Royal Caribbean has announced that Dubai will be the new home of Jewel of the Seas from December 2019 to March 2020.

Returning to the region after a two-year break, Royal Caribbean will offer two different seven night Arabian Gulf itineraries. The itineraries, which will be available to book from 24 April for Crown and Anchor members and 25 April for the general public, will include maiden calls to Sir Bani Yas, Doha and Bahrain.

Jewel of the Seas will be repositioning from Rome, her home for 10 years, to Dubai on a 16-night Suez Canal cruise from 30 November to 16 December. Once in the Middle East, the new ‘butterfly itineraries’ will give guests the chance to soak up the sights of the Middle East. The first of the sailings will call at Khasab (Oman), Muscat (Oman), Sir Bani Yas (UAE) and Abu Dhabi, and the second at Bahrain, Doha (Qatar), Sir Bani Yas (UAE) and Abi Dhabi.

Jewel of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s most contemporary, intimately sized ships, having undergone a $30 million makeover in 2016. Features include a poolside movie screen, rock climbing and West End style entertainment. Dining options on board include the rustic Italian cuisine at Giovanni’s Table and Mexican flavours at Sabor.

Managing director, Royal Caribbean International UK and Ireland, Ben Bouldin, said: “We have seen a surge in interest in Middle Eastern holidays from this market so we are excited to announce that we are positioning a ship back in the region next year.

“The enticing new destinations, enhanced by a suite of exciting shore excursions and complemented by our extraordinary ship will be the talk of the town for agents across the country.”