Vinay Nayudu
Dubai
Resorts World Cruises (RWC) has launched its inaugural cruise operations in the Gulf region, with Dubai’s Port Rashid Terminal 2 as the home port for its luxurious ship, Resorts World One. This German-built cruise liner, accommodating up to 1,700 passengers, embarked on its maiden Gulf voyage on November 1, 2024, offering a fabulous tailor-made family ‘cruise-cation’ experience for families. Departing three times weekly, Resorts World One will sail to GCC destinations, including Doha, promising an exciting getaway tailored for family enjoyment.
The launch was celebrated with a special event aboard the ship last Friday, where RWC President Michael Goh and senior management welcomed 600 distinguished guests, including regional dignitaries, officials, and international media representatives.
“We have been counting down the days and we are delighted that Resorts World One has arrived at Dubai and is sailing. We are looking forward to bringing unique experiences to the Gulf region and we are excited to launch our first cruise with a special onboard Diwali celebration for the entire week,” said Goh.
Saud Hareb Almheiri, Cruise Tourism & Yachting Lead at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “This significant development underscores Dubai’s ongoing growth as a premier cruise destination, attracting world-class operators, and providing exceptional experiences for global travellers seeking to explore the region, as envisioned by our leadership, and in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global city for business and leisure.”
As part of the inaugural sailing celebration, guests can look forward to special added-value promotions. This includes complimentary food & beverage credits per cabin for sailings in November for both the 3-Night Oman Cruise and the 2-Night Qatar Cruise.With a 1000-service staff on board, RW1 provides vacation options from Dubai for the weekend with the 2-Night Sir Bani Yas Weekend Cruise departing Fridays.
Guests can also look forward to the 2-Night Doha (Qatar) Cruise departing Wednesdays and the 3-Night Muscat-Khasab (Oman) Cruise departing Sundays. For longer cruises, guests may combine the itineraries to become a 4-5-and 7-Night cruise.
The luxurious cruise offers plenty of fantastic live shows and games onboard, besides a choice of world cuisines at its several fancy restaurants. Resorts World One is certified by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and The Standards and Metrology Institute with the ship offering certified Halal cuisines, including vegetarian/Jain cuisine; and Muslim-friendly onboard offerings. Hamza Mustafa, CEO at P&O Marinas, added: “We’re pleased to see Resort World Cruises setting sail from Mina Rashid, our dedicated luxury cruise terminal.”
Led by a management team with decades of experience in the Asian cruise industry, Resorts World Cruises made its homeport debut in Singapore in June 2022 with the flagship, Genting Dream. Within less than a year, Resorts World One joined the fleet to homeport in Hong Kong. RWC further expanded its homeport footprint to Kuala Lumpur, Kaohsiung and Keelung (Taipei), Jakarta and in Dubai.
RWC has sailed to over 30 destinations across Southeast and East Asia, covering Okinawa and Kyushu in Japan; and to the Gulf region of the Middle East, including to Sir Bani Yas in Abu Dhabi, Doha in Qatar; and Khasab and Muscat in Oman.
