For the first time ever, eight cruise lines will be homeporting nine cruise ships in Dubai for the 2019/2020 winter cruise season that runs from November to March annually.

It is the most diverse cruise season in the history of cruising in the Arabian Gulf, with cruise lines from Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and even the United States, sailing roundtrip Arabian Gulf cruises from Dubai.

MSC Cruises – MSC Bellissima and MSC Lirica

MSC Cruises will homeport two ships in Dubai for the 2019/2020 cruise season. MSC Bellissima and MSC Lirica will cruise roundtrip in the Arabian Gulf and to India respectively.

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MSC Lirica will cruise from Dubai on ten roundtrip cruises of 7, 11 and 14 days length, with the shorter cruises calling at Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Doha, Khassab and Bahrain.

The longer two week cruises from Dubai aboard MSC Lirica will call at Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Mumbai, Mormugoa (Goa) and Mangalore before returning to Dubai.

MSC Bellissma will cruise from Dubai for the first time on November 30^th, 2019, the first of 16 scheduled 7-night roundtrip cruises from Dubai in the Arabian Gulf. Like Splendida, she will also offer Abu Dhabi as a roundtrip port on these itineraries.

These cruises will follow the same ‘butterfly itinerary’ style as her predecessor Splendida, with an Eastern Arabian Gulf cruise followed by a Western one.

On the eastern 7-day itinerary she’ll visit Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, spend a day at sea and then visit Muscat and Khassab before returning to Dubai.

On the western 7-day itinerary she’ll cruise to Qatar and Bahrain, and visit Abu Dhabi, and Sir Bani Yas Island, before returning to Dubai.

Royal Caribbean – Jewel of the Seas

Royal Caribbean will cruise roundtrip from Dubai with Jewel of the Seas. Royal Caribbean will be offering 15 7-night roundtrip Dubai cruises from December 16th, 2019 until March 16th, departing every Monday.

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Each 7-night cruise will alternate between the eastern and western Arabian Gulf. On the eastward itineraries, she’ll visit Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island and Muscat, with a full two days and one night in port in Dubai on either end of the cruise.

The western itinerary will depart Dubai visit Bahrain, Qatar, Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi, again with a night in port in Dubai on the first and last days of the cruise.

Costa Cruises – Costa Diadema

Costa Cruises will be sending its largest cruise ship Costa Diadema to the region. Costa Diadema will cruise roundtrip from Dubai on 20 separate itineraries between November, 2019 and March, 2020.

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Departing every Saturday from Dubai Cruise Terminal, she will cruise roundtrip on a 7-night voyage through the Arabian Gulf, visiting Muscat, Qatar and Abu Dhabi before returning to Dubai.

In a surprise move for the Italian cruise line, Sir Bani Yas Island will be dropped as a port of call, with the ship instead spending a full two days in Abu Dhabi.

On the first night of each cruise, she will also stay in port in Dubai, providing more time for guests to explore the city.

AIDA Cruises – AIDAprima

AIDA Cruises’ second-largest ship AIDAprima, will be cruising roundtrip from Dubai. AIDAprima will cruise roundtrip from Dubai to the most popular cruise destinations in the Arabian Gulf.

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From November 23rd she’ll operate 20 Dubai to Dubai cruises of 7-nights. Abu Dhabi will also be used as a turnaround port, meaning cruise passengers can board in either city.

Each 7-night cruise follows an identical itinerary of Dubai, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and back to Dubai. On the first and last nights of the cruise the ship will stay overnight at Dubai Cruise Terminal.

TUI Cruises – Mein Schiff 5

TUI’s Mein Schiff 5 will be offering a premium all-inclusive Dubai cruise experience for the 2019/2020 cruise season. The ship will cruise 21 times from Dubai between October, 2019 and March, 2020 on 7-night roundtrip cruises that alternate between the eastern and western Arabian Gulf.

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The eastern 7-night cruises visit Dubai, Khassab, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi, before returning to Dubai, with the ship staying overnight in Dubai on the first and last nights of the cruise.

The western 7-night cruises visit Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain, before returning to Dubai, again with the ship staying overnight at the Dubai Cruise Terminal on the first and last nights of the cruise.

Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity Constellation

Celebrity Cruises will be changing its Dubai cruise program entirely for the 2019/2020 cruise season.

Instead of cruising roundtrip from Dubai to India, Celebrity Constellation will instead cruise back and forth between Dubai and Singapore 8 times from December, 2019 to March, 2020.

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The 15-night cruises from Dubai to Singapore can be booked as a 30-night roundtrip voyage, making them the longest Dubai roundtrip cruises of the 2019/2020 season.

Each cruise departing Dubai bound for Singapore will visit Muscat, Mumbai, Mormugao (Goa), Cochin, Colombo, and Phuket. On the Singapore to Dubai itineraries, the same ports will be visited by in reserve order.

P&O Cruises – Oceana

Editor’s note: due to tensions between Iran and the West, particularly UK shipping, P&O Cruises has announced the cancellation of its 2019/2020 cruise season out of Dubai.

P&O Cruises will be deploying Oceana in Dubai for 7, 10 and 14-night roundtrip Dubai cruises.

These 28 cruises target the British cruise market with a range of itineraries on offer between the end of October, 2019 and mid-March, 2020.

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The shorter 7-night cruises from Dubai visit Bahrain, Sir Bani Yas Island, and Abu Dhabi, the longer 10-night cruises visit those ports in addition to Muscat, and Khassab. Both these itineraries feature overnight port calls in Dubai.

The 14-night cruises from Dubai visit Muscat, and Cochin, Mormugao (Goa), and Mumbai, in India as well as Abu Dhabi.

Pullmantur – Horizon

The Spanish cruise line Pullmantur will be  re-deploying Horizon in the Arabian Gulf for the 2019/2020 cruise season.

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Horizon will cruise roundtrip from Dubai on an itinerary identical to the coming 2018/2019 season.

All 22 roundtrip Dubai cruises will visit Abu Dhabi, Khor Fakkan, Muscat, and Khassab, with an overnight port call in Dubai on the final night of the cruise.