German cruise ship 'AIDAcosma' arrives at Doha Port

German cruise ship ‘AIDAcosma’ arrived at Doha Port Monday, carrying 3,624 passengers and 1,385 crew members, according to Mwani Qatar.
On its social media pages, Mwani Qatar said the ship's maiden call to the port is one of 13 scheduled voyages during the 2022/23 cruise season, which started in December last year and continues until April.
The 345m-long and 54m-wide ship became a popular backdrop for social media posts by Qatar residents and visitors at the Mina District Monday.
'AIDAcosma' is operated by AIDA Cruises and has 20 passenger decks and 2,700 staterooms. It is one of the largest cruise ships within the AIDA fleet with a capacity of more than 6,600 passengers and 1,636 crew members. It was built in 2021 and launched in early 2022.
Mwani Qatar noted that 'AIDAcosma' “is one of the new class of ships that is dual-fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and traditional fuel oil, which is intended to make them more environmentally friendly”.
The arrival of 'AIDAcosma' and other major cruise ships is expected to boost Qatar’s tourism sector, attracting an increasing number of foreign visitors, particularly during the cruise season.
For 2022/23, Doha Port will witness a total of 58 world-class cruise ships and four cruise liner maiden calls, in addition to welcoming around 200,000 visitors until the end of April.
The Doha Port received Italian cruise ship ‘Costa Toscana’ – the flagship vessel of Costa Cruises, which can accommodate around 6,500 passengers – on Sunday during its maiden tour of the Arabian Gulf.
According to Qatar Tourism, the 24,000sqm Doha Port has become a turnaround hub and it is rapidly “emerging as a prominent luxury cruise destination in the winter cruise season”.
From the port, cruise passengers can visit Qatar’s popular tourist spots such as the Souq Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Corniche, National Museum of Qatar, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the newly built Mina District.
Located at Doha Port, the Mina District offers a wide range of retail and food and beverage offerings and a relaxing atmosphere due to colourful architecture, scenic views, and other attractions.