Queen Elizabeth 2 To Become a 500 Room Hotel and Attraction in Asia

Queen Elizabeth 2 to become a Hotel in Asia

QE2 Dubai, has the pleasure to announce that MS Queen Elizabeth 2 Known popularly as (QE2) will be moved today to Drydocks World Dubai for undertaking classification checks prior to her renovation as a luxury floating hotel.


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Queen Elizabeth 2 Reportedly Sold.

Dubai Interests Reported have sold the Queen Elizabeth 2 to Far East Buyers.

 
Reports out of England, indicate that the Queen Elizabeth 2 has been sold to Far East buyers. For more information check out the following story on my sister blog -  Queen Elizabeth 2 Reportedly Sold

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Retired QE2 to Host New Year's Eve Party in Dubai

More than three years since it arrived in its final port of Dubai, the storied cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 will soon be welcoming well-heeled guests once again — at least for a night.

The event marks the first time the ship's government owners are throwing down the gangplank for a large group of visitors since the vessel pulled into port in November 2008.

An Emirati event planning company said Wednesday it's throwing a New Year's Eve bash on the ship, complete with live music, fireworks and a laser light show.

The company, Global Event Management, said most revelers will be invited guests, though a limited number of tickets will also go on sale.

The event's billing is quintessential Dubai. The black-tie evening is being described as "one of the most exclusive New Year celebrations in the world.

Dubai's state-run Istithmar World bought the QE2 from the Cunard cruise line for $100 million in 2007. It originally planned to turn the luxury liner into a floating hotel docked alongside one of the city-state's manmade palm-shaped islands. Those plans were shelved when Dubai's economy tumbled into crisis.

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Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas Heads to Dubaiin 2012/2013

Royal Caribbean International announced the deployment of Serenade of the Seas to Dubai for its winter 2012-13 season. Serenade of the Seas will offer vacationers 17 sailings, departing every Monday on seven-night United Arab Emirates and Oman itineraries from December 2012 through April 2013. Serenade of the Seas will replace Brilliance of the Seas and offer vacationers a different Royal Caribbean International ship, aboard which guests can explore the cultures and heritage of the two Middle Eastern nations. Additionally, vacationers can choose a Royal Caribbean cruisetour to explore and experience more inland attractions. Serenade of the Seas winter 2012-13 Dubai cruises and cruisetours are currently open for booking.

Vacationers can choose the Arabian Explorer cruisetour itinerary, which combines a four-night escorted land tour with Serenade of the Seas’ seven-night cruise. Destinations featured on the land tour will be Dubai, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah, where guests can enjoy ‘dune bashing’; savor dinner and entertainment at a Bedouin desert camp; and visit the Hili Archaeological Gardens and the Ali Ain National Museum. Royal Caribbean cruisetours take the stress out of planning a vacation; are escorted by an expert tour director; and includes transfers, transportation, hotel accommodations, breakfasts, and select meals.

Serenade of the Seas’ seven-night itinerary also calls at Fujairah and Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E., as well as feature overnight stays in Muscat, Oman, and Dubai at the conclusion of the cruise. Vacationers also can choose a 15-night Mediterranean and Suez Canal transit cruise, departing December 2, 2012, from Malaga, Spain, to Dubai; and a return 15-night return to Barcelona, departing April 15, 2013.

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MSC Cruises Announces 2011-12 Cruises

MSC Cruises is adding the United Arab Emirates to its 2011-12 winter cruise destinations.

The elegant MSC Lirica will be based in Abu Dhabi for the 2011-2012 winter season. The season includes a full schedule of 19 7-night cruises from Abu Dhabi, with departures every Sunday from October 30, 2011 through March 4, 2012, and from Dubai, with departures every Friday, from October 28, 2011 to March 9, 2012.

MSC Lirica will call at the port of Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman, Al Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the island Kingdom of Bahrain and include two unforgettable and unprecedented nights in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The luxurious 59,000-ton MSC Lirica, which can host as many as 2,069 guests in 780 cabins, features a sophisticated and elegant decor, superb attention to details in all areas, the finest Italian and international cuisine and a dazzling array of entertainment and activities. The ship includes shops, a casino, a card room and the 713-seat Broadway Theater. Guests can choose from four different restaurants, soak up the atmosphere of the Lord Nelson Pub, chill to a variety of musical styles in The Beverly Hills Bar or dance their hearts out in the Blue Club Discotheque.

