For those who’ve ever disembarked in Dubai with the sun on their shoulders and a suitcase full of cruise brochures, the news will come as no surprise: Emirates has once again hoisted its flag atop the mast of the global cruise industry, extending its Diamond Elite partnership with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)—a move as strategic as it is symbolic.
In plain English? The airline that’s never done subtle is now steering itself deeper into cruise waters, charting a course to keep Dubai on the world cruise map—and perhaps scribbling it in bold.
Cruising Toward Opportunity
“The cruise industry,” declared Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, “has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with robust demand spanning diverse traveller segments.”
And he’s not wrong. The numbers don’t fib. In 2023, more than 31 million passengers set sail globally, and CLIA forecasts a record-breaking 37.1 million in 2025. With Dubai quietly transforming into the Middle East’s maritime metropolis, Emirates isn’t just hitching a ride—it’s grabbing the helm.
Kazim continued, “This renewed CLIA partnership allows us to work more closely with cruise leaders, leverage our premium network, and entice more cruise travellers into choosing Dubai as their embarkation point.”
Suits, smiles and sea-bound strategy: Emirates and CLIA chart shared horizons.
That’s executive-speak for: we’ve got planes, they’ve got ships, let’s fill them both with happy, paying holidaymakers.
A Partnership With Perks
CLIA’s Diamond Elite partnership isn’t your average newsletter subscription. It’s the black-tie, champagne-flute kind of deal—giving Emirates a front-row seat at exclusive industry soirées, access to cruise trend data, and enough sway to align its air services with the ever-evolving cruising calendar.
And with Dubai playing host to four major cruise ships in 2024 alone, there’s no shortage of reasons to invest. Last year, Emirates welcomed nearly 187,000 cruise passengers through its home base. Many of them glided through Port Rashid or Dubai Harbour, where amenities include swift customs, generous duty-free offerings, and those remote check-in kiosks that make lugging bags through the city a thing of the past.
“We see Dubai as one of the best cruise destinations globally,” Kazim added, perhaps understating the glittering architecture, white-knuckle theme parks, and opulent malls that cruise-goers encounter before they even leave the port.
Dubai: Air, Land and Sea… Sorted
CLIA, which represents more than 90% of the world’s ocean cruise capacity, isn’t exactly handing out compliments like confetti. So when it’s Managing Director of Enterprise Development, Karyn Gruenberg, calls Emirates “a valued partner” that “demonstrates strong commitment,” it’s worth raising an eyebrow—and possibly a glass.
With 16 Emirates remote check-in facilities dotted across Port Rashid, and shuttle buses whisking passengers to the city, Dubai’s cruise infrastructure reads like an architect’s love letter to efficiency. The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal—try fitting that on a fridge magnet—is the world’s largest single covered cruise facility. Fourteen thousand passengers a day can move through it, presumably without once losing their luggage or temper.
It’s a far cry from the old days of boarding a cruise ship via a rickety gangway with the scent of diesel in your nostrils.
The Fly-Cruise Future
This partnership isn’t just about foot traffic. Emirates is sharpening its marketing compass toward “fly-cruise” packages, targeting globetrotters who’d rather skip the scenic route to the port and start their cruise with a glass of bubbly at 40,000 feet.
And let’s not forget the other half of the equation: cruise crew. Emirates is well-positioned to support the movement of staff who keep the floating cities running—chefs, singers, sommeliers, and yes, those towel-folding wizards.
For Emirates, it’s as much about cargo hold logistics as it is about upper-deck glamour.
All Hands on Deck
While the cruise industry faced stormy waters during the pandemic, it’s now plotting a buoyant course forward—and Emirates wants to be aboard, first class.
“Through collaborative efforts with our partners, Dubai today benefits from an integrated air-land-sea proposition,” Kazim concluded, presumably while standing somewhere very high up, with a gentle breeze in his bespoke suit.
And there you have it. Emirates isn’t merely riding the cruise wave—it’s helping to shape the tide. With this renewed CLIA partnership, Dubai’s maritime ambition just got another notch in its gilded belt. Expect bigger ships, fuller flights, and perhaps, if you’re lucky, a sky-high suite that comes with a sea view itinerary.
By Jason Smith, Reporting from Arabian Travel Market, Dubai
