Qatar will soon start a luxury cruise ship service for passengers to Kuwait and Oman. The first-of-its-kind service in the Gulf region, is expected to start its service in two weeks, Qatar media reported.

The 145 meter-long cruise ship ‘MV Grand Ferry’ has the capacity to carry 870 persons and 670 cars. Initially, the ship will be going to ports in Oman and Kuwait, but the service can be extended to Iran, if there is enough demand for the route, media reported quoting Qatar Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti. MV Grand Ferry owner Faisal Mohamed al-Sulaiti said this new offering gives Qatar residents the opportunity to visit two neighboring GCC countries with flexibility and ease.

“After the blockade in GCC, a lot of passengers have the limitation of driving through the borders to neighboring countries. So we are giving people the flexibility to go with their own cars. They can disembark in Oman or Kuwait and they can drive around,” said Faisal Mohamed Al Sulaiti.

The France-made ship has 237 rooms and boasts of many facilities like a cinema hall, meeting rooms, restaurants, cafes, and medical facilities such as doctors and nurses. In case of any emergency, there is a facility for helicopter landing in the ship. The details about fares have not been finalized yet and will be announced soon, he added.

The management of ship is in talks with authorities in Oman and Kuwait to ease visa requirements for expatriates in Qatar, so that they can also take a trip to these countries, report added.