June 24 – From April 6 to June 14, 2010, cruise ships brought 26,580 visitors to Dubai, according to figures released by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). Guests came to the Dubai Cruise Terminal operated by DTCM at Port Rashid.
Among the cruise liners that contributed significantly to the increase in cruise trips are the Silver Whisper with 227 passengers; the Seabourn Odyssey with 293; Brilliance of the Seas with 4,287; AIDA Diva with 2,438; Costa Luminosa with 2,175; Ocean Princess with 524; Spirit of Oceanus with 71; and Crystal Symphony with 372 passengers.
Furthermore, DTCM said that it hopes to host 120 ships and more than 325,000 passengers in 2010. The expected tourist footfall is in line with the growing number of cruise ships and cruise tourists visiting Dubai; there were 250,000 tourists from 100 cruise calls in 2009, and over 182,000 from 82 calls made by cruise liners in 2008.
