Huge cruise liners have been spotted docking in Dubai

The gigantic vessels have been the subject of much talk…

If you looked out to the waters between Palm Jumeirah and Bluewaters Island recently, you might have noticed two gigantic new additions to the vista, in the form of two cruise ships. The vessels have become the first to dock at the Dubai Cruise Terminal at Dubai Harbour.

According to Arab News, the ships are operated by German cruise line Aida Cruises. There are no passengers just yet though, as they’re currently docked at Dubai Cruise Terminal, which spans over 120,000 square meters, as part of a test run before the tourism industry is once again revived.

The largest of the two vessels has now gone, but one remains. Both had some pretty out-there designs on them, in the form of large pink lips painted on the front and an eye with a wave design coming off it, stretching down the side of the ship.

The cruise liners, named AIDAprima and AIDAvita, are on track to offer seven-day trips from Dubai between late November this year, 2021, to April 2022, Covid-19 restrictions permitting. Aida ships have been visiting the UAE since 2006.

It’s not surprising that the Aida cruise liners were the first to dock at the terminal as back in 2018, the owner of Aida Cruises, Carnival Corporation, entered into a deal with Dubai-based Shamal Holding to build the terminals.

Dubai Harbour was originally slated to open in October 2020, ready for Expo 2020, however it hasn’t yet. There’s no word yet on when the development will officially open, but given that the world-famous Expo 2020 will now go ahead in October 2021, we wonder if the opening of Dubai Harbour will happen in tandem with this.

Spanning 20 million square feet, the mammoth development is set to be a luxury maritime hub. It will be the biggest marina in the region, able to berth up to 1,100 luxury yachts and boats, with hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, retail and even residences onsite.

Images: @aida_cruises