Taking a Cruise While in Sharjah
Of all of the places in the United Arab Emirates to visit, Sharjah might just be the most culturally enriching. The stunning city that overlooks the coastline of the Persian Gulf is famous for its efforts to preserve and promote Arabic heritage. It is a truly unique place in a nation where the most famous cities are continually looking to modernize and become world-beaters as quickly as possible.
While the Heart of Sharjah is perhaps the biggest attraction to the area from a cultural learning standpoint, Sharjah has utilized its position of the Persian Gulf’s shore to introduce a range of specialist cruises that enable people to explore the area in new and exciting ways.
The Sharjah cruise scene
Sharjah's idyllic location on the Persian Gulf makes cruises as scenic on the water as it is roaming around the city’s ancient streets. While most people think of ocean-crossing ships when cruises come to mind, the most popular around Sharjah are the more local and shorter trips.
The most popular cruise that features Sharjah is the Musandam Khasab Full-Day Cruise, for which people can transfer from hotels in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras al-Khaimah. The full-day cruise features dolphin watching, snorkelling, and an oriental lunch while you explore the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.
The UAE’s cruise hub
While Sharjah is a beautiful place with so many aspects to immerse yourself in, many residents and visitors to the area seek a more traditional cruise getaway from time to time. Luckily, there’s much more on offer less than half an hour to the south. Being a part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area, the cruise-loving public of Sharjah isn’t far from more the country’s most extensive cruise offering, with Dubai continuing to expand the number of ships it docks and break new records for passenger arrivals.
Cruises from Dubai offer a more commercial type of local cruises, with many of the shipowners being international brands. As such, people who jump on one of these cruises can enjoy activities that they can’t necessarily find on land. Cruise ships exude extravagance and luxury, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many ships offer a casino. As soon as a ship gets into international waters, they can open up their casinos to passengers from the UAE, which has made casino cruises very popular.
While some Royal Caribbean ships boast a casino room, perhaps the best-known is that of Costa. A regular to the port of Dubai, Costa ships often feature a casino alongside their many other onboard activities, which includes a whirlpool and multi-sports pitch. Better still for people in Sharjah, getting to Dubai to hop onboard one of the extravagant cruise ships was made a bit easier last year, with Khaleej Times reporting on a new ferry being established from the Aquarium Marine Station in Sharjah to the Al Ghubaiba Marine Station.
Sharjah is the cultural jewel of the UAE, and while its own cruises offer further insight into the area, those who want a bigger cruise experience only have to venture down to Dubai.
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