In a sign of the Middle East cruise sector’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this coming cruise season is expected to welcome well north of 1 million cruise tourists to the Arabian Gulf, with four homeports and nine vessels cruising roundtrip during the season.
AIDA Cruises at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal
The upcoming 2024/25 Arabian Gulf cruise season, which runs from November this year to April, 2025 features 87 cruise itineraries departing from Dubai in the UAE, 34 cruise itineraries departing from Abu Dhabi, 41 cruise itineraries departing from Doha, Qatar, and 40 cruise itineraries departing from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Qatar’s cruise itineraries are predominantly made up of cruise ships homeporting in Dubai for the season, but offering Doha as an alternative start and end point for the cruise. The practice, known as interporting, is offered by MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, TUI Cruises and Celestyal Cruises during the upcoming 2024/25 cruise season.
The cruises from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, meanwhile are entirely operated by Aroya, the first cruise ship launched by start-up cruise line AROYA Cruises, the first homegrown cruise brand in the Arab world. The Saudi Arabia-based cruise line will launch operations this coming November in the Red Sea.
The move by AROYA fills a gap left by MSC Cruises, which is not returning to Saudi Arabia for the 2024/25 cruise season on the back of ongoing security concerns in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on international shipping and the Israel-Hamas war, which has led to immense civilian casualties in Gaza, inflaming political tensions across the Middle East.
MSC Cruises last year had three ships based in the region, with MSC Virtuosa and MSC Opera sailing roundtrip from Dubai in the Arabian Gulf, while MSC Orchestra sailed weekly itineraries in the Red Sea out of both Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Safaga in Egypt.
MSC, Costa, AIDA, TUI, and Celestyal Cruises have all also been forced to amend their intended repositioning voyages from Europe to Dubai, due to the ongoing safety concerns with transiting the Red Sea, particularly the Bab Al Mandeb Strait, which provides access to the Indian Ocean.
As a result, the cruise lines will sail around the southern tip of Africa instead, adding several weeks to the repositioning and causing several cancellations of cruises from Dubai. In a happier development for the Middle East cruise sector, however, this coming season will mark the debut in the region of Resorts World Cruises.
The Hong Kong-based cruise line will send its ship Resorts World One to Dubai to sail its first-ever homeporting season in the Arabian Gulf. The entry into the local market of Resorts World Cruises also marks the first time an international cruise line has actively targeted the local home market, rather than the fly-cruise market in Europe and North America.
Dubai, UAE
Cruise ships homeporting in Dubai for the 2024/25 season:
Mein Schiff 4
MSC Euribia
AIDAprima
Costa Smeralda
Resorts World One
Celestyal Journey
Roundtrip Dubai Cruises (November, 2024 to April, 2025)
Mein Schiff 4 – 7 nights – 14 cruises (November 11th, 2024 to February 24th, 2025)
Visiting: Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE); Muscat and Kasab (Oman); Doha (Qatar); Daman (Saudi Arabia)
MSC Euribia – 7 nights – 20 cruises (November 16th, 2024 to March 29th, 2025)
Visiting: Dubai, Sir Bani Yas and Abu Dhabi (UAE); Doha (Qatar); Manara (Bahrain)
AIDAprima – 7 nights – 14 cruises (December 6th, 2024 to March 1st, 2025)
Visiting: Dubai, Sir Bani Yas and Abu Dhabi (UAE); Doha (Qatar); Manara (Bahrain); Muscat (Oman)
Costa Smeralda – 7 nights – 10 cruises (December 21st, 2024 to February 22nd, 2025)
Visiting: Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE); Doha (Qatar); Muscat (Oman)
Resorts World One – 2 and 3 nights – Multiple cruises (October 18th, 2024, to April 13th, 2025)
2-night cruises to Sir Bani Yas Island (departing every Friday), 3-night cruises to Khasab and Muscat (departing every Sunday), and 2-night cruises to Doha (departing every Wednesday)
Celestyal Journey – 4 and 7 nights – 9 cruises (December 2nd, 2024 to March 3rd, 2025)
Celestyal Journey will homeport in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but won’t be sailing roundtrip itineraries from either city. Instead, she will sail 9 cruises back and forth between the two UAE cities, visiting Khasab (Oman) and Sir Bani Yas (UAE) along the way.
