Norwegian Cruise Line adds Norwegian Jade to Dubai cruise line-up in 2021

Norwegian Jade, the 2,800-passenger, 93,000-gross ton pocket mega-ship from Norwegian Cruise Line will sail from Dubai in December, 2021, joining Norwegian Dawn in cruising from the city next year.

Norwegian Jade is the largest of the three Norwegian Cruise Line ships cruising from Dubai in 2020 and 2021, but is still mid-size by modern cruise industry standards. That doesn’t mean she lacks amenities and experiences though.

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The ship has 10 dining options, 15 bars and cafes, three pools, a spa and gym, casino, Broadway-style theatre and facilities for young children to teens. The 2006-built ship was also thoroughly refurbished in 2017.

The refit saw every part of the ship enhanced, including the addition of two brand new restaurants and two new bars and lounges, updated design and décor in many public spaces, and a refurbishment of all staterooms as part of the Norwegian Edge program.

The same extensive refurbishment was done to similar-sized Norwegian Spirit (cruising from Dubai this week) and Norwegian Dawn, which will cruise from Dubai next year in March.

Norwegian Dawn is cruising from Dubai twice, once to Cape Town, and then she’ll do the same cruise itinerary in reverse (Cape Town to Dubai), before cruising from Dubai a second time for Civitavecchia (Rome).

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Norwegian Jade, which cruised from Dubai last year to Singapore, will return in 2021, with an 18-night cruise on December 3rd to Cape Town, South Africa.

On the way, she’ll visit Muscat, Oman; La Digue and Port Victoria Seychelles; Nosy Be, Madagascar; Port Louis, Mauritius; Pointe Des Galets, Reunion; Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay, Richard’s Bay overnight, before arriving to Cape Town, South Africa.

Norwegian Cruise Line last year promised that it was planning to extend its presence in the Middle East cruise market  with expanded marketing, more cruises from the region and possibly even a dedicated regional office.

“The population is younger on average and it’s a wealthy market,” Eamonn Ferrin, Vice President & Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Middle East & Africa, told TTN.“These factors are very strong indicators that the cruise market should really take off in the Middle East, growing exponentially over the next few years.”

Those comments echoed what Cruise Arabia & Africa had previously been told by the then-CEO.