The port city of Jeddah has long been a cultural crossroads, serving as the gateway to Mecca for pilgrims making the Hajj, and there's a cosmopolitan feel here that other Saudi cities lack. The old Al-Balad neighbourhood is home to the city’s most characterful buildings, while the buzzing Corniche promenade is a great spot for people watching.

Sharm El-Sheikh is Egypt’s most popular beach resort, situated on the Red Sea coast on the Sinai Peninsula. The wonderfully warm waters of the Ras Mohamed National Park offer fantastic snorkelling and diving, and other nearby attractions include the impressive Byzantine-era St Catherine’s Monastery.

Aqaba is Jordan’s principal beach resort, situated on the Red Sea coast close to the Israeli border. The main attraction in Aqaba itself is the incredible diving, though many visitors will choose to instead use the port as a jumping off point for the 'Rose City' of Petra and the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum.

Safaga is the nearest sea port to Luxor, and ships often stop here overnight to give you time to see everything. Prepare to be amazed – the thin belt of greenery along the banks of the Nile gives Luxor a lush setting for an extraordinary collection of tombs and temple complexes that hint at the magnificence of this former Ancient Egyptian capital.

Ain Sukhna is the nearest Red Sea port to Egypt's capital, Cairo. Obviously the highlight of your visit may well be the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, but on no account neglect a visit to the Egyptian Museum, which has a truly stupendous collection of ancient artefacts, not least, of course, the Tutankhamen treasures.

It's difficult to overstate the spiritual significance of Jerusalem, a holy city to three different faiths: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Whatever your personal beliefs, it's impossible not to be moved by sights such as the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Haifa is Israel’s third city, a bustling and multicultural place where six different faiths live side by side. The city is the spiritual centre of the Baha’i Faith, and the beautiful Baha’i Gardens are a must-see. Many cruise visitors opt to skip Haifa and take an excursion to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, two to three hours’ drive away.

Bodrum is one of the trendiest destinations on Turkey’s Aegean coast, with plenty of private yachts bobbing alongside the traditional gulet boats in the harbour. Whitewashed buildings draped in bougainvillea give the town a Greek feel, overlooked by the imposing 15th century crusader castle.

The Turkish port of Kusadasi is the gateway to Ephesus, one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the Eastern Mediterranean. This was the Roman capital of Asia Minor, and the remains constitute the most complete classical city in Europe.