Qatar cruise season welcomes more than 190,000 mid-season passengers

Qatar Tourism has announced the highlights of the mid-season cruise season 2024/2025, which show Qatar’s growing position as a major tourism destination. By 20 January 2025, Qatar had received 53 cruise ships, carrying 191,944 visitors, including 20,951passengers have used Doha as a starting point for their cruises. So far, the season has welcomed passengers from Germany (30.2%), followed by Russia (10.8%) and Italy (9.2%), with the top ten nationalities collectively accounting for 69.2% of the total number of passengers.
This season saw the addition of four new cruise ships: Resorts World One, MSC Eurobia, Celestial Journey and Costa Esmeralda. In addition to the ship “Norwegian Sky”, which is expected to arrive on 12 April 2025. The Costa Esmeralda, the eighth largest cruise ship in the world, will visit Doha Port ten times this season, carrying around 82,000 passengers.
Omar Al Jaber, Head of Tourism Development  at Qatar Tourism, said: “The incredible growth of Qatar’s cruise sector is a testament to our vision within the National Tourism Strategy 2030. Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, more than 30 cruise ships are expected to arrive by the end of the season in April 2025, carrying around 185,000 visitors, reflecting Doha’s growing position as a major cruise destination, coupled with strong partnerships with global cruise operators, all of which demonstrate the growing demand for Qatar’s exceptional cruise offerings. As we continue to invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure and enhance the visitor experience, we remain committed to positioning Qatar as a premier cruise destination.”
The cruise sector has become a key pillar of Qatar’s national tourism strategy, with remarkable growth in recent years, with Doha Port strategically located in the heart of the city, allowing visitors to make the most of their short stay, with notable attractions such as the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif nearby. The experience is enhanced by Doha Port’s grand cruise terminal, which combines classical Arabian architecture with state-of-the-art facilities, symbolizing Qatar’s commitment to delivering World-class experiences for cruise visitors.
As Qatar continues to expand its tourism offering, cruises remain a key driver of the country’s vision to become a world-class destination.