MSC cruise out of Dubai

[lioness27]

Hello all,

We are considering an MSC cruise, 7-day, out of Dubai. We've read some reviews, some bad, some acceptable. We would like to know more from all of you, especially with regards to the following:

- shore excursions: are they super expensive, and are they worth it

-is the balcony worth the extra price, regarding the views (we have never been in this part of the world)

-important things to know before we go

Thank you so much!!!

[9tee2Sea]

38 minutes ago, lioness27 said:

Hello all,

We are considering an MSC cruise, 7-day, out of Dubai. We've read some reviews, some bad, some acceptable. We would like to know more from all of you, especially with regards to the following:

- shore excursions: are they super expensive, and are they worth it

-is the balcony worth the extra price, regarding the views (we have never been in this part of the world)

-important things to know before we go

Thank you so much!!!

before you decide on a balcony, look at the times you will be in port.  If you are in port from 7am-6pm every day, I probably would not do a balcony ( not enough time to enjoy it).  I can't speak for MSC tours, but in Dubai, we did the Hop on Hop Off bus.  I don't think we got off, just stayed on for the the two different loops.  FYI,  many parts of that area are still dry ( no alcohol ).  Very expensive to go up to the top of Bur Kalifa. I did not think Farujah or Doha were interesting.    Alot of the ports are in restricted areas ( security checks into/out of), so they are not that easy to just walk into town.  I don't recall seeing 'Independent vendors" selling tours outside the port area.  I would recommend a ship tour, or pre-book a private tour. 

[cruisemom42]

Dubai seems a long way to go for a 7-day cruise. Are you planning additional travel in the area before or after?  Otherwise, at least to me, it would not be worth the long (and likely expensive) flights.

 

[Essiesmom]

Also keep in mind the average temperature in the area, and whether you would be comfortable sitting out in those temps.  EM

[ColeThornton]

1 hour ago, lioness27 said:

Hello all,

We are considering an MSC cruise, 7-day, out of Dubai. We've read some reviews, some bad, some acceptable. We would like to know more from all of you, especially with regards to the following:

- shore excursions: are they super expensive, and are they worth it

-is the balcony worth the extra price, regarding the views (we have never been in this part of the world)

-important things to know before we go

Thank you so much!!!

 

 

For queries about MSC the best place to ask is on the MSC forum located here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/49-msc-cruises/

[lioness27]

Hello all,

Going on a 7-day cruise out of Dubai in Dec'23, on the Opera.

Has anyone actually been on this cruise, and if yes, what were the excursions like (cost, also).

Thank you

Any additional info would be greatly appreciated. We have never been to this part of the world, we've done some research, but always nice to hear from others who have experienced it (culture, food, tips on what to do/what not to do, etc)

[mom says]

Agree that you should pursue your questions on the MSC forum.  But since you asked...

Given that it is MSC, personally I would only accept a Yacht Club suite, and not a regular cabin , for the on board experience. 

As for the cruise itself, that is a pair of loooooong and expensive flights for such a short cruise.  I would suggest adding a longer land visit to the start or end of the cruise to make it more worthwhile. Certainly Abu Dhabi and Dubai are both worth more than a day or two each. Perhaps a short tour of a (relatively) nearby country like Jordan might be in order. And while you can certainly safely DIY the main sites in the 2 cities mentioned, for port days you would want either a ship excursion or a pre arranged private guide.

[lioness27]

Thank you, "mom says". Great recommendations. It is a package deal out of Montreal, with stays included in Dubai, flights incl, etc. So, we figure it's a safe and convenient first trip to this part of the world.

[Nunagoras]

It is lovely. Bear in mind that your dates will be a Christmas and possibly new years cruise. There will likely to be some festivities onboard. The Opera is an older ship, no bells & whistles whatsoever, but a nice more intimate ship environment if that is your cup of tea. MSC excursions are relatively well priced generally, but they may be more expensive than usual considering your dates. Ask away if you have more specific questions, have a nice day and a nice sailing!...

[lioness27]

Thank you for responding. It is at the beginning of December, 7 days. 

Older ships are fine, we've done a few, and enjoyed them (as you said, more intimate).

Did you do any of the excursions?  If so, which ones would you recommend, or not, and why?

Our stops are: Khasab, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas. (we have several days before and after in Dubai).

Thank you

[Host Kat]

@lioness27

 

Your two new threads on two forums regarding the same topic have been merged into this one thread. That way all the replies will be in one thread and on the correct forum. Per the Cruise Critic software, all posts now appear in post date/time order on this newly merged thread.

 

Hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic!!

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[Essiesmom]

11 hours ago, mom says said:

Agree that you should pursue your questions on the MSC forum.  But since you asked...

Given that it is MSC, personally I would only accept a Yacht Club suite, and not a regular cabin , for the on board experience. 

