Tremendous potential for cruise tourism between Dubai and Oman

Muscat: Light and Shadow Enterprise will offer the first cruise between Muscat and Dubai to combine the New Year's Eve and Eid Al Adha holidays aboard the Dream Princess.

"This is the beginning for probably a permanent cruise between the two destinations with a high potential to cater to tourists from around the world," Dr Sudhir Tuli, an associate of ship owners JS Dream Cruise Liners, told Gulf News.

He added that they already have plans to start a cruise from Dubai to Musandam in Oman in the near future.

"If this New Year's Eve cruise is successful then we may think of even extending the cruise to Muscat.

"Dubai is the happening place as far as tourism is concerned and we see that Muscat could also complement Dubai and the two destinations could be marketed for cruise tourism," Dr Tuli said.

Talking about the year-end cruise, the first between GCC states in the region, Rajeev Chaudhary of Light and Shadow said:

"This has never been attempted in the Gulf and we are optimistic as we have priced the first cruise at a very reasonable rate."

He said that a UK-based music band and famous Indian gazal maestro Pankaj Udhas will perform during the three-day cruise that will cost 150 Omani riyals per person.

"The cost includes meals, soft drinks and entertainment," added Chaudhary. He also said that a limited number of suites is available for 250 riyals.

For the past two years, Chaudhary has been organising New Year parties at the Yacht Club along the beach and now he has ventured out to sea.

"Maybe we will usher in the New Year in the air next time," he said when asked what lies ahead.

The cruise ship will sail from Oman shores on December 31 at 8pm and arrive at Dubai on January 1 at about noon.

The Dream Princess will leave Dubai at midnight on January 1 and arrive back at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat at 4pm on January 2.

He pointed out that since this will be the first time residents of Oman and the other GCC states will be travelling via Muscat port, a lot of formalities had to be handled with the local authorities.

He said all safety measures were also in place with the cruise ship carrying 10 lifeboats with the capacity to carry 120 passengers in each.

"The 30-year-old ship was refurbished in 1994," he said.

For the first time, Oman and UAE residents can look forward to ushering in 2007 in a novel way at sea in the company of a cross section of people.