There is news on land, in the air and at sea this week, like a new Airline company lands in the United Arab Emirates, cruise passengers are invited to choose their own itinerary and a six-night safari allowing guests to track birds of prey is revealed.
Flydubai also announced the launch of four new destinations, while Jumeirah The Group unveils its Exclusive Collection of suites and villas around the world.
Here's a roundup of recent travel and tourism news – in case you missed it.
Passengers will choose an adjusted itinerary for a nine-month world cruise
Royal CaribbeanThe Serenade of the Seas, which left in December, will adapt its itinerary due to tensions in the Middle East.
Three legs of the original 274-night itinerary will be affected, including the 18-night Ultimate Jordan, Egypt and Israel segment, as well as trips that would pass through Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece and Italy .
The changes are voted on by passengers, however, as the cruise liner gives its passengers the choice of which ports they call at.
A meeting was held this weekend in the ship's Tropical Theater to explain the situation to passengers and present two alternative sailing routes. Both will leave from Dubai.
The first, called Immersive Africafeatures 11 countries across the continent – including Madagascar, Namibia, Ghana and South Africa – and 20 port calls from May 9 to June 20.
The second is an Africa and Greece itinerary that travels the continent with just three stops, including a visit to the Seychelles, Cape Town and the Canary Islands. It also includes an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt and exploration of the Greek islands.
All travelers receive a prorated 25% or 50% refund for adjusted sections based on their cruise fare, and they can choose to cancel and receive a full refund for these segments.
Fly Jinnah marks its inaugural international flight at Sharjah Airport
from Pakistan Low-cost airline Fly Jinnah operated its inaugural international flight on Saturday, landing at Sharjah, where a welcome ceremony took place upon his arrival. This decision comes after a year of national operations.
The plane, which arrived 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 United Arab Emirates, its first international destination.
Each plane 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 affordable snacks.
Jumeirah launches exclusive collection of suites and villas
UAE-born hotel brand Jumeirah Group has unveiled its exclusive collection of suites and villas spread across Europe and Asia.
This includes properties in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Bali, Italy, China, UK, Maldives and Spain.
In Dubai, a collection of newly renovated summer homes and private villas have opened at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf, located in Madinat Jumeirah. Each summerhouse has eight to ten rooms, a one-bedroom suite, a majlis and a courtyard.
All seven villas are equipped with a swimming pool and private access via a dedicated abra station.
All accommodation features a butler, free refreshments and snacks served daily at sunset.
Flydubai accelerates its operations in Europe with four new destinations
UAE low-cost airline flydubai has announced the launch of 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 to Tallinn in Estonia and Vilnius in Lithuania from October 12. Prices for these economy class flights start at Dh1,920, Dh2,100 and Dh2,180 respectively.
“We have created a diverse network of 126 destinations, 60 percent of which previously had very limited or no connections to Dubai,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, managing director of flydubai.
Emirates will also share codes on these routes.
Six-night Kenyan safari lets guests track birds of prey
Cottar's Safaris launches six-night safari in the Masai Mara which allows guests to learn more about birds of prey. The expert-led experience, which runs May 24-30, supports conservation efforts across Kenya Birds of Prey Trust.
Guests will get a rare glimpse into the world of birds of prey, from martial eagles and owls to vultures, tracking birds of prey and guarding their nests. They will also learn about the work of KBOPT’s Mara Raptor Project, which aims to preserve critical habitats.
The safari allows guests to adopt a bird of prey in need, and a $1,000 contribution per guest is included in the package to support the organization.
The experience costs $8,286 per person, based on two adults sharing full board in a luxury tent at the 1920s Cottar Camp.
Another half-day immersive raptor package for $780 per group is also introduced year-round.
The airline weighs passengers with their luggage to ensure safe takeoff
Finland The flagship airline has started weighing passengers to ensure that the airline does not exceed the maximum weight for safe takeoff.
Finnair, however, assured that the weigh-ins of its guests were “voluntary and anonymous” and that the data collected would not be linked to any personal information.
Passengers are weighed with their carry-on luggage and the customer service agent is the only person who can see the total measurement.
These weighings began at Helsinki Airport earlier this month after authorities asked the airline to update its average weight measurements, which must be updated every five years.
Updated: February 20, 2024, 8:25 a.m.