As for the cruise itself, that is a pair of loooooong and expensive flights for such a short cruise.  I would suggest adding a longer land visit to the start or end of the cruise to make it more worthwhile. Certainly Abu Dhabi and Dubai are both worth more than a day or two each. Perhaps a short tour of a (relatively) nearby country like Jordan might be in order. And while you can certainly safely DIY the main sites in the 2 cities mentioned, for port days you would want either a ship excursion or a pre arranged private guide.

The class of ships Poesia belongs to does no have Yacht Club.  Fantasia class is the first to have Yacht Club.  EM

[kernow]

19 hours ago, lioness27 said:

Thank you for responding. It is at the beginning of December, 7 days. 

Older ships are fine, we've done a few, and enjoyed them (as you said, more intimate).

Did you do any of the excursions?  If so, which ones would you recommend, or not, and why?

Our stops are: Khasab, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas. (we have several days before and after in Dubai).

Thank you

We've been to UAE and your other stops quite a few times both on land based trips and cruises. We did it once with MSC on Musica a few years ago. Passenger mix will be mostly European including quite a few Brits ( its a popular holiday region for us). Temps at that time of year will be nice, low 20s with cooler evenings. Taxis in all ports will be plentiful and reasonable, don't worry it's very safe. Certainly in the UAE they are metered, make sure they switch it on. Sir Bana Yas is a private beach day for cruise ships (all the lines use it, not just MSC) think the private islands in the Caribbean but a bit simpler. Muscat is walkable to the souk, nice beach front Corniche and safe. You can get a taxi to take you on a tour if you want one. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are modern cities with lots to see so do some research and decide what takes your fancy. Khasab is a small place, we just walked around but not much to see. Many people take a boat trip to see the Fjords which are supposed to be lovely.

Let me know if you have specific questions. I love travelling to this part of the world.

[lioness27]

Thank you kernow, awesome info! Will let you know if I have more questions

[lioness27]

Hi Kernow, I do have a question.

Is it worth the extra $$ to get a balcony on the ship?  We've done both insides and balconies, enjoyed a balcony on a transatlantic, not certain if it will be as useful on this cruise. What do you think?

[kernow]

12 minutes ago, lioness27 said:

Hi Kernow, I do have a question.

Is it worth the extra $$ to get a balcony on the ship?  We've done both insides and balconies, enjoyed a balcony on a transatlantic, not certain if it will be as useful on this cruise. What do you think?

For me it would be perfect balcony weather in Dec, warm but not too hot. We would use it a lot.

 

I think someone mentioned alcohol before, on your itinerary it will be available on the ship in all ports. It's Saudi Arabia where they are not allowed to serve it. It's very expensive on land though and not widely available to buy. If you are staying in Dubai before the cruise and like a drink visit the duty free shop in Dubai airport on arrival and buy some for your room, you cannot purchase it in supermarkets.

[Cruisernat]

On 5/17/2023 at 9:06 AM, lioness27 said:

Hello all,

We are considering an MSC cruise, 7-day, out of Dubai. We've read some reviews, some bad, some acceptable. We would like to know more from all of you, especially with regards to the following:

- shore excursions: are they super expensive, and are they worth it

-is the balcony worth the extra price, regarding the views (we have never been in this part of the world)

-important things to know before we go

Thank you so much!!!

Regarding Excursions, I did World Europa in February out of Abu Dhabi & found MSC’s excursions to be priced reasonable compared to Viator. On Sir Bani Yas we did the MSC Safari around the island to see the wildlife. There are 2 different style vehicles to choose from. It is not very long ( maybe 2 hrs) so you have time to do other things on the island if you want, maybe kayaking. I think in December the water might be too cold for swimming.                 In Dubai we did the MSC Panorama tour from Burj Al Khalifa. It was $120 usd pp.    In Abu Dhabi we went to the Grand Mosque, which was amazing. If you like art, the Louvre might be worth a visit. You can see it from the port, cool looking building. We did the Grand Mosque independently as we were there for several days before the cruise. As a reminder MSC gives a 20% discount for booking excursions before getting on the ship. I concur with another poster, taxis are readily available in both Abu Dhabi & Dubai and I found them reasonably priced. 

[adam7392]

Hi,

Did that exact cruise this Feb on the Opera and also similar one in Feb 2021 on Virtuosa (that did Qatar rather than Khasab and Muscat).

 

We had a balcony both times but I think it's one of those cruises where it is not necessary, there is really no where particularly scenic in terms of cruising or in ports.  

 

Opera was by far the smallest ship we have been on but apart from the buffet being a bit cramped and with a restricted choice there wasn't anything that put us off.  If this is your first time in this area than it is all about the ports.  The MDR food was good as was the entertainment in the theatre.

 

For excursions, we only did an excursion on the first, (Virtuosa) cruise in  Qatar which was a 3 hour sightseeing tour.  The cost was exceptionally good, I think around the $40 mark but that might have been explained partly because covid restrictions back then meant you had to do  a ship excursion for that port.  As for the cruise we did this year we didn't take any excusrions, our days were as follows.

