Ocean cruises become popular with Saudis

There is an increasing interest among Saudis to go on ocean cruises, particularly honeymoon and family packages, according to veterans in the travel and tour industry in Jeddah.
They say cruises have become relatively affordable and convenient; the traveler has to unpack only once while cruising from port to port and today’s modern ships are more comfortable.
Syed M. Mujeeb, a manager at Majed Travel and Tourism, who has been in the travel business for nearly three decades, told Arab News that the increase has become noticeable over the last five years, and has picked up particularly in the past three years. “Nearly 150 to 175 cabins are sold every year. This number is rising 15 to 20 percent annually. Saudis go on ocean, river and sea cruises all over the world, but they prefer ocean cruises,” he said.
Bosco Rodrigues, travel division manager at National Flight Service (NFS), said that all-inclusive one-stop packages are growing in popularity. Summer is the peak season and the type or kind of cruises customers normally prefer include the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Interest in South East Asia is also growing. The usual duration of a cruise is seven to 10 nights, and the average spending is $2,500 to $3,500 per person for a standard cabin and approximately double for a deluxe cabin.
Raheel Khan, general manager at Majed Travel and Tourism, said interest in honeymoon cruises, and Disney cruises, has also been growing in the last few years. Before Disney cruises, some families had already taken cruises to the Far East, visiting destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Cruises begin from places including Dubai, Greece, Spain and Italy where travelers are flown from the Kingdom. River cruises are mainly in Austria (Danube cruise), France (Seine), and Germany (Rhine), whereas sea cruises include the Arabian Sea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Bali. The cruise allows guests to visit a new city every day.
There are seasonal price fluctuations. Minimum cabin prices range from $750 to $2,500 per person for seven-day cruises, and $300 to $600 for four-day cruises. The season usually lasts from March to October with a decrease in numbers from November to February.