Splendour of the Seas to Deploy to Middle East in Winter 2015/16

Royal Caribbean International has confirmed that it will return to the Persian Gulf in winter 2015-16.

The fifth seasonal sailings will comprise 16 roundtrip sailings from December 2015 through March 2016, visiting some of the Persian Gulf’s most intriguing destinations on a seven-night itinerary.

Royal Caribbean International’s Splendour of the Seas is scheduled to dock in its home port of Dubai, UAE followed by calls to Oman’s capital of Muscat and Khasab along with Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates.

Splendour of the Seas will add more than 32,000 guests in her first four-month season to the region’s burgeoning cruise sector and the new sailings will be going on sale as of 10 April 2014.

Khalid Al Zadjali, Director of Tourism Events at the Oman Ministry of Tourism, said, “We are delighted to learn that the luxurious Royal Caribbean International cruises will be returning to the region. We look forward to welcoming all tourists who want to explore the beauty of Oman and discover its history. There are numerous activities to enjoy in our country, and limitless places to visit, including Muscat and Khasab, which will be included in the itinerary of the cruises. This is definitely a welcomed development for Oman as our country steps up its efforts to strengthen its presence in the lucrative global cruise industry in the GCC and internationally. We anticipate hosting more cruise ships in the future.”

Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director, Tourism, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said, “Together we are cultivating development opportunities to attract visitors from a variety of new markets, including itinerary extension through inclusion of the region’s only dedicated cruise beach stopover destination in our Western Region. By 2015, we anticipate a step change in our own shore excursion portfolio with the eagerly awaited opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi in our Saadiyat Island Cultural District, and Zayed Port’s improved permanent terminal facilities - two significant milestones which also add depth of quality and diversity for the region.”

Hamad M Bin Mejren, Executive Director, Business Tourism, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “Almost one year ago, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, endorsed Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020: to double the number of tourists coming to Dubai to 20 million by 2020. Much of its success will depend on evolving our tourism offer. We already have world-class infrastructure, continuous investment from the government and an unrivalled destination offering. With the further development of our cruise industry, Dubai can truly become a global cruise destination.”

For business travellers, Splendour of the Seas also offers numerous conference and meeting facilities. State-of-the-art fully-equipped meeting rooms and Wi-Fi connections on board the vessel can accommodate big groups and charters too; whilst theatres and lounges are also available for corporate events with up to 800 people.