While AIDA and Costa Cruises recently cancelled their sailings in the region, five brands are still planning to sail in the Arabian Gulf in 2026-27.
Cruise Industry News looks at the current plans for all the brands that announced itineraries for the Middle East region during the upcoming winter season.
MSC
MSC is set to return to the Arabian Gulf in 2026-27 with one of the biggest ships in its fleet, the MSC World Europa.
Plans call for the 5,400-passenger ship to offer a series of seven-night cruises to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Doha between late November and early April.
At press time, the company had not announced any changes to its schedule in the region, which was published in early 2025.
Celestyal
As part of its multi-year commitment to the destination, Celestyal is planning to deploy its two-ship fleet in the Arabian Gulf again in 2026-27.
Visiting Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain, the Celestyal Journey is set to offer the company’s seven-night “Desert Days” itinerary, while the Celestyal Discovery offers shorter “Iconic Arabia” cruises that add visits to Oman.
The company has issued no updates about its plans for the season which, is set to run between late November and mid-March.
TUI
TUI is planning to deploy its newest and largest ship, the Mein Schiff Flow, in the Arabian Gulf for the 2026-27 season.
Set to enter service this summer, the 4,000-passenger vessel is currently scheduled to arrive in Dubai in mid-November, kicking off a series of seven-night cruises.
The itineraries, which are available for booking on the company’s website, will include visits to destinations in the UAE, Qatar and Oman, such as Sir Bani Yas, Doha and Muscat.
Aroya
Aroya recently published its itineraries for the 2026-27 season in the Arabian Gulf, which include the Aroya returning to the region for a three-month deployment.
The cruise program runs between January and March 2027 and includes a series of seven-night cruises to ports in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrein and Oman.
Debuting in the region, Aroya had just completed its first sailing in the Arabian Gulf when operations were suspended and later cancelled.
Explora
After postponing its plans for the region, Explora is set to debut in the Middle East in 2026-27 with a series of itineraries in the Arabian Gulf.
The Explora II is currently scheduled to offer seven-night cruises in the region between December and March, visiting a wide range of destinations in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In a recent statement sent to booked guests, Explora said that, at this moment, the cruises remain scheduled to sail as planned but promised to issue a further update by the end of March.
In what it called an effort to ensure flexibility and confidence, Explora also said it is extending the cancellation period for all Middle East sailings by an additional 45 days.
Costa and AIDA
Costa and AIDA Cruises recently cancelled their operations in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf for the 2026-27 season.
In individual statements published in mid-March, the Carnival-owned companies noted that the decisions were driven by the outlook for the region, which was said to remain uncertain in the near future.
Costa was planning to deploy one of its largest ships, the 5,000-guest Costa Smeralda, in the region, while AIDA was set to send the 3,250-passenger AIDAprima to the Arabian Gulf.
