6 Arabian Gulf cruises to book for 2026 

1 Aroya Cruises: True Arabian hospitality

Saudi Arabia’s homegrown Aroya Cruises has launched its first Arabian Gulf season in 2026, running from 21 February to 6 May with two‑ to seven‑night itineraries from ports across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Qatar. For March and April, six seven‑night Dubai roundtrips, including departures on 4 and 11 April, call at Khasab in Oman, Abu Dhabi and Sir Bani Yas Island, Doha in Qatar and Dammam on Saudi’s eastern coast, before a sea day back to Dubai. 

 

Parallel seven‑night options swap Dammam for Muscat, with two such sailings in March and one in May.​ Excursions are pitched at culture‑ and adventure‑minded guests, with full‑day tours to Unesco‑listed Al‑Ahsa Oasis from Dammam, dhow cruises through the Musandam fjords from Khasab, plus desert safaris, dolphin‑spotting trips, souq tours and resort day passes in Oman, Abu Dhabi and Doha. 

 

On board the 3,400‑passenger Aroya, there are 1,678 cabins, including VIP Khuzama Suites and Villas with private dining and butler service, alongside concepts that play up Saudi hospitality such as Irth, billed as the first Saudi restaurant at sea, and a signature Sea Shisha experience. Guests also have access to a spa, theatre, immersive VR attractions and a multi‑level kids’ zone, positioning Aroya as a regional, family‑friendly product with a distinctly local twist.

2 Celestyal: F1 thrills and Iconic Arabia

Celestyal is pairing race‑weekend energy with classic Gulf ports on two F1‑themed options in late 2026. From 4 December 2026, the 1,360‑passenger Celestyal Discovery operates a seven‑night Abu Dhabi Grand Prix cruise featuring three nights in port for the season‑closing race at Yas Marina Circuit, followed by a four‑night Iconic Arabia voyage calling at Doha, Ras Al Khaimah and Khasab in Oman. 

 

Alternatively, an eight‑night Doha F1 itinerary on Celestyal Journey departs 27 November, with three nights in Doha for the race, plus calls at Dubai (overnight), Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island and Bahrain. On board, Celestyal’s mid‑size ships deliver an intimate experience, with meals, soft drinks, Wi‑Fi, port fees and gratuities wrapped into the fare and a programme built around destination‑led entertainment, from excursions to the royal camel racing stables in Ras Al Khaimah to 4X4 safaris on wildlife-rich Sir Bani Yas island. 

 

Both ships offer a mix of interior, oceanview and balcony cabins, with Celestyal journey offering the Stargazer Penthouse with its own large terrace and access to a private sundeck and lounge, perfect for watching the Grand Prix fireworks. Both have several dining venues, bars and lounges, spas with sauna, steam and thermal areas, outdoor pools and sun decks. 

3 Tui Cruises: Magic of the Orient

Newbuild Mein Schiff Flow makes its Arabian Gulf debut in November 2026 with a series of seven‑night Magic of the Orient itineraries interporting between Dubai and Doha. Across November and December, the ship operates eight week‑long cruises calling at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, with Sir Bani Yas Island as the beach day alongside calls to Muscat and, on selected departures, Khasab, plus one sea day. Guests can embark in either Dubai or Doha, making the product easy to pair with fly‑stays on land.

 

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Onboard, Mein Schiff Flow offers a premium all‑inclusive concept with most drinks, tips and dining bundled, alongside workshops, shows and talks. The design emphasises open decks, natural light and indoor‑outdoor flow, with around 90% outside cabins and roughly 80% balconies, plus Spa Balcony cabins and family‑friendly accommodation. Wellness is a major pillar, thanks to a large spa with Finnish and herbal saunas, steam room, a cryotherapy cold chamber, barrel sauna on an outer deck and infinity pool, while multiple bars, restaurants and sports and teen zones round out the resort‑style offer.

 

Render: Pool on Mein Schiff Flow

 

4 MSC Cruises: big-ship resort fun

MSC is doubling down on the Gulf for winter 2026–27, reporting a 55% year‑on‑year increase in bookings for its Dubai‑based season, from late November to mid‑March aboard flagship MSC World Europa, the line’s LNG‑powered mega‑ship. The line operates seven‑night roundtrips interporting between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Departing 26 November, a seven-night Doha‑roundtrip sees guests spend two full days in Dubai, then a full day on Sir Bani Yas Island, a day in Abu Dhabi, a sea day en route to Bahrain, a full day in Manama and a final sea day back to Doha. 

 

On board the 4,400‑guest vessel, the offer is that of a next‑generation, family‑friendly resort ship: seven pools, multiple Aquapark zones, sports courts, a spa and gym, plus several theatres and lounges for West End‑style shows and live music. Guests can choose from 13 dining venues and 20 bars and lounges, alongside extensive kids’ clubs. On shore, itineraries combine city landmarks, from souqs and museums in Doha and Bahrain to beaches and theme parks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with wildlife and watersports on Sir Bani Yas Island.

 

MSC World Europa, Doha

 

5 Costa Cruises: Italian-style winters

Costa is entering the Gulf in December 2026 with two seven‑night Dubai‑roundtrip sailings aboard Costa Smeralda ahead of a fuller run of 10 departures through March 2027. The December cruises (including departures around 12 and 26 December, plus an Abu Dhabi embarkation on Christmas Day) offer three full days in Dubai, together with full‑day calls in Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Doha. Fares start from around US$791 per person for week‑long itineraries.

 

As the line’s LNG‑powered flagship, Costa Smeralda carries roughly 5,200 guests at double occupancy and features about 2,600 cabins, around 60% with balconies, including new “terrace” cabin types with extended verandas. Across 20 decks, guests find 13 pools and hot tubs, a large Organic Spa & Fitness complex, 11 restaurants and snack venues and 19 bars and lounges, many arranged around a central “Italian piazza” atrium. A big‑ship entertainment line‑up, including a main theatre, outdoor promenade and a glass‑bottom skywalk about 45 metres above the sea, underlines Costa’s lively, Italian‑flavoured, family‑friendly positioning – a contrast in style to the German and Gulf‑centric products sharing the region in 2026–27.

 

Costa Smeralda

 

6 Celestyal: Athens-Jeddah via Arabian Gulf

For guests wanting to arrive in the Gulf the slow way, Celestyal is adding two repositioning cruises from the Eastern Med to Jeddah for winter 2026–27. On 14 November 2026, the 1,260‑passenger Celestyal Journey sails from Piraeus on a seven‑night voyage via Port Said and Safaga in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan, including a transit of the Suez Canal before continuing down the Red Sea to Jeddah and its Unesco‑listed Al Balad old town. 

 

A shorter six‑night option on Celestyal Discovery departs Kusadasi in Turkiye on 20 November, calling at the same ports before finishing in Jeddah. These itineraries layer marquee highlights – the Pyramids and Cairo from Port Said, Red Sea beach and dive stops from Safaga, and Petra or Wadi Rum from Aqaba – with the emerging appeal of Saudi’s Red Sea gateway. Onboard programming leans into regional history and culture, with lectures, local cuisine and light entertainment.

 

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

 

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Discover More About Cruise 

Supporting the growth of the cruise industry, Connections Cruise Arabia will return to Dubai in the UAE in 2026, following the success of the inaugural edition in 2025. The two-day event, taking place from 28 to 29 September, will welcome more than 500 travel trade professionals from across the global cruise ecosystem. To register your interest in attending, contact Connections.