Hospitality
Resorts World One commences sailings from Dubai on 1 November
At Resorts World Cruises’ first press conference in Dubai with the support of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the cruise line announced the debut of Resorts World One in the Gulf in the Middle East. Starting 1 November 2024, the Resorts World One will homeport in Dubai via DP World’s Mina Port Rashid to offer three weekly departures. These include the 2 Night Sir Bani Yas Weekend Cruise (Friday departures); the 3 Night Oman (Khasab-Muscat) Cruise (Sunday departures); and the 2 Night Doha Cruise (Wednesday departures). For a longer cruise vacation, passengers can combine any of the itineraries to make a 4, 5 or 7 Night Cruise.
As ‘The Cruise Line that knows Asia Best’, Resorts World Cruises is able to apply decades of affiliated international experiences and in depth expertise to cater to the needs and subtle nuances of the Gulf markets. Muslim guests will be delighted to know that the Resorts World One will receive the official OIC/SMIIC* Standard Halal-Friendly Cruise Ship certification upon commencing her sailing from Dubai. Muslim guests can cruise with peace of mind to enjoy certified Halal cuisines throughout the ship, as all meats are being sourced from UAE Halal suppliers. Other Halal-Friendly onboard offerings are also accessible, including same gender services for selected facilities and venues. In addition, certified vegetarian and Jain cuisine are also available. Onboard public announcements will be made in English and Arabic languages for the convenience of the onboard guests. Shisha will also be available onboard.
“These are exciting times for Resorts World Cruises, as we inch closer to the start of our first sailing from Dubai to the Gulf with the Resorts World One on 1 November. The response from the Gulf and from various markets in Asia, including from our travel partners have been very encouraging and we look forward to welcoming guests aboard soon”, said Mr. Michael Goh, President, Resorts World Cruises. “Our deployment in the Gulf will unlock new opportunities for Dubai and the Gulf as a premiere cruise region. We look forward to this journey together, as we boost inbound and outbound travel for the cruise tourism sector,” he added.
Saud Mohammed Saeed Hareb, Cruise Tourism & Yachting Lead, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “Inspired by our visionary leadership and with the continuous support of our partners, cruise tourism continues to play a pivotal role in the growth of Dubai’s tourism industry, aligning with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global city for business and leisure. This strategic partnership with Resorts World Cruises is a testament to our commitment to bring increasingly diverse cruise experiences to our city, underlining Dubai’s position as the cruise hub of the region. We appreciate the efforts of the cruise line in fully assessing the needs of the market and offering a comprehensive world-class holiday to travellers from the region and around the world. We look forward to welcoming the first passengers onboard Resorts World One and providing them the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable experience, particularly in Dubai itself where they will begin and end their cruise journeys and be able to take advantage of the wide range of offerings across the city.”
Resorts World Cruises will introduce its brand of renowned Asian hospitality to the Gulf, providing international cruising lifestyle experiences, with adaptation for the regional markets being served. The commencement of Resorts World One on 1 November also coincides with Diwali, one of India and Asia’s major festivals, which will also attract a wider expat demographic in the region and the inbound Fly-Cruise segment to Dubai.
Aboard the Resorts World One, prepare to be amazed by a series of specially curated performances and unexpected entertainment, inspired by the Gulf and across Asia. With the first departure coinciding with the Diwali festive celebrations, guests from the Gulf and across Asia will get to personally experience the Festival of Light on the Resorts World One, as the ship will be colourfully decorated and brightly lit with exciting Diwali inspired activities, entertainment, “Gujarat food festival”, sweets and desserts during the entire week of celebration.
Catch the onboard day to night parties for the best time of your life, starting with the high energy ‘Dazzling Departure Party’ packed with music and entertainers. Enjoy the captivating ‘Twilight Soirée’ – featuring a mesmerizing dinner show party that will elevate your senses; or experience the magical Arabian culture, tradition, music and colours with the ‘Enchanting Arabian Nights Party’ or the ‘Sand & Oasis Party’ under the starry nights. Continue to dance the night away to your favourite tunes at the ‘Bollywood Party’ and for more amazing experiences, don’t miss the bubble-licious ‘Foam Party’; water-splashing ‘Rain Party’; ‘Family Pyjama Party under the Stars’ and more.
Also, don’t miss the spellbinding stage production shows with breathtaking choreography and awe-inspiring visuals with the ship’s very own ‘Trustfall’, ‘Rhythm & Balance’, ‘Love Matters’ performances and more. Guests of all ages can also take part in a wide array of activities from various Dance Classes, including Belly Dancing, Ballroom, Japanese, Flamenco etc.; as well as Kids, Teen and Family Karaoke, Outdoor Inflatable Games, Little Dreamers edutainment programs and more.
