Middle East Cruise Holidays

The Middle East is a geopolitical region with no fully agreed upon definition but from a cruising point of view, it encompasses Arabia, Egypt, Cyprus, European Turkiye and the Levant.
That comprises a huge region that is full of history, culture and great mix of the past and future that can easily be explored by cruise ship.
The region lies at the juncture of Eurasia and Africa and where the Indian Ocean meets the Mediterranean via the Arabia Sea and the impressive Suez Canal- always a bucket list experience for cruisers!
Historically, the region has been one of the powerhouses of the world and it is from the days of Ancient Egypt, Byzantine and Roman rule that many of its attractions come from today.
It should also be said the region is full of spiritually and religion and whilst that has of course caused huge problems down the years, and continues to, it has also led to people around the world knowing about the region with perhaps not even knowing it.
The 3 Abrahamic religions are all based in the region and have numerous historical sights to explore, whilst Buddhism and Hinduism are also a huge part of life in parts of the region.
No matter if you have an interest in the history and culture of the region, are attracted by its futuristic cities or if you are simply looking for a cruise with a difference, the Middle East has it all and so much more and this guide takes a look at just what is on offer in the region, from a cruise holiday point of view.
Cruises to the Middle East
Cruise Holidays in the Middle East
Although not a traditional hotbed of for cruise holidays, things have changed over the past couple of decades and continue to change as now the majority of major international cruise lines operate in the area.
That means there is now a wide range of lines, ships and itineraries awaiting those who want to visit the Middle East on a cruise and this guide takes you through of that and more.
Middle East Cruise Guide
When it comes to Middle Eastern cruise holidays, some itineraries cruise around the region whilst some visit there whilst repositioning to Europe or Asia and that gives plenty of options when it comes to where you sail from and to and also when it comes to the ports of call that you visit.
Popular Middle Eastern Ports
When it comes to Middle Eastern cruise holidays, some itineraries cruise around the region whilst some visit there whilst repositioning to Europe or Asia and that gives plenty of options when it comes to where you sail from and to and also when it comes to the ports of call that you visit.
Amongst the most popular ports of call in the region are Dubai, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Doha and Aqaba.
Whilst not a port, the region is home to the Suez Canal and many cruisers choosing the sail in the region do so to experience traversing one of the world’s greatest engineering achievements.
Middle East Cruise Destinations
Bahrain is home to one cruise port at Mina Salam-Manama which gives easy access to the capital city of Manama.
The tiny Mediterranean island features of cruisers of the eastern Med and those sailing between Europe and the Middle East.
The ports of Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca all welcome ships of different sizes.
Egypt welcomes several cruise ships to its ports on the Mediterranean Sea and also ships sailing through the Suez Canal.
The countries main port is Port Said whilst the small port of Safaga on the Red Sea is the main gateway to Upper Egypt, the Nile River Valley and iconic pyramids and tombs that so many visit Egypt hoping to see.
Israel is important for the followers of all 3 Abrahamic religions and many visiting there on cruise ships take trips to the city of Jerusalem but the key ports of Haifa and Ashdod both have lots to offer and make it easy to visit Tel Aviv.
Jordan may only have one coastal city and in all honesty, there is not too much to see and do there, but it is still one of the most popular cruise ports in the region as the port city of Aqaba acts as the gateway to the ancient city of Petra.
There are a number of ports that accept cruise ports in Oman, but the main cruise port is found on the outskirts of its capital city of Muscat.
The Qatari capital city of Doha is also home to its only cruise port and acts as the gateway for exploring the small Arabian Gulf country.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may not be at the top of everybody’s list of destinations that they want to visit but if you do, it is straight forward with a number of cruise lines calling into a range of ports.
Türkiye is one of the leading cruise destinations in the country with Istanbul been a major turnaround port.
The likes of Kusadasi, Izmir and Bodrum feature on many cruises of the Aegean Sea whilst there are numerous cruises that call in there on cruises of the eastern Mediterranean.
The United Arab Emirates is well known for its futuristic cities full of skyscrapers and it is these locations that also offer the major ports in the region.
The likes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi offering great locations to start or end your cruise and enjoy a few days exploring on land.
Popular Cruise Lines
Nowadays, numerous international lines operate in the region including some of the biggest.
For a long time, the region was only available to those on expedition style cruises or on luxury ship, and of course those lucky few sailing the globe on world cruises, but nowadays the likes of MSC operate ships based in the region.
Middle East
Location: South East of Europe, East of Africa
Major Capital Cities: Cairo, Tehran, Ankara, Baghdad, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Beirut.
Currency: Numerous
Language: Arabic, English, Greek, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian and Turkish.
Demonym(s): Middle Eastern
Top Ports: Dubai, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Doha
The Middle East is one of the most historic parts of the world and features many of the most important historical sights and monuments and when you couple that with the importance to many of the worlds major religions, and you have somewhere special to visit.
Whilst it is that history that attracts many holidaymakers to the region, the last few decades has also seen the region become popular for those looking for a cheap and cheerful beach getaway in countries such as Cyprus, Türkiye and Israel.
It is now also a major region for those looking a city breaks with the likes of Dubai and Abu Dhabi offering luxury at every corner.
If you are not interested in the cities and history of the Middle East, the area is still well worth visiting as you can sail through the iconic Suez Canal and enjoy one of the great only on a cruise ship experiences available.
Best Time To Visit The Middle East On A Cruise Holiday
Due to the all year around warm weather, it is possible to enjoy a Middle Eastern cruise holiday all year around but it is arguably best to visit there during the northern hemisphere winter when you can take advantage of the numerous cruise ships that head there to avoid the cold of Europe and North America.
Middle East Cruises From The UK
It is possible to visit some of the Middle Eastern ports on the Mediterranean directly from the United Kingdom but if you want to go further than that, you will have to sail on either of World Cruise or choose a half trip sailing between the UK and Asia.
Middle East Cruises From Southampton
If you do decide to sail from the UK to the region, it will more than likely be from the UK leading cruise port of Southampton, which offers a number of cruises to the region Med ports but also longer cruises to Asia.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.