25 Night Cruise sailing from Dubai to Valletta onboard Seabourn Encore.

Seabourn Encore is as strikingly beautiful and as excitingly innovative as any Seabourn has ever debuted. It will crown a fleet that is already the newest, most modern and most acclaimed in the ultra-luxury segment. Modeled on the award-winning trio of ships introduced with Seabourn Odyssey in 2009, Seabourn Encore represents another welcome stage in the evolution of small-ship cruising, which Seabourn pioneered and has consistently expanded and enriched.

Highlights of this cruise:

Dubai, UAE
The United Arab Emirates is strategically located at the crossroads of East and West, and the traditional trading routes from Asia and the Far East to Europe and further afield are even more significant today than they were hundreds of years ago. Nestled at the very heart of the Islamic world, the country is unique in its embrace of the Western world. Here you can see the contrasts of the nomadic Bedouin people, and the opulence and splendor of the Sheiks, set against a backdrop of Western lifestyles.

Eilat (Petra), Israel
At the narrow upper end of the Gulf of Aqaba, the Israeli sea resort of Eilat sits within plain view of the whitewashed buildings of Aqaba across the water. From the gulf coast, the Jordanian King’s Highway ascends past Wadi Rum, where Lawrence bivouacked his Bedouin cavalry, to the narrow, twisting defile that leads through the cliffs to Petra. Once a powerful Nabatean trading capital along the caravan route, the city, with its monumental facades carved from the solid, rose-tinted rock of the mountains, declined after its Roman conquest and was forgotten by the Western world for centuries until a Swiss explorer rediscovered it. Today it is one of the world’s most attractive ancient wonders, a place many travelers aspire to visit, marvel to see, and never forget.

Ashdod, Israel
The largest port in Israel, Ashdod is a gateway to Jerusalem, the 5,000-year-old walled city that is considered sacred to more than a third of the people on Earth. Numerous sites exist nearby, including the Jewish sacred Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said to be the site of Calvary and to contain a piece of the true cross. Meander along the seaside promenade, or dip your toes in the Dead Sea waters, long known for their health benefits. Visit the Bar-Gera Museum to view a collection of art by artists who were either banned or persecuted by the Nazis and other fascist governments. The Yad Vashem Memorial Museum is dedicated to the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Haifa (Tel Aviv), Israel
Situated on the slopes of Mount Carmel, along one of the most beautiful bays on the Mediterranean coast, Haifa is Israel's primary port. It also serves as an important gateway to the biblical and historical sites of this sacred land. Although the origin of Haifa is obscure, its name appears for the first time in the 3rd century A.D. in Talmudic literature. Over the years, Crusaders, Arabs, Turks and the British occupied the city. Today, this bustling city possesses the nation's largest industries, several important museums and the respected Haifa Technical Institute. It is also the world center of the Baha'i faith, symbolized by a beautiful gold-domed shrine.

Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Piraeus has been the port for Athens since 482 BC. The busy harbor is filled with ferries and cruise ships making their way to the Greek Islands and other Mediterranean cities. The busy metropolis of Athens and its treasure trove of antiquities lie just a few miles from the port. Even as the reality of the modern city took hold, with its high-rise apartments, crowded sidewalks and bustling traffic, the beauty of the Acropolis, the outstanding museums, charming cafés, sidewalk markets and startling views come together in a cultural mosaic for all to enjoy.

Thira (Santorini), Greece
"Thira, the Wild Island" and "Kalliste, the Fairest One" - all terms of endearment for this seductive, volcanic Greek island in the Sea of Crete. Extraordinary for its black sand beaches and sheer limestone cliffs, Santorini also showcases remnants of the Phoenician, Spartan and Minoan cultures, which fell under the island's spell - an unvarying, irresistible lure that continues to this day. Fira, the picturesque, pedestrian-only capital, is reached from the seaport via a short cable car ride that offers thrilling views as you ascend.

Valletta, Malta
Occupied successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, French and British, Malta has been of strategic importance throughout history. A British Crown Colony until 1964, Malta received the George Cross for its valiant resistance to German occupation in WWII. The island's rich heritage is reflected in the architecture of Valletta, the current capital, and Medina, the capital until 1565. In Valletta the Knights of St. John built such masterpieces as St. John's Co-Cathedral and the Palace of the Grand Masters, along with the fortifications that guard the town's magnificent harbors.