Dubai’s skyline, Oman’s souks, and Petra on the way to Athens.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi 7-night loops with Doha, Muscat and Sir Bani Yas Island from November to March on MSC, Costa and Celestyal; the Red Sea from Jeddah; and the twice-yearly Suez voyages that link Dubai with Athens, Rome and Barcelona through Petra, Luxor and the Canal on the luxury lines. SmartCruiser shows every Middle East sailing with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus credit at the top.
Which Middle East?
Pick one and the list below filters to it.
The Arabian Gulf loop
- 7 nights round trip from Dubai or Abu Dhabi: Doha, Muscat, Khasab, Sir Bani Yas, Bahrain
- Overnights in Dubai or Abu Dhabi for the Louvre, the Grand Mosque and the desert
- MSC, Costa and Celestyal at short-haul prices
Best for: a first visit, winter sun, pairing with Dubai hotel nights
Jeddah, Aqaba & the Sinai
- Red Sea loops from Jeddah and voyages between Dubai and the Med
- Petra from Aqaba, Luxor from Safaga, Sharm el Sheikh snorkeling
- AlUla and the new Saudi ports on select dates
Best for: ancient sites, divers and snorkelers
Dubai to Athens through Suez
- 14 to 21 nights in April and October on Oceania, Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, Viking, Azamara and Celebrity
- Muscat, Salalah, Aqaba for Petra, the Suez transit, then Cyprus and the Greek islands
- Sea days between the big sights
Best for: retirees, the once-in-a-lifetime list
Middle East deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Middle East and Arabian Gulf sailing from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Middle East & Arabian Gulf sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Dubai or Abu Dhabi
Pick a port and the list above filters to it; Emirates and Etihad fly nonstop from the US.
Which line for the Middle East?
Three lines base ships in the Gulf each winter; the luxury lines pass through twice a year. Our one-line take on each.
When to go
The Gulf season is November to March; the Suez voyages run in April and October.
Middle East cruise questions we answer every day
Do I need a visa?
US citizens get a free visa on arrival in the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia issues an e-visa or cruise visa for Red Sea calls; Egypt and Jordan issue visas on arrival or through the ship. Your passport must be valid six months beyond the trip; if it carries an Israel stamp we will talk through the itinerary with you.
Is it safe?
The Gulf states are among the safest places a cruise ship goes, with low crime and modern ports. The lines reroute Red Sea and Suez voyages when conditions require; we tell you the current routing and the change policy before you book.
What should I wear?
On the ship, anything. Ashore, modest dress for mosques and souks: shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women in the Grand Mosque, which lends them. Resort wear is fine on Sir Bani Yas and at the beach clubs.
Is alcohol available?
Yes, on every ship on this page; bars close while docked in Saudi ports. Dubai and Abu Dhabi hotels and licensed venues serve it, and Qatar does in hotels.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities, drinks packages and excursions are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise.
What do the SmartCruiser picks mean?
They are sailings where booking through SmartCruiser gets you something you do not get booking direct: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate we hold on that sailing, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the best public price.
Talk to a Middle East specialist
Tell us the Gulf loop or the Suez voyage and we price every line with the Dubai nights and the nonstop flights. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.