STAMFORD, Conn. -- Sea Air Holidays Ltd. here said it would become
the first U.S. company in more than 20 years to offer a cruise
itinerary that visits Iran.
Beginning in late November, the firm plans to offer 11
seven-night, roundtrip cruises from Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
with a port call in the southern Iran city of Bandar Abbas. The
fare is $3,297 per person, including air fare and excursions.
Attractions at historic Bandar Abbas include ancient baths and a
variety of mosques. Excursions will focus on Persian culture, and
will include a boat trip to Hormuz Island -- an arid, mountainous
island and the site of a historic Portuguese fort.
The cruises are on the Monet, a 56-passenger yacht-like ship
that Sea Air Holidays has chartered, and will operate in the
Persian Gulf through April.
Scott Hambidge, president of Sea Air Holidays, said the addition
of the port call in Iran reflects an improved social and political
climate. He said he met with officials of the Iranian Ministry of
Tourism regarding the cruise visit and found them very cooperative.
"The Iranians look forward to welcoming visitors in the era of
greater hospitality and understanding," Hambidge said.
Hambidge said the Iranian government had eased visa requirements
for the cruise passengers. A government official will board the
ship at Bandar Abbas to stamp passports, he said. The government
also has offered to provide a plain-clothes security detail to
watch over the travelers when they are in crowds.
The State Department continues to post a warning recommending
that U.S. citizens defer travel to Iran, but Hambidge said he has
seen a great amount of interest in the Iran port offering. He is
developing pre- and post-cruise tours to other areas of Iran.
Sea Air Holidays is including Bandar Abbas on its westbound
itinerary from Dubai, which also includes stops in Bahrain, Qatar
and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The company's eastbound
itinerary visits Muscat, Oman, and Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah and
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The two itineraries can be booked
back-to-back for a 14-day cruise. The company also is offering 11
cruises from Dubai that do not include Iran.
Sea Air Holidays began operations in 1979 and offers cruise and
land tours around the world.