Watch: First cruise ship returns to Abu Dhabi's Zayed Port

What happened when Mein Schiff 6 pulled into port…

The TUI-owned cruise ship, Mein Schiff 6 (which literally means ‘my ship’ in German) became the first cruise ship to return to the terminal in Port Zayed, following the lifting of restrictions earlier this year.

Passengers arriving into Abu Dhabi on the 2.534 capcity Blue Motion Class pleasure boat – were tempted away from their floating hotel, which features 11 restaurants, 16 bars, a spa and cycling track — to experience the touristic tug of our fair city.

Those that disembarked the boat to embark on an Abu Dhabi adventure, praised the capital’s safety, shopping, hospitality and varied sight-seeing opportunities.

ترحب موانئ أبوظبي بعودة السفن السياحية للرسو في محطة أبوظبي للسفن السياحية في ميناء زايد. وكانت السفينة Mein Schiff 6 أول سفينة سياحية تصل إلى المحطة هذا العام، وسط إجراءات احترازية للحفاظ على صحة وسلامة طاقم السفينة والركاب. pic.twitter.com/vplqdRIryZ

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) November 13, 2021

The arrival of Mein Schiff 6 into port represents the launch of Abu Dhabi’s 2021/22 cruise season, and a huge boost for tourism in the emirate.

In 2019 more than 11.35 million international visitors came to experience the many and varied wonders of Abu Dhabi, roughly 518,000 (about 5 per cent) of those, came via 193 individual cruise calls

That might not sound like much, but it represents huge growth, a 46 per cent year-on-year increase in fact.

Passengers headed for Mina Port Zayed won’t have to stray too far to get a taste of that capital kind of life either. The Marsa Mina development is packed with flavour expedition opportunities and crafty art installations.

Images: TUI