Double royal visit: Cruise ships Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth in Dubai
Sitting in the dock of Mina Rashid
Presenting a traditional view of cruise ships after more outrageous versions reported recently, this is the first time that two 'Queen' liners have docked at Mina Rashid on consecutive days, and it is the first time that either vessel has stayed in port overnight.
The first ship to arrive to Dubai was Queen Elizabeth on April 18, bringing with her a total of 1,888 passengers and 983 crew. The cruise ship is the second largest vessel in the Cunard Cruises fleet, and was making her first overnight stay in Mina Rashid following its maiden visit to Abu Dhabi on April 17 before departing for Aqaba, Jordan.
And then on Sunday, Queen Mary 2, Cunard’s number one liner and the largest ship ever to make a call in Dubai, docked in the same location. Carrying a total of 2,459 passengers and 1,249 crew, she too made her first overnight call at Mina Rashid, having left from Colombo in Sri Lanka before heading on for Muscat, Oman.
The Dubai Cruise Tourism board arranged welcome ceremonies for both ships on arrival with traditional music and dance performances by local bands. The department has made arrangements for the safe and swift handling of the ship calls.
