Artemis

Hi, MadMan! Kudos on making lemonade out of your cruise cancellation!

 

I booked the lowest level Marhaba service, as all I really wanted was to avoid the immigration line because a lot of planes arrive in the wee hours when I landed; you might want to check the DXB website to scope out early evening international arrivals--if there's no cluster of incoming flights, you may not experience a long line.

 

You sound like an experienced traveler, so if you opt for Marhaba, I think you'll be fine with the basic service--it's nice to arrive to a sign with your name on it, but I think you'd agree with me that hand-holding through the airport isn't really what you need. DXB is new, well-signed in English, and familiar, e.g., it follows the usual transit patterns. 

 

I realize I dramatized my fast exit--that's because I never check baggage! But all in all, it's an easy airport. 

 

And yes, I did stop in the duty free (it's right there as you exit) to get some alcohol! 

 

 

Hi, Hillswood, just FYI, in Sir Bani Yas, you'll tender to a private beach dedicated to cruise ships. (If you're on Royal Caribbean, it's like Labadee and CocoCay). There are no independent excursion operators, and as long as your family likes beach days, you'll love it. There's a lot of detail in other threads, but the most important thing I'd suggest is water shoes or at least flip flops, as the beach is a mix of sand, little rocks and shells. Kinda rough on tender feet!

 

Khasab is a very small place, and THE thing to do there is take a small boat cruise out into the fjords to see dolphins. You can also snorkel, but the water will be pretty chilly. You may find it most convenient to take the cruise line's excursion here, but you can certainly review all of your options under "Things to Do" in Khasab on TripAdvisor. Note that it takes 30-45 minutes for the boat to transit from the port dock to the fjord, and if the water is rough, as it was the day I went, that can be a fairly challenging ride for anyone prone to motion sickness. Some folks lost their breakfast. So considering your little ones, you might want to investigate the larger boat options. 

 

I'll let others tell you about kid-friendly things to do in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. 

 

Enjoy your trip!

The Royal Caribbean setup is similar to what Skoobdo described--but no ribs, 😪and not sure about the open flame BBQ! 

 

It's a really pleasant beach break from all the big cities...pack some water shoes if you have them. The beach isn't fine sand, more of a sand with small rocks and shells. So it can be tough walking for tenderfoots!

Agreed, it's not glitzy! But the room was very spacious and well-appointed, with a comfortable bed, great shower and all the amenities a traveler desires. More, the view of the creek boat traffic was priceless! And every member of the front desk staff was professional and friendly. I was a happy camper there--it's a very solid rec. Thanks, Anne. 

In December 2019, I took a Royal Caribbean RT cruise out of Dubai to Doha, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi (as well as Sir Baniyas, the curated-for-cruise-ships island—like Labadee or CocoCay). Here are a few tips and bits of info about what an independent traveler might want to consider in these ports.

 

Dubai 

• The Marhaba meet and greet service at the airport is fantastic for speeding through immigration/getting your arrival visa. I was at the taxi stand within 10 minutes of arrival—all the other pax on my plane were still standing in a very long line. https://www.marhabaservices.com/ae/english
• This CC forum’s expert Anne often recommends Sheraton Dubai on the Creek—I took her up on it and found it to be a nice property and well-located (it’s a 10-minute ride from the airport and a 10-minute ride to the cruise terminal.) 
• The Dubai subway system is super clean, very efficient for getting to the most-visited places, and user-friendly. 
• Taxis are cheap—make sure the meter’s running, and be ready with cash, as not all take credit cards (but no stress, you can get a credit card taxi for that first ride from the airport before you've hit an ATM). 
• There’s a lot of scoop here about reservations for the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab, so I’ll only add: (1) if the weather doesn’t cooperate with your Burj Khalifa reserved slot, give them a call just to see if there’s any flexibility in date/time; (2) you can do the Dubai Mall (designer stores galore) when you visit Burj Khalifa, and after, easily catch the red line subway to the Mall of the Emirates (more of a “regular” people’s mall, but featuring the ski slope), and (3) the tea at Burj Al Arab is worth every penny—it’s a seven-course affair (yes!), so the pain of the high price is relieved (a little!) by the fact it can cover both lunch and dinner. Really.
• Love love love this walking tour of “Old Dubai” including the souqs, an Arabian coffee stop, an abra ride on a traditional dhow boat across the creek and an amazing locals’ favorite lunch. Guide Nada grew up in Dubai and is delightful and a wealth of information. http://wanderwithnada.com/
• If you’d like a desert alternative to dune bashing, this is the premier company for desert visits. I did the falconry and safari combo in a comfortable Range Rover with a sumptuous breakfast spread—it was phenomenal! https://www.platinum-heritage.com/heritage-falconry-wildlife-desert-safari/

