Royal Caribbean to Base a Cruise Ship in Dubai

Add Royal Caribbean to the list of cruise lines betting big on the warm waters of the Persian Gulf.

The world's biggest cruise line announced Monday that it will deploy the 2,112-passenger Brilliance of the Seas to the sun-drenched region in 2010, basing the ship in fast-growing Dubai.

The six-year-old Brilliance, which currently sails year-round in Europe, will remain in the Gulf between January and April 2010, sailing seven-night cruises. The line says it will release details of the ships' itineraries in several weeks.

The 90,000-ton Brilliance is part of the line's Radiance Class of vessels.

Royal Caribbean is following in the footsteps of Carnival-owned Costa Cruises, which has had a ship based in the Persian Gulf since early 2007. Another Carnival-owned brand, AIDA Cruises, also has based a ship in Dubai. Both of the Carnival brands, however, cater mostly to Europeans.

Like the Caribbean, the Persian Gulf offers reliably warm weather and sunny skies, as well as ports chock full of shopping opportunities, beaches, watersports and cultural sites.