The old Doha port received the tourist ship “Norwegian Sky” with more than 1,800 tourists and crew from 867 individuals, as it was installed at the tourist ships “Termall”. The ship consists of 12 floors and provides many amenities and entertainment on board.
Qatar’s ports, through its official account on the “X” social media platform, stated that the ship that visits the State of Qatar for the first time managed by the company “Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)” based in Miami, Florida, USA, under the flag of the Bahamas.
Qatar’s ports indicated that “Norwegian Sky” has a length of 258 meters and a width of 37 meters, and accommodates up to 1944 passengers, and the ship entered the service in 1999.
Pillar
The cruise sector has become an essential pillar in the national tourism strategy in Qatar, achieving remarkable growth in recent years, as Doha Port has a strategic location in the heart of the city, allowing visitors to make the most of their short residence. The State of Qatar received during the first half of the season of the cruises 2024 – 2025, 53 tourist vessels, with 191,944 visitors on board, and this number included about 20,951 passengers who used Doha a starting point for their marine trips.
Major destination
The achievements of the first half of the season of the marine flights 2024/2025, and until January 20, show the growth of the State of Qatar as a major destination for marine tourism in the Gulf region, where it provided about 30.2 percent of visitors from Germany, 10.8 percent from Russia and 9.2 percent from Italy. The current season witnessed the addition of four new tourist ships: “Resorts World Wan”, MSC Eurasia, Celestall Journal, and Costa Izmarada, in addition to the ship “Norwegian Sky”. The vessel “Costa Izmirda”, which is the eighth largest tourist ships in the world, will visit the Doha Port ten times during this season, and the total number of passengers who will take about 82 thousand passengers will reach.
Great growth
Qatar Tourism said in a statement that the great growth of the cruise sector in Qatar is a testimony for its ambitious vision within the national tourism strategy 2030. Noting that it is expected that more than 30 tourist vessels are expected to arrive by the end of the season in April, carrying 185 thousand visitors, which reflects the growth of Doha’s position as a major destination for cruises, along with strong partnerships with international cruises operators, all of that, all of that The increasing demand for Qatar’s exceptional offers appears in the field of cruises. Noting that while continuing to invest in modern infrastructure and enhance visitors’ experience, it contributes to promoting Qatar is a major destination for cruises.
Enhancing the marine tourism industry
The State of Qatar has proven that it is one of the most desirable areas for luxury tourist cruises during the winter cruise season in the Persian Gulf. As part of its keenness to support this massive growth in the marine tourism industry in Qatar, Qatar Ports play a major role in the redevelopment of the Doha Port and its facilities.
With its strategic location in the heart of Doha, and its proximity to the most famous market in the city, museums and tourist attractions, the Doha port – the tourist cruise station – has become a destination for giant tourist cruise lines and luxury yachts. Doha Port offers a wide range of facilities and services for its visitors, including immigration offices, customs to ensure smooth procedures, exchange services, taxi and bus parking, city bus tours, as well as the free market, café, and waiting areas for passengers and tourist ships. It also provides various tourism information services provided by Qatar for tourism.
The relevant marine services in Qatar ports for ships, which are in Doha Port, ensure a safe and effective arrival and departure. The “Qatar Ports” is working alongside Qatar for tourism and the Ministry of Interior to develop the maritime tourism industry in Qatar, which witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of passengers coming over the years.