The Middle East has emerged as a significant hub for the cruise ship refit and refurbishment industry in the last decade, with Dubai and Saudi Arabia leading the charge.
Dubai and Saudi Arabia lead Middle East’s rise as cruise ship refurbishment hub
TUI nearing end of Mein Schiff 4 dry dock in Dubai ahead of repositioning via Cape Town
TUI Cruises is nearing the end of a refit programme being carried out on Mein Schiff 4 during her drydock in Dubai.
Celestyal Journey returns to service following dry dock in Dubai
Celestyal Journey has returned to service following a quick dry dock in Dubai during her inaugural Arabian Gulf cruise season.
Celestyal offering cabin upgrades as part of special Middle East season deals
Celestyal Cruises is offering free cabin upgrades on 40 of its 2025/26 Desert Days cruises in the Arabian Gulf during its inaugural homeporting season in the region.
Cruise industry aims for sustainability through LNG and biofuels
Cruise industry giants are accelerating the shift to a greener future, with biofuels and LNG leading the charge in the race to net zero emissions by 2050.
Celestyal extends maiden Dubai cruise season amid ‘overwhelming’ demand
Celestyal Cruises is adding a sailing to its inaugural season in the Arabian Gulf out of Dubai, citing overwhelming demand, it announced in a press release.
Resorts World Cruises cancels 20 Dubai sailings due to redeployment to India
Resorts World Cruises, which is currently sailing its inaugural Arabian Gulf cruise season out of Dubai, has cancelled 20 scheduled itineraries to accommodate a last-minute decision to redeploy the ship to India.
Dubai named safest cruise destination in the world in global travel insurance study
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is the safest destination for a cruise ship stopover, according to a new study by travel insurance company InsureMyTrip.
Costa Cruises marks first-ever LNG cruise ship refuelling in Dubai with Costa Smeralda
Costa Smeralda on Saturday successfully completed her first LNG refuelling in Dubai Harbour, the primary hub for Carnival Corporation in the Middle East, in the UAE’s emirate of Dubai.
Celestyal aims for further growth in Gulf cruise market with major deals campaign
Celestyal Cruises has unveiled its ‘Live Your Vacation Dream’ campaign, offering up to 50% savings on Arabian Gulf cruises for 2025 through 2027, along exclusive perks for early bookings, as it seeks […]
Dubai-based CalmGetaways expands into cruise sector amid robust regional growth
CalmGetaways, a Dubai-based travel agency, is expanding its involvement in the cruise sector through the launch of its new Cruise Booking Platform, which is intended to simplify the cruise booking experience for […]
TUI Cruises cancels itineraries transiting Red Sea due to ongoing security concerns
TUI Cruises has announced the cancellation of three repositioning cruises that were set to traverse the Red Sea in late 2025 aboard Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, and Mein Schiff 6, […]
Celestyal Journey receives dhow escort on celebratory first visit to Dubai
Celestyal Cruises and Dubai have marked the maiden call in the city of the cruise ship Celestyal Journey with a dhow escort, traditional plaque exchange ceremony and a night of celebratory entertainment.
MSC Euribia arrives in Dubai to commence first-ever Arabian Gulf cruise season
MSC Euribia has arrived in the United Arab Emirates to commence her first ever winter season in the Middle East, sailing roundtrip from Dubai, but also offering Abu Dhabi and Doha as […]
South Africa needs coordinated strategy for long-term impact of temporary cruise boom
South Africa has a unique opportunity to capitalise on the surge in maritime traffic, particularly cruise ship traffic, along the Cape Sea Route, the shipping route connecting the Atlantic and Indian Oceans […]
Costa Cruises to sail from Cape Town for first time in 2024 on Dubai repositioning
Costa Cruises will offer a voyage from Cape Town, South Africa for the first time aboard one of its newest vessels in 2024 when Costa Smeralda sails for Dubai in the UAE […]
Celestyal celebrates maiden Arabian Gulf cruise season with special cocktail menu
Celestyal Cruises has released a new destination-specific cocktail menu to celebrate the cruise line’s maiden season in the Arabian Gulf aboard Celestyal Journey.
Resorts World Cruises eyes future Dubai cruises with 50% of bookings from local market
Resorts World Cruises is seriously considering a longer-term commitment to the local Arabian Gulf cruise market following the success of its first ship in the region, Resorts World One.
Holland America drops Dubai from 2026 World Cruise on Red Sea security concerns
Holland America Line has announced that its ship Volendam will no longer be visiting Dubai and other ports in the Middle East on her 2026 World Cruise, due to ongoing security concerns […]
Resorts World Cruises celebrates inaugural Dubai cruise aboard Resorts World One
Resorts World Cruises has arrived in Dubai with Resorts World One departing Friday on the first of a series of roundtrip Dubai itineraries in the Arabian Gulf.
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