Sparkling skylines, rippling sand dunes, and delicious Bedouin cuisine beguile and delight throughout this cruise around the Middle East’s Arabian Peninsula. Admire sculpted bronze, gleaming crystal, and flawless marble artistry amid the grandeur of Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace—the most prestigious hotel in the United Arab Emirates—prior to sipping dark teas in surroundings worthy of royalty. Silently drift past tangled mangrove roots teeming with fish and curious sea birds during a waterway kayak tour outside Sir Bani Yas. Explore Khasab Fort’s circular towers and sentry views from this former Portuguese outpost overseeing trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, then venture to Oman’s Bukha Castle, a foreboding fortress for sultans of centuries past. Board 4x4s for a desert safari to UAE’s iconic red dunes and 80-million-year-old fossils embedded in weathered rock outcroppings. Browse shimmering, hammered copper trinkets, fragrant exotic spices, and sweet fig treats at Muscat’s traditional Muttrah Souq. Spend 6 days at sea before arriving in bustling Jeddah.