The world’s leading luxury liners are all set to sail for Dubai once again, as the 2021-2022 cruise season kicked off with the arrival of TUI Cruise Line’s Mein Schiff 6 at Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid on Saturday, 23 October.

Dubai, the region’s cruise hub, rolled out a grand welcome to the 2,000 passengers and crew on board Mein Schiff 6, the first of several luxury ships that will dock at the cruise terminals at Mina Rashid and at the recently launched Dubai Harbour during the upcoming season. The 2021-2022 season is expected to welcome 126ship calls and over 500,000 cruise visitors, contributing further to the momentum of Dubai’s tourism recovery.

Commenting on the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management,said the strong outlook for Dubai as a cruise tourism hub in the 2021-2022 season will help the emirate build on the robust performance of its broader tourism sector and further accelerate the rise in visitor numbers to the emirate, which has been spurred bythe UAE’s success in overcoming the pandemic and its ability to gain the confidence of international visitors as a safe destination.

His Highness said Dubai’s effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled the emirate to restore normalcy in record time and accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector. The emirate has also been able to demonstrate its ability to swiftly negotiate any challenges and restore growth across all sectors, His Highness added. The exceptional response from cruise ships from all parts of the world and their interest in making Dubai a key hub for their cruise tourism offerings further validates the city’s continued popularity as a preferred global destination for traveller seven amidst the challenging circumstances faced by the worldwide industry, he stated.

Sheikh Mansoor stressed that the health and safety of visitors and workers in the cruise tourism sector will remain a top priority for the Government of Dubai. The strict health and safety protocols in place across all ports and facilities will ensure the highest levels of protection for all, he added.

The arrival of the first cruise vessel in Dubai comes just weeks after the Cruise Arabia Alliance, a grouping of regional cruise bodies including Dubai attended the Seatrade Cruise Global event in Miami with the aim of further enhancing the cruise tourism industry in the region.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World said: “Despite the challenging times, the UAE, especially the emirate of Dubai has showcased much grit and determination by evolving and adapting to the rapidly changing world. The emirate was one of the first cities globally to re-open its markets and businesses in July 2020 and continues to stay open, while strictly complying with health and safety measures. We have also achieved impressive results when it comes to combatting the spread of the pandemic and administering Covid-19 vaccines. The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai has expedited this process and helped the emirate retain its stature as the world’s leading travel destination. These efforts complemented by the ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai, have given momentum to the tourism sector, including the cruise industry, which is key to the development of the UAE’s economy. The arrival of Mein Schiff 6 at Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal will further usher in an impressive rebound for the sector, encouraging other leading cruise lines to operate regular international itineraries to the emirate. Through Mina Rashid and our flagship terminal that offer a value proposition to global luxury cruise liners, we will continue our endeavours for the recovery of global tourism by supporting our stakeholders and partners.”

His ExcellencyHelal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), commented: “With the commencement of the new cruise season, we expect to see a steady increase in passengers opting for cruise travel to Dubai, especially among those who seek an alternative winter sun offering, as we continuously strive to achieve the goal set by our visionary leadership to make Dubai the world’s best travel destination. In this landmark year for Dubai featuring Expo 2020 and the UAE Golden Jubilee, the arrival of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 6 is a significant expression of confidence in Dubai as a cruise destination and marks a major step in the revival of the cruise industry in this part of the world. We are working closely with our partners and various cruise lines to ensure that we are all aligned in terms of health and safety guidelines for the cruise industry and to assure cruise tourists of the highest global safety standards and that they will be able to relax with total peace of mind during their visit to the city. With Dubai at the forefront of global tourism recovery, Dubai Tourism is in continuous collaboration with its valued network of public and private sector stakeholders to further enhance the city’s position as the cruise hub of the region”.

Dubai’s popularity as a cruise destination has increased significantly over the past decade, resulting in the world’s biggest cruise lines consistently including Dubai as a port of call in their cruise itineraries while some luxury liners have chosen Dubai as their homeport. The 2021-2022 cruise season will see increased efforts to promote cruise tourism with Dubai well served by world class infrastructure and facilities such as the award-winning Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid that is capable of handling seven mega-cruise vessels at one time, as well as the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal featuring the most advanced facilities including seaport passenger boarding bridges, equipped to process over 3,000 passengers per hour.