Fujairah celebrated the official start of the 2019-2020 cruise season with the first cruise turnaround at Fujairah Port. The call by the <em>Marella Discovery</em>, a cruise liner operated by TUI UK, at Fujairah Terminals marked the first time a visiting vessel dropped off arriving guests and welcomed new visitors during the ship's stay at the port. To help turnaround call process, the authority established a temporary cruise terminal to oversee the movement of visitors. This includes a passenger hall, luggage-handling area and has onsite traffic and logistics support for travellers transferring to and from Dubai World Central airport. AbdulAziz Al Balooshi, acting chief executive of Fujairah Terminals, said: "This event marks a key moment for the emirate and is the culmination of all the hard work done in close collaboration with our government partners to support cruise operations, while at the same time elevating Fujairah’s place as a top destination within the global cruise market." Since receiving the first cruise ship back in 2016, Fujairah has experienced a steady increase in the number of calls each year. Noura Al Dhaheri, cruise terminal manager at Abu Dhabi Ports, said: "We are excited to announce the official start of cruise season here in Fujairah with the arrival of <em>Marella Discovery</em>. The ship is the first of 16 cruises scheduled to arrive for the season, which is slated to end on May 15, 2020. "Starting with seven cruises back in 2016, the number of annual cruise calls has increased significantly over the past few years, highlighting the growing popularity of Fujairah as a top travel destination and Abu Dhabi Ports’ commitment to growing the cruise market in the UAE." <em>Marella Discovery</em> has 11 decks, 918 cabins and can carry up to 1,800 guests. The vessel will embark on a two-week cruise and is set to stop in Abu Dhabi. From there, the ship will continue with several excursions planned in Oman before arriving in Kochi in Kerala, India.
