'I tried out £569 seven day cruise to surprising number of countries'

You don’t need one thousand and one nights to see a lot of By taking a cruise, you can visit several countries in just over a week – seeing not only their ports fringed by but also exploring far beyond the

During a voyage around the , I did everything from dune bashing to dolphin spotting, from marvelling at mosques to viewing exotic wildlife on a sandy island. There’s no need to break the bank, either, with fares beginning in the hundreds rather than thousands.

My adventure began in Doha, the . After a night in a hotel after the flight I boarded 1,260-passenger Celestyal Journey for the first of many sail-away parties, raising a glass as the futuristic skyline faded from view.

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Arriving the next morning at the I joined an excursion to the capital Manama at the majestic Al Fateh Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world. Here, women were told to cover their hair and wear a long black cloak while men had to ensure their shoulders and legs weren’t on show. All shoes were left at the entrance.The impressive building, topped by a 60-ton dome, can fit up to 7,000 worshippers at a time, so the gigantic carpet made in Northern Ireland takes a lot of wear.

Our tour moved on to the Bahrain National Museum with its fascinating display of a burial ground dating back to 2800 BC – including the actual skeletons. In this region, ancient monuments often sit right next to a modern metropolis, as we discovered at Bahrain Fort, a 16th-century Portuguese castle built on previous settlements dating back 5,000 years. We visited a souk, or marketplace, which sold items ranging from hand-woven rugs to the latest electronics. We finished the tour with meze and kebabs at a four-star beachfront hotel.

Next stop on our odyssey was an overnight giving us the chance to head miles out of the city for dinner in the desert, diverting briefly to watch some camels being put through their paces at a race track. Our drivers then took the 4x4s off road to bump over dunes. Sand sprayed over the windows as we gasped, laughed and rolled in our seats.

Finally, we arrived at a desert camp. After a sunset gave way to darkness pierced by a crescent moon, we were entertained by dancers and fire-eaters while we tucked into a barbecue.

The following day, having visited Dubai before, I decided against another visit to the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower with a dizzying 163 storeys. Instead, I arranged my own excursion to see Queen Elizabeth 2, a former Cunard ocean liner that’s now a top hotel.

On the captain’s bridge, drawers still contain the maps and charts left when the ship was handed over in 2008, and you can see the car lift that allowed rich owners to take Rolls-Royces in the hold when they crossed the Atlantic to New York.

Our Journey then took us to Khasab in Oman to sail on a dhow wooden boat through an area known as the Norway of Arabia, stopping in the region’s longest “fjord” for a swim break. On our way back we were joined by a playful dolphin that spent ages bobbing alongside the boat.

Back on board our ship, we headed overnight to Sir Bani Yas Island, where we climbed inside an open-sided truck to seek out the wildlife in an extensive nature reserve, including giraffes, emus, ostriches and a lone zebra – they hope to find him a female mate soon. Afterwards, there was and take a dip in the water before sailing off again.

Our final stop before heading back to Qatar was in Abu Dhabi, home of the Formula 1 circuit and the even scarier Ferrari World with its terrifying rollercoasters. Many passengers took the more sedate choice of visiting the Sheikh Zayed Mosque with its 1,000 pillars, and the glittering presidential palace.

I decided to stay on board – after all, a cruise is supposed to be a holiday, right? Sometimes the best part is just chilling on your balcony in the sunshine with a cold drink and a good book, though I also walked a few circuits of the teak promenade deck and enjoyed a relaxing 75-minute massage in the spa.

Journey is one of two ships operated by Celestyal, a Greek line that once stuck to the Med but decided to operate year-round by adding winter sailings in the It’s truly an international ship with a rich mix of nationalities, languages and generations.

Though 32 years old – it was formerly with Holland America – and showing its age in places, it has been ­extensively refurbished with a newly painted hull, and the public areas look like new. I particularly enjoyed the cool vibe of the Blue Bar with its diverse selection of seating areas.

As well as a main dining room and buffet, both included in the fare, there are three restaurants with additional charges – the Grill Seekers steakhouse, the Pink Moon Asian-inspired venue and the Chef’s Table, which sits 14 for meals starting at €50 (£42) each for four courses.

There’s still a lot of Mediterranean influences. For example, if you fancy a mid-afternoon snack, you can pick up chicken gyros at a Greek deli window. A very popular spot was the Cafe Nation coffee shop, especially for the early-morning caffeine hit.

Celestyal is particularly noted for its cocktails and I spent a couple of evenings sampling amazing creations from two menus – the line’s signature collection and a special new list inspired by Arabia, with tempting titles such as Midnight Oasis, Mythical Potion and Desert Mirage.

Talking of drinks, the Fig & Honey kiosk offers indulgent ­milkshakes, including the Bounty Bar Blender. As well as the “taste of paradise” chocolate, it contains ice cream, whipped cream and vermicelli – I could feel the calories piling on just looking at it. In the theatre, an enthusiastic, talented, hard-working group of singers, dancers and acrobats put on themed shows, such as Abba, burlesque or carnival.

Other lounges feature musicians and soloists – one evening, bar staff even provided a spot of opera singing and magic tricks. And the Horizons lounge was packed for a disco the one night I managed to stay up late enough to enjoy it. Many passengers seemed to spend hours happily lounging around the sheltered main pool and hot tubs under a retractable glass roof, while others chose to relax by a second small pool at the aft.

How would I sum up Celestyal? Though it has themed, elegant evenings, it’s much more about fun than formality. It’s missing in some more expensive rivals – and the comprehensive itinerary is fantastic value. This winter, the company’s other ship, the 1,360-passenger Discovery, will join Journey on Middle East routes. I just hope local camels don’t get the hump they're not the only ships of the desert now.

Book the holiday

Celestyal offers a seven-night Desert Days round trip on Celestyal Journey, sailing from Doha, Qatar, on December 13 and, calling at Dubai (overnight), Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and Manama, Bahrain, from £569pp. Includes wi-fi and gratuities, flights extra. .

Qatar Airways flies to Doha from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh starting at £544 return. . More info at