Mega cruise ship Mein Schiff 6, operated by TUI Cruises, made its maiden call to Doha on December 25, carrying 1,615 visitors, including passengers and crew, Qatar Tourism announced Sunday.
Mein Schiff 6 will make another 10 calls to Doha Port during the 2021-22 season. Nine of these will be turnaround trips, with passengers beginning and ending their journey in Qatar.
Qatar Tourism has a long-standing association with the German travel and tourism company TUI Group starting with a partnership agreement between the two entities signed in 2016.
As a result of this agreement, in the 2017-18 season, mega cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 made seven visits, including its maiden voyage to Doha Port, with another 10 visits during 2019-20 season.
Among the highlights of the 2021-22 cruise season are a total of 65 confirmed calls, nine instances where Doha Port will dock two ships at a time, 11 cruise ships making their maiden voyages, 11 turnaround voyages and nine ships staying overnight at Doha Port.
This will allow cruise visitors ample time to explore the destination’s travel, hospitality, and retail promotions during the season.
Turnaround voyages will start and end their journey from Doha Port, for the duration of the cruise season. Qatar’s residents can now book cruise trips that touch Doha through this link to experience luxury cruise tourism in Gulf waters.
Mein Schiff 6 is a mega-ship similar to its sister vessel Mein Schiff 5, which made its maiden call to Doha Port during the 2019-20 season. Commissioned in 2017, Mein Schiff 6 has a capacity of 2,534 passengers and boasts 17,895 sqm of outside decks and 1,800 sqm of spa and fitness areas, besides 11 restaurants and bistros and 16 lounges.
Cruise tourism came to a halt due to the pandemic, terminating by the end of February 2020. To assuage concerns, the Ministry of Public Health has put in place special protocols for travellers arriving to or from Qatar on cruise ships.
Related Story