Queen Mary 2 to make debut call in Abu Dhabi
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The Queen Mary 2 will make her maiden Abu Dhabi call at Mina Zayed cruise terminal later this month. 
The AED3.2bn (US$880mn) cruise liner will replace the illustrious Queen Elizabeth 2 – will port for a day in Mina Zayed before sailing for Kochi, India.
The liner kick starts the season well with the city’s ambitions of receiving 180,000 passengers in the current cruise season and to attain a 39% increase in the 2014/2015 season.
“To attract a cruise liner of this calibre is a tremendous endorsement of Abu Dhabi’s rising status as a global cruise destination and solid sector partner,” said Noura Al Dhaheri, leisure product development manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
Al Dhaheri further added: “We believe its confidence in our destination will act as a catalyst for other lines to consider adding Abu Dhabi to their itineraries, further propelling our cruise credentials.”
Queen Mary 2 will call at Abu Dhabi as part of her 2013 World Voyage, a 106 day odyssey from Southampton in the UK, calling via the Mediterranean and the Red Sea then heading out across the Indian Ocean to the Far East & China, Australia, New Zealand and Mauritius to South Africa, before returning to Southampton prior to embarking on the itinerary’s transatlantic leg.
Growth forecasts for Abu Dhabi’s cruise sector will see 100 vessels call at Mina Zayed by the end of the 2014/15 season, accounting for over 250,000 passengers. The recent introduction of a multi-entry cruise passenger visa for the UAE is also expected to yield a higher number of cruise passengers from emerging markets such as Russia, India and China.
