Qatar to welcome 70+ cruise calls for 2025/26 season amid AROYA debut in Gulf

Qatar will receive 73 cruise ship calls at Doha Port during the 2025/26 winter season, running from November 2025 to May 2026, according to Mwani Qatar, which operates the Doha Port Cruise Terminal.

The new season will include 40 partial turnarounds, 15 full turnarounds, and three inaugural visits, among them the Doha debut of Saudi Arabia’s Aroya Cruises, which is homeporting in the Arabian Gulf for the first time.

The Saudi Arabian cruise line’s first ship, Aroya, will operate five- and seven-night Arabian Gulf itineraries between February and April 2026, sailing from Dubai and Dammam with stops in Doha and ports across the UAE and Oman.

Other international cruise operators are also maintaining a presence in Qatar. Celestyal Cruises will homeport Celestyal Journey in Doha for part of the season, operating a series of seven-night Desert Days itineraries roundtrip from Doha and Dubai.

The cruise line has committed two vessels to the region for at least the next three years, with a total of 107 sailings planned across the Arabian Gulf.

MSC Cruises will return to Doha after a short break, deploying its flagship MSC Euribia on three-, four-, and seven-night Gulf voyages, calling at Dubai and Bahrain, and interporting between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.

TUI Cruises has expanded its programme with 30 seven-night itineraries from Dubai featuring Doha as a key stop, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises will stage two high-end voyages departing from Doha, one bound for Cape Town and another for Singapore.

Located within walking distance of key attractions such as the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif, the Doha Port Cruise Terminal will operate at full capacity throughout the season.

Mwani Qatar said passengers would benefit from improved facilities, streamlined entry procedures and a wider choice of guided shore excursions.

Omar Abdulrahman Al Jaber, Chief of Tourism Development at Qatar Tourism, said the country aimed to ensure every cruise visitor experienced the “authentic hospitality” that defines Qatar.

In line with its long-term tourism strategy, Qatar has also joined the Cruise Arabia Alliance, now encompassing Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, bringing all Gulf cruise destinations under one strategic umbrella.

The alliance is designed to enhance cooperation across the Gulf, expand itineraries, and position the wider region as a coherent, competitive cruise destination.