A big ship turning around at Mina Rashid sends thousands of people through one building in a few hours. The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal opened in December 2014, sized for 14,000 passengers a day (Cruise Business). Some of them need DXB for a lunchtime flight, others a hotel 30 km away in Dubai Marina, and all of them come out with cases at the same time.
Dubai Taxi does serve Port Rashid, with an AED 25 fare listed for pickups there (Dubai Taxi). On a turnaround morning, though, you’re in that queue with a ship’s worth of passengers. A Dubai cruise terminal transfer booked ahead means a named driver is already there. It’s one of our chauffeur and transfer services, quoted at a fixed fare.
Which Dubai cruise terminal is your ship using?
Dubai has two cruise terminals in use, and the one you need depends on your cruise line and season. Mina Rashid sits at the old-town end of the city, next to Dubai Maritime City and the QE2. Dubai Harbour is between Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina. Take the name from your cruise documents.
| Terminal | Where it is | From DXB | Nearest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid (Port Rashid) | Old Dubai, beside Dubai Maritime City | about 15-20 km, 20-35 min | Deira, Bur Dubai, Downtown, Sharjah |
| Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal | Between Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina | about 40 km, 40-55 min | Dubai Marina, JBR, the Palm, DWC |
| Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Zayed Port | North-east of Abu Dhabi city centre | about 150 km | Abu Dhabi city, Zayed International |
Mina Rashid to Dubai Harbour is about 29 km, so going to the wrong one costs you half an hour.
How a cruise terminal transfer works
Before the cruise, send us the ship, sailing date, terminal, your boarding window, the pickup address and the number of cases. We set the pickup so you reach the terminal inside your window, and the driver helps load and unload the bags at the drop-off kerb.
After the cruise, send your disembarkation time. Free waiting at the terminal is 15 minutes, the same as a hotel pickup, so we set the pickup for when you’ll have your bags, not when the ship docks. If the terminal is slow, message us on WhatsApp and we’ll work out the new time with you.
What’s in the fare:
- the car and driver, fuel, and Salik or Darb tolls unless the quote says otherwise
- flight tracking and 60 minutes of free waiting on the airport leg
- help with the luggage at both ends
- child seats on request
Pre and post cruise airport transfers
Flying in on sailing day is the riskiest part of a cruise. Our advice is to land the day before. If you can’t, leave at least four hours between your scheduled landing and the ship’s all-aboard time. We track the flight. The driver meets you in arrivals with a name board and takes you straight to the terminal. The Dubai airport transfer page covers where to find the driver at each DXB terminal.
Going home, the drive from Mina Rashid to DXB is short, but getting off a ship with thousands of other passengers takes far longer, so build in time before check-in closes. Our guide to flight delays and waiting time explains how airport waiting works if your inbound flight slips.
Dubai Harbour is about 33 km from Al Maktoum airport, which suits passengers on flights out of DWC. Mina Rashid is about 60 km from DWC, so allow more time. Our Al Maktoum airport transfer page has the detail.
In Abu Dhabi, Zayed Port is about 40 km from Zayed International. The cruise terminal has Etihad Airways check-in counters (Visit Abu Dhabi), so some passengers can drop bags before the drive. Check with Etihad that your flight qualifies. If you fly into Abu Dhabi before a sailing, our Zayed International Airport transfer page covers the arrival.
Mixing emirates is common. Sail from Abu Dhabi, fly from DXB, and the car covers about 150 km. We quote these as transfers between emirates.
Choosing a car for cruise luggage
| Party | Large cases | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | 2 | Lexus ES or Mercedes E-Class |
| 3-4 people | up to 4 | GMC Yukon Denali |
| 5-6 people | about 5 | Mercedes V-Class |
| 7-12 people | about 7 | Toyota Hiace |
| 12-16 people | about 9 | Mercedes Sprinter |
Two couples sharing a ride from the ship should book the Yukon, not a sedan. A week of clothes for four people won’t fit in a sedan boot.
Cruise season and what affects the fare
The UAE cruise season runs roughly from late October or November to April, with some sailings into May. Turnaround days bunch up. In 2025-26, MSC Euribia left Dubai every Saturday and Mein Schiff 4 on Sundays and Mondays (Cruise Arabia). If your sailing falls on one of those mornings, book early.
Your fixed fare reflects the terminal and how far it is from your pickup, the car size, any crossing into another emirate, the hour and any extra stops. Once agreed, it stays the same if the ship docks late.
Port days and other emirates
If your ship spends a day in Dubai, book a car by the hour from the terminal and pick your stops. Our private city tours page has sample day plans, and the Dubai chauffeur service page covers the districts.
Some itineraries call at Ras Al Khaimah. Send us the ship and date and we’ll check. Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is a beach stop reached from the ship, not by road. Khor Fakkan and the Port of Fujairah are mainly cargo ports, so if your itinerary lists either, ask us before you plan around it.
Send the ship, date and terminal on WhatsApp to +971 58 181 0789 and we’ll reply with a car and a fixed fare.
