German cruise line Phoenix Reisen is cruising from Dubai again in 2021 aboard its classic cruise ship Artania, but this time it’s got a more unusual destination planned than the Med.
The 1984-built, 1,200 passenger cruise ship will depart Dubai on January 3rd, 2021 bound for Colombo in Sri Lanka, a 16-night voyage that is incredibly destination-intensive, especially in the Arabian Gulf.
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Artania will make 11 port calls during her voyage, even visiting Kuwait City in the northern end of the Arabian Gulf (the only cruise ship to do so during the entire 2020 and 2021 cruise seasons).
With the first night of the cruise spent in port in Dubai, Artania will then depart the city on January 4th bound for Abu Dhabi, and then Kuwait, a full two nights and a day at sea away.
After Kuwait, she’ll call in Mina Sulman in Bahrain, Doha in Qatar, and then Sir Bani Yas Island off the coast of the Abu Dhabi.
This cruise beach destination is one of its kind in the Arabian Gulf and hugely popular with the almost one million cruise passengers that visit the region each year.
Khasab in the Musandum Peninsula of Oman
After a morning at anchor off the island, Artania will head for Khasab, the ancient trading outpost on Oman’s imposing Musandum Peninsula, before crossing the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman, bound for Muscat, the capital.
Muscat marks the final port call before Artania heads out into the Indian Ocean bound for the west coast of India. She’ll visit Mumbai and Cochin before ending the cruise in Colombo, the bustling capital of one of the friendliest island nations in the world.
Mumbai, India
“This trip with MS Artania is all about Arabian impressions,” says Phoenix Reisen. “Let yourself be enchanted by fragrances such as frankincense, myrrh and cardamom and experience the beauty of magnificent, richly decorated oriental buildings.”
The highlights of the voyage are the multitude of shore excursions on offer, from a 20-minute aerial tour of Dubai and visit to the upcoming Museum of the Future, to dolphin spotting off Khasab and an exploration of the Mumbai and Kanheri Caves.
Forward observation lounge aboard Phoenix Reisen’s Artania
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While this itinerary and indeed the cruise line and ship itself are designed and intended exclusively for the German-speaking cruise market, a cruise with Phoenix Reisen in the Arabian Gulf provides a unique opportunity to become immersed in the cultures of both worlds.
Phoenix Reisen offers a low-key, laid-back cruise experience. All ships have a spa with cosmetics, massage and sauna, and all have a fitness centre, promenade deck for jogging and shuffleboard, darts, and table tennis. Aboard Artania there is also an Outdoor Fitness Park.
Every night there are cabaret-style lounge shows after the first sitting dinner, or before the second sitting in true cruise tradition, and after the show the ships’ bars are usually quite lively with those looking to dance or chat late into the night.
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