Middle East

Explora Journeys has shared some exciting news! The luxury lifestyle brand under the MSC Group has released its summer 2023 itineraries for the company’s new ship, Explora II. Set sail …

“What are you doing here?” asked the boy playing on his scooter along Jeddah’s attractive waterfront corniche. It’s a question I was asked quite a few times in my visit …

The highly-anticipated new cruise port in Istanbul, Turkey is set to open later this year and is poised to bring about a new era of cruise and travel to the …

Saudi is an exciting destination with a rapidly expanding tourism industry. The country offers not only deserts, but an incredibly rich marine ecosystem, stunning untouched beaches and islands, including the …

Feature Photo Credit: Hurrem Sultan Hamami  Other than a few layovers in the beautiful Istanbul airport, it’s been 20 years since I first set foot on the country’s terra firma. …

Traditional launch parties are always full of fanfare but none more entertaining than the recent naming ceremony of MSC Virtuosa in Dubai, UAE. The gala event was attended by celebrities, …

If you are sailing into or out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the proverbial ‘so much to see, so little time’ is a gross understatement. If you can arrange a …

Just last week, the team from Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine was on board the brand new MSC Seashore for its naming ceremony at Ocean Cay in the Bahamas. Over the weekend, …

The world’s newest cruise destination took another step towards their goal of becoming a top-tier cruise and travel destination. Cruise Saudi announced today that they’ve become a member of the World …

  In January of 2020, the world first learned of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s tourism initiative that hopes to bring in 100 million visitors by the year 2030. What many …

In recent years, Dubai has launched to the top of travel bucket lists for cruisers and MSC Cruises is banking on that popularity continuing well into the future. The cruise …

The country of Turkey is ready for visitors to return in 2021 and they’ve developed a new system for keeping tourists and citizens safe. The Safe Tourism Certificate was created …

The tiny Arabian peninsula of the United Arab Emirates is best known for the ambitious reputations of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. But let’s be honest: you would likely be hard …

In recent years, the Middle Eastern country of Qatar has become a major world power, and its capital Doha is a metropolis, complete with massive geometric skyscrapers that light up …

The scene was a cruise ship sailing in the Middle East, but it felt more like a James Bond movie. While guests on the ultra-luxurious 600-passenger Seabourn Encore were sipping …

There are countless luxury hotels in Dubai for a weary traveler to rest and recuperate, but it’s one of the city’s newest hotels which has the richest history. The Queen …