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Abu dhabi/India cruise - anyone experience?


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We did this trip in November last year, these are some thoughts that I posted on a UK site:

 

We have recently returned from the Celebrity Constellation, Abu Dhabi to Abu Dhabi via Dubai, India and Oman although the final stop was cancelled due to high winds.

We had a rear facing Aqua Class cabin with a large balcony that allowed for sitting in both sun or shade during the day, the usual AQ amenities were supplied and replaced as required and our cabin steward quickly picked up our routine and the room was well maintained throughout.

Embarkation:

A little slow as we arrived around 13.30, the problem being a lack of check in desks, if Abu Dhabi plans to rival Dubai then no doubt this will be swiftly corrected.

Food and Drink:

A very subjective issue but Blu continues to provide an excellent overall experience, the dining room is smaller and quieter and many tables for 2 that allow conversations with fellow guests but no one is on top of each other, the service from both sommeliers was excellent and empty glasses were a very rare sight.

We have like a pre-dinner drink in Cellar Masters and in the past, they have had table service, this time there was only one barman to serve drinks clear table etc. and he was under a lot of pressure, I did meet the F&B director one morning at Café Al Bacio and mentioned this but nothing changed.

Entertainment:

On all our previous Celebrity cruises the main shows have been at 19.00 and 21.30 on this cruise they were at 20.30 and 22.30, we have in the past gone to the early show and then eat around 20.00 but not on this cruise. The timing of all the entertainment was geared to fixed dining which seems strange in an era where more are choosing flexible dining, this may be a reflection of the Cruise Director who was apart from the pre-show introduction was invisible, he introduced himself at the Cruise Critic meeting and was out of the door 10 seconds after he finished speaking no questions, very strange.

Ports of Call:

Dubai is Dubai with many options for tours, shopping or sunshine so something for everyone.

We chose this trip to get a flavour of India and anticipated full blown Indian bureaucracy and were not disappointed but it was not as bad as it could have been and passport collection at New Mangalore took about 20 minutes, the rate limiting step being Celebrity passing out the passports and not the Indian authorities, it was made worse by most passengers ignoring the time given the day before to collect passports and Celebrity shore excursions being prioritised.

New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai each provided a different experience of India and we enjoyed each in their own way, we had private small group tours and enjoyed our stops including the best Indian food I have ever eaten at a hotel in New Mangalore. Some passengers just don’t seem to prepare for where they are, a couple of examples:

A passenger complaining that a local bus timetable was not provided at Mumbai

An English couple on a Temple and spices tour who each ate a bread roll for lunch when a large variety of meat, fish and vegetarian food was on offer, the fish was fantastic.

Passengers should bear in mind that these are industrial ports in a poor country and not ports like Talin where you can stroll into town.

 

Abu Dhabi:

We did not dock in Khasab due to high winds and arrived early in Abu Dhabi, around 16.00 rather than 05.00 the following day, we were told the ship was not cleared and no one could disembark.

Around 20.00 a ship wide announcement was made that the authorities wished to see all passengers with passports in hand, that night, to clear the ship and this would be done in deck order starting with deck 2. We were having coffee with some friends and as were all on deck 11 decided that a second round of coffee and brandy was in order, we waited until our deck was called and we were off and on in less than 10 minutes. Yes, it was frustrating and yes it was late but the sight of passengers in robes and slippers shuffling along the dock will remain with me for a long time, given the country we were visiting people should have at least got dressed.

Overall:

We enjoyed ourselves but I can understand that for some the various frustrations will have had a negative impact on the cruise.

We will continue to cruise Celebrity as long as we can find the right itinerary at the right price as the product suits us and our loyalty status provides valuable free extras.

Thank you!

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We did the Singapore to Rome B2B in April/May this year so just a couple random thoughts.

+ The Indian visa is no walk in the park. Don't make the mistake that some did and only secure an E-visa. Although there have been changes in the last couple months, if the process is not totally overhauled, an E-visa will NOT allow you off the ship. They were, up until any changes, only valid for arrival by air. And the Visa process can be a royal pain....nothing like Russia, China, Brazil, all of which we have done. Then, after several hassles, I was only offered a 1 year visa, wife a 5 year visa. Applied for 10. Their response? Tough luck. Nothing we can do.

+ Unless you have lots of money to burn,or virtually no vacation time, do not do the Taj tour from the ship. You basically lose 3 of the 4 India ports, have 2 nights off the ship (that you are paying for) and drop a lot of money. For contrast, we are doing a land tour to India in the future. Visits 6 locations in India (including the Taj obviously) as well as 3 days in Nepal. Airfare from our home airport included. 2 internal flights in India/Nepal included. 18 days, including many meals. 4 and 5* hotels. Cost? Less than $2200 more than Celebrity's 3 day/2 night tour.

+ The "lights out" is only when you are in the Gulf of Aden.and only for 3 nights. Actually pretty cool to be slipping through the water with virtually no lights (except for the idiots that left their balcony lights on). You have a "Safe harbor" safety drill where those in all outside cabins have to head to the hallways as practice for a pirate attack. Pirates had no interest in us, thankfully so no real life adventure.

+ You must be open minded. We loved India (that is why we are returning) but it is not everyone's cup of tea. It is crowded, noisy, dirty and intense. In contrast, we found Dubai and Abu Dhabi blindingly boring. As one of the servers on the ship described it, "Dubai is a city with no soul." Others on our cruise found the exact opposite, fawning over the UAE cities and hating the Indian ports. To each their own but it needs to be considered.

It is simply a great trip.

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We did the Singapore to Rome B2B in April/May this year so just a couple random thoughts.

+ The Indian visa is no walk in the park. Don't make the mistake that some did and only secure an E-visa. Although there have been changes in the last couple months, if the process is not totally overhauled, an E-visa will NOT allow you off the ship. They were, up until any changes, only valid for arrival by air. And the Visa process can be a royal pain....nothing like Russia, China, Brazil, all of which we have done. Then, after several hassles, I was only offered a 1 year visa, wife a 5 year visa. Applied for 10. Their response? Tough luck. Nothing we can do.

+ Unless you have lots of money to burn,or virtually no vacation time, do not do the Taj tour from the ship. You basically lose 3 of the 4 India ports, have 2 nights off the ship (that you are paying for) and drop a lot of money. For contrast, we are doing a land tour to India in the future. Visits 6 locations in India (including the Taj obviously) as well as 3 days in Nepal. Airfare from our home airport included. 2 internal flights