Explora II had been scheduled to visit the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the UAE, including overnight stays in Jeddah and Dubai.
A major selling point for the planned deployment was New Year’s Eve in Dubai, which would have seen guests enjoy a fireworks display set against the city backdrop.
However, the luxury cruise line’s second ship will now operate in the Mediterranean from November 2026 to March 2027, the line confirmed on Wednesday (25 March). Full new itineraries will be released by the end of the month.