Doha, Qatar

• Qatar Food Tour by Boat in the Pearl Island - booked through TripAdvisor, super fun, great guide and terrific variety of food bites, very filling! https://www.facebook.com/qatarwanderlust/ 

Bahrain

• Another wonderful food tour (I like to eat!) hitting the high spots of the old souq, the guide is a local who has spent time in the US, he’s very knowledgeable about the local culture, also highly recommended on TripAdvisor, see https://www.thisfoodtour.com/eat-drink

Ahu Dhabi

• If you’re going to the Louvre, buy your tix online in advance. The lines are long!
• If you’re going to the mosque—which is amazing—I highly recommend the cultural tour (45 minutes) so you can learn all about the architecture and design elements. It’s free. Be sure to arrive 30 minutes in advance—there’s a lot of walking and security to go through before you arrive at the tour meeting point. https://www.szgmc.gov.ae/en/mosque-opening-hours
• If you’re going to Ferrari World, get an advance ticket with the QUICK PASS option so you can cut your wait for the world’s fastest roller coaster from 60 minutes to 5 minutes! https://www.isango.com/

 

I had a great time exploring this part of the world--hope you do, too!

Anne, I'd like to add my thanks for your many valuable contributions about Dubai. I just returned from my first visit, including some pre- and post-cruise time in your city. I took your advice and stayed at the Sheraton Dubai on the Creek--it was the perfect property for my needs. 

 

Hope your 2020 is off to a great start!

Rowse, thanks for sharing your trip! I started reading just to see how you liked the Jewel because I'll be on her next month. (Happy to read she exceeded expectations!) But I kept reading because you're such an engaging storyteller! Good work. Happy cruising!

Anne, thanks a million for the helpful links. Decisions, decisions!

Hi, Anne, wow, thank you for all of your contributions to this forum. What a bonus for all of us traveling to the UAE!

 

I have one for ya. I'm making my first visit over the winter holidays (in part, via Royal Caribbean's 7-night RT out of Dubai hitting various area ports). I read about this festival--it gets rave reviews for cultural experience. But there's not a lot of detailed information to be found online. I posted the question below to the UAE forum on the usual travel research site (I haven't been on CC in a while, so don't know if I can say the name!), but no one's answered. I do have a fair price quote on a car and guide to make the trip from Abu Dhabi (and the guide outfitter also promised to research, but nothing yet). So I'm just trying to decide whether to commit! 

 

Do you happen to have any scoop? Thanks in advance for any information you know or any "very local" online resource you might suggest as possible fertile ground for details.

 

• I will be visiting for the first time in late December 2019. The best day for me to go to the Al Dhafra Festival is Sunday, December 28, 2019. The website doesn't show the program. See turathuna.ae/en/event/al-dhafra-festival

  Can anyone share program information for that day? Or at least offer general advice about what to expect. Is there a Mazayna every day of the festival, and if so, at what time?

Hi, Jeffrey, it's highly unlikely you will have free time if you are talking about an overnight flight from US, land early-mid AM Heathrow, anywhere from 1-3 hrs to clear immigration, retrieve checked luggage, go through customs, walk to transfer point, and wait for transfer to load and depart, est. 1-1/2 hours drive time to Southampton cruise terminal...embarkation will almost certainly already be in progress!

 

If that's not the itinerary you had in mind, let us know!

 

 

 

 

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Oh, and I will share my quick and dirty website for that sailing, as it does have all the Daily Programmes. Things change, naturally, but you can get a rough idea of how embarkation day, your port day in Southampton and disembarkation in Hamburg might be handled. See https://sites.google.com/site/qm2transatlantic28july2014/

 

 

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We did NYC-Hamburg last Aug 2014 and didn't experience any "party boat" atmosphere on that short, final leg. New to us was the gift of a port day in Southampton and that late afternoon's transit down the Solent past the Isle of Wight--we were lucky to have a spectacularly sunny day, the views were gorgeous. Note that Hamburg receives a lot of rain, so a small travel umbrella may come in handy, as the receiving port terminal is mostly open air, and it's a bit of a walk to your transfer.

 

Best wishes on your voyage and continuing journey!

 

 

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See Cunard forum now for thread about upcoming single supplement reductions!

 

 

 

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On Reflection in Dec, the instructor had been hired to do just that, i.e., wasn't on the CD's staff, and she offered an array of classes from watercolor postcards (the only free one), acrylic and Asian brush painting to more crafty jewelry making of several types. We did the water color plus two fee-based jewelry classes. A lot of fun, and as said, in an inspiring setting with the all windowed-room!

