11-23-2006, 04:36 AM
<b>Dubai shatters 'Dream Cruise'</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>ISLAMABAD â The Dubai authorities have banned the entry of the cruise liner â Dream Cruiseâ in its waters following disappearance of three passengers travelling on the cruise, its very first trip to Dubai in the second week of November.</b>
The first ever luxury cruise liner service launched in the first week of November by Gulf Dream Cruise Company, embarked upon the 5-day trip on November 7 from Karachi to Dubai.
On arrival the passengers were allowed to enter the city of Dubai by depositing their passports with the immigration authorities at the port.
When the cruise was ready to return to Karachi, the Dubai immigration officials found three passengers missing. After a detailed discussion with the cruise crew, the Dubai authorities realised that the missing passengers had come to Dubai with the intention to disappear.
The authorities in Dubai decided to confiscate the cruise but the timely intervention by Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar rescued the situation, however, the Dubai authorities banned entry of any cruise liner coming from Pakistan.
<b>This incident left the Gulf Dream Company with no option but to abandon the cruising. The company is suffering heavy loss, as it has to house 300 foreign crew members and recently recruited 60 local employees, with no business in hand.</b>
When the Minister for Port and Shipping Babar Ghauri was contacted he confirmed the incident and said the government is offering alternative options to the company that includes a trip between Karachi and Gawadar and âNowhere Cruisingâ.
Explaining the âNowhere Cruiseâ, the minister said that the liner would travel some distance in the sea and not to any foreign destination, station there for few hours with the passengers and return after entertaining them on board.
The company hired the liner from Athens and launched the project with much fanfare offering on board entertainment from dreamy cinematic scenes to live captivating concerts and best DJ performances, mind-boggling magical shows to 15 halal meals package with gourmet dinners.
There was Caribbean music on the deck as well as the ever popular duty-free shopping. The company was offering various packages for eager sea fares with the lowest fare at $549 (Rs32, 940) for round trip.
Our Monitoring Desk adds: The first-ever Pakistani Cruise Service has been subjected to delay after its maiden six-day cruise. President Musharraf had said while inaugurating the cruise service that it would not only promote the tourism in the country but it could also boost the image of Pakistan as peaceful and tourist friendly country But as it appeared the cruise service had been doomed to the jeopardy right before itâs launching, reports BBC.
On November 3, when the first Dubai-bound cruise was to set forth, it was delayed on account of security arrangements for the president and the passengers were shifted to another cruise that was scheduled to sail offshore on November 7.
It was not yet the end of hazards the cruise was destined to meet; the Rashid Administration on Dubai port was not ready to ascribe the ship anything beyond âferryâ so the âGulf Dreamâ had to be anchored at the cargo dock instead of cruise terminal. Moreover, passengers were told that they would not have to carry their passports along and that the card-cum-credit card issued to them for purchasing food and drinks during cruise would be acceptable to the immigration officials in Dubai as legal accreditation for their entry. Nevertheless, when the cruise ship anchored, it was revealed to the passengers that the people, who were carrying their passports along, were authorised to dismount from the ship and the rest were told that for their visas the efforts were underway.
Hearing this the passengers, mostly traders, industrialists, military personnel, relatives of government officials, newly-wed couples and bachelors, all culminated in an angry mob. It was only after three hours from that scuffle, that out of 245 passengers, 141 were finally granted the visas-but that too in a farcical situation. Some people were in dilemma because if a husband was issued a visa, the wife was denied and if a father was granted a visa, the denied. Vice Admiral Muhammad Haroon, Vice Chief of Staff Pakistan Navy, was also among the passengers. He too was granted visa after hours-long frantic efforts by Pakistan Foreign Office officials. The first thing he did on dismounting from cruise was to leave for country on the first possible flight. The others too analysing the events as they unfolded, decided to travel back through plane. The passengers who were denied the visas, as though avenging their discomfiture got to do shopping and took hours to return, far later than the scheduled time for ship to sail back. They returned loaded with stuff they had bought and then the cruise was allowed to sail back.
Rizwan Muhayudin, Chairman of the cruise company was also among the voyagers. He held the view that, had there been no scramble, all the passengers might have been granted visas. Supporting his argument he added that it was the angry mob like look that kept the Dubai immigration officials from issuing visas to all, because they feared that many passengers might slip into the Emirates. In an effort to compensate the visa-denied cruisers, the cruise administration, however, offered them either they could enjoy an honorary next cruise or they could opt for the refunding of half of the fare.
Rizwan revealed that he had been having difficulties from day-one. He told that there was no terminal at Karachi port. Dream Cruise got it built at its resources so that custom and immigration officials might sit together. About want of duty free shoping at the cruise, he told that according to state-law, the liquor can be brought in at ship but it couldnât be carried out of country, whereas to maintain other duty-paid items was not prudent idea according to business-logic.
As stated by the cruise brochures and web-site, the passengers were allured by the idea of getting the five-star service during cruise and that they could also avail the room service. Meanwhile it was also arranged to keep the cabin-phones all dead. Passengersâ dream of enjoying internationally renown concert performances was fulfilled by hearing some Khan sahibâs ghazals backed by harmonium and tabla and the other night the soul lead singer of Bombay Vicking, a pop group, did lip-singing of his hits. For cinema entertainment, the audience had to watch Shahrukh Khanâs remake of DON, over and over again whereas the Arabic version of hukah, âShishaâ, children day care services, magic shows, massage parlours and gymnasium, all remained confined to the brochures and web-site. The Internet, Satellite phone, or satellite channels or other services of similar nature were non-existent or perhaps those were beyond passengersâ knowledge.
<b>Casino, however, was kept open for quite late at night wherein a few gambled seriously while others kept making eyes to the Ukrainian girls around.</b> The onboard youth found a way to kill boredom by swinging to the Indian melodies that would be played on the deck whereas the old folk kept gazing the sea either form the windows of their cabins or reclining on the couch and the kid-lot fatigued themselves by jumping here and there. The standard of food, however, was good and included high-tea as well and eating four-times-a-day was the only entertainment and time-killing activity. On their return when those âfortunateâ first cruisers anchored at the Kimari dock after the delay of ten hours against the scheduled time, they were not allowed to dismount for an hour.
<b>It was heralded that at first the family and luggage of the Vice Admiral would be alighted from the ship and then the rest would be able to dismount. Hence at first the family of the Lord of the Sea was escorted down from the ship and then the rest finally touched the ground. The cruise company officials are reluctant to say anything about the future of the cruise service but the resources of the Karachi Port Trust deem that the cruise of Dream Cruise has darted off somewhere but the dream still remains there.</b>
Cheers <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->