Persian Gulf Cruise 2/28 - 3/7/2026
Well, as you all know, we got to Dubai on the 27th, stayed overnight by the port, and boarded our ship, MSA Euribia. Got settled into our room in the Yacht Club, had a cocktail, and then the Iran/US/Isreal conflict started. We never left the port and spent 7 days on board the ship. Our flight to Cairo was March 7th, and flights were being canceled left and right. After 8 rebooking's we did get out of Dubai to Cairo on March 7th, but was surely a process, including booking car service to Oman and leaving from there. We then found out that the car service we hired would only take us to the border, and then we were on our own, so back to the drawing board. At least we had the drink package. We always felt safe but frazzled in getting a flight out and we decided to continue on to Egypt. These are the ports we were supposed to have visited on our cruise. A few pics of the ship...
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai is the capital and the most populous city of the Emirate of Dubai. It is known for its ultramodern architecture, including the Burj Khalifa, luxury shopping, and an expanding economy that has diversified from oil to services and tourism. The city's landscape is characterized by skyscrapers and man-made islands like Palm Jumeirah. Situated on the coast of the Persian Gulf, its strategic geographical position connects it to East Africa, South Asia, and the rest of the Middle East. Dubai is also home to 22,000 millionaires/billionaires.
Doha is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. Doha became Qatar's capital in 1971, known for its mix of futuristic skyscrapers and traditional souqs, like the vibrant Souk Waqif home of traditional goods, handicrafts, and authentic Qatari cuisine. It has a waterfront that hosts museums and features The Pearl, an artificial island development featuring luxury residences and shopping.
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, a small island country, and the 3rd smallest nation is Asia located in the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Its capital and largest city is Manama and is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway. Politically, it is a constitutional monarchy under the Al Khalifa family, who have ruled since the 18th century.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's second most populous city after Dubai. The city is situated on a T-shaped island, extending into the Persian Gulf from the central-western coast of the UAE.
Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the Persian Gulf, off the Central West Coast. Most of the city and the Emirate reside on the mainland connected to the rest of the country. As of 2023, Abu Dhabi's urban area had an estimated population of 2.5 million, out of 3.8 million in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, headquartered in the city, is estimated to manage approximately US $1trillion in assets, making it the world's third-largest sovereign wealth fund after Norway's Government Pension Fund Global and China's CIC. Abu Dhabi itself has over a trillion US dollars' worth of assets under management in a combination of various sovereign wealth funds headquartered there.
Abu Dhabi houses local and federal government offices and is the home of the UAE Government and the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic affairs. Abu Dhabi's rapid development and urbanization, coupled with the massive oil and gas reserves and production and relatively high average income, have transformed it into a large, developed metropolis. It is the country's center of politics and industry and a major culture and commerce center. Abu Dhabi accounts for about two-thirds of the roughly $503 billion UAE economy.
Sir Bani Yas Island, UAE
Sir Bani Yas Island is part of the Al Gharbia region of the United Arab Emirates. It's dominated by the Arabian Wildlife Park, with its roaming giraffes, cheetahs and gazelles. Multiple archaeological sites across the island include the ruins of an ancient Christian monastery. Salt dome hills define the island’s desert interior. The coast features beaches, sea kayak routes and a shipwreck.
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