Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: Coinciding with the 90th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II, Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2 and its sister ship, Queen Elizabeth, will visit Oman. Officials said that Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to arrive in Muscat on April 19 at 8 am and sail at 6 pm the same day.
This will be followed by the Queen Mary 2 calling at the port on April 20 at 8 am. The ocean liner will sail at 8 pm.
“These port calls in Muscat offer a great opportunity for Muscat’s residents and their children to watch these impressive ships from Muscat Corniche,” officials said.
Similarly, Queen Elizabeth will be calling at Salalah on April 20 at 7 am and will sail at 6 pm.
Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to arrive at Salalah on April 22 at 7 am and sail at 6 pm. “This is a unique year when both the ships are calling at both Muscat and Salalah, one after the other.”
M C Jose, chief executive officer of Khimji Ramdas, Projects and Logistics Group, said these port calls coincide with the 90th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II and they are delighted that the British Embassy in Muscat will be celebrating this event in Muscat with a party alongside the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth during her call at Port Sultan Qaboos.
The Queen Elizabeth, Cunard’s youngest ship, named in 2010 by the Queen, is the second largest Cunard ship.
She is currently on her 121 night world voyage, having left Southampton, England on 11 January, 2016, returning on 10 May, 2016. She will have a stopover in West Africa, East Africa, Australia, Far East, Middle East and Mediterranean Coasts before returning to Southampton.
Similarly, Queen Mary 2 is crossing the Atlantic to the USA and sailing to South America before reaching Australia and New Zealand. She will go to Shanghai, Hong Kong and South East Asia before reaching the Middle East. The liner will sail pass West and East Mediterranean coasts before reaching Southampton.
Queen Mary 2’s 2016 World Voyage got underway on 10 January, 2016, and will return to Southampton on 10 May, 2016. They might have a chance to meet each other in UAE waters on 18 April, 2016. Khimji Ramdas Shipping, market leaders for cruise vessel handling in Oman, had a busy and successful year with approximately 275,000 passengers visiting different ports in Oman via various cruise ships.
The cruise ships visited Muscat, Salalah and Khasab. The tourists were thoroughly impressed by the authentic Arab hospitality, Arab architecture and superior hygiene. The last vessel for the season would be CS Sea Princess, calling on 6 June, 2016 in Muscat, and Seabourn Sojourn calling on 10 May, 2016 in Salalah.