All these and more, while sailing to some of the best and exotic destinations in the Gulf. Over the weekend, explore the famous Sir Bani Yas Island known for its beautiful beaches and wildlife park with over 17,000 animals. Alternatively discover Oman’s gem cities, Muscat and Khasab, from its stunning mountain landscape to sandy beaches and beautiful lagoons; and centuries of rich historical wonders and architectures. Passengers can also choose to cruise to Doha, Qatar, a melting pot of cultures and nationalities where old meets new with adventurous activities from dune bashing to camel races and more.
“The Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism with their key partners is playing a significant role in preparations to ensure a genuine experience and hospitality for Resorts World Cruises in Khasab and Sultan Qaboos Ports from November 2024 to April 2025. This endeavour holds immense significance for Oman in their respective plans to operate 11 ports in the future,” said Mr. Khalid Al Azri, Director of Tourism Trends Department, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Oman.
“We are excited to welcome Resort World Cruises to Doha for the first time. Renowned for its international experiences and expertise to cater to the needs of its passengers, we are eagerly waiting for her debut across the region. Qatar Tourism’s Cruise Season 2024-2025 is expected to be the largest yet, as the season will see many maiden cruises as well as returning cruise ships gracing ‘The Terminal’. We will be updating visitors with all the new offerings soon,” said Maryam Saoud, Head of Tourism Product Support Section at Qatar Tourism
For the ultimate luxury experience at sea, discover The Palace, a luxury ship-within-a ship’ all-suite enclave with private amenities and access to exclusive restaurants, including 24-hour butler service.
Hospitality
GAME ON: THE CROFT LAUNCHES LIVE SPORTS EXPERIENCE WITH AED 17 DRINKS TO CELEBRATE 17 YEARS
Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites is turning up the action at The Croft, introducing a new live sports experience designed for fans who want to watch the game properly with great screens, great atmosphere, and even better deals.
Set in the heart of Dubai Marina, The Croft now shows a packed calendar of live sport across football, rugby, Formula 1, tennis, and every UEFA Champions League fixture. Six indoor screens ensure you’re never far from the action, whether it’s a midweek match or a full weekend line-up.
From Real Madrid and FC Barcelona to Manchester United, Liverpool FC and Arsenal, the world’s biggest clubs take center stage, shown live in a setting that’s lively, social, and effortlessly relaxed.
To mark the hotel’s 17th anniversary, drinks start from just AED 17, adding a celebratory edge to every matchday and making it even easier to settle in for the long haul.
At its core, The Croft keeps things simple: good food, cold drinks, and a proper place to watch the game. British-inspired favorites and classic pub bites round out the experience, making it just as suited to a casual evening as it is to a big match with friends.
THE CROFT – LIVE SPORTS EXPERIENCE
Where the game comes first.
A new go-to for live sport in Dubai Marina, The Croft brings together a full calendar of matches, six indoor screens, and a laid-back, social atmosphere that keeps the focus where it should be: on the game.
With drinks from AED 17 as part of the hotel’s anniversary celebrations, it’s a space designed for fans to settle in, stay awhile, and catch every moment.
WHERE: The Croft, Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites, Dubai Marina
WHEN: Ongoing PRICE: Drinks starting from AED 17
Opening Hours:
- Tuesday – Saturday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM (Dinner)
- Sunday: 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM (Lunch & Dinner)
- Monday: Closed
For more information or to book, visit instagram.com/croftdubai or call 04 319 4000
Hospitality
SHANGHAI ME MARKS WORLD COCKTAIL DAY WITH THE ALCHEMY,
A NEW COCKTAIL COLLECTION

Shanghai Me, the acclaimed Pan-Asian dining destination at the heart of DIFC, is marking World Cocktail Day with the launch of The Alchemy, a new cocktail collection built not around flavour profiles, but around something far more elemental.
Drawing on the five elements of Chinese philosophy, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, the menu takes its cue from the cyclical logic of the Chinese zodiac, in which each element aligns with its corresponding animal sign only once every sixty years. It is this rare convergence of character and energy that forms the conceptual foundation of the collection, with each cocktail functioning as an interpretation of a specific elemental force.
