MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival
Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), the world's
largest cruise company, today celebrated the official opening of
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal with Shamal
Holding following their strategic partnership signed in 2018
to develop the new cruise port as the main hub for cruise tourism
in Dubai.
The occasion was marked with a walk-through by Abdulla
Binhabtoor, chief portfolio management officer of Shamal Holding, and several Carnival Corporation
executives, including Giora Israel,
senior vice president of global port and destination development
for Carnival Corporation; Michael
Thamm, group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia;
Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA
Cruises; Mario Zanetti, president of
Costa Cruises; Michel Nestour, vice president of global port and
destination development for the EuroMed & Arabian Gulf region
at Carnival Corporation; and Torben
Seidenschnur, director CEO office and strategic development
at Costa Group.
With the arrivals of Costa Firenze and AIDAbella from the
company's Italy-based Costa
Cruises and Germany-based AIDA
Cruises brands, the official opening was also marked by two
passenger cruise ships visiting the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal
for the first time, coinciding with the start of the cruise season
and the ships' homeporting seasons from Dubai. The opening represents a significant
milestone in realizing Dubai's
goal of becoming the world's most visited city, underscored with
the October launch of the highly popular Expo 2020 in Dubai. Through Costa Cruises' partnership as a
Gold Sponsor of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, cruise
guests are provided with exciting shore excursion options to
explore the World Exhibition.
As the region's first-ever dedicated, twin-terminal cruise port,
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is capable of accommodating two large
cruise ships simultaneously. The world-class facility spans over
120,000 square meters (nearly 1.3 million square feet) and includes
two purpose-built terminal buildings that offer passengers and crew
a safe, comfortable and seamless embarkation and disembarkation
experience. The state-of-the-art terminals are equipped with four
bespoke Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges that can simultaneously
support the full turnaround of the largest class of cruise ships in
the industry.
"After years of working closely with Shamal Holding, we are absolutely thrilled to
welcome guests from around the world to Dubai Harbour Cruise
Terminal," said Thamm. "As the world's largest cruise company, our
passion is providing our guests with extraordinary vacation
experiences, and we are confident that our partnership with
Shamal Holding will enhance the
overall experience for our guests. The two terminals stand as a
tribute to the remarkable appeal of Dubai and the Arabian
Gulf as a cruise destination, and we look forward to working with
Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal and its community partners to make
Dubai Harbour a highly efficient and customer-friendly operation,
while facilitating new tourism opportunities through cruising in
the region."
"We're delighted to see our partnership with Carnival
Corporation and its brands hit another significant milestone as
today we welcomed two extraordinary cruise ships to Dubai Harbour,
the largest standalone dedicated twin-cruise terminal center in the
eastern hemisphere. It is exciting to see so many thousands of
people enter the city through this stunning seafront district, the
newest entry point to Dubai, which
is already considered to be the ideal gateway to the region for
cruise ships from around the world."
Added Binhabtoor regarding the alignment with Dubai Tourism
Strategy: "The Dubai Harbour development represents a historic
milestone in Dubai's role as this
region's foremost destination for lifestyle, leisure and luxury – a
moment in history that brings forward the realization of
Dubai's ambition to become the
most visited city in the world. However, it is not only an
extraordinary destination for cruise passengers from every corner
of the world, but also a natural gateway to the attractions that
Dubai has to offer and, as a
result of the city's strategic location, other international
destinations as well."
The cruise terminals, which are part of Dubai Harbour
development, offer a wide array of amenities and services for
passengers and crew – from ample seating areas to washrooms,
currency exchange outlets, ATMs, cafes, retail outlets, duty-free,
dedicated parking, taxi stands and more. The facilities are
designed to be fully accessible for all visitors and complimentary
Wi-Fi is enabled for guests and crew to stay connected.
Located in the heart of modern Dubai, the new twin-terminal facility is
conveniently positioned for international visitors traveling in and
out of Dubai. Dubai Harbour's
spectacular backdrop, iconic vista and accessible location are
combined with a wide range of living, retail and hospitality
choices, as well as comprehensive berthing facilities, to comprise
the region's most unique lifestyle offering – including experiences
such as Dubai Harbour Yacht Club, Dubai Harbour Pier Club, Dubai
Harbour Marinas, Skydive Dubai and Zero Gravity.
As a gateway to the Arabian Gulf cruise destinations such as
Oman and Abu Dhabi, Dubai has been a highly popular destination
for the company's Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises brands, which
first began operating from Dubai
in 2006. In late November, AIDAbella arrived in Dubai at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the
first time, marking the first regular cruise passenger operation
for the new terminals and the start of the ship's winter season. In
addition, Costa Firenze's arrival in Dubai on Dec. 16
marked the start of the ship's season from Dubai, where it is homeporting for the first
time ever, through March 2022.
Together, six brands from Carnival Corporation – AIDA Cruises,
Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and
Seabourn – will visit the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal by 2023 and
in total, the six brands are expected by then to make 90 calls to
the new twin-terminal cruise port.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel
companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise
lines sailing to all seven continents. With operations in
North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise
Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O
Cruises (Australia), Costa
Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.
Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com,
www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com,
www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com,
www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com and www.cunard.com.
About Dubai Harbour
Dubai Harbour is an extraordinary
seafront district, inspired by our connection to the sea, designed
for a maritime lifestyle. The district's unique backdrop, iconic
vista, and accessible location are combined with a wide range of
living, retail, and hospitality choices, as well as comprehensive
berthing facilities, making it the region's most unique lifestyle
offering. Dubai Harbour sits just over 30kms from both
Dubai International Airport (DXB)
and Dubai World Central Airport (DWC) and is within easy reach from
the city's world-famous attractions such as Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al
Arab, and Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dubai Harbour is home to some of the most iconic destinations in
Dubai, including the Dubai Harbour
Cruise Terminal, a world-class facility comprising two purpose
built terminal buildings, and Dubai Harbour Marinas, the region's
largest marina. In addition, Emaar Beachfront, a waterfront
community offering residents premier beach access and a luxury
seaside lifestyle, and Skydive Dubai, the world-class skydiving
company, are also located in the heart of the district.
As a one-of-a-kind destination, Dubai Harbour is expected to
attract a wide range of locally and internationally renowned events
all year round, such as the #NOFILTERDXB, Motor Show Redefined and
Dubai International Boat Show. The events will play a key role in
rekindling the city's connection to the sea, providing additional
ways for people to experience their own maritime journey.
As the owning company and curator, Shamal Holding is investing its resources to be
the driving force behind making Dubai Harbour an exceptional
seafront district.
For more info, please visit:
https://www.dubaiharbour.com/en/
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc