Silversea Cruises

Port Said to Dubai - The Glory of the Pharaohs

Itinerary

Friday - Port Said, Egypt
Port Said was founded in 1859 when excavation work for the Suez Canal began. Upon completion of the canal in 1869, the city continued to develop until the bombing attacks in 1956 during the Suez crisis. The town suffered additional damage in 1967 and 1973 during the wars with Israel. Today most of the structures have been rebuilt. Several of the original city streets feature buildings constructed in early 20th-century architecture, complete with wooden balconies. The city's resident population of approximately 400,000 still owes its economic existence to the Suez Canal. Egyptians from other parts of the country travel to Port Said to make use of its resort facilities. Though the beaches are only mediocre, the area offers a pleasant alternative for Cairo residents to escape the oppressive heat of summer.

Saturday - Transit Suez Canal
Silversea is excited to offer this port as part of our itineraries. Information for this port is not yet available. Please check back.

Sunday - Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt
Silversea is excited to offer this port as part of our itineraries. Information for this port is not yet available. Please check back.

Monday - Aqaba, Jordan
Jordan is one of the most fascinating destinations in the Middle East, offering attractions that are manifold and unequalled. The country is not blessed with rich oil supplies; its treasures lie in the beauty of the land and a unique combination of antiquities, natural environment and traditions. The rose-red City of Petra and the captivating desert of Wadi Rum draw scores of visitors to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan each year.

Aqaba is Jordan's only port and of tremendous importance to the country's economy. Countless trucks ply the route between Aqaba and the capital Amman, a journey of some 220 miles. With stark mountains rising in the background, Aqaba enjoys an attractive setting. For cruise vessels, the port provides the gateway for excursions to famed Petra and the spectacular desert and mountain region of Wadi Rum. Aqaba itself offers a string of shops, hotels and restaurants. Some recent archaeological discoveries in the center of town are thought to be the remains of the oldest church in the world, dating from the late 3rd century. Aqaba is also popular with diving enthusiasts who appreciate the great variety of marine life that abounds in the waters of the Red Sea.

Tuesday - Aqaba, Jordan

Wednesday - Safaga, Egypt
The port city of Safaga is located on the western flank of the Red Sea, across from the shores of Saudi Arabia. The dusty streets are for the most part quiet, save for the occasional truck or bus. Diving enthusiasts come to the few resort hotels located north of Safaga to enjoy one of the world's best and relatively unspoiled locations for underwater exploration. Their number is steadily increasing. As a result, Safaga’s facilities are gradually improving.

For cruise vessels Safaga serves as the starting point of excursions to Luxor, which ranks among the most important destinations in Egypt. Otherwise, Safaga itself has very little to offer and guests not going to Luxor will have a hard time finding activities to keep them busy in this port for two days.

Thursday - Safaga, Egypt

Friday - Day At Sea
While we're at sea, enjoy wine tastings, designer boutiques, language and dance classes. Take in a matinee movie, check the market or your e-mail in the Internet Point, slip away with a novel from the library to a sunny chaise or with a movie to your suite. Or just take in the sun pool side. The choice is yours.

Saturday - Day At Sea
While we're at sea, enjoy wine tastings, designer boutiques, language and dance classes. Take in a matinee movie, check the market or your e-mail in the Internet Point, slip away with a novel from the library to a sunny chaise or with a movie to your suite. Or just take in the sun pool side. The choice is yours.

Sunday - Day At Sea
While we're at sea, enjoy wine tastings, designer boutiques, language and dance classes. Take in a matinee movie, check the market or your e-mail in the Internet Point, slip away with a novel from the library to a sunny chaise or with a movie to your suite. Or just take in the sun pool side. The choice is yours.

Monday - Day At Sea
While we're at sea, enjoy wine tastings, designer boutiques, language and dance classes. Take in a matinee movie, check the market or your e-mail in the Internet Point, slip away with a novel from the library to a sunny chaise or with a movie to your suite. Or just take in the sun pool side. The choice is yours.

Tuesday - Day At Sea
While we're at sea, enjoy wine tastings, designer boutiques, language and dance classes. Take in a matinee movie, check the market or your e-mail in the Internet Point, slip away with a novel from the library to a sunny chaise or with a movie to your suite. Or just take in the sun pool side. The choice is yours.

Wednesday - Muscat, Oman
Surrounded by striking mountains on one side and soft sandy shores along the coast, Muscat was already a thriving port in ancient times. As the capital of modern Oman with wide avenues and architecture that features both contemporary and traditional design, parts of the city still retain their medieval appearance, including two ancient Portuguese forts flanking the rocky cove around which the city is built. During the 14th and 15th centuries, Muscat was an important outpost for the powerful kings of Hormuz. In the 16th century, the Portuguese took possession of Muscat, but lost their dominance in the Gulf when the city came again under Omani rule in 1650.

Since the mid-18th century, members of the Al-Busaidy dynasty have been the rulers of Oman. From the time of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said's accession to the throne in 1970, the Sultanate has gone from an underdeveloped country to a modern state with imposing government buildings, hospitals, new roads, a university and a sport complex. Muscat’s picturesque old buildings still co-exist with modern commercial and residential quarters, giving the city an ambiance all its own. The seaside palace of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos, offers a spectacular sight, as it stands between steep rocky hills.

Greater Muscat covers a huge area divided into three sections: the old port area, the main trading and residential area, and the modern Central Banking District. Sumptuous villas and deluxe hotels are part of an ongoing building boom. Strong development in tourism has gained Oman a new role as an intriguing, fascinating and safe destination.

Oman is full of treasures - from historic palaces and traditional buildings to captivating landscapes and gracious people. Its advent into modern age has managed beautifully to blend age-old mystique with a taste of the 21st century.

Muscat comes as a big surprise to visitors and never fails to keep them totally amazed.

Thursday - Khasab, Oman
Silversea is excited to offer this port as part of our itineraries. Information for this port is not yet available. Please check back.

Friday - Dubai, U.A.E.
Known as the City of Merchants, Dubai is the second largest of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE. In the entire Gulf, there is no place quite like Dubai. Its history began in the 1830s when the city broke away from Abu Dhabi and became a center of commerce and trading in its own right. In fact, Dubai's wealth is founded on trade, not oil. When oil was discovered in 1966, it merely contributed to the city's prosperity and sped up modernization.

Modern development began at the turn of the last century with heavy import-export trading, mainly in gold. What opium was to the growth of Hong Kong, gold was to Dubai. As the leading center for business and tourism in the Middle East, Dubai offers a fascinating kaleidoscope of contrasts in a distinctive blend of modern city and timeless desert, east and west, old and new. As an exotic destination with a cosmopolitan lifestyle, Dubai combines the comfort and conveniences of the Western world with the unique charm of Arabia. Even with a high degree of tolerance for different lifestyles, Dubai remains close to its heritage.

Dubai's souqs and shopping malls are crammed with goods - at some of the world's best prices. But there is more to the city than shopping. Visitors find an outstanding museum and superb recreational facilities, ranging from golf and watersports to desert safaris and dhow cruises. As the sports capital of the Middle East, Dubai boasts four championship golf courses; it is a regular fixture on the European and Asian PGA circuits and hosts the Dubai World Cup - known as the world's richest horse race. An endless array of restaurants and nightspots offers a wide choice of cuisine and entertainment.

Dubai is a place of fascinating contrasts, a distinct blend of modern city, timeless deserts, rugged mountains and miles of sandy beaches. The streets are clean and safe – Interpol has voted Dubai as one of the safest cities in the world. With so many attractive attributes, it is not surprising that Dubai rates highly with world-class travelers, businessmen and the international jet set.

Cost of This Itinerary

The least expensive cabin costs:
$561 per person per night

The most expensive stateroom costs:
$1780 per person per night