Tagged: Dubai – United Arab Emirates – Bahrain – Qatar – Oman – Saudi Arabia

Old Doha Port welcomed more than 200,000 visitors in 2025/26, despite the season ending early amid disruption linked to regional tensions. (more…)

Despite short-term adjustments to the 2026/27 winter season, cruise lines are continuing to position the Arabian Gulf as a core part of their future deployment strategies. (more…)

Cruise ships that have remained docked in the Arabian Gulf since late February amid tensions between the US and Iran have begun to depart the region. (more…)

While some airlines have been cautiously running flights to Dubai and Doha amid the widespread regional conflict caused by the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, cruise lines with ships stuck in the Persian Gulf face a tougher challenge. (more…)

Four cruise lines have cancelled their planned winter programmes in the Arabian Gulf for the 2026-27 season, while several other operators continue to maintain published deployment plans, indicating that the regional impact on cruise operations remains limited. (more…)

Six cruise ships remain in the Arabian Gulf following the suspension of regional operations in late February, as conditions affecting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continue to delay scheduled repositioning voyages. (more…)

Despite short-term deployment changes by some cruise operators, cruise lines continue to signal long-term confidence in the Arabian Gulf as a winter cruise destination, with multiple ships already open for booking in the 2027/28 season. (more…)

A number of upcoming European cruises have been cancelled as ships remain stalled in the Arabian Gulf amid the ongoing Iran-US war. (more…)

Cruise lines have been working ‘round the clock’ to repatriate passengers after vessels were unable to leave the docks in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. (more…)

The military conflict that has grounded flights and emptied hotel lobbies across the Gulf now has cruise ships in its grip too. (more…)

At least six cruise ships sailing in the Persian Gulf have reportedly been impacted by ongoing military actions in the Middle East . (more…)

A March 1, 2026 cruise out of Doha, Qatar has been canceled due to ongoing security threats and military strikes in and around Iran. (more…)

Ras Al Khaimah is steadily establishing itself as a regular stop on Arabian Gulf cruise itineraries, with authorities in the northern emirate of the UAE increasingly targeting smaller ships and experience-focused travellers rather than large-scale port traffic. (more…)

UAE capital eyes record 174 calls after being named ‘World’s Best Cruise Destination 2025’. (more…)

From Cape Town’s southern arc to Jeddah’s direct Suez Canal transit, cruise lines will soon be choosing between South Africa and Saudi Arabia as Europe-Asia repositioning corridors. (more…)

Qatar will receive 73 cruise ship calls at Doha Port during the 2025/26 winter season, running from November 2025 to May 2026, according to Mwani Qatar, which operates the Doha Port Cruise Terminal. (more…)

The Musandam Governorate in northern Oman is gearing up for the winter tourism season with a series of new initiatives, infrastructure projects, and heritage site restorations aimed at enhancing its appeal to both cruise passengers and independent travellers. (more…)

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP) has introduced new entry visa regulations for the UAE that include, for the first time, a multiple-entry visa tailored to cruise ship crew and passengers. (more…)

Emirates Airline has underscored the importance of cruise tourism to its global leisure strategy, revealing it carried 180,000 cruise passengers into Dubai last year, while investing in infrastructure to make the city one of the world’s most seamless fly-cruise hubs. (more…)