MUSCAT: As many as thirty cruise liners are scheduled to call at the ports of Oman namely Port Sultan Qaboos in Muttrah, in Khasab and Salalah in 2023 carrying a large number of passengers en route to these ports.
This was as per a worldwide schedule issued to the Oman Ports Authority.
According to the Oman cruise port calendar which comes out with regular updates and itineraries from the world's leading cruise lines, these ships are likely to bring in over 150,000 passengers to the shores of the Sultanate.
The calendar provides the latest list of cruise ships scheduled to arrive at the port with detailed information, including date and time of arrival and departure, and maximum passenger capacity for each vessel.
Many of them will spend a day or two in the Sultanate while others would leave the same day, according to the report.
Some of the cruise liners that are scheduled to make a port call in Oman are Costa Toscana, AI DAcosma, MSC Opera, Mein Schiff 6, Queen Mary 2 and Norwegian Jade.
Speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of the event 'Let's Cruise', organized by E-Travel that facilitates cruise liners ex-Muscat and vice versa, Ejaz Kazi, General Manager, E-Travel, that all three ports, PSQ, Khasab, and Salalah will highly benefit from the port calls.
"It is heartening to note that many vessels are visiting the Sultanate during the season of 2023 and I'm pretty much sure that the ports, businesses that rely on cruise tourism and the economy as a whole will greatly benefit from this," said Ejaz Kazi.
The exclusive program focuses mainly on cruise experiences organised in collaboration with participating cruise liners Costa, Norwegian Cruise Liners (NCL), Resorts World Cruises; and the R&G Collection of hotels by E-Travel and Tours under the auspices of Hussain al Lawati Group CEO and an avid cruiser on Saturday showcased multiple cruise options, including those offered within the Gulf region with special focus on Oman, and offered a valuable insight into the world of cruising.
Fabian Fernandez, Beyond Borders, which represents Costa Cruises and other cruise charters, said that cruising has become very popular thanks to the support offered by the governments in the region.
"Unlike in the past when ships used to just pass by Oman waters, more ships are docking at the Oman ports thanks to the government's policy of opening up which is helping the economy flourish more as Omanis, SMEs, and other start-ups benefit in return," Fabian said.
This is complemented by the fact that Oman is quite in demand in the European market and with the government policy, more charters and cruise liners are visiting Oman and cruise liners support Oman's economy in a big way.
With holiday plans now on the upswing after two years of enforced Covid restrictions, the experience offered a welcome glimpse into a hitherto relatively untapped product, which offers holiday-starved clientele refreshing getaways contrasting with mundane city-style vacation packages.
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