Dubai: Royal Caribbean International has committed to create a hub in Dubai for regular week-long sailings in the Gulf in the 2010 and 2011 winter seasons, becoming the second major cruise operator to deploy ships in the region.
Dubai is increasingly becoming attractive to global cruise companies in winter when the chilly weather reduces their options in Europe.
Royal's rotation will cover the ports of Dubai, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
European-based cruise operator Costa Crociere, which launched its regular winter Gulf cruises in 2006, has been the main driver of Dubai's cruise industry.
Costa brought 105,000 tourists to Dubai in the 2007-08 winter season and during the 2008-09 season the number was projected to be 178,000.
Royal Caribbean president and chief executive officer Adam Goldstein told Gulf News his company expects to serve 32,000 cruise tourists between January and April next year.
According to Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), which manages the city's cruise terminal, the emirate witnessed a 65 per cent year-on-year increase in cruise traffic in 2008. It is forecasting 316,000 passengers this year, a growth of 58 per cent on last year.
Royal will deploy one large ship for its Gulf operations. The Brilliance of the Seas has a capacity of carrying up to 2,500 passengers.
The UK and Germany are expected to be key sources for Royal's Gulf cruises, Goldstein said, but expects the customer base to expand later.
"As we get closer [to January], we are hoping for more business from Russia and the local market," he said.
Goldstein said the company views Dubai as a good choice for his customers when winter reduces sailing options in Europe.
Goldstein said the global economic downturn has hit the cruise industry like other business sectors, forcing operators to offer lower prices to boost occupancy levels.
"On average prices are down by about 12 per cent," he said.
