Cruise tourists disembarking from cruise ships in Dubai can now check-in for their Emirates flight at Dubai Cruise Terminal itself, providing more time for sight-seeing on the final day in the city.

The terminals are Emirates’ first outside of the airport and were opened at the beginning of the 2019/2020 cruise season, which tourism officials in the city have indicated looks to be the biggest on record.

Enabling cruise passengers ending their voyage in Dubai to check-in to their flight at the cruise terminal provides greater convenience for Emirates customers and Dubai cruise tourists, enhancing Dubai’s position as a premier international cruise destination.

Dubai is a major global cruise port and will receive more than 1-million fly-cruise tourists in the coming season

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Giving passengers the ability to hand over their check in luggage will also make that last day in the city far more pleasant without having to worry about finding temporary storage.

With complimentary flight check-in facilities located at the same location as their cruise disembarkation point, customers will have the convenience of exploring Dubai without their luggage before heading directly to the airport for their flight.

The Emirates check-in facility at Port Rashid’s Dubai Cruise Terminal 3 will have eight counters where Emirates staff will check-in customers’ luggage and issue boarding passes up to 4 hours before flight departure.

The facility will be open during the annual cruise season in the city, which runs from October to April.

During the coming season, several dozen cruise ships are expected to make 198 port calls at Port Rashid. A total of one million cruise tourists will either end their cruise in Dubai, or fly into Dubai to board cruise ships departing the city.

Approximately 280,000 passengers will have onward Emirates flights, according to the airline.

The remote check-in terminals will enable cruise passengers to explore the city for longer without their bags

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“We are committed to provide a seamless and hassle-free travel journey for our customers,” said Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services. “With the increasing popularity of Dubai as a cruise tourism destination, we have ensured that every touch point in our customer journey for this important traveller segment is thoughtfully served.”

“Our first remote check-in facility at Port Rashid will allow cruise passengers with onward flights the freedom to explore Dubai during their short transit having dropped their luggage and completed check-in formalities,” he said.

Other luggage handling services available for Emirates flights in Dubai include a concierge service to handle their luggage at the airport – although it would be nice to see this rolled out to Dubai Cruise Terminal as well, as many passengers arrive in the morning, but cannot board ships until the afternoon.

With the check-in desks only open four hours before flight departure times, it also does not leave a lot of time for independent exploring, unless cruise tourists stay in the Deira/Creek areas near the airport.

Emirates Airline may therefore increase the check-in time based on passenger feedback during the coming season.