 

To the poster wondering about her 12yo, yes, I think a young person of that age would be fine! Any younger might be a bit of a challenge for all, but the setting is casual and creative, a great way for a parent and child to spend time together!

 

 

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A bunch more recs in Ports of Call>Med forum.

 

 

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Google bridge cruises--lots of results.

 

Talk to your club and instructors in your home town--many of ours have served as organizers/instructors on cruisers, and they definitely advertise the cruises to us.

 

 

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In our family's experience, it's rare they bend the age rules, and I would be very surprised if they did on a 2-year difference. The only times I have seen leniency are when the kid count is low (i.e., not spring break, summer, holidays) and when the age gap is small and the two are sibs or traveling companions. My son never seemed to catch a break! The worst was at that awkward tween/young teen stage when his traveling companion got to be in the teen group and my son was with what he viewed the children, even though they were both in the same grade. It was kind of a tough week!

 

All you can do is ask! Good luck!

 

 

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I may be of the younger generation, as is the poster but it does not make us naive to history and it certainly does not mean we want to destroy all of the traditions. I think in many ways we make the extra effort, spending good money to show our willingness to maintain tradition. However that does not mean we can't evolve our interpretations of the dress code, as long they stay within the criteria of formal dress, as outlined by Cunard. It is clear that this has happened with female dress onboard, as not everyone is wearing a 1920's style cocktail dress. QM2 is not a museum, it's living and breathing, a magical microcosm of society, in which traditions and individuals should and are respected by nearly all. It's what makes the magnificent Ocean liner so special and unique!

 

 

Well said! I am of an older generation, but one who thinks Cunard must evolve! As much I I tried to temper OP's expectations as to the appealing aspects of the onboard experience for a younger set, it seems she is wed to make the most of it! So I say hooray, cravats and all, we need to embrace a new kind of Cunard cruiser who both respects tradition and enjoys it in their own unique style.

 

 

 

 

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You can also teach them to login daily to the interactive TV display of their account charges.

 

 

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Welcome to the Cunard forum!

 

You're okay on most everything, but your young adult late night partying and pool relaxing objectives give me a bit of pause. Late night entertainment is not Cunard's forte--the primary and often sole venue for late night partying is G32, and there has been a lot of talk here about the uninspired DJ (especially lack of current nightclub music) and even occasional use of house bands playing Caribbean and other non-nightclub typical music. Another thing to know about G32 is, it's one of the few indoor spaces for smoking, and it has a terrible ventilation system. So some find it unbearable. As to the pool scene, it's nothing you can count on, as even in the summer, the temps crossing the northern Atlantic can be very cool, and wind and rain are not uncommon. Or you might get lucky with a string of warm, sunny days! Point is, you just never know.

 

Overall, Cunard hasn't done a lot to attract a young adult crowd, so you will not find a large number of peers.

 

With all that said, for well-traveled people who enjoy the company of all ages, are lifelong learners and can happily entertain themselves when nothing fancies, a crossing can be a delightful experience. We are from the US, too, and we like to end a European land vacation with a crossing. It can't be beat on price, serves as the perfect "vacation to recover from my vacation" and allows you to avoid jet lag because the one-hour daily clock changes enable you to step off in the states on NY time.

 

Only you two can decide--hit some reviews, particularly from your age group. Good luck with your research!

 

 

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newcruiser09, yes, our butler expertly served us breakfast on the balcony!

 

Jaddy, Arno posted the dailies in his thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2132962 -- they will reflect dining and show information.

 

 

 

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Thanks for reading and your kind feedback, y'all!

OP, I'm sorry you didn't have the best week.

 

One time, we cruised the first week of the new year and similarly experienced some instances of poor service and other lapses. After visiting with some crew members, we came to appreciate how exhausted they were from the extra demands of the preceding two holiday cruises. That made sense, as recovering from the holidays was one of our motivators for choosing that week! So once we figured that out, we were more sensitive to what everyone was feeling and tried to be a bit more flexible, patient and forgiving of inconsistencies. I realize that's not quite what you expect to do when you pay to be treated royally, but hey, we're all human!

 

I'm not saying that's what happened in your case or attempting to justify what happened. It's simply food for thought.

 

Incidentally, we were on Reflection the second week of December and had a very positive experience overall, including consistently good service from all staff and crew.

 

 

 

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Thanks for reading and providing feedback, Sterlruth! Your post made me smile--it seems long ago now, but it was a good time at sea! Best wishes on your future sailings!

ChezMaryLou, that is great info! Where does one find the Cellar Master? I guess that is a stupid question...probably in the wine bar, right? I incorrectly assumed that was a place for the uninitiated to get their flight and run. I'd like to learn the tips and tricks so I can take advantage next time! Thanks for sharing.


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