The result is a menu of considerable range. Some drinks are immediate and bold; others open slowly, revealing texture and progression across each sip. Fire manifests as intensity; Water as something fluid and instinctive; Earth as depth and weight; Metal as cool precision; Wood as forward momentum. Rather than using the zodiac as aesthetic decoration, the collection treats it as a structural framework, with each drink carrying a personality shaped by both its animal sign and its elemental character.
In its approach, The Alchemy reflects the culinary philosophy that has defined Shanghai Me since its Dubai opening, the blending of refined Japanese technique with the bolder flavours of Chinese cuisine, reinterpreted rather than preserved. The collection is helmed by the restaurant’s bar team and developed in keeping with the broader vision of chef-preneur Izu Ani and restaurateur Evgeny Kuzin under Fundamental Hospitality.
The Alchemy launches today, the 13th May, and will be available at Shanghai Me Dubai from that evening.
This is separate from skydive, Tuttofood and others. this is a new press release edit. give me an SEO title (7 words) and meta description (14 words) for this piece. please note my main keyword is Shanghai Me
Hospitality
SUN SIYAM PASIKUDAH LAUNCHES THE ONLY FLOATING OCEAN DINING PLATFORM ON THE WATERS OF PASIKUDAH BAY
Sun Siyam Pasikudah, part of the Privé Collection under Maldivian-owned Sun Siyam Resorts, has officially launched its floating dining platform on the open waters of Pasikudah Bay, the Aqua Lounge. It is the only floating ocean dining platform on the bay, the only solar-powered floating dining platform on Sri Lanka’s east coast, and the only floating fine-dining experience on the open Indian Ocean in eastern Sri Lanka — a meaningful distinction from the lake and river venues that exist elsewhere on the island. There is nothing else like it on this coastline.
The platform spans 400 square feet and is reached by catamaran directly from the resort’s shore. It is built from sustainable timber and recyclable barrels, and runs entirely on solar energy. Both choices reflect the resort’s wider commitments under Sun Siyam Cares, the sustainability programme covering renewable energy, ocean conservation, waste management, and community engagement across all Sun Siyam properties.
What makes the platform stand out is not just where it sits but the thinking behind it. The structure uses sustainable timber and recyclable barrels, runs on solar energy, and reclaimed greywater principles guide the resort’s wider operations on land. The floating platform is a natural extension of that philosophy, applied, quite literally, to the ocean the resort is working to protect.
The dining experience centres on a seven-course menu drawing on the freshness and flavours of the eastern coast. Evenings begin with sunset refreshments as the light shifts over the bay, and the platform stays open through the night for guests who want to linger over a meal with the sound of the water beneath them. For those who want something quieter, a breakfast on the platform is available on request, a more private way to begin the day out on the water.

Beyond the guest experience, the platform carries a genuine community purpose that the team considers just as important. School children from nearby villages are brought out to the platform regularly as part of the resort’s CSR programme, not as a sightseeing trip, but as a hands-on conversation about the bay they have grown up beside, the coral reef beneath it, and what it means to look after both. It is one of the ways Sun Siyam Pasikudah extends its values beyond its own grounds.
“Pasikudah Bay is extraordinary, the curve of it, the shallow water, the way the evening light falls across it,” said Arshed Refai, General Manager of Sun Siyam Pasikudah. “We wanted to put guests right at the centre of that. Not looking at the ocean from the shore, but actually sitting on it. And the menu tells the story of this coast, the ingredients, the fishermen who supply us, the techniques that belong here. That is the east coast experience we want people to leave with.”
Sun Siyam Pasikudah offers 34 contemporary pavilions set along one of Sri Lanka’s most pristine and unspoiled stretches of coastline. The resort has long embedded sustainability into its daily operations, from solar and LED lighting and water conservation to a waste management approach built around reduction, recycling, and composting. As part of the Privé Collection, the boutique tier of The House of Siyam, it is designed for travellers who want to be somewhere specific, not just somewhere beautiful. The floating platform is the latest expression of that: a dining experience that could only exist here, on this bay, on this particular stretch of the Indian Ocean.
Guests can also take advantage of the Summer Offer at Sun Siyam Pasikudah, available for stays until 31 October 2027. The offer includes exclusive savings on room upgrades, dining, and spa treatments, along with added touches such as a complimentary spa experience, kayaking session, and daily bicycle use, all designed to enhance a relaxed and immersive escape on Sri Lanka’s untouched east coast. For reservations and enquiries, guests can reach the resort on +94 65 205 5555 or +94 70 242 4263, or visit www.sunsiyam.com/sun-siyam-pasikudah.
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