On October 14, 2011 MSC Lirica will depart from Genoa, Italy, for a 16-night cruise to Abu Dhabi to start her first cruise season in the United Arab Emirates. Her southbound course will take her from the Mediterranean Sea with calls in Naples, Italy, and Port Said, Egypt, through the Suez Canal to Aqaba in Jordan, Salalah and Muscat in Oman and, finally, to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Arabia will say farewell to MSC Lirica five months later, on March 11, 2012, when she starts her 17-night northbound return cruise from Abu Dhabi to Genoa in Italy. Scheduled stops are Al Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Muscat and Salalah in Oman, Safaga in Egypt, Aqaba in Jordan, Port Sokhna in Egypt and through the Suez Canal to Port Said before calling in Naples and Genoa.

Ports of call during the Arabian itinerary include:

· Abu Dhabi is a cosmopolitan metropolis rich in splendor, from the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world with its 800 domes and 1,000 columns, to the Heritage Village, Emirates Palace and Al Ain archaeological site with its palace museum. Guests can head into the desert to enjoy the thrill of a roller coaster-like ride through sand dunes or stay in the city for some of the finest, most sophisticated shopping in the world.

· Dubai is an ultramodern city steeped in tradition, flanking the coast with a natural creek on the edge of the Arabian Desert. Guests will delight in its worlds within worlds, discovering Ajman’s famous museum and souk, taking a leisurely tour of the city in a traditional Dhow after dinner, traversing the desert’s golden dunes in a 4x4 or bathing in the natural pools at Hatta.

· Bahrain means “two seas” in Arabic, referring to the freshwater springs of this magically unique archipelago of 32 islands, famed for its pearls since the Persian Empire. Guests can prepare themselves to be inspired by the prehistoric Royal Tombs and pottery at A’ali, alongside modern achievements that include the International Motor Racing Circuit and the 15-mile King Fahd Causeway to Saudi Arabia.

· Al Fujairah is a jewel of history and nature, set in majestic hillsides and wadis inhabited since the Iron Age. Visitors will marvel at its atmospheric old city and 17th Century fortress, Al Bithna Oasis, with its prehistoric tomb, and the exquisite village of Masafi in the Hajar Mountains. Sun-seekers will find paradise in its scenic secluded beaches.

· Muscat has been renowned as one of the world’s greatest ports since Ancient Rome. Guests can journey through time in the breathtaking Al Jalali and Al Mirani forts, the bustling souk, the magnificent Sultan Qaboos Mosque and the Beit Al Zubair museum. Then they can treat themselves to the timeless natural fragrances of the exclusive Amouage perfumery.


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Popularity of Royal Caribbean International Cruises from Dubai Drives Increased Sailings In the Region

June 29, 2010: Royal Caribbean International is increasing the length of its Dubai-based season for the 2,501-guest ship Brilliance of the Seas

during the winter 2011-2012 season due to feedback from travel professionals that there is yet more demand for those cruises.

Brilliance of the Seas debuted cruises from the United Arab Emirates in January 2010 with the ship operating a series of eight-night fly/cruise cruises until April 2010. Sales for 2009 and 2010 in UK and Ireland were 30 percent ahead of target for the cruise line’s first four-month season from Dubai . Agent feedback that they enjoyed significant client interest for cruises in the Middle East as well as the strong airlift from across the country direct to Dubai, drove the decision to increase the number of cruises on offer during the third season in the region. The ship’s return to Dubai in November 2011, two months earlier than previously planned, will offer an increased range of itineraries including longer cruises up to 12- and even 18-nights.

Jo Rzymowska, associate vice president and general manager, Royal Caribbean International, UK and Ireland , commented:

“ Dubai is very popular with UK travellers, and cruises consistently offer significant value for money. Included within this cruise itinerary is an overnight stay in the city onboard the ship which makes this an affordable way to enjoy this fascinating Emirate. The chance to explore more of the Middle East, Arabian Sea and even India make these additional longer sailings truly exciting options for agents to maximise.”

The enhanced 2011-2012 Dubai-based season of Brilliance of the Seas will be the ship’s third year based from the destination following a second year of winter cruises from January until April 2011. New itineraries offered during the longer six-month season, include a 12-night Dubai and India cruise featuring ports of call such as Muscat, Oman; Cochin, Goa and Mumbai, India. Brilliance of the Seas also will feature the first ever call by a Royal Caribbean International ship to the New Mangalore port in Panambur on the west coast of India. The town is famed for its beautiful beaches on the Arabian Sea, the Nandaneshwara Temple and the Gurupura River .

During the 2011-2012 season, Royal Caribbean International will continue to offer the popular seven-night cruises departing weekly from Dubai . In fact, there will be double the number of seven-night itineraries compared to previous years, with minor changes to the itinerary including an overnight stay in Dubai at the end of the cruise, rather than the beginning, and a revised order in the ports of call to simplify visa processing. Featured ports of call include Fujairah and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Muscat , Oman . The 7-night itineraries for the upcoming 2010-2011 season also will reflect these changes.