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cruise ships homeporting in Abu Dhabi for the 2024/25 season:
MSC Euribia
AIDAprima
Celestyal Journey
Costa Smeralda
Roundtrip Abu Dhabi Cruises (November, 2024 to April, 2025)
Four of the six cruise lines homeporting in Dubai for the coming 2024/25 cruise season will ‘interport’ between several destinations in the Arabian Gulf, including Abu Dhabi. This means that passengers can choose to board and disembark in Abu Dhabi instead of Dubai, although the itineraries remain largely the same.
MSC Euribia – 7 nights – 20 cruises (November 20th, 2024 to April 2nd, 2025)
Visiting: Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas and Dubai (UAE); Doha (Qatar); Manara (Bahrain)
AIDAprima – 7 nights – 13 cruises (December 8th, 2024 to March 2nd, 2025)
Visiting: Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas and Dubai (UAE); Doha (Qatar); Manara (Bahrain); Muscat (Oman)
Costa Smeralda – 7 to 11 nights – 2 cruises (December 23rd, 2024 to February 21st, 2025)
Visiting: Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE); Doha (Qatar); Muscat (Oman)
Celestyal Journey – 3 nights – 6 cruises (December 2nd, 2024 to March 3rd, 2025)
Celestyal Journey will homeport in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but won’t be sailing roundtrip itineraries from either port. Instead, she will sail 9 cruises (6 of them departing from Abu Dhabi) back and forth between the two UAE cities, visiting Doha (Qatar), Khasab (Oman), Bahrain, and Sir Bani Yas (UAE) along the way.
Doha, Qatar
Cruise ships homeporting in Doha for the 2024/25 season:
MSC Euribia
Celestyal Journey
Mein Schiff 4
Costa Smeralda
Roundtrip Doha Cruises (November, 2024 to March, 2025)
MSC Euribia – 7 nights – 17 cruises (November 24th, 2024 to March 30th, 2025)
Visiting: Doha (Qatar); Manara (Bahrain); and Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas and Dubai (UAE)
Celestyal Journey – 7 nights – 8 cruises (November 30th, 2024 to March 1st, 2025)
Celestyal Journey will cruise roundtrip from Doha on a series of 7-night roundtrip itineraries. These are different from the alternating Dubai-Abu Dhabi itineraries as each cruise begins and ends in Doha, and is essentially the Dubai-Abu Dhabi itineraries combined. Each voyage will visit Doha (Qatar); Khalifa Bin Salman (Bahrain); Dubai, Sir Bani Yas, and Abu Dhabi (UAE); and Khasab, (Oman)
Mein Schiff 4 – 7 nights – 9 cruises (February 1st, 2025 to March 1st, 2025)
Visiting: Doha (Qatar); Dubai, Abu Dhabi (UAE); Dammam (Saudi Arabia) on some itineraries, and Doha (Qatar); Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE); Khasab and Muscat (Oman)
Costa Smeralda – 7 nights – 9 cruises (December 24th, 2024 to February 27th, 2025)
Visiting: Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE); and Muscat, Oman
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Cruise ships homeporting in Jeddah for the 2024/25 season:
Aroya
Roundtrip Jeddah Cruises (November, 2024 to March, 2025)
AROYA Cruises will offer a variety of itineraries aboard its first cruise ship Aroya between December 16th, 2024, and March 31st, 2025, with a total of 40 itineraries ranging from 3, 4, 6, and 7-nights.
Among the options are 17 cruises spanning 3 nights that include a visit to a private island in the Red Sea, while 12 cruises of 4 nights will sail to the picturesque Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt. Nine additional 4-night voyages will make their way to Aqaba, Jordan for the Lost City of Petra.
For a longer experience, one special 6-night cruise in March, 2025 will visit both Sharm-El-Sheikh and Aqaba, and a 7-night journey also in March next year will offer an enriching itinerary featuring Ain Sokhna (Cairo), Sharm-El-Sheikh, and Aqaba.
