Travel Unpacked: New airline lands in the UAE and nine-month World Cruise to skip Red Sea

There is news on land, in the air and at sea this week, as a new airline lands in the UAE, cruise passengers are asked to choose their own itinerary and a six-night safari that allows guests to track birds of prey is unveiled.

Flydubai has also announced the launch of four new destinations, while Jumeirah Group unveils its Exclusive Collection of suites and villas around the world.

Here’s a round-up of recent travel and tourism news – in case you missed it.

Passengers to choose adjusted itinerary on nine-month World Cruise

Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, which set sail in December, will adjust its itinerary due to tensions in the Middle East.

Three sections of the original 274-night route will be impacted, including the 18-night Ultimate Jordan, Egypt and Israel segment, as well as journeys that would pass through Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece and Italy.

The changes, however, are being voted on by the passengers, as the cruise liner gives its guests the choice on what ports they call upon.

A meeting was held in the ship’s Tropical Theatre this weekend as the situation was explained to passengers and two alternative sailing routes were presented. Both will leave from Dubai.

The first, called Immersive Africa, features 11 countries from the continent – including Madagascar, Namibia, Ghana and South Africa – and 20 port visits from May 9 to June 20.

The second is an Africa and Greece itinerary that moves around the continent with only three ports of call, including a visit to the Seychelles, Cape Town and the Canary Islands. It also includes an overnight stay in Alexandria in Egypt and exploration of the Greek Islands.

All travellers are getting 25 or 50 per cent prorated refund for the adjusted sections based on their cruise fare, and they can choose to cancel and receive a full refund for these segments.

Fly Jinnah marks inaugural international flight at Sharjah airport

travel unpacked: new airline lands in the uae and nine-month world cruise to skip red sea

Pakistan’s Fly Jinnah has chosen the UAE as its first international route. Photo: Fly Jinnah

Pakistan’s low-cost carrier Fly Jinnah operated its inaugural international flight on Saturday, landing in Sharjah, where a welcoming ceremony was held on its arrival. The move comes after a year of domestic operations.

The aircraft, which flew in from Islamabad, was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute.

The airline has a fleet of five Airbus A320s and currently connects Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta, alongside the UAE, its first international destination.

Each aircraft has a free in-flight streaming service called SkyTime, which allows passengers to stream entertainment directly to their devices, as well as a SkyCafe onboard menu with snacks at affordable prices.

Jumeirah launches Exclusive Collection of suites and villas

UAE-born hospitality brand Jumeirah Group has unveiled its Exclusive Collection of suites and villas across locations in Europe and Asia.

This includes properties in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Bali, Italy, China, the UK, the Maldives and Spain.

In Dubai, a collection of newly renovated summerhouses and private villas have opened at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf, which is located in Madinat Jumeirah. Each summerhouse has eight to 10 bedrooms, a one-bedroom suite, majlis and courtyard.

The seven villas come with a pool and private access via a dedicated abra station.

All accommodation has a butler, free refreshments and snacks served daily at sundown.

Flydubai ramps up operations in Europe with four new destinations

travel unpacked: new airline lands in the uae and nine-month world cruise to skip red sea

Flydubai will launch flights to Riga in Latvia in October. Photo: flydubai

Low-cost UAE carrier flydubai has announced it will launch four new services across Europe, including its first entry into the Baltic region.

From August 2, the carrier will operate direct flights to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in Basel, with economy fares starting from Dh1,500 ($408).

This is followed by flights to Riga, Latvia, on October 11, as well as Tallinn in Estonia and Vilnius in Lithuania from October 12. Prices for these flights in economy start from Dh1,920, Dh2,100 and Dh2,180, respectively.

“We have created a diverse network of 126 destinations, 60 per cent of which previously had very limited or no connections to Dubai,” said flydubai chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith.

Emirates will also codeshare on these routes.

Six-night Kenyan safari lets guests track birds of prey

travel unpacked: new airline lands in the uae and nine-month world cruise to skip red sea

Cottar’s Safaris’s new experience allows guests to track birds of prey in Kenya. Photo: Cottar’s Safaris

Cottar’s Safaris is introducing a six-night safari in the Masai Mara that allows guests to learn about raptors. The expert-led experience, which runs from May 24 to 30, supports conservation efforts through Kenya Bird of Prey Trust.

Guests will gain rare insight into the world of raptors, from the martial eagle and owls to vultures, tracking the birds of prey and monitoring their nests. They will also learn more about the work of KBOPT’s Mara Raptor Project, which aims to preserve critical habitats.

The safari allows guests to adopt a raptor in need, plus a $1,000 contribution per guest is built into the package to support the organisation.

The experience costs $8,286 per person, based on two adults sharing on a full-board basis in a luxury tent at Cottar’s 1920s Camp.

Another half-day immersive raptor package for $780 per group is also being introduced year-round.

Airline weighs passengers with luggage to ensure safe take-off

Finland’s flagship airline has started weighing passengers in a bid to ensure the airline does not exceed maximum weight for a safe take-off.

Finnair has assured its guests weigh-ins are “voluntary and anonymous”, however, and collected data will not be linked to any personal information.

The passengers are weighed with their carry-on luggage and the customer service agent is the only person able to see the total measurement.

These weigh-ins started at Helsinki Airport earlier this month after authorities required the airline to update its average weight measurements, which need to be refreshed every five years.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Fantic Enters The Sporty Side Of Town With Stealth 125 And Imola Concept

Fantic Stealth 125 and Imola Concept The Italian manufacturer’s sporty offerings are designed to appeal to the beginner segment. The 125cc segment, pretty much non-existent in the US market, is ... Read more »

Discover the Health Benefits of Valencia Orange: Serving Sizes, Nutrition Facts, and Concerns Curated by Nutrition Professionals.

Valencia orange image Perspective from Roseane M Silva Master in Health Sciences, Bachelor in Nutrition · 7 years of experience · Brazil Possible Side Effects People who are allergic to ... Read more »

Kibsons at the heart of the better food systems debate bound for Cop28

Leading grocery delivery company Kibsons says it is already answering the call for greener production processes as food security and sourcing enter the Cop28 spotlight later this month. The UAE ... Read more »

Government passes draft budget law for FY2024

AMMAN — The government on Wednesday endorsed the draft general budget law for 2024 with estimated public revenues of JD10.3 billion, marking an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with ... Read more »

New forecasted capital expenditure for fiscal year 2024 stands at JD73 million — Gov’t

AMMAN — The new forecasted capital expenditure for the fiscal year 2024 stands at JD73.317 million, according to the 2024 public budget draft law. The government allocated JD1.729 billion as ... Read more »

Historical insights: Evolution of archaeological research in Jordan from post-World War I to 1960s

AMMAN — The post World War I period marks the beginning of scholarly research in Jordan. During the British Mandate in Jordan, the Department of Antiquities in Amman was founded ... Read more »

No fruit acids, whitening creams: UAE authority issues guidelines for salon cosmetics

The Sharjah City Municipality has issued a set of guidelines for the use of cosmetic products in hair salons and beauty centres. The authority urges salons to stick to these ... Read more »
Top List in the World