Qatar Opens Cruise Season with Arrival of Boudicca

Posted on 10 October, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

The 2018-2019 cruise season kicked off in Qatar with the Boudicca from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines docking at Doha Port last week.

The season, which continues until April 2019, is expected to see nearly double the number of cruise ships that arrived in the 2017-2018 season, according to a statement.

Of the 43 ships scheduled to call in Doha Port, 10 ships will be making their maiden calls to Qatar. Some 140,000 guests are expected.

There will also be five days with two calls, according to a press release.

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar’s major transport services provider, Mowasalat, recently signed an MoU to further develop tourist transport services, ensuring the growth in cruise tourism demand is matched with flexible and reliable transportation.

Qatar is expecting to receive 200,000 cruise visitors by the 2019-2020 season and has plans to turn Doha to a turnaround port.

QTA recently signed an agreement with the AIDA and Costa to place Qatar on the two companies’ winter itineraries as well as to cooperate in designing special promotion packages for their passengers.

Sickness Virus hits the AIDA Prima for six

Posted on 9 October, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Hundreds of cruise passengers quarantined in their cabins after bug sweeps the decks and leaves them vomiting and suffering diarrhoea

AIDAprima

Hundreds of passengers on a luxury Mediterranean cruise were reportedly struck down with a sickness bug that left them quarantined in their cabins.

Around 300 people on board the Aida Cruises ship the Aida Prima were left suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea after a virus is thought to have swept the vessel following its departure from Palma in Majorca on September 22.

The cruise liner had been bound for destinations including Corsica, Rome, Florence and Barcelona.

But it reportedly had to turn back for Majorca after passengers started feeling ill with gastroenteritis, leaving on-board doctors completely overwhelmed and ordering those that were sick to stay in their cabins.

Image result for aidaprima

According to German newspaper Bild, several passengers first started feeling unwell following a planned bus excursion.

Then when all those on board the cruise returned to the ship, the bug quickly spread with some passengers having to wait up to five hours to see the doctor.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that infected passengers were then told to stay in their cabins while they were brought bread and water by staff.

After turning back to Palma earlier than planned, all guests that had been on board were reportedly taken to a farm on the outskirts of the city and told to wait for flights back to Germany.

But it is believed that many refused to stay and took the first flights they could find back home.

The Aida Prima boasts 12 restaurants, 14 bars and cafes and a casino and can carry over 3,000 passengers.

A wave of illness also spread over one of the Prima’s sister ships, the Perla, recently.

Last month dozens of passengers on it fell ill and they were quarantined on board after it moored in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.

The ship’s German operator Aida Cruises said in a statement that crew increased hygiene measures after ‘gastro intestinal infections occurred among passengers’.

Local emergency services said in a statement that 70 passengers reported feeling sick and received treatment on-board.

AIDA Offers Abu Dhabi F1 Package

Posted on 30 July, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

AIDA Cruises is offering a seven-day cruise from Dubai Nov. 23 to 30 aboard the AIDAprima that includes the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix with pricing starting at 2,698 euro including flights and the race.

The race package features tickets for two days for the last FI race of the season, Nov. 24 and 25 (2018), including support races, qualifying and the F1 race.

Concerts are also part of the program, with performers Sam Smith and Guns N’Roses.

AIDA said the total package – cruise, flights and race – can be booked with travel agents or directly from AIDA online or by phone.