nuneham

I think that very much depends on the passengers - a lively crowd or not. We have been on Encore & Explorer this year & would undoubtedly opt for Explorer. For us service was excellent on both, the dining experience slightly better on Explorer, but the accommodation much better on Regent. Above all the Encore felt cramped on deck, the Explorer is far more spacious throughout & that makes for a more relaxing cruise.

We used to visit Abu Dhabi & Dubai regularly to visit family & found the regulated taxi service to be reliable, cheap & safe. Returning more recently on a cruise & making our first visit to Muscat, we took taxis from the port to The Louvre & the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi & to the creek area of Dubai. We are planning to rely on taxis for most of our excursions during our November cruise.