 

Sir Bani Yas - easiest of the lot, walk off the ship to the beach where there are free loungers/shades and there is an included buffet tent plus a few bar areas where drinks packages are included.  Similar to the private beaches in the Caribbean (I've only done Labadee with RC) but much more stripped back.  In Feb water was fine for swimming, I think in Dec it would be warmer.  There are excursions available as the island is a nature reserve and didn't seem too expensive.

 

Abu Dhabi - First cruise we used the hop on/off bus right from the port.  Stopped off at the beach/corniche for a couple of hours, went to the fort and then to the Grand Mosque before returning to the port.  This year we got a taxi from the port to the Presidential Palace which was about $30, then walked to the beach for a couple of hours before hailing a taxi back.  Be sure to just use use the taxi meter rather than negotiate a price as it'll be cheaper.  The Grand Mosque and Presidential Palace are both amazing and either or both should be top of your list.   I think using a taxi would be cheaper than ship excursions if there are 2 or more of you and more convenient than the hop on/off bus.  If doing both than negotiating a taxi price at the port for 4-6 hours of time might be best.  Book your time slot for both ahead of time on the internet - the mosque is free to book.

 

Muscat - As mentioned it is a short walk to the old town (part way by free shuttle).  However we took a taxi to the mosque (around $25), then from there got a taxi to take us to the Opera house and wait for 30 mins while we had a quick whizz around before going to the Presidential Palace.  This was also around $25 but we ended up sharing both rides with another passenger we met on the shuttle bus at the port.  Also the taxi driver said it would have worked out cheaper to negotiate a single price with a driver at the port to go to the mosque and wait for you, then take you to the opera house and wait then go to the Palace.  From the Palace we walked back to the ship along the corniche stopping at a few sights on the way.  Note you can't go in the Palace here.  Also at the port take the free shuttle to the taxi area just outside the port to get the taxi rather than the taxis right by the ship.

 

Khasab - We just walked off the ship into the town and wandered round the back streets taking in one fort (closed) then going to the main fort to look around which was around $2 to enter.  Then back to the ship for lunch before walking in the opposite direction to the beach for a couple of hours, again swimming was pleasant.  We found this gave us a great idea of the town.  There are various excursions you can buy on the ship to do a boat excursion around the 'fjord' which you can also buy cheaper off ship and another one doing a coastal drive to other forts but we were perfectly happy doing this low key and easy option.  It was quite interesting wandering around and encountering a  herd of goats every now and again.

 

Dubai - So much to see here, first cruise we made use of the hop on/off bus, second time taxi to the Miracle Gardens (much recommended), then taxi to the Dubai Marina for a wander and beach and then the metro to the port (actually there is a 20 min walk/short taxi ride to get from the metro to the ship.  Note it is possible and easy to walk off the ship, through the car park/taxi area and along the river to the Dubai creek/old town area.

 

 

[perakcruiser]

On 5/17/2023 at 10:06 PM, lioness27 said:

- shore excursions: are they super expensive, and are they worth it

 

Excursions of European lines are usually cheaper than on US lines. This true for MSC, but I would not call them cheap. 

 

On 5/17/2023 at 10:06 PM, lioness27 said:

-is the balcony worth the extra price, regarding the views (we have never been in this part of the world)

That depends on the extra price. MSC sometimes has great balcony offers. For this cruise I only would take a balcony if the extra price is really not too high, we had a Inside and a Balcony on our Middle East cruise, Balcony was not worth it as the extra price was too high. 

 

On 5/17/2023 at 10:06 PM, lioness27 said:

-important things to know before we go

The local e-hailing leader is CAREEM. Download the app and set everything before you leave. As far as I remember you can use it in all countries during the cruise. Works exactly as UBER and the others and is so much cheaper and more convenient compared to the old taxis. 

 

Dubai has so much great things to offer, prepare yourself what you want to see. To go up Burj Khalifa (highly recommended) you have to book a time slot in advance, days in advance actually.

 

Abu Dhabi has not so much to offer, but as you only have one day you also need to have a plan. The Grand Mosque of cause, the Louvre (we enjoyed it very much), Presidential Palace, you cannot do all. Careem is the way to go, but certainly if the ship offers an excursion that combines two or three things, thats an option as well. 

 

SBY will be a beach day or you do one of the safaris MSC provides. Note that you CANNOT go out of the port area without an excursion, no matter how attractive the islands looks for a "private" hiking. You have to book all activities on the ship already. 

[CruisingFox27]

I'd highly recommended the Fjords trip in Khasab. And high tea at the Burj Khalifa. 

[lioness27]

Thank you everyone for your amazing recommendations!!  And for taking the time to write all details, great info, we will use all of it!!