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Luxury liner Viking Sun makes Muscat stopover on maiden sailing

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Underscoring Muscat’s enduring appeal as a destination for visiting cruise liners, Port Sultan Qaboos was a key port of call on Tuesday for the luxurious Viking Sun passenger liner on its inaugural world cruise. Significantly, Muscat was the only stopover for the splendid nine-deck cruise liner on its current maiden sailing, which began in Miami (USA) on December 15, 2017, and will conclude in London on May 5, 2018.


In a gesture of appreciation, a team of officials from Marafi, the newly established outfit charged with operating and managing Port Sultan Qaboos, went on board the Viking Sun when the vessel came alongside on Tuesday. They presented a commemorative plaque to the ship’s captain, and received a token memento as well.


Marafi is a new subsidiary of ASYAD Group, the transport and logistics investment arm of the Omani government. The company specialises in the operation and management of ports and harbours.


Viking Sun’s visit to the Sultanate — the only stopover in the entire Arabian Gulf on its maiden world sailing — bodes well for Oman’s aspirations to transform Port Sultan Qaboos into a waterfront and leisure destination. Omran, the government owned tourism investment and development arm, is overseeing the ambitious Muscat Waterfront Development in partnership with a UAE investor. Berths for cruise ships, as well as yachts and other water craft, are envisioned as part of the port’s revamp into a tourism and leisure hub.


Significantly, Muscat is one of only 66 ports in 35 countries that the majestic 930-passenger capacity liner is visiting during its 141-day-long world cruise spanning five continents. Ahead of its voyage through the Gulf, the ship was christened in traditional style during a scheduled stopover in Shanghai, China.


Launched only last year, the vessel is the fourth in Viking Cruises’ expanding fleet of cruise liners. A fifth vessel of similar capacity, named Viking Orion, is due to join the fleet this summer. Like the Viking Sun, the Viking Orion is also scheduled to make a stopover in Muscat in 2019 during its maiden ocean sailing planned to commence later this year.


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