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EXPLORA I · Red Sea & Arabian Peninsula

13 nights, Dubai to Dubai

December 9, 2027 – December 23, 2027 · 13 nights · 9 stops · round-trip

Explora's name for it: An Extended Journey of Desert Elegance & Ocean Grace

Dubai (open port guide)DubaiAbu Dhabi (open port guide)Bahrain (open port guide)Doha (open port guide)Dammam (open port guide)Sur (open port guide)Muscat (open port guide)Khor Fakkan (open port guide)Khasab (open port guide)Khasab

The itinerary, port by port

9 calls over 13 nights, round-trip from Dubai. Open any port for my full day-ashore guide, what to see, when to go, and how the day actually runs.

Getting there: Flights to Dubai (DXB) open around January 2027, about 11 months before you sail. I track that window for booked clients and flag it the moment it is worth booking. When to book your flights →

  1. Embark
    Dubai

    Dubai is the engineered superlative of the Gulf: the world's tallest building, vast malls, man-made islands. Port guide →

  2. 2
    Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi is the UAE's capital, a low-rise, deliberate counterpoint to Dubai built across islands on the Arabian Gulf. Port guide →

  3. 3
    Bahrain

    Bahrain is an island kingdom in the Arabian Gulf whose history runs from the ancient Dilmun trading civilization through centuries of pearl diving to the modern banking skyline of Manama. Port guide →

  4. 4
    Doha

    Doha is Qatar's capital, a fast-built Gulf city where I.M. Port guide →

  5. 5
    Dammam

    Dammam is the hub of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province on the Arabian Gulf, the heart of the kingdom's oil country and a comparatively new stop on cruise itineraries as Saudi opens to leisure visitors. Port guide →

  6. 6
    Sur

    Sur is Oman's old dhow-building port on the Gulf of Oman, the town that for centuries sent wooden trading ships to East Africa and India. Port guide →

  7. 7
    Muscat

    Muscat is Oman's low-rise capital, a string of white buildings pinned between the bare Hajar mountains and the Gulf of Oman. Port guide →

  8. 8
    Khor Fakkan

    Khor Fakkan is a Sharjah enclave on the UAE's east coast, facing the Gulf of Oman with the Hajar Mountains rising directly behind a curved bay. Port guide →

  9. Disembark
    Khasab

    Khasab sits at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, an Omani exclave of sheer ochre cliffs dropping into the Strait of Hormuz, the reason it gets called the Norway of Arabia. Port guide →

Fares on this departure, decoded

Reading the fare fine print is the job. Here's what this sailing currently carries:

Invitation to Discover More
Explora's discovery fare, available across most of the calendar. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
Early Booking Benefit
A fare for booking far enough ahead of departure. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
Founders Fare
A founding-era fare on a selected set of sailings. Onboard credit where the offer applies.

The ship and your suite

This sailing is aboard EXPLORA I, all-suite, every suite with a private ocean-front terrace. Suites run from the entry Ocean Terrace to the Owner's Residence; the right tier depends on how you travel. Compare suites → · What's included →


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