A survey of cruise passengers visiting Abu Dhabi Ports’ cruise terminal at Port Zayed in Abu Dhabi, and the cruise beach at Sir Bani Yas Island has found that cruise visitors have a very high level of satisfaction with services.

The survey found an 85 percent overall satisfaction level with the Sir Bani Yas terminal and 90 percent with the Zayed Port facilities, where the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal is located.

Celebrity Constellation alongside at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal

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“Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminals has helped facilitate the success of our tourism sector through its world-class facilities, quality of service, and strategic investments and partnerships with the world’s leading cruise operators,” said Noura Rashid Al Dhaheri, Director of Cruise Business at Abu Dhabi Ports.

“Since we welcomed the maiden call of a cruise liner to Zayed Port in 2008, all our efforts have been geared towards cementing Abu Dhabi as a regional hub on the international cruise map,” she added.

“At Abu Dhabi Ports, we are committed to realising the full potential of our cruise infrastructure in order to accommodate greater capacities and provide visitors with the ultimate cruise experience.”

The announcement comes as Abu Dhabi experiences a surge in cruise passengers numbers, driven by similarly strong growth in the Dubai cruise scene, with more cruise ships than ever homeporting in the city.

Sir Bani Yas Island’s cruise beach is the only one of its kind in the region

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Now, however, a growing number of cruise passengers are choosing to board ships in Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai. Of the nine cruise ships homeporting in the Arabian Gulf for the current cruise season, four offer Abu Dhabi as a turnaround port.

AIDAprima, MSC Lirica, MSC Bellissima, and Costa Diadema all interport between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha in Qatar. This means that you can choose any as the turnaround port for the same cruise itinerary.

Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal is the second-largest in the region after Dubai Cruise Terminal and is located in Port Zayed, the city’s former commercial port, which sits in the heart of the city itself on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Sir Bani Yas Island is the only cruise beach destination in the Arabian Gulf and provides a range of shore excursions, from game safari drives to mangrove kayaking and snorkeling. A new cruise pier is currently being developed to accommodate more cruise ships.