Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) in collaboration with Celebrity Cruises, today commemorated the inaugural visit to Dubai of Celebrity Constellation during her maiden voyage in the region.

Marking the occasion at a welcome reception, held at Dubai Cruise Terminal in Mina Rashid were Jamal Humaid Al Falasi, director of Dubai Cruise Tourism, Mohammed Al Mannaei, director of Mina Rashid, DP World and Lakshmi Durai, CEO of Travel Matrix, the Middle East representative for Celebrity Cruises.

Attended by dignitaries from Dubai Immigration, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police, Environment Health and Safety (Trakhees) and PCFC Security, the arrival of Celebrity Constellation commenced with a traditional Plaques and Keys ceremony held aboard the luxury cruise liner, in which an honorary plaque was exchanged between government dignitaries and the ship’s captain. Event attendees were then invited on a tour of the 13-deck-high vessel, to experience the entertainment, culinary and wellness offerings available on board.

Al Falasi said: “We are very pleased to welcome Celebrity Constellation during her maiden journey across the Gulf. We hope that our partnership with Celebrity Cruises enables us to reach a broader range of visitors, including more young couples and families, allowing us to use their stopover in Dubai as an opportunity to showcase everything the city has to offer. This takes us another step towards achieving our goals of further developing Dubai as a cruise destination and welcoming one million cruise tourists per year by 2020.”

Celebrity Constellation, designed for discerning cruisers with sophisticated environments, impeccable service, inspiring on-board programmes and world-class cuisine, is the latest premium cruise ship to visit Dubai. The 91,000-tonne, 294-metre-long vessel features extensive family amenities, with some of the most expansive children's facilities in the Celebrity fleet. The luxury liner is set to sail two nine-night cruises within the UAE and Oman, as well as longer trips from the UAE that follow the ancient Spice Route to the Indian cities of Cochin, Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai, before returning to home port in the UAE.

The ship is scheduled to have four overnight and six day calls to Dubai between November 29, 2016 and April 16, 2017, contributing over 15,000 cruise tourists towards the record number of 600,000 expected to visit Dubai in the 2016/2017 cruise season. These projected numbers follow the 19 per cent season-on-season increase in cruise tourists seen in the 2015/2016 season, and are a clear indication of Dubai’s increasing popularity as a cruise destination.

Lakshmi Durai, chief executive officer of Travel Matrix, the Middle East Representative of Celebrity Cruises said: “Celebrity Cruises offers the ultimate in premium cruising. With the arrival of Celebrity Constellation, we are glad to bring modern luxury cruising to the Arabian Gulf. The UAE’s prospective growth figures for luxury cruising are remarkable and we expect Celebrity Cruises to establish itself as the leading cruise option for Middle Eastern guests.

“With Celebrity Constellation sailing in the Gulf for the first time, we have the opportunity to show our ship to trade partners, media and corporates, which will further strengthen the positioning of cruising as a holiday option in this region.”

For passengers aboard Celebrity Constellation, the cruise getaway begins as soon as they make their way through the Grand Foyer on the ship’s expansive deck. Highlights of the cruise include the culinary delights of rustic open kitchen concept of Tuscan Grill and Bistro on Five, along with relaxing treatments at the new Canyon Ranch Spa. The vessel also features what is being billed as the first Apple Specialist at sea – the Celebrity iLounge, a one-of-a-kind internet lounge with iLearn classes for photography, video and audio skills. Younger guests can head to Fun Factory for an enjoyable day of games and activities, while teenagers can experience the newest gaming consoles at X-Club.

Dubai’s 2016/2017 Cruise season, which commenced last month, will feature 157 ship calls, including 10 maiden calls, before it wraps up in June next year. Further cementing Dubai’s reputation as the cruise hub of the region, Thomson Cruises will be the first ever UK-based cruise line to home port in Dubai, joining Dubai’s existing home porting cruise lines, namely Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, MSC Cruise Lines and TUI Cruises. - TradeArabia News Service