MEIN SCHIFF 2, flagship of Germany’s TUI Cruises, is due to make its maiden arrival into Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed port, the first of 20 calls to the UAE capital this cruise season for the 956 cabin vessel.
The ship’s passengers will arrive to a traditional Abu Dhabi welcome featuring Ayalah dancers, falconry, regional food, traditional coffee, and demonstrations of local craft with the visit being marked by a formal Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) on-board welcome and plaque exchange ceremony.
MEIN SCHIFF 2 will deliver 40,000 passengers to Abu Dhabi in its weekly overnight calls at Mina Zayed cruise terminal, spending the following full day in port before departing for Bahrain on its 7-day ‘Dubai and the Orient’ tours of the Arabian Gulf.
“Abu Dhabi is now an essential port-of-call on any meaningful Arabian Gulf cruise: The emirate’s increasing number of headline attractions such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Emirates Palace hotel provide our guests a very specific mix of tradition and modernity,” says Richard J. Vogel, Chief Executive of TUI Cruises.
Passengers aboard the 77,000 tonne vessel have the choice of 18 different shore excursions to explore Abu Dhabi’s diversity, including afternoon tea or evening dinner at the Emirates Palace—one of the world’s most opulent hotels or a city tour calling at the cultural experiences of the Manarat al Saadiyat and the UAE Pavilion exhibition centres on Saadiyat Island; a visit to Ferrari World, the world’s first Ferrari theme park; and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque—the UAE’s most imposing and religious national landmark.
“The timing of this maiden arrival could not be better, as within minutes of disembarking, passengers can easily reach Saadiyat Island—Abu Dhabi’s cultural hub just a short drive from Mina Zayed Port—and be immersed in Abu Dhabi Art, the emirate’s annual showcase of modern and contemporary art and design,” said Noura Al Dhaheri, Leisure Product Development Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi is expected to see 88 vessels, with some 180,000 passengers,call at Mina Zayed by the current season end in April 2013, a 19% increase over the last season.
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