Oman to emerge as all weather cruise destination

Muscat, May 28 - On Monday, the port in Khasab received the first ship to arrive in Oman after the winter cruise season. Karnika, also the first Indian cruise ship to visit the Sultanate, arrived with 1,043 travellers and crew. They were given a formal reception by officials at the Ministry of Tourism. The visit of Karnika comes as part of the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism to attract the cruise ships and promote tourism in the Sultanate. Abdullah bin Saif al Saadi, head of cruise ships department at the Ministry of Tourism, said the visit of the Indian cruise ship is an important step to introduce tourists from the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring Asian countries to the Sultanate.