Dubai 2023-24 cruise season: Emirate welcomes Resilient Lady from Virgin Voyages

Dubai Harbour welcomed Resilient Lady from Virgin Voyages on its maiden call to the region’s waters.

The call is among the numerous international cruise liners expected to arrive at Dubai Harbour during the 2023-24 cruise season. The emirate is  expecting 300,000 passengers and 49 ship calls.

Resilient Lady launched on May 14 from Athens, Greece.

Michelle Bentubo, COO of Virgin Voyages said, “As Resilient Lady embarks on her journey from Greece to Australia, we wanted to offer our sailors the opportunity of a lifetime to explore one of the world’s most captivating cities via Dubai Harbour. We are grateful for the Arabian hospitality and warm welcome into this extraordinary seafront district. The modern, highly efficient terminal network helped us ensure smooth Sailor turnaround, which is imperative given our shorter stay in the city, and we look forward to calling on Dubai in years to come.”

Abdulla Binhabtoor, chief portfolio management officer of Shamal Holding and the owner and curator of Dubai Harbour added, “We are delighted to have Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady stopover at our seafront destination. Dubai Harbour curates extraordinary experiences that are inspired by our connection to the sea, showcasing a wide range of living, retail and hospitality offerings for all to explore while visiting the city.”

Dubai Harbour is designed to process more than 3,250 passengers per hour. The terminals at Dubai Harbour have also recorded exponential growth over the past two years.

.@DubaiHarbour, #Dubai’s extraordinary seafront district, today welcomed the iconic Resilient Lady from Virgin Voyages on its maiden call to the Arabian Gulf. The call is one of a number of international cruise liners set to arrive at Dubai Harbour during this year’s cruise… pic.twitter.com/aWC3PT0cgE

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 5, 2023

Dubai’s new cruise season kicks off

Dubai’s new cruise season commenced on October 28 with the arrival of the luxury liner Mein Schiff 2. The vessel docked at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid.

Dubai and the Cruise Arabia alliance has enabled more interconnected and integrated regional cruise services. Comprising of key ports in the region, such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman, the alliance strives to promote the region as a cruise ship destination globally.

Meanwhile, Dubai continues to attract major cruise operators, with MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises, Aida Cruises, Costa Cruises and Ponant Cruises among others considering it port of home.

The emirate will host away port calls by Cunard, PO Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Cordelia Cruises.

Read: Abu Dhabi welcomes first cruise liner, as 2023-24 cruise season begins