the Carnival Corporation group, which owns nine cruise brands and is a joint owner of the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, its exclusive regional hub .

Costa Toscana

“We are delighted to welcome our second LNG powered cruise ship for the season with the arrival of Costa Toscana,” said Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer, Shamal Holdings, Carnival’s regional partner.

 “Dubai is a city where cruise ships play a crucial role in boosting the overall tourism strategy [as they]provide distinct choices to experience the city from a unique perspective,” he added.

Costa Toscana will cruise roundtrip from Dubai on 3-night, 4-night, and week-long itineraries throughout the 2022/23 winter cruise season, sailing 13 voyages, from December 17th, 2022, to March 11th, 2023.

“Last year, we had a great season home-porting at Dubai Harbour with Costa Firenze,” said Francesco Raffa, Director of Asia Region, Growth Markets and North America Costa Cruises. “We are elated to be back this time with our new flagship of the fleet, Costa Toscana, our most technological and sustainable ship to date.”

“We are grateful for the support we continue to receive each year from Dubai Harbour’s extraordinary location, facilities and employees,” he added, describing Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal as state-of-the-art.

To mark her debut arrival in the city, Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal Management along with public and private sector stakeholders exchanged plaques with the Captain of Costa Toscana in line with maritime tradition.

AIDAcosma, a sister ship to Costa Toscana, arrives at Dubai Harbour

Some 300,000 passengers are expected to pass through the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal this season, boarding Costa Toscana or AIDAcosma, or one of the several other Carnival Corporation-owned ships sailing from Dubai this season.

Queen Mary 2 of Cunard Line, for example, will cruise from Dubai early next year, along with Queen Victoria, while the luxury cruise line Seabourn will sail a grand voyage from the city aboard Seabourn Encore.

Then there are the many non-Carnival Corporation cruise line that will be sailing to and from Dubai during the current season, using the Dubai Cruise Terminal at Port Rashid down the coast, near the Creek.

MSC Cruises and TUI Cruises are homeporting throughout the season, MSC Cruises with the second-largest class of cruise ship in the world , while Virgin Voyages, Oceania, Silversea, Azamara and more are all scheduled to sail one-off and repeat cruises from the city.

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Categories: Middle East Cruise News , News

Tagged as: Arabian Gulf , Costa Cruises , Costa Toscana , Dubai , Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal , Middle East

Published by Shaun Ebelthite

Founder and editor of Cruise Arabia & Africa. I try to create the best news and information specifically for cruise passengers taking cruises to and from Dubai (where I live) and South Africa (where I was born). You can contact me at shaun(at)cruisearabiaonline.com. View all posts by Shaun Ebelthite

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Coast Guard crews searching for man who fell from cruise ship

Chris Gothner , Digital Journalist

MIAMI – U.S. Coast Guard crews from Miami are aiding in the search for a man who went overboard from a South Florida-based cruise ship Thursday morning.

It happened on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, which, according to CruiseMapper , was on a four-day roundtrip voyage from Port Everglades.

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The 20-year-old fell from the ship about 57 miles off the coast of Great Inagua island in the Bahamas.

Authorities haven’t publicly identified the man or said whether he was a passenger or crew member.

Coast Guard Cutter Seneca and crews from Coast Guard Air Station Miami are leading the search, according to the agency.

#Breaking @USCG crews are searching for a 20-year-old man who went overboard from the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship 57 miles from Great Inagua this morning. USCG Cutter Seneca and Air Station Miami HC-144 crews are conducting the search. #USCG #SAR pic.twitter.com/zZPpKOdyCn — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) April 4, 2024

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About the Author

Chris gothner.

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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