theawesome1 Posted April 1, 2004 #1 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Another amazing travel story from my friend Raoul in his German travel journal. It may shock you as it did me: The recently founded Mesopotamian River Cruises (MRC) has announced that its North American office, located in Axis, Alabama, opened today. Owned by Iraqi entrepreneur Ahmad al Hadhita, who has been living in the United States for more than 30 years, MRC plans to operate two five-star river boats, "Pride of Baghdad" and "Babylon Dream". Built in Eastern Germany in the late 1980s, both vessels are about to undergo an extensive rejuvenation program, which considers of a thorough refurbishment of the technical and nautical equipment as well as a complete reconstruction of the passenger accommodations and public spaces. The work will be carried out at a shipyard in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "With our newly-refurbished deluxe vessels, it is our pleasure to introduce enchanting river cruises on Iraq's two major rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, to North American passengers, who are among the world's most discerning travelers," says April Scherz, MRC's manager of sales for North America. "We plan to commence cruise operations a year from now, in April, 2005. However, this might change as the safety and security of our guests are of course most important to us. Past visitors to Iraq have been raving about the friendliness of the Iraqi people, about the country's famed historic sites and the beautiful countryside along the rivers," Scherz adds. Attractive fly-and-cruise packages including Kuwait Airways flights from the U.S. and Canada via Kuwait City are currently being finalized. Cruises will depart from the Iraqi cities of Basra and Mosul, with the "Babylon Dream" offering seven-night round-trip cruises from Basra and the "Pride of Baghdad" being deployed on seven-night cruises between Basra and Mosul and vice-versa. The 86-passenger "Babylon Dream's" seven-night "Legacy of Mesopotamia" cruise sails round-trip from Basra which is situated in Southeastern Iraq on the Shatt al'Arab, the joint mouth of Euphrates and Tigris. At Al Qurnah near the confluence of the two mighty rivers, passengers visit a fenland village with its hospitable inhabitants and original reed huts to enjoy a traditional lunch. The "Babylon Dream" then turns westward on the Euphrates river and stops at Nasiriyah for a visit to the ancient city of Ur, founded in the early stone age and an important Sumerian metropolis from the third millennium BC. According to the Old Testament, Ur was the original home of Abraham and his ancestors. Following a relaxing day cruising the Euphrates valley, the "Babylon Dream" reaches Al Hindiyah, gateway to two of the most fascinating places in Iraq, the remains of the famous Babylon and the holy city of Karbala with the tomb of Hussain, Mohammed's grandson, who is venerated as a martyr by the Shiites. Babylon, capital of Babylonia since 1,700 BC, was destroyed and rebuilt several times, and reached its greatest splendour under Nebuchadnezzar, who ordered The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, to be built. Excavations by German archeologists in the late 19th and early 20th century uncovered major parts of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. "Babylon Dream" then proceeds to Fallujah for an overnight stay. From Fallujah, guests transfer to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, where a full day of activities is planned. Following a fascinating tour of the city, MRC's privileged passengers visit the Iraqi National Museum with its unique exhibition of artifacts from the country's varied history. Guests are then bussed to a former presidential palace outside of Baghdad where they enjoy an authentic Arab gala dinner with high-class local entertainment. Passengers rejoin the ship in Fallujah from where it sails back towards Basra the next morning. >From Samawah, guests take part in an excursion to Uruk, founded in the fourth million BC and capital of Babylonia between 3,000 and 2,700 BC. The famed Gilgamesh Epic extensively covers Uruk, which is surrounded by a town wall almost six miles in length. "Babylon Dream" returns to Basra on the morning of the eighth day of the cruise. The 104-passenger "Pride of Baghdad" operates seven-night "Facets of Mesopotamia" cruises on the Tigris river between Basra and Mosul or reverse. Ports of call (still subject to change) include Al Qurnah, Kut, two days in Baghdad, Tikrit, Khanuqah (Assur shore excursion) and Mosul (Nimrud and Ninive shore excursions). The final itinerary will be published in the near future. Built in Eastern Germany, "Pride of Baghdad" and "Babylon Dream" were originally commissioned by the former Iraqi government. Acquired by Ahmad al Hadhita in 2003, both riverboats are to be turned into floating Arab palaces through investments of US$ 20 million. Spacious all-outside accommodations with french balconies are featured. Guest staterooms have king-size beds, a seating area and bathrooms with a bathtub and shower. Direct-dial phones, hair dryer, a satellite TV/VCR combination, radio, mini-bar, and individual air conditioning make sure that guests feel truly pampered while their elegant river boat takes them to Iraq's most fascinating ports of call. Both vessels have large, open-seating restaurants, a forward-facing observation lounge, a well-equipped fitness center and spa and a huge sundeck with its own bar, teak furniture and jacuzzis. "Pride of Baghdad" also features an indoor swimming pool. Offering a true luxury product, MRC provides guests with a virtually all-inclusive experience. All meals, soft drinks, a huge selection of alcoholic drinks, gratuities and shore excursions are included in the cruise package. My logo: When we disembark, I just have to book another! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge's mom Posted April 1, 2004 #2 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Happy April Fool's to you, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catmand Posted April 1, 2004 #3 Share Posted April 1, 2004 ..................................????????? Gee, I guess I am typeless.....almost! Where do I get in line for the former presidential palace outside of Bagdad? I only wish I could print what my dear wife AkaWanda and I were talking about last night! Star Princess 9/03 Alaska Celebrity Mercury 3/04 Mexico Next: Sapphire Princess 10/2/04 Mercury Cruise Pic's 3/13/04 http://community.webshots.com/user/catmand100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryanwal Posted April 2, 2004 #4 Share Posted April 2, 2004 I read that instead of a life jacket drill, they have a flak jacket drill. - Bryan W Oct 2000 Disney Magic - Eastern Caribbean Jun 2002 Disney Magic - Western Caribbean Jul 2004 HAL Oosterdam - Alaska Feb 2005 Celebrity Mercury - Mexican Riviera Protect your PC! http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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