Unique Itinerary of the Week - 9/19

So you've done the Caribbean.  And the Mexican Riviera.  You could go back to the Med, but you've been warned they'll make you an official tour guide if you set foot on Santorini again.  What's a sun-worshipper to do?  Royal Caribbean might have the answer.

Departing on various dates in January and February of 2010 and 2011, Brilliance of the Seas whisks cruisers to a part of the world still relatively unknown to most North Americans: the United Arab Emirates.

Illustration courtesy Royal Caribbean 

Departing from, and overnighting in Dubai, Brilliance of the Seas calls at the ports of Muscat, Oman; Fujairah;  Abu Dhabi; and Mina Sulman, Bahrain before overnighting once more in Dubai.  This 7-day cruise is also very reasonably priced.

So what is the United Arab Emirates, exactly?  Well, the UAE is made up of seven emirates situated on the Persian Gulf and bordered by Oman and Saudi Arabia.  It is one of the richest countries in the world by GDP, and is quickly becoming one of the worlds hottest tourist destinations, particularly in the case of Dubai.  Indeed, Dubai boasts an incredible transportation infrastructure that would make most North American cities blush.  In addition to the sprawling Dubai International Airport (DXB), major investments have been made in hotels, metro lines, and ports.  It is a destination like no other.

So if another winter cruise to the Caribbean docked in Cozumel with eighteen other ships doesn't sound like a party to you, hop on over to Royal Caribbean's site and check out their Dubai cruises.  You won't be sorry you did.

For flights, interested cruisers shouldn't hesitate to have a look at Emirates website.  The UAE's main airline, Emirates is consistently ranked as one of the top airlines in the world, and also one that flies the mammoth Airbus A380.