JEDDAH — The "Red Sea Spirit" platform announced the launch of the first recreational cruises on Thursday (Aug. 27) on board of "Silver Spirit", the luxury cruise ship set to operate cruises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The cruises are organized in line with the Saudi summer season campaign "Break Free", visualized by "Visit Saudi", the official identity for promoting tourism in the Kingdom. “Break Free” was launched in cooperation between several entities, including the Ministry of Culture, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), and other relevant authorities. The luxury cruise ship Silver Spirit arrived at the port of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) on Wednesday, where “Red Sea Spirit”, the operator of tourist cruises, organized a welcome celebration in presence of media representatives. Ghassan Khan, chief strategy officer at Red Sea Cruise Company, said: “Recreational cruises provide a distinct tourism offering that combines luxury and exploration of new destinations. “In Saudi Arabia, there are exceptional opportunities to discover treasures along the Red Sea coast, where the islands, beaches and nature are unspoiled and unexplored. “Travelers will also have opportunities to enjoy on-shore activities as part of their itineraries which contribute to meeting the aspirations of all segments of society.” Silver Spirit offers eight luxury restaurants serving an array of international cuisine, as well as Arabian classics. Guests can relax in the swimming pool and spa during the day, and enjoy a number of musical performances in the theater in the evenings. The safety of guests and crew remains a top priority. The ship’s capacity will be kept at 75% to ensure social distancing between tourists, while extensive COVID-19 testing will be carried out before any passengers can board and at all stops, in coordination with the Ministry of Health. Stringent cleaning measures are in place throughout the ship and an on-board medical team is available 24/7. Cruises are scheduled to start on Thursday from King Abdullah Port in the Economic City, passing through Ras Al-Abyad in Yanbu and NEOM, then return to the starting point again. The cruises include two types of routes, the first passing through the beach of Ras Al-Abyad in Yanbu and then return to the starting point for a period of 3 nights, and the second route passes, to Ras Al-Abyad beaches in Yanbu and NEOM, and then returns back to the starting point over the course of 4 nights. The launch of this recreational cruise trip will be the start of the activities of the "Red Sea Spirit", which is affiliated to the Red Sea Cruise Company, a wholly owned company by the Public Investment Fund. — SPA