Taxi From Port to Hotel

[tring]

We will be arriving on a small cruise ship and heading to The Ibis Styles Jumeirah late February.  We have arrived by air previously and there was a very efficient taxi queue, can we expect the same at the port? Also will they recognise our hotel if we ask for it or do we need to find something with the hotel name in Arabic?  There are other Ibis Styles hotels in Dubai, so a bit concerned about that.

[Skoobdo]

There's two rows of RTA taxis outside the cruise terminal. I just left there 2 days ago. You just need to write down the name and address to the hotel, in English and provide it to the driver, so there won't be any doubt.  One driver asked me to find it on his Google maps app and he followed the step by step voice instructions.  There's so many hotels in Dubai, and new ones being built everyday.  Many drivers don't know all the hotels.  Also, even though they are required to take credit cards, some won't.  So, ask first if that will be your form of payment.  And make sure the meter is on.  Good luck.

[tring]

3 minutes ago, Skoobdo said:

There's two rows of RTA taxis outside the cruise terminal. I just left there 2 days ago. You just need to write down the name and address to the hotel, in English and provide it to the driver, so there won't be any doubt.  One driver asked me to find it on his Google maps app and he followed the step by step voice instructions.  There's so many hotels in Dubai, and new ones being built everyday.  Many drivers don't know all the hotels.  Also, even though they are required to take credit cards, some won't.  So, ask first if that will be your form of payment.  And make sure the meter is on.  Good luck.

 

Thank you, I greatly appreciate that.  Are RTA taxis the cream ones with different coloured roofs?

 

[Skoobdo]

6 hours ago, tring said:

 

Thank you, I greatly appreciate that.  Are RTA taxis the cream ones with different coloured roofs?

 

Yes. The only marked taxis (government operated) in Dubai.

[sddsddean]

16 hours ago, tring said:

 

Thank you, I greatly appreciate that.  Are RTA taxis the cream ones with different coloured roofs?

 

The different coloured rooves indicate the taxi operator company and the cream body shows they are approved by RTA. If you want a 'ladies only' cab, try and get one with a pink roof.

 

Simon

[tring]

Thank you both for that information.

[G.M.T.]

See if your hotel has a website in English / Arabic, search for the address / location in English then try to find the same information in Arabic, if successful print out the information.

 

If not emal hotel and ask them for directions / address in Arabic, print out.

[Jayayeff]

1 hour ago, G.M.T. said:

See if your hotel has a website in English / Arabic, search for the address / location in English then try to find the same information in Arabic, if successful print out the information.

 

If not emal hotel and ask them for directions / address in Arabic, print out.

The hotel the OP has booked is very close to the entry/exit from Port Rashid so it should be a quick transfer... I’m not sure how useful an address in Arabic would be, I’ve never come across an Arabic taxi driver, the majority are from the Asian sub-continent.   Hotel name, and address (street name) in English is more than enough as most taxi drivers use Google maps..

 

Anne...

[tring]

4 hours ago, Jayayeff said:

The hotel the OP has booked is very close to the entry/exit from Port Rashid so it should be a quick transfer... I’m not sure how useful an address in Arabic would be, I’ve never come across an Arabic taxi driver, the majority are from the Asian sub-continent.   Hotel name, and address (street name) in English is more than enough as most taxi drivers use Google maps..

 

Anne...

 

Thank you for the other comments.  I have printed out the hotel name, address and phone number, so should be fine. 

[buchhalm]

There will be no problem with not using taxi meters in the UAE. Every driver will switch it on. No worries.

(However,  be prepared to haggle in Oman and Bahrain)

As for the idea about writing addresses in Arabic, this is - as Anne said - of little use in the UAE. Drivers are likely to speak English better than Arabic.   

But if you happen to speak Kenyan, Ugandan or such African languages, you will make some driver's day!