This past summer, Instagram feeds were plastered with videos of tourists in Italy. You’d see a video of the Trevi Fountain with just a few Italian models taking photos – then a more realistic video with swarms of sweaty tourists.
13.09.2023 - 05:31 / skift.com / queen Mary / Scarlet Lady / Josh Corder / Cruises
Saudi Arabia is working on its own major commercial cruise line brand designed for those with “Arabian preferences.” AROYA Cruises sets sail next year with a single ship, formerly known as World Dream, the last remaining ship of the struggling Dream Cruises company.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the new owner of the ship – now known as Manara – for $300 million at an auction in December last year. It comes under the management of PIF’s cruise company, Cruise Saudi, and acts as a showcase for its cruise liner brand AROYA.
As is the way with Saudi Arabia and its ambitious ventures, it is throwing everything at this ship. Originally designed for “Asian preferences,” a lot is being done to make the ship more “Arabian” in feel and programming, by “honoring Arabian culture through the brand values of inspiration, enrichment, generosity and respect,” AROYA Cruises explained at launch.
This week, AROYA Cruises announced it would refurbish 98% of “guest-facing venues” in the ship, a vast overhaul. Global maritime outfitting firm MJM Marine is entrusted to transform all cabins and suites, the interiors, steelworks and upgrade all the onboard electrical.
MJM Maritime largely operates at the top end of the industry, indicating the AROYA offering will be a luxurious one. MJM has worked on the Queen Mary 2, Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady and Scarlet Lady, and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
AROYA Cruises, with sovereign wealth fund money at its disposal, is also calling upon a second outfitter for its maiden ship. De Wave Group will work on the ship’s public areas, catering areas and its “new super suites,” as AROYA Cruises calls them.
“The creation of a premium cruise experience starts from the design phase and by working with two of the cruise sector’s most well-regarded outfitters, we’re demonstrating our commitment to making Aroya Cruises an exceptional product,” said CEO Lars Clasen.
Cruise Saudi doesn’t provide many details as to what this 98% refurbishment entails, but the remaining 2% left untouched is unlikely to be the ship’s many bars and lounges from when it was World Dream.
The original plans for World Dream stated the 3,500-guest ship had more than 20 restaurants, including a “Bar City”’” with three bars, one specifically for champagne, and a wine vault. The ship also originally had karaoke, a waterpark, mini golf and five retail outlets.
As it approaches its launch next year, AROYA Cruises has announced its main retail partner: Germany-based firm Gebr. Heinemann.
Kerstin Schepers, MD for the Cruise Business at Gebr. Heinemann added: “We are very excited to be on board the AROYA Cruises. On its first ship we want to inspire travelers with our impressive employees and our spectacular
This past summer, Instagram feeds were plastered with videos of tourists in Italy. You’d see a video of the Trevi Fountain with just a few Italian models taking photos – then a more realistic video with swarms of sweaty tourists.
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The Luxury Collection NEOM, located in Saudi Arabia’s Sindalah Island, put out a call for mixologists and bartenders ahead of its opening next year – though the hotel’s operator, Marriott, says the job listings were a mistake and being removed.
The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, referred to as “MBS” by the media, won’t slow down his spending to reshape his kingdom and boost tourism. His immense projects have been met with scrutiny overseas, but in the future, he wants to develop nearly 600 islands along the coast, according to his interview on Wednesday with Fox News, his first fully in English.
Stargazing is a time-honored tradition that has been an integral part of history in Saudi Arabia for millennia. The night sky was a crucial navigational tool in the vast and often featureless stretches of Saudi’s desert. Just as sailors use stars for navigation at sea, Bedouins relied on them to find their way across the sand. Those traditions are still honored today, and if you’re interested in learning more about the culture while enjoying the outdoors and vast star-studded sky, there are few locations in the country that can rival the natural beauty and vastness of AlUla.
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