Venture East and savour the romance and mystique of the Orient and Middle East, a beguiling blend of fast paced modern cities and time-honoured traditions. The Far East is rapidly becoming a very popular choice for a cruise holiday, thanks to its warm climate and breathtaking natural beauty. Most of the key cruise lines are positioning ships in the Far East for a large part of the year visiting such places as Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Vietnam and China. » More Info
The Middle East is the next big destination on the cruise map, and it is only in the last couple of years that the Arabian Gulf has started welcoming cruise passengers to its wonderful climate and calm seas. Dubai is the main turnaround port and is home to some of the world's finest five-star hotels and shopping and combining a one week cruise with a week in Dubai is a popular option. Itineraries offer you the chance to delve into the proud culture and history of the Emirates as you cruise around the Gulf states. Arabian traditions combine with western sophistication everywhere and common ports of call include Muscat (Oman), Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Fujayrah.
The Red Sea cruises continue to be popular with itineraries incorporating the shores of Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Sharm el Sheikh is the main port of embarkation for Red Sea specific cruises and offers an ideal cruise and stay option, however some cruises start or finish in the southern Mediterranean which involves a transit through the remarkable Suez Canal. Some of the more interesting sites around the Red Sea such as Luxor for example, require long road transfers to get to them so itineraries will often include an overnight stay in port allowing plenty of time to travel inland.