Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Dubai has welcomed India’s first superior cruise liner, ‘Karnika’ by Jalesh Cruises, to Mina Rashid as its home port for the season. Karnika is Jalesh Cruises’s first liner to homeport in the region, and this is definitely a landmark for both the Indian domestic and international cruise industry.
Tourists from India and also from Gulf countries, especially the UAE and Muscat can now avail themselves of short cruise tours on Karnika.
The vessel will start operations of regular Arabian Gulf itineraries from June to mid-September this year, entertaining both residents and visitors of Dubai. Cruise lovers can choose from two itineraries a week with Dubai as the home port. The Friday itinerary would cover Abu Dhabi and Bahrain while the Monday itinerary will include Muscat and Khasab.
With charges of Dh2091 per person, one can embark on a luxury cruise starting from Dubai, going through Muscat in Oman, and ending up on Mumbai’s shores in India. There are shorter tours too.
Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Mannai, the CEO of P&O Marinas and Mina Rashid CEO said, “Proving its position as the Middle East’s leading cruise destination, the Karnika’s arrival highlights the value proposition Mina Rashid offers to luxury cruise lines globally. Our world-class quality services have exhibited Mina Rashid to be the preferred tourist destination observing a 172 per cent increase in visitors between 2014 and 2018.”
Jamal Alfalasi, the Director of Dubai Cruise Tourism said, “We are delighted to welcome India’s first premium cruise liner ‘Karnika’ to Dubai for its maiden voyage into the Arabian Gulf. Our support for Jalesh Cruises further cements the enduring bond that exists between India and the Emirate, underpinning our continued commitment to Dubai’s top performing source market which brought in more than 564,836 visitors during Q1 of 2019. We look forward to providing travellers from across the Indian subcontinent with even more compelling reasons to visit and revisit Dubai with friends and family, as we continue to position the emirate as the cruise hub of the region.”
Weighing 70,285 gross tonnes, Jalesh Cruises’s ‘Karnika’ ship started its maiden voyage from Mumbai to Goa in April and since then has made 15 trips around India. The ship set off on its first international cruise from Mumbai to Dubai in May and will port in the emirate until mid-September.
On board, passengers can take pleasure in a selection of cuisines and world class entertainment, as well as an assortment of adventure and relaxation options.
