All about the Dubai Cruise Terminal

Located at Port Rashid, Dubai Cruise Terminal is one of the most luxurious ports in the region. As per official figures, over 500,000 people dock at the terminal each year. It can serve six cruise vessels and caters to 25,000 passengers at a time.

It is one of the world’s largest covered cruise facilities. Moreover, the terminal was built using recycled material including interlocking bricks, steel structure and shipping wooden pellets. A green wall shade system is present to reduce heat. The controlled LED and daylight illumination helps in reducing electricity usage. Irrigation and landscaping is also a feature at the Dubai Cruise Terminal.

All about the Dubai Cruise Terminal

This blog provides a complete overview of the Dubai cruise ship terminal. Here are some of the specifics about the different terminals in operation. 

Dubai Cruise Terminal 1

• Berth No: 10
• Terminal Size: 2750 square metres
• Baggage handling space: 900 square metres

Dubai Cruise Terminal 2

• Berth No: 31
• Terminal size: 3450 square metres
• Baggage handling space: 2400 square metres

Dubai Cruise Terminal 3

• Berth No: 33-34
• Total terminal and baggage handling space: 27,000 square metres

Facilities at Dubai Cruise Terminal

There is a wide range of facilities at the Dubai Cruise Terminal for passengers. You can find complimentary maps in multiple languages at the help desk. Moreover, in case you forget to exchange currency in the city, a money exchange facility is available at the terminal. ATM service is also present. Companies often use the post office at the terminal to courier documents within and outside of the UAE.

Sometimes, the wait at the terminal can be rather long. You can go to the Duty-Free and other retail outlets to do some shopping. Furthermore, the in-house restaurant, café and mini-mart can also be visited just to fill up on delicious food and kill time. Complimentary WiFi also helps, obviously. A beautiful prayer room is located within the premises of the terminal, 

Those who want to travel to the city can take either taxi from the rank. It is monitored by RTA, the Roads & Transport Authority. Alternatively, the complimentary bus service can also take you to selected malls across Dubai. For those who want to go to the Dubai airport from Dubai Cruise Terminal, paid shuttle buses do the rounds.

The most important bit part of the terminal is the service provided to the incoming and outgoing travellers. The customer services at the Dubai Cruise Terminal are top-notch. The baggage handling areas are well–equipped and covered. The check-in facilities are streamlined for passengers, with six check-in counters with CAT network. This ensures swift passenger turnaround. 

Your stay at the Dubai Cruise Terminal will be a pleasant one. If it’s a short stay, you can just wander within the terminal premises. Or you can check out swiftly and enjoy the wonders that this city has to offer.

List of Cruises using Dubai Cruise Terminal

Following is the list of cruises that have used Dubai Cruise Terminal.

• Aida Cruises
• Costa Cruises
• MSC Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International (RCL)
• TUI Cruises
• Cunard
• Hapag-Lloyd
• Holland-America Line
• P&O Cruise

Dubai Cruise Terminal to Airport

The distance from Dubai Cruise Terminal to the airport is about 14.9 km. Usually, it takes around 25 minutes to make the journey in a taxi. However, if the traffic is heavy, naturally it will take longer. The average cost of a taxi can be in the range of AED 50 to AED 60. All taxis are operated by the RTA, hence prices are non-negotiable. This includes the AED 20 surcharge when you hire a taxi from within the Cruise Terminal or the Dubai Airport.

The Future of Dubai Cruise Terminal

In 2018, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, laid the foundation of a new project with Carnival Corporation. As per the government’s diversification policy, the Cruise Terminal was identified as one of the growth areas. It was decided that by October 2020, all cruise ships arriving at Port Rashid will be redirected to Dubai Cruise Terminal. The improvement in facilities would help maintain Dubai’s image as a place for business as well as leisure.

Owing to these upgrades Carnival Corporation will launch new cruises and attract tourist from newer markets like India and China. It is estimated that by the year 2030, the maritime tourism sector will contribute more than AED 1.5 billion to the Dubai economy.

Work on two new cruise terminal buildings is in progress. These buildings span over an area of 30,000 square metres and will be joined by a one-kilometre long single quay. They will accommodate Carnival Corporation’s newest and advanced cruise ships as well as XL class ships. This means that these terminals will deal with up to 13,000 passengers at a time.

Hotels near Dubai Cruise Terminal

If you intend to stay in Dubai for a few days before boarding the cruise again, there are a number of hotels close to the Dubai Cruise Terminal such as the QE2 Palm Beach Hotel Dubai, Royal Ascot Hotel Apartment, Sea View Hotel, The Canvas Hotel Dubai, Savoy Central Hotel Apartments, Palm Beach Hotel and Hyde Park Hotel.

You will find excellent services at the hotels near Dubai Cruise Terminal. The cost can range from AED 170 to AED 300 per night. It depends on the range of service on offer at a particular hotel.

Besides the international cruise tours that are boarding at the Dubai Cruise ship Terminal, there are other city cruises that you can take. Dinner cruises in Dubai offer the perfect night out on a special occasion. Yacht cruises in Dubai Marina are particularly famous for their splendour and luxury. Dubai international cruises have also grown in popularity as many prefer a cruise vacation over flying to another country and spending time inland.

To sum up, it could be stated that the cruise culture in Dubai has taken root. With the advancements being brought about at the Dubai Cruise Terminal, more and more people would opt for cruise tours in the near future.

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