Costa Smeralda
Grand voyages and repositioning cruises from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha
(During the 2024/25 season):
The ongoing security crisis in the Red Sea has prompted all major cruise lines to either cancel their cruises transiting through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, or amend itineraries to sail around the southern tip of Africa. As a result, most of the grand voyages that previously would have sailed from Dubai have been cancelled for the 2024/25 cruise season.
Some of the ships homeporting in the Arabian Gulf for the coming season will sail repositioning voyages toward the end of it in March and April, while several cruise lines, notably Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Seven Seas Voyager will sail standalone grand voyages from the region.
Anthem of the Seas – Dubai to Singapore
On November 7th, 2024, Anthem of the Seas will sail a 14-night Spice Route cruise from Dubai to Singapore. The itinerary includes stops in Mumbai, Cochin, Phuket, and Penang before concluding in Singapore on November 21st, 2024.
AIDAstella – Dubai to Bangkok
On December 2nd, 2024, AIDAstella will sail a 21-night cruise from Dubai to Bangkok. The itinerary includes stops in Muscat, Malé, Colombo, Klang, Singapore, Phu Quoc, Sihanoukville, and Ko Samui before concluding in Bangkok on December 23rd, 2024.
Seven Seas Voyager – Dubai to Singapore
On December 20th, 2024, Seven Seas Voyager will sail a 21-night cruise from Dubai to Singapore. The itinerary includes stops in Fujairah, Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Cochin, Colombo, Phuket, Langkawi, Penang, Klang, and Malacca before concluding in Singapore on January 10th, 2025.
Norwegian Dawn – Doha to Port Luis
On December 22nd, 2024, Norwegian Dawn will sail a 14-night Middle East, Seychelles, and Madagascar cruise from Doha to Port Louis. The itinerary includes stops in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, La Digue, Mahé, Nosy Be, and Saint-Denis before concluding in Port Louis on January 5th, 2025. A similar itinerary of 17 nights will be sailed again on February 12th, 2025.
Mein Schiff 4 – Dubai to Cape Town
On February 25th, 2025, Mein Schiff 4 will sail a 43-night repositioning voyage from Dubai to Antalya, which can also be booked as a 22-night cruise to Cape Town. The voyage includes stops in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Durban, Cape Town, Walvis Bay, Praia, Gran Canaria, and Gibraltar before concluding in Antalya on April 9th, 2025.
Costa Smeralda – Dubai/Abu Dhabi to Barcelona
On March 1st, 2025, Costa Smeralda will sail a 35-night repositioning cruise from Dubai to Barcelona. The itinerary includes stops in Muscat, Port Louis, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Walvis Bay, Tenerife, and Tangier before concluding in Barcelona on April 5th, 2025.
The itinerary is also bookable with boarding in Abu Dhabi, departing February 28th, 2025.
AIDAprima – Dubai to Gran Canaria (or Abu Dhabi to Cape Town)
On March 1st, 2025, AIDAprima will embark on a 42-night repositioning cruise, sailing from Dubai to Gran Canaria. The itinerary includes stops in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Port Louis, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Walvis Bay, Praia, and concludes in Gran Canaria on April 12th, 2025.
This voyage is also bookable as a 19-night cruise from Abu Dhabi to Cape Town, departing March 9th, 2025.
Norwegian Sky – Dubai to Port Luis (Mauritius)
On April 19th, 2025, Norwegian Sky will sail a 14-night cruise from Dubai to Port Louis. The itinerary includes stops in Abu Dhabi, La Digue, Mahé, Nosy Be, and Saint-Denis before concluding in Port Louis, Mauritius, on May 3rd, 2025.
Seven Seas Voyager – Dubai to Cape Town
On May 16th, 2025, Seven Seas Voyager will sail a 19-night cruise from Dubai to Cape Town. The itinerary includes stops in Khasab, Mahé, Nosy Be, Mayotte, Maputo, Durban, and Port Elizabeth before concluding in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 4th, 2025.
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Appeared first on: Cruisearabiaonline.com
