Silversea is sending Silver Spirit to Dubai in 2024 for a 16-night voyage from the Middle East to Piraeus, the gateway to Athens in Greece.

Silver Spirit will cruise from Dubai on March 13th, 2024, visiting Oman, Jordan, Egypt, and Greece, as well as transiting the Suez Canal.

This will be Silver Spirit’s first cruise from Dubai since 2022, when she sailed a 12-night cruise to India.

Silver Spirit

“Discover the beauty of the Middle East during Ramadan. This is a wonderful time to visit the region and as always, locals welcome travellers with open arms,” says Silversea. “Come and experience it for yourself – sail from Dubai to Athens for a taste of the Middle East’s modern future and golden past.”

“An overnight in Luxor is an unrivalled opportunity to visit the Valley or the Kings, and Petra is a must for all those who want to see the Rose City,” it adds. “A Suez Canal Transit leads you to Greece.”

Departing Dubai on March 13th, 2024, Silver Spirit will cruise overnight to Khasab, Oman, a small fishing village in Oman, nestled among the fjords of Musandam.

Khasab, Oman.

The village features pristine seas and jagged peaks, but its location makes it particularly popular for dhow cruises along the Strait of Hormuz. There are also humpback dolphin watching excursion in the bay.

Silver Spirit then spends a few days at sea cruising the coast of Oman for Salalah. Salalah is popular for its tropical wadis in the mountains, and its collection of Caribbean-like beaches backed by palm trees and filled with power white sand.

Al Mughsail Beach, for instance, is a quiet and remote stretch of sand, full of caves and blowholes, while in the city itself the Museum of the Frankinscence Land provides a taste of Salalah’s history.

The museum is set within the ancient ruins of the trading port of Zafar, from which frankinscence was shipped to India, in return for spices. The on-site museum documents the history of the port as well as the area’s settlement since 2000 BC.

Street fruit stalls in Salalah

For a taste of the local culture and cuisine, visit one of the many markets and bazaars. Al-Husn Souq is one of the best, offering cotton headdresses, jewellery and heady incense. Further inland, visitors can discover the papaya, coconut, and banana plantations of the region.

Salalah is also a gateway for visitors to explore the site of “Jebel Qarra,” fabled to be the tomb of the biblical Job.

The ship spends another few days at sea cruising through the Red Sea, bound for Aqaba in Jordan, the gateway to the iconic ancient city of Petra. Both Aqaba and Petra are ancient though. Aqaba dates back to 4,000 BCE and was once a key Roman port, while Petra (4 hours inland by bus), was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom in 300 BCE.

Aqaba in Jordan is the gateway to Petra.

The magnificent UNESCO World Hertiage Site is accessed through a narrow canyon called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the “Rose City.”

In Aqaba there are beachfront hotels for snorkelling and water sports, as well as a 13th-century castle fortress, and archaeological museum.

Silver Spirit then cruises overnight to Safaga in Egypt, the gateway port for Luxor, home to the ancient ruins of Thebes, the former capital of the Egyptian Kingdom. Safaga is a water sports playground of kite surfing and windsurfing, as well as diving on nearby reefs and wrecks.

Safaga in Egypt is the gateway port to Luxor

Inland in Luxor, the Karnak Temple Complex and the 3,400-year-old Colossi of Memnon statues, await, which is why the ship stays overnight here.

Silver Spirit then departs for Port Sokhna, the final Middle Eastern port of the cruise, which is followed by a transit of the Suez Canal, bringing the ship into the Mediterranean. Iraklion, Greece is the penultimate port call before arrival in Piraeus, the gateway to Athens.

Athens is both the capital of Greece and cradle of civilization. In 550 BCE the city-state of Athens began to experiment with the very first forms of democracy and gave the world progress in the fields of philosophy, literature and even architecture.

The majestic ancient citadel of the Acropolis dominates the city and the remains of the columned temple of the Parthenon – which date back to the 5th century BCE – stand here, representing the pinnacle of classical architecture.

The Acropolis Museum nearby adds context to the visit and frames the broad views from its giant glass windows, while Mount Lycabettus nearby offers a panorama of the Acropolis sitting high over the city on its grand stage.