Cruises in the Middle East are gaining in popularity and leading Italian cruise lines, MSC and Costa Cruises are leaving no stone unturned to give their guests the grandest experience onboard their ships. The sailings are scheduled in the winter season between November and March and you get to explore the jewels of the Middle East dotted along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman which includes Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha & Bahrain.
Costa will be sailing this winter with its flagship, Costa Toscana which has a capacity to carry 6,500 passengers and is the third ship in the Costa Group fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). MSC Cruises will be sailing the Middle East with the brand new MSC Euribia which can host up to 6334 guests and is also powered by LNG.
And what makes a holiday to the Middle East this winter even more enticing is that Dubai will be hosting the Dubai Shopping Festival from 12th Dec 2025 till 19th Jan 2026. Most itineraries have overnight halts in Dubai which means that your cruise cabin is your hotel room in Dubai while you explore DSF 2026.