Carnival Corporation has opened a brand-new cruise terminal in Dubai. In partnership with Shamal Holding, the company has developed the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal as the main hub for cruise tourism in the United Arab Emirates city.
The official opening was marked with the arrival of two passenger cruise ships visiting the terminal — Costa Cruises’ Costa Firenze and AIDA Cruises’ AIDAbella.
The opening represents an important milestone for Dubai’s goal of becoming the world’s most visited city. As the region’s first-ever, dedicated twin-terminal cruise port, the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is capable of accommodating two large cruise ships at the same time.
The facility is nearly 1.3 million square feet, and includes two terminal buildings that are equipped with four Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges that can simultaneously support the full turnaround of the world’s largest cruise ships.
The terminals offer a wide variety of amenities for passengers and crew, including large seating areas, restrooms, currency exchange outlets, ATMs, cafes, retail shops, dedicated parking, taxi stands, and more. Complimentary wifi is also offered.
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The facility is located in the heart of modern Dubai, and is convenient for international visitors traveling in and out of the city. Unique activities and destinations near the port area include the Dubai Harbour Yacht Club, Dubai Harbour Pier Club, Dubai Harbour Marinas, Skydive Dubai, and Zero Gravity.
Dubai has been a popular destination for Carnival Corporation’s Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises brands, which first began operating from the city in 2006.
In late November, AIDAbella arrived in Dubai at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal for the first time, marking the first regular cruise passenger operation for the new terminals and the start of the ship’s winter season.
Costa Firenze‘s arrival in Dubai on December 16 marked the start of the ship’s season from the city, where it is homeporting through March 2022.
Six Carnival Corporation brands — AIDA, Costa, Cunard, P&O, Princess, and Seabourn — will visit the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal by 2023. In total, the six lines are expected to make 90 calls there within that time period.
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