While many of us have grown up all our lives in Karachi, a port city, it is difficult to find Karachiites who have ever been out to the sea on a boat. At the most you will be able to find people who have traveled to Keemari and the Manora Island. Somehow the port-city residents do not seem to have access to the sea-going vessels.
Well, that is expected to change now, at least for the financially privileged group. Gulf Dream Cruise, ocean going luxury liner, has reached the Karachi port and is set to launch on its first Karachi-to-Dubai trip on November 7th. This will be the first such trip for Karachi in decades. Several other licenses to other port-destinations have also been issued, including Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.
The luxury liner weighs about 23000 tons, is approx 196 m long, has 540 rooms and with a crew of 400 it can carry approx 1250 passengers. According to its marketers, the Gulf Dream Cruise provides:
a time to relax and be pampered. First time ever in Pakistan, a complete luxury 5 day Cruise trip Karachi-Dubai-Karachi. Take a Gulf Dream Cruise and set sail on a dream.
This cruise ship promises a lot to the vacationing Pakistanis. Many of the items on the menu of offerings will appear quite familiar to the luxury seeking Pakistanis: Halal meals, gourmet dinners, five-star dining, day-care for children, live music, magic shows, card-tables, ping-pong, Karoke, sheesha lounge, teen-parties, 24-hr salon, 24-hr fitness center, and of course not to forget the duty free shopping.
And the prices? An inside facing 3rd floor room starts at Rs 33,000 and the price for a 7th floor suite is Rs 52,000. Frankly, that desn’t sound over-priced compared to what vacationers pay to travel to Middle East and Europe and stay in hotels etc.
I am sure many readers will be wondering how this opulence for the rich compares to the average monthly income of a Pakistani. It is hard for me to be a judge on that? It is an unfortunate reality that most Pakistanis would not be able to afford a luxury ocean liner cruise vacation, and hence the sea is still unaccessible to them. However, there is something to be said for developing an entertainment sector that at least makes options available to the public, especially our youth. And if this helps provide employment at the ports, even better.
Personally, I am waiting for a boat tour to start that will take me to the different islands and communities along the Pakistani coastline. Now that will be a cruise worth remembering!
Actually the cruise liner wont last long specially once the affording class gets over with the initial hype, Late Dec/Early Jan season could be a peak and then the fan fare could simply disappear.
The idea is novelty as Pakistanis have a fascination with Dubai, a cruise can be an added entertainment package. Pakistanis in general would rather take the cruise IF they were allowed a layover of 2/3 days in Dubai
I suspect that once in a few months the operators might actually start offering this iteneray, then there might be a future for cruise liners.
“It is an unfortunate reality that most Pakistanis would not be able to afford a luxury ocean liner cruise vacation, and hence the sea is still unaccessible to them.”
You don’t need a cruise-liner to “access” the ocean. Actually, you have to get off the ship to get into the water.
Anyway, if we can find ways for filthy rich Pakistanis to squander their money at home rather than abroad…what’s there to complain about?
If only we had a government *sincere* enough to put the money back into the very people in Pakistan. Award islands, shipping contracts to foreign firms, 7-star malls but then also let it trickle down to the people of PK by investing tenfold in education, eradication of poverty, population control et al.
Bilal,
You might be able to afford the trips along coastline and to the islands but for the majority of the population it will remain just a dream as the government is in the process of selling the coastline and islands consortiums from Dubai, DHA, etc.
With the conspicous consumption in full swing where pace of development is being measured from sales of split A/Cs, number of new cars on the road; I think time is ripe for any politician to lead the nation with a slogan akin to “roti, kapra aur makaan” in contrast to “obscurantists, enlightened moderates” which half of the population can’t even begin to comprehend.
I look at this post, and that earlier one on the price of milk with that moving picture of the old woman, and I wonder just how divided Pakistan is.