SailorJack
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8 hours ago, RLK33853 said:
Further info if you like snorkeling. On Dravuni Island, instead of snorkeling by the dock with everyone else (yes we have seen some turtles and small fish, etc),hike up to the top of their "mountain" (big hill), and then proceed across the width of the island on a footpath. We have snorkeled all over the world and this was the best day ever. You will see maybe 10 other people. We were out for probably 3 hours and each minute was more amazing than the last. Huge fan coral which is pristine. Giant clams, you name it. Ever color of coral. Since no one goes to the other side of the island it is untouched paradise.
Thanks for the tip, we will be in Dravuni next April.
Jack and Jill
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Just came across your post. Glad you enjoyed the Dream review. My latest one is still on page one on the Azamara board. Hope you enjoy it.
Jack
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On 9/18/2023 at 10:05 AM, Traveling Fools said:
Great review Sailor Jack!
Glad you enjoyed it. I also agree that Muscat is a fun port, but I also think there is a lot more to do in Dubai. In any event, both places are great to visit.
Jack
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On 9/15/2023 at 4:49 AM, Riocca said:
No, it’s a very good question, I started going to Dubai in the early 1990’s on business and it was a totally different place then but still vibrant and exciting and at the start of this sustained period of growth. I can remember going to the opening of the first large shopping mall but then as now I much prefer Deira the old part of Dubai. If you stay somewhere like the Radisson in Deira which incidentally was the first 5* hotel in Dubai you can sit on your balcony overlooking the Creek and watch the dhows being loaded with goods as they have for centuries, although the goods being loaded have changed a lot since then.
There’s a souk for everything, tourists head for the gold souk but wander a bit further and you get to the spice souk which overloads the senses. There’s even a material souk where you can buy cloth and silk at a fraction of the price you would normally pay and the choice was amazing.
New Dubai is amazing to see and it’s incredible to see what they have managed to build in a desert, it’s glitzy and glamorous but for us at least not that interesting, to be honest we prefer Muscat in Oman as it’s more authentic.
Thanks for the heads up on the hotel, but a little late for this trip. Our traveling companions, however, are staying in a hotel in Deira and I'll ask them about the area.
Jack
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On 9/14/2023 at 8:14 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:
No agenda here, just confusion: what is the appeal of Dubai?
If you have not been to Dubai, I really recommend that you put it on your bucket list. To us, it is sort of like Hong Kong - the city never sleeps! From a cultural perspective it really is where east meets west - where Arabic culture blends with Western culture without a Hick-up. .And it is constantly changing and growing. You know those huge cranes that are used to build skyscrapers? Twenty-five percent of the world's supply are in Dubai!
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And there is so much to do there. Time and space does not permit a full list - but some of our favorites:
Visiting Dubai Mall - the largest in the world with 1,200 retail stores. After shopping we go snow skiing inside the mall. (Younger enthusiasts go snowboarding. Even younger ones go tubing.). Also ice skating - $40 our last time there. While at the mall you can also visit the aquarium and underwater zoo. We usually have lunch there as well as there some great eateries at the mall.
High tea at Burj Al Arab Hotel. A bit pricey at nearly $200 each (with champagne, of course.) It is an experience that cannot be matched (google it:)
Visiting the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world at 163 floors - slightly over a half mile high. From the observation deck on the 124th floor you can Iran 95 miles away. (Also a very nice place to stay!)
Dinner cruise on a Dhow on Dubai creek. With all of the Dhows outlined in a kaleidoscope of colors it is more about the entertainment than the food -which is always good.
Souks - soak up the culture of Arabia by visiting the many souks. You can take a HOHO bus that drops you off at each souk so you can shop and marvel and then catch the next HOHO to the next souk (or to the Burj Al Arab for high tea.😀)
Did I mention how rich the country is? The police in Dubai drive Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Bugattis. In fact the Bugatti police cars are rated at over 200mph. The joke is that people beg to be arrested so they can ride in one.
As I mentioned, there is so much do there and each visit we find other things to experience. Which is why we are looking forward to being there in a couple of months.
Jack
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On 8/9/2023 at 9:08 PM, Miss L.A.P. said:
After not being on this site for 3 years, the only thing I could think about was "I wonder if SailorJack has written any reviews?". I certainly wasn't disappointed. Thank you for always making me laugh and bringing us all along on your adventures.
Just got back from a long absence and just saw your post. Glad you enjoyed the review. Thanks for posting.
Upcoming cruises: Barcelona to Dubai on the Oceana Riviera and a 31 day roundtrip from LA to the South Pacific on The Sapphire Princess. Our first time on Oceana and looking forward to visiting Dubai again. Probably won't review the Oceania trip but should review the Princess one. So my next review should be on the Princess board.
Again, thanks for your comments.
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On 7/13/2023 at 12:41 PM, abc1234 said:
Question…what do you suggest to do in the islands.please? We are with teenagers and adults..11 of us. Do I need private guides
I don't know how much I can help with this as we didn't travel with kids on this trip. However, unless you plan on leaving the port towns I don't think you need private guides. We toured on the cheap. In one town we googled free walking tours. Our guide was a delightful lady who had lived in town her entire life and led our group of 8 on a three hour tour of the spots most tourists will miss - while also pointing out the best bakeries and gift shops where the locals shopped. The only cost of the tour was the tip we gave the guide. In another port we took a HOHO bus and enjoyed the sights of the town. The bus left from a stop next to a three story mall and we spent time in there while waiting for the bus. The mall and the bus stop were about a 10 minute walk from the ship.
You can also look at the ship tours and see if anything is of interest to your teenagers. No matter what you do I think you will enjoy the islands.