The repositioning cruise from Barcelona to Dubai will be an 18-night option via the Suez Canal and ports of call such as Alexandria , Egypt ; Suez Canal passage; Aqaba , Jordan and Safaga , Egypt .

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Brilliance of the Seas 2011 Dubai Cruises

MAY 7, 2009 – Royal Caribbean International today announced Brilliance of the Seas’ 2011 return to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates following the cruise line’s 2010 inaugural season. The second consecutive seasonal sailings will comprise nine roundtrip sailings from January through March 2011, visiting some of the Arabian coast’s most intriguing destinations on a seven-night itinerary, with an overnight in Dubai at the beginning and end of each cruise. Vacationers also can choose a four-night cruisetour extension for an unforgettable 11-night Arabian adventure. Bookings for Royal Caribbean’s 2011 Dubai cruises and cruisetours are now open.

Available for both the 2010 and 2011 itineraries, the new four-night Arabian Explorer cruisetour vacation extension will offer guests a more thorough exploration of Dubai and the emirates of Raps Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the latter being the only emirate on the Gulf of Oman. Cruisetour guests will be escorted by a tour director and will experience the destinations via four-wheel drive, traveling to sand dunes, majestic mountainsides, mosques and tranquil, picturesque villages. Other highlights include camel racing and a sunset dinner at a Bedouin camp – all sandwiched in between an overnight stay in Dubai, for its superlative shopping opportunities, and a luxurious desert resort stay just outside the city.

The seven-night itinerary aboard Brilliance of the Seas will include calls at Fujairah and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates; Mina Sulman, Bahrain; and Oman’s capital city of Muscat. New for the 2011 season are two 12-night Dubai & India roundtrip sailings, departing on March 28 and April 9, which will include the ship’s maiden port calls at India’s Mumbai (Bombay), Goa (Mormugao) and Cochin.

Shore excursions for 2010 and 2011 itineraries, meanwhile, will provide equal doses of adventure and culture. In Dubai, guests can opt for four-wheel drive excursions that will transport them deep into the heart of the emirate’s deserts, and through the shifting sands of Abu Dhabi’s Al Khatim desert. Guests also can choose to ride Royal Arabian horses at Bahrain’s Royal Endurance village; snorkel under the crystal-clear Indian Ocean waters in Fujairah; revel in high tea at an Abu Dhabi palace; and discover Muscat’s souk, sultan’s palace and Portuguese forts.

Vacationers also can choose the 14- or 16-night repositioning itineraries between Barcelona and Dubai. The 14-night cruise, departing January 10, 2011, from Barcelona, will include a Suez Canal transit and calls at Egypt’s Alexandria and Safaga, and Jordan’s Aqaba. The 16-night voyage, leaving Dubai on April 21, will visit three Egyptian ports – Safaga, Sharm El Sheikh and Alexandria -- as well as Muscat and Aqaba.

Those vacationers interested in exploring the Middle East sooner rather than later can choose among 13 seven-night sailings available during Brilliance of the Seas’ inaugural Dubai season, offering the same itinerary from January through April 2010. Also on the 2010 season roster are 14-night repositioning cruises between Barcelona and Dubai via the Suez Canal, departing January 4 and April 19.

Brilliance of the Seas has a sleek profile and features vast expanses of open space, mirrored surfaces and glass paneling – nearly three acres of exterior glass. The open Centrum with ten-deck high windows and ocean-facing glass elevators offers guests breathtaking vistas of the passing landscape and sea. Among the ship’s unique features is a pair of ultra-high-tech, self-leveling pool tables in the Bombay Billiards Club.

Guests can enjoy many amenities found aboard Brilliance of the Seas, including three pools, 12 lounges and bars, the cruise line’s rock-climbing wall, nine-hole miniature golf course, an interactive golf simulator, and the 9,000-sq. ft. Brilliance Fitness Center and Day Spa. Guests also can enjoy a variety of dining choices with five onboard restaurants, including Royal Caribbean’s signature specialty restaurants, Chops Grille steakhouse and Portofino Italian restaurant; Minstrel main dining room; or the casual Windjammer Café and Seaview Café.
Brilliance of the Seas’ guests also will enjoy the cruise line’s award-winning Broadway-style musical revues from Royal Caribbean Productions in the Pacifica Theater, complimentary Adventure Ocean kids and teen programming, world-class gaming in the Casino Royale, and Royal Caribbean’s Gold Anchor Service of friendly and engaging service from every staff and crew.