Navigator DC Athens-Dubai

[NCCruzQueen]

Hi All,

 

Things are great on the Navigator. Luckily we avoided the transportation strike in Athens Wednesday and were on the ship as the demonstration began. Had the Block Party last night and met our fun neighbors on deck 6.

 

Today we walked around the Old Town in Rhodes. Tomorrow we disembark for Alexandria and an overnight in Cairo.

 

JMariner, hope you are enjoying your cruise, too. Would like to meet up with you.

 

We will miss you, too. Bonnie.

 

Beth

[JMARINER]

H. Tomorrow we disembark for Alexandria and an overnight in Cairo.

 

JMariner, hope you are enjoying your cruise, too. Would like to meet up with you.

 

 

Email me at the address below when you back to Suez; looks like you will be back real late on Saturday. We are on the Cairo day-trip tomorrow and back to the ship for the canal transit.

 

J

[Meg]

We will be on this very same trip ( Athens to Dubai ) next year on the Voyager. Will you be doing a review or trip report? We are so excited about this itinerary and look forward to learning from others as to what tours ( Ship vs Private) you are doing. Please keep us informed, if possible! At least now we can sail vicariously through your cruise!

 

Meg

[travelbug924]

Sounds like you're having a great time! I just got off the Navigator in September for the Istanbul to Athens itinerary and loved our day in Rhodes. We also did Old Town and of course loved seeing the Pyramids. We did not overnight in Cairo, just did the 12-hour day tour. Enjoy the rest of your trip. Thanks so much for posting as you go. As mentioned above, it's great to live vicariously through you :)

[wishIweretravelling]

My blog is at http://crystal-twoifbysea.blogspot.com/ and NCCruzQueen's is at http://beths71nightcruise.blogspot.com/

[mariners]

Crystal and Beth, the blogs are fantastic and it's wonderful to be taken along with you vicariously on this odyssey. I am impatiently counting the days before boarding the ship in Cape Town and will be reading your blogs faithfully until then (and will continue to do so when onboard). Thank you!

[NCCruzQueen]

Things are great on the Navigator as we relax on sea days after our fast and furious days running from Alexandria to Cairo, Petra and Wadi Rum then Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Queens then Karnak. All the trips were fascinating.

 

Portofino's has changed to an 1001 Arabian Nights theme. We have reservations for the 20th. We hear that Captain Jarle broke his leg and will be coming later in the cruise, so we continue our cruise with the delightful Capt. McNeill.

[Kwaj girl]

Join our Roll Call on this board! We will also embark @ CPT.

[NCCruzQueen]

We had to make an emergency stop in Aden, Yemen at 4am today. A passenger needed medical attention. We hear he is doing better.

 

Our stop in Salalah, Oman will be shortened to 3 hours to pick up provisions and maybe a shuttle bus into town. Both excursions have been cancelled.

 

We are enjoying our sea days!!!

[emmaf]

Considering this trip next year and wanted to know if the high temperatures caused any problem with the long walks to the tourist sites Petra, Luxor etc.

Thanks

[NCCruzQueen]

Try to get to Petra as early as possible. We were on the overnight and we arrived around 8:15am. Those taking the day trip from the ship arrived around 11:00am. It did get really warm as we were leaving and the walk up was long and harder than going down. Our guide would announce where a part of the group could head back up. Now I see that it was his way of saying the walk was getting harder and harder.

 

Luxor wasn't a problem as we were there about 45 minutes. We got there about noon., so later in the day would have been hotter. After Petra, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings was a piece of cake!!!

[emmaf]

Thanks for the information. Have you felt insecure at anytime on the cruise or land portions of the trip? My husband reads about pirates etc. and was uncertain about how secure he would feel. It sounds like you are having a wonderful time and it is a trip I have long wanted to take.

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

We want to hear all about the overnight trip to Cairo; as we are doing the same 9/09 Istanbul, Black Sea to Rome. With a stopover in Alexandra. We did book the overnight to Cairo. Is it worth it? Would love to hear about your experiences, thoughts and recommendations. Thanks! Judy & John

[NCCruzQueen]

emmaf - The only time I have felt unsure was at the sphinx. Some souvenir vendors and maybe a tourist got in a scuffle. One was rumored to have a gun, but I didn't see it. The sphinx was closed down and we weren't allowed inside the fence. We never felt crowded until Luxor, another day.

