Also be aware in Dubai. The watchdog group Fair Trials International is seeing an increase in the number of drug arrests for very minor and innocent cases of drug possession. This includes a 4 year sentence for someone having some poppy seeds on his shirt from a muffin he ate at Heathrow before his flight to Dubai. Make sure your prescription drugs are clearly labeled and you may even want to bring along a prescription note from your doctor. I'm sure these are very isolated cases, but it's still a good idea to be prepared even when traveling to the "liberal" countries in the Middle East.

See this article from BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7234786.stm

All that said, I still wish I was going on this cruise, and I still want to get to Dubai one day! I think it's going to be a great, exciting experience for all!