Jack
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On 7/7/2023 at 7:19 PM, rtdiva said:
Thanks for the humorous tale and honest review. That said, I’ve only read reviews that have nothing but praise for ports in Africa and would do it again. However, the ports you described are probably as reported, not the run of the mill.
We were booked on HAL’s Grand Africa, but canceled due to rampant Covid in the ports. Your story was fun to read but is a reminder that our world has different values and cultures that may not always align with gawking tourists. My Irish cousin in law feels in her hometown, she is viewed as a curiosity.
Love your Mark Twain style.
Thanks for your comments.😀 As I mentioned in the review, the west Africa ports are new to tourism and have not yet developed the infrastructure. Capetown, however, was a great port as were all the ones in the Canary Islands.
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On 6/29/2023 at 8:49 AM, Irishredhead21 said:
Such a clever, funny, and engaging review!! I laughed out loud numerous times. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Jack
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Thanks all, any thoughts on Nice?
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On 6/26/2023 at 11:57 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:
Diamonds International. Let's hope not...
OMG... I had not thought of that! Then could Senor Frogs, Columbia Emeralds, and Carlos n Charlie be far behind!😄
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How close is the cruise ship dock from town? Can you walk from the cruise port into town? Same question for Nice.
Thanks
Jack
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34 minutes ago, shepherd really said:
- Suites and above $23 Per Person Per Day
- Concierge and below $18 per Person Per Day
Thank you.
Jack
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What are the current gratuities for Oceana -including for penthouse cabins.
Thank you
Jack
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On 6/22/2023 at 7:12 AM, gowilk said:
unfortunately the west africa trip last march will likely not be repeated as the trip to angola was met with hostility and the trip to ivory coast included outright extortion. we consider ourselves fortunate to have survived and enjoyed as well…their new itinerary steers far away from those countries and has way too many sea days for us….just my personal opinion, attacks are unnecessary.
We didn't incur some of the problems that confronted you, but in our discussions aboard the ship we concluded that the major problem of that particular itinerary was that West Africa was just not tourist oriented. Now that could be a good thing or a bad on. On the positive side, we did not see a single t-shirt shop in any of the ports! Compare that to the Caribbean. Also prices were extremely low. In one port we rented a taxi for $20 an hour.
On the other hand there was very little infrastructure to support tourism. In one port we could not find any taxis or tour groups. We finally went to a hotel and had the concierge call someone to drive us around. The resultant response was a 25 year old car with a driver who spoke very little English. But we had a good time with him!
It will be interesting to see what happens in these ports in a few years.
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On 6/21/2023 at 5:54 AM, lisiamc said:
Every time I scroll past this review, I get Don’t Stop Believing stuck in my head. Fabulous review, which I very much enjoyed. I may have to hate you just a little bit for the ear worm, though.
LOL😄 Sorry about that!
However, I think that the Journey song was one of the best to come out of the 80's. If you have to have an ear worm you do worse.😀
Jack
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On 6/17/2023 at 10:25 AM, Mommapadraig said:
This was fabulous. I’m off to the Azamara board. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you like the one on Azamara - it was our first time for that cruise line and the itinerary was unique for us.
AND...
Lgdesign - thanks for your comment. I had a lot of fun with the Dream review.
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On 6/16/2023 at 5:47 PM, Kallen said:
My favourite review of all time is the Norwegian Dream (The dream? Or the nightmare? (Or why I may give up cruising?) and I have shared it with many. While I realized, to my disappointment, that there was not one single car dumped into the ocean in this one and with echoes of "Don't Cry For me Argentina" in my head, your descriptions of perfume ingredients and of course the wild Valris were priceless! Please never stop writing reviews.
Thanks! I wrote the Dream review back in 2007 and it is one of my favorites. I had a good time with it. Glad you enjoyed this one.🙂
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On 10/3/2022 at 7:59 PM, EricCLT said:
Fifteen years later and this is still hilarious. I found it by googling "Most Japanese Tonnage Sunk Since 1945 Cruise Critic"
Someone just tipped me off about your post - sorry I missed it when you first posted it.! Glad you enjoyed the review - I enjoyed writing it - but again, I had a lot of material to work with.😃
I case you may be interested, my latest review is over on the Azamara board
Jack
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On 5/29/2023 at 7:28 AM, Yorkvillain said:
There are cruise reviews and there are SailorJack cruise reviews. Fantastic as always.
At some point I am going to go back and re-read all of these classics.
Good to hear from you again. Enjoy your upcoming cruise next month - Vision of the Seas, I think?
Jack
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On 4/14/2023 at 10:51 AM, Baatman said:
Sounds like a great trip - thankyou for the review. We are thinking about a trip on the Onward, how did you like Azamara?
It was an interesting cruise because we had some great ports, but we will not be sailing on Azamara again. As I mentioned in my review, this was our first trip on Azamara and it will be our last - just not our type of cruise line. That said, I hope you enjoy the Onward.
Jack
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On 4/4/2023 at 2:08 PM, asnaleah said:
Very humorous and informative. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it.
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On 4/4/2023 at 10:43 AM, mexico8 said:
OMG - I love your sense of humour. I laughed so hard at the "diamonds" story. I had some really good laughs at your post. I also have great admiration for Jill!!!!
Good to hear from a fellow Canadian. Glad you enjoyed the review. If you enjoyed the humor you may be interested in my other reviews. Links are in my signature.
Jack
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On 4/1/2023 at 5:07 AM, kptbylorraine said:
Thank you Sailor Jack. I enjoyed your writing.
Thank you for reading it!🙂
Jack
South Pacific R/T Los Angeles
in Princess Cruises
Posted
Kiss the Fish!
Jack and Jill