Dubai new cruise season kicks off this month

Dubai 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 October 29.

The 2022-2023 season is scheduled to see 166 ship calls between Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour, and will bring in an estimated 900,000 cruise passengers and crew.

Commenting on the occasion, Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Border Security Council, said: “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.”

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.

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.