Metamorphosis - Cruise Ship Portal

“We are always looking to add some
variety to our itineraries,” says
Rebbapragada. “The Gulf region has seen a
lot of interest in cruising in the recent past
and there are several ports interested in
developing their infrastructure and coming
up with shore excursions and land
programmes for cruise passengers.”
As a major tourist hub in the region, Dubai,
has welcomed the Brilliance of the Seas with
open arms, quickly recognising how regions
such as the Caribbean and South East Asia
have benefited from the cruise industry. “The
ports in the region, including Abu Dhabi,
have expressed a keen interest in preparing
for an expanded usage of their facilities and
have been very supportive,” Rebbapragada
remarks. “They are looking to take advantage
of this momentum.”
They also understand the demands and
expectations of cruise lines. “Even before the
opening of the Dubai Cruise Terminal, Dubai
did a pretty good job with its temporary
facilities,” Rebbapragada notes. “They
understand that the embarkation process is
part of the entire cruise experience and that it
reflects on Dubai.”
Akin to the calibre of the city’s five-star
hotels, the authorities’ efforts in ensuring
high standards at the port facilities means
that Royal Caribbean has experienced few
setbacks commencing operations in the
region. “Getting goods into and out of Dubai
is very easy; even supplies such as produce
can be shipped in without any problems,”
Rebbapragada says. “We buy whatever we
can locally, but we also work with suppliers
Dubai Cruise Terminal
Inaugurated in February, Dubai’s new
cruise terminal has been designed to cater
for the increasing number of liners visiting
the city and is capable of handling four
ships simultaneously. Dubai’s tourism
department has predicted a 77% growth
in cruise passenger numbers by 2015 as
well as increasing its projections for 2010:
120 ships are expected to dock at the Port
Rashid terminal.
With a tourist support infrastructure
including facilities such as a money
exchange, a post office, souvenir shops, a
business centre with internet access,
Wi-Fi, and the Al Majlis VIP facility. It also
houses offices for representatives from
immigration, customs and the police as
well as several information counters.
Maiden call
celebrations for
the Brilliance of
the Seas, Dubai.
around the world and have had no issues
getting containers onto ships or offloading
them on time. In terms of bunkering, we are
in the midst of where the oil is supplied.”
The increasing number of cruise liners in
the region has done little to affect marine
operations because, according to
Rebbapragada, the volume of ships is not yet
high enough to cause congestion. Besides,
Dubai’s new cruise terminal, which can
accommodate more than one ship at a time,
is capable of adequately meeting an increase
in demand.
“Even when it comes to the weekend and
ships are turning, more than one cruise line
can have a ship working in Dubai,”
Rebbapragada says. “The terminal also has
the capacity to handle larger ships. It all
bodes well for the industry at the moment.”
Room to develop
Roberto Ferrarini, director of marine
operations at Costa, agrees, and expects a
40% increase in the number of guests
cruising to Dubai in winter 2009-10, which
would raise €14 million for the city as well as
benefitting the cruise line. This could
potentially increase as facilities in the Middle
East develop. “We are assisting with the
continuous improvement of the quality of
port operations in the region,” Ferrarini says.
“In terms of infrastructure, we are liaising
with local port and tourism authorities, as
well as customs and immigration, to realise
the improvements they want to see. The
number of people cruising in the region and
the consolidation of the market justifies such
investments more than in the past.”
Ever a forward-thinking destination,
Dubai has taken to cruising faster than
many cities Ferrarini has encountered.
Insight > Ports & destinations
“The worldwide promotional impact of
the cruise industry has been recognised
quickly in Dubai and much quicker than in
other places where, even after several years,
they are still debating whether cruise
passengers are positive for the country or
not,” he says. “We are confident in the will of
the local authorities and community to keep
investing in software and hardware for the
cruise industry.”
Yet the Gulf has a long way to go before it
can compete with the leading global cruise
locations, as Rebbapragada is well aware.
“I’ve been in the business for a long time and
it took 30 years for the US to get to where it is
today,” he says. “Even now only 12% of North
Americans have experienced a cruise.”
A further challenge, Rebbapragada notes,
is that the Middle East, despite being an
appealing destination, is lacking a local
market. “We have to start encouraging people
in the Middle East to cruise locally,” he says.
“Once we reach that scale, you will see more
ships deployed in the region and products
being customised to the local Middle East
market. That’s what we’re working on.” �
Profiles
Roberto Ferrarini, following a career
working on board cargo and cruise
vessels since 1983, joined the Costa
Crociere shore department in 1996.
He has since become director of
marine operations.
As regional-vice president, international, of
Royal Caribbean, Rama Rebbapragada
is responsible for the growth and
development of the business in the
emerging markets of Asia, Latin America,
Europe, Middle East and Africa.
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