Imperium Cruises, a division of UK-based Imperium Holdings, has announced plans to base two ships in Dubai this year, operating itineraries to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean from the Arabian Gulf port. Imperium Chief Executive Officer Kaiser Helman asserted that the new operation will transform Dubai into a regional cruise hub and eventually bring in between 120,000 and 150,000 passengers annually through the Dubai Cruise Terminal.
“We have been researching this project for nearly two years, and identified a gap in the cruise market for ships to homeport in Dubai on a year-round basis,” Helman said. “Traditional cruise regions such as the Caribbean and even the Mediterranean are congested and what we will offer here in terms of itineraries and product is very different from existing operations.”
Two ships, formerly part of the defunct Renaissance fleet, have been chartered from Cruiseinvest. The first, renamed The White Goddess, will arrive in Dubai in May, prior to launch of cruises to Egypt in June. The second, The Goddess Nayna, is scheduled for a refit in October 2002 and will then begin cruises from Dubai to the Indian Ocean and East Africa in late November.
“Our first itinerary will take in ports in Oman, Yemen and possibly Saudi Arabia, before turning round in Hurghada, where there is potential for excursions to Luxor and Cairo, as well as add-on hotel stays,” said Helman. “The second will visit Salalah, Mombasa, Zanzibar, the Seychelles and Muscat, offering passengers an exotic combination of safaris and islands.”
The two ships, each with a 777-passenger capacity, will be tailored to the regional market, with announcements in Arabic and English, Middle East cuisine and entertainment on board. “We expect to attract a good mix of nationalities, with European, Gulf resident and Asian passengers, and one of the key incentives of our product will be that it offers a flavor of Arabia, as well as interesting destinations,” claimed Helman.
In addition, Imperium Cruises is setting up its head office in Dubai, as well as adding new offices in the UK, Germany and India. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
