Costa Cruises on Friday departed Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the first time, marking the inaugural passenger services for Dubai’s new cruise port.

Costa Firenze departed Dubai after the new Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal was officially opened by local cruise tourism officials and Carnival Corp representatives.

Costa Firenze marks the first passenger services from Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal

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Costa Firenze is one of the latest cruise ships to join the Costa fleet, the ship is designed as a tribute to the Florentine Renaissance and entered service last July.

She will offer a one-week itinerary in the Arabian Gulf throughout the 2021-2022 winter season, calling in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat and Dubai.

Costa Cruises, as part of the Carnival Corporation group of cruise lines, will get exclusive access to Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, alongside other Carnival Corp-owned cruise ships, such as AIDAbella, of AIDA Cruises, which is also homeporting in Dubai for the winter season.

Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is the region’s first dedicated, purpose-built cruise port, joining Port Rashid further down the coast, which is home to the Dubai Cruise Terminal.

Dubai Cruise Terminal will continue to operate as the city’s primary cruise terminal, serving all cruise ships that are not part of the Carnival Corporation fleet.

Also on Friday, Costa Cruises revealed its new Expo 2020 shore excursion offering, providing passengers with the opportunity to visit the Expo 2020 site in Dubai with exclusive perks, such as queue-less entry.

“Costa Firenze’s debut in Dubai marks another important step in the resumption of our operations, and we are excited to restart cruises in a wonderful destination with great potential and where we have been the first to open to cruises,” said Mario Zanetti, President, Costa Cruises.

“The inauguration of the new Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal and our commitment to support the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai demonstrate how Costa, and the Carnival Corporation group to which it belongs, continue to invest in the restart of tourism and the cruise ecosystem,” he added.

Dubai Harbour is the region’s first purpose built cruise port

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The Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is a strategic partnership between Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, and Shamal Holding, which aims to transform Dubai into the region’s leading maritime tourism hub.

As the region’s first-ever dedicated, twin-terminal cruise port, Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is capable of accommodating two large cruise ships simultaneously.

It is located in the heart of modern Dubai, adjacent the Palm Jumeirah and Blue Waters Islands, and spans over 120,000 square meters.

Six Carnival Corporation brands – AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn – will call at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal between now and 2023.

These six cruise lines are expected to make 90 calls to the new twin-terminal cruise port, many of them, like Costa Cruises, homeporting weekly at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal.

The cruise terminal was previously used for the first time by cruise ships in 2020, when AIDA Cruises docked two of its ships at the port, later to be followed by Carnival Cruise Line, but all four vessels were not in passenger operation at the time due to the pandemic.