Nakheel launches cruises around landmarks

Nakheel plans to generate extra revenue by conducting cruises around its Palm Jumeirah and The World developments. The first set of cruises, under the brand name ‘Cruise with Nakheel' will tour the Palm Jumeirah, offering views of the island's resorts, villas, apartment complexes and marina. The trips will cater to groups of 12, 15 or 30 people on vessels of three sizes: 38, 52 and 80 feet. Cruise prices will start at Dh1,000 per boat, depending on the size of the vessel. The one-hour trips will operate daily between 9am and 5pm. Commercial concept "‘Cruise with Nakheel' is a completely new concept for marine tourism. Travellers can now go ‘inside' the Palm Jumeirah and enjoy views of the island and its buildings as never before. The Palm is already one of Dubai's biggest attractions, and we look forward to bringing more visitors to this world-famous landmark through our new cruise service," Saeed Hareb, managing director of Nakheel Marine and Leisure, said. According to a Nakheel spokesperson, the company is expecting up to 60 trips per month. "It has been welcomed by tour operators, who say it is a new opportunity to offer something unique for customers. We at Nakheel receive many individual requests from people," the spokesperson said. Separate cruises to the World islands will also be made available, repositioning the development as a tourist offering. The World project covers 931 hectares, with islands ranging from 150,000 to 450,000 square feet. According to Nakheel, 70 per cent of the 300 islands have been sold and the rest are still owned by Nakheel. Only two privately owned islands have begun construction — the six-island Heart of Europe Project developed by the Kleindienst Group and the Lebanon Island developed by Wakil Admed Azmi. Recently, the oyster-shaped islet, part of the Asia island, was put up for sale at a price of Dh105 million. As part of this tourism initiative, Nakheel said it plans to create 500 artificial reefs around The World islands in order to encourage marine life and aid the local fishing industry.