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29 March 2024

Royal Caribbean sets sail for Dubai with new ship

Published
By Bindu Suresh Rai
It seems the regional turmoil of this year is now a thing of the past for tourist traffic, as major cruise liner Royal Caribbean announced plans to set sail towards the Arabian Gulf with a new ship for the 2012-13 season.
 
The 2,114-passenger Serenade of the Seas will head for Dubai in December of 2012, replacing sister ship Brilliance of the Seas, which has been sailing out of the emirate during the winter and spring seasons for the past two years.
 
Brilliance of the Seas, meanwhile, will return to the Caribbean for the winter of 2012-13, where it will take the Serenade of the Seas’ place sailing out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
 
The line has announced that Serenade of the Seas will offer 17 seven-night voyages, departing every Monday out of Dubai from December 2012 to April 2013, including port of calls at Muscat, Oman (with an overnight stay), followed by Fujairah and Abu Dhabi.
 
Passengers also have the option to book an 11-night experience or the Arabian Explorer Cruise Tour, which combines a four-night escorted land tour in the region with the seven-night Serenade of the Seas’ cruise.
 
Destinations featured on the land tour will include Dubai, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah, where guests can enjoy a desert safari experience, visit the Hilli Archaeological Gardens and the Ali Ain National Museum.
 
Also planned are two 15-night Mediterranean and Suez Canal voyages at the beginning and end of the winter season as the ship sails from its summer base in Spain to Dubai. The first of the trips departs on December 2, 2012 from Malaga, Spain; the return trip to Barcelona departs April 15, 2013.
 
Prices for the seven-night sailings start at Dh1,834 per person, based on double occupancy.
 
Royal Caribbean launched Brilliance of the Seas in the Gulf region back in 2009, offering a seven-night Arabian Gulf cruise starting and ending at Dubai, with ports of call including Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.