 

Judy, YES, Cairo was worth it. Alexandria can be missed, but it was a part of the deal and I wouldn't want to take the ship's daylong trip to Cairo and get to the pyramids at midday. Though we got to Giza around 4PM, not a big crowd and the sun was getting ready to set. The Four Seasons was wonderful and the evening bbq was one of the best. The private event at the Egyptian Museum was fabulous. Only 100 people and the museum. DO IT!! We lucked out with a wonderful guide.

[bbuchanan]

Thanks for the thoughts. Have thought about the trip constantly. So pleased you are enjoying the ship, ports, excursions and sea days.....Thanks for the opportunity to keep up with you via blog. Travel safely; I'm still booked next year.

 

Bonnie

[Meg]

Thank you so much Crystal and Beth! Just got home from a week away and saw that you are posting blogs. We are definitely going to do this same trip next year on the Voyager. Your trip reports are fabulous and really - I can't tell you how much I appreciate your blogs and are enjoying reading them. Enjoy the rest of this fabulous journey!

 

Meg

[emmaf]

Thank you for all of your insight and advise. My husband and I will be on the Voyager next October to follow in your footsteps! Please pass on any tips you might have. Safe journey!

[Margate Cruiser]

We leave Nov.1st from Athens to Dubai on the Seabourn Spirit. Our longest cruise ever 31 days I hope it's as good as your.

[RachelG]

LOVE your blogs, girls. At least, I can do the cruise vicariously. Keep the installments coming.

[kbella]

Beth & Crys-Thanks for such vivid details of your travels. Can't wait to read more. DH and I will be leaving for India on Monday and will be sailing with you from Mumbai to Cape Town.

By the way, how many are on board for the full Discovery Collection?

Thanks again.

Karen

[dcl]

We had a great adventure on the Navigator, and were fortunate to meet Beth and Crystal. We also took the overnight Cairo trip (Four Season Cairo was to die for, enjoy it ), overnight Luxor trip and the full day Petra trip, which I highly recommend to everyone - The drive is more than worth it.

 

The Navigator was up to its par as usual. The food was great throughout (too much), the staff was friendly and the tours professionally run.

My only complaint - A/C in our cabin and in parts of the ship randomly went out and in this part of the world, it is needed all of the time - Other passengers way forward and on higher decks said their cabins were freezing.

 

- Dubai was Awesome.

 

A HUGE skyline in just 7 years, indoor skiing, huge shopping malls, Al Burj & Atlantis Hotels, etc. Our guide told us there is 40,000 construction cranes in use throughout the city.

 

I just can’t figure out where they are going to get all the companies and people to fill the high rise office buildings, condos and apartments, only time will tell. Dubai has no oil and the weather is way too hot a lot of the year.

[Jayayeff]

- Dubai was Awesome.

 

A HUGE skyline in just 7 years, indoor skiing, huge shopping malls, Al Burj & Atlantis Hotels, etc. Our guide told us there is 40,000 construction cranes in use throughout the city.

 

I just can’t figure out where they are going to get all the companies and people to fill the high rise office buildings, condos and apartments, only time will tell. Dubai has no oil and the weather is way too hot a lot of the year.

 

I'm pleased you enjoyed your visit - I was hoping to get over to the port side of the city on Friday afternoon to see the Navigator sail out of Dubai (but didn't) as I have my first Regent cruise booked on the ship in June.

 

Those of us who have lived and worked here since before the 'boom' days frequently ask the same questions however, trying to lease office space or residential units is very difficult and rents go up in leaps and bounds..

 

Dubai does have oil but, not in the amount many other producers in the region do, so it has always been more reliant on trading and other commerce for its income. However, times are hard everywhere and although it may not look that way to a visitor the credit crunch is alive and well here too...

[DebbieH103]

DCL and Anne, thanks for two different perspectives.

[NCCruzQueen]

Beth & Crys-By the way, how many are on board for the full Discovery Collection?

 

Karen, There are 82 full DCers onboard. Ten of us got on in Athens. We hear that from Mumbai - CT there will be 415 pax and the same from CT to Rio.

 

We have received two pillow gifts: a pen and pencil set and binoculars. Our good buddies Ken & Shirley are just down the hall from the "stash Room." They tell us there are boxes piled high all over the suite.

 

Looking forward to you getting here.

 

Beth

[NCCruzQueen]

dcl,

 

Glad you all made it home safe and sound. Crys and I enjoyed spending time with you and your family..... Much love to Wendy. Tell her I love her.

 

Beth