Why The Persian Gulf Is a Fast-Growing Cruise Destination

The Persian Gulf is an exciting destination to explore on an ocean voyage.

The Persian Gulf isn’t a region a lot of Americans think of when they think “pleasure cruise”—but that’s changing.

The recency of conflict in the region has been a damper on interest in travel, but as those conflicts fade into the past, there’s a growing interest in travel to the Gulf—just as interest in travel to Vietnam resurged some decades following that period of conflict.

Countries in the region have also bet big on tourism—perhaps envisioning the evolution of their economies in what looks to be an increasingly inevitably post-fossil fuels world. And for a number of reasons, cruise tourism is a big part of that growth—particularly in the last few years. Post-Covid, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) the trade organization representing the cruise lines, reports that passenger numbers in the Middle East Region, while not quite having rebounded to their 2019 peaks, are on track nicely to recover.

A big part of that recovery is driven by MSC Cruises deployment of several ships to the region, on sailings calling at Doha, Qatar; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sir Bani Yas Island, United Arab Emirates; Bahrain, and Muscat, Oman.

The Benefits to Cruising in the Region

One of the most attractive features of a cruise in the region is affordability. As growing tourist spots like Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue to see inbound tourist demand, the pricing for many accommodations and attractions continues to drive upward. Cruises take some of the sting out of the price of accommodations and transport, especially for travelers wanting to take multi-destination tours.

The elephant in the room, of course is one of culture. Passengers can abide with local destination regulations on modest dress, alcohol, and public displays of affection while they’re in port, but once the ship is back out at sea, it’s back to Western standards of tolerance—a boon for specific demographics like women and LBGTQ+ passengers. Cruise lines operating in the region also make extra effort to ensure guests are informed of the dress codes for visiting local mosques and other cultural sites before guests disembark from the ships.

Passengers on multi-destination tours also get the luxury of seeing the diversity among ports. Glitzy Dubai is reminiscent of Las Vegas, while neighboring Abu Dhabi has a much lower octane vibe, leaning more heavily on traditional Emirati hospitality and cultural attractions.

Cultural and sports attractions also abound in Doha, Qatar, with its picturesque skyline and architectural landmarks like the Fanar Mosque, Museum of Islamic Art, and the National Museum of Qatar, in a building shaped like a desert rose crystal. Visitors can also venture out into the sand dunes of the country outside the city, alighting in an air-conditioned vehicle (with air let out of the tires to navigate the dunes) or in a more traditional manner on the back of a camel.

Compared to gracious, but buttoned-up Qatar, the nearby island of Bahrain is known to be much more free-wheeling. Shop for gold at the Manama Souq (market) where gold vendors are known for stocking more 22- and 24- carat gold pieces, or book an excursion with a diving company that can take visitors into Bahrain’s pearl industry past—even allowing them to dive for their own pearls—if they happen to be fortunate enough to find an oyster that has produced one naturally.

Itineraries

In addition to MSC Cruises large ships, Windstar Cruises offers small ship itineraries in the region–some even stopping into some of the smaller emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi get the most attention, but they are but two of a total of seven Emirates that make up the UAE). Ponant is another smaller ship luxury line that offers sailings in the Persian Gulf.

Norwegian also sails similar itineraries in the Persian Gulf, departing from Doha or Dubai. Many cruise lines also call through the region on segments of their World Voyages, which typically span up to 120 days from January through March.

The Persian Gulf is also a region suited for travelers who are not only looking for a different destination, but a different complement of passengers onboard the ship. Passengers on sailings from Dubai or Doha are largely European, with a smattering of intrepid North American travelers joining the mix.

Where ever travelers hail from, the Persian Gulf is an exciting destination to explore on an ocean voyage.