The Costa Classica debuted in the Port of Dubai this past weekend, making Costa Cruises the first international cruise company to homeport in the United Arab Emirates city. The company also said it expects to ramp up capacity in the region for the 2007/2008 season. Seven-day itineraries aboard the Classica include two nights in Dubai with stopovers in Muscat, Bahrain and other UAE cities, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi. In total, the Classica will make 17 calls between Dec. 22, 2006 and Apr. 15, 2007, amounting to 44,000 passengers. Costa also plans to deploy the Romantica and Europa to Dubai for the 2007–2008 winter season. For more information, visit [www.costacruises.com].
