TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Mina Rashid dealt with over 60,000 cruise passengers, as it handled processes for the arrival of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5, Pullmantur Cruises’ Horizon, MSC Cruises’ MSC Lirica, Jalesh Cruises’ Karnika as well as the maiden calls from Costa Cruises’ Costa Diadema and Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas on Dec 29, 2019.
Throughout the upcoming season, the city will go on to receive five cruise vessels in a single day on 10 additional occasions and six cruise vessels in a single day twice during the season. Since its inauguration in 2014, Mina Rashid’s Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has received over 2.3 million visitors, marking a 172 per cent increase towards the end of 2018. Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Mannaei, CEO – P&O Marinas & Executive Director, Mina Rashid, said, “December 29 is a memorable day for Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal and marks a new peak performance for us in a season of double-digit increase in tourist traffic. The flawless handling of more than 60,000 cruise visitors on a single day testifies to the operational efficiencies we’ve put in place.
At Mina Rashid, we constantly invest in enhancing the services and support systems for today’s fleet of ultra-modern cruise vessels. Our aim is to help build on the increasing popularity of luxury cruise tourism and strengthen Dubai’s position as the ‘cruise hub of the region’.” Hamad Bin Mejren, Senior Vice President, Dubai Tourism, commented, “With the arrival of six leading international cruise liners to Dubai on a single day, we are delighted to celebrate this historic occasion for the city. As testament to the emirate’s position as the leading hub for cruising in the region, this milestone is a sound reflection of how far Dubai has come on its journey to becoming the preferred destination of choice for international cruise travellers and cruise operators alike.”
The 2019-2020 cruise season is expected to welcome more than 200 ship calls, with an estimated one million cruise visitors visiting Dubai. The season will also see increased efforts to promote cruise tourism in the region by the Dubai Cruise Committee which comprises of leading industry partners.
