Thomson Cruises, which is part of the Anglo-German TUI group, says it will base a ship in Dubai for the first time in the 2016-17 winter season. “Two new itineraries announced featuring seven new ports of call: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Manama (Bahrain), Doha (Qatar), Khor Fakkan (UAE), Muscat and Khasab (Oman), the company said in a statement.
Six regional airports will be serving Dubai: Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and London Gatwick
“With 13 million tourists visiting the destination in 2014, Dubai’s popularity is soaring and with Brits visiting more and more destinations each year, it will provide the perfect starting point for travellers to experience two exciting new itineraries from December 2016,” Thomson said.
On sale from November 2015, the two seven night itineraries – ‘Arabian Nights’ and ‘Cities of Gold’ – will stop overnight in Dubai and visit six new destinations including Khasab and Muscat in Oman, Manama in Bahrain, Doha in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Khor Fakkan in UAE.
With the announcement of the new destinations comes an excursion programme, with 36% of respondents to a poll saying a key factor for choosing a destination was whether it would look spectacular on their Instagram account.
Excursion highlights include the spectacular sites of the Burj al Arab and Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Grand Mosque in Muscat. “If the outdoors holds an exotic appeal, customers can explore the magnificent Musafi Mountains in Khor Fakkan and dine on the glamorous Dubai Dhow cruise. Customers exploring Abu Dhabi will be able to grab a taste of the action at Ferrari World, as well as taking in the dazzling Emirates Palace and test their adventurous side with desert safaris,” Thomson continued.
Customers wishing to combine their cruise with a seven night stay in Dubai can stay in luxury hotels including the spectacular Atlantis the Palm.
Managing Director for Thomson Cruises, Helen Caron said: “At Thomson Cruises we know that destinations are one of the key deciding factors for our customers and our decision to set sail from Dubai will allow holiday-makers to see and experience more destinations than ever before.”
“As Dubai becomes more and more popular for winter sun and incredible excursions, we know our customers will be as excited as we are to welcome this destination to our programme. With the average Brit visiting more than 14 foreign countries in their lifetime*, we can’t wait for everyone to discover Arabia, from the glamour and opulence of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to the ancient heritage sites in Oman,” she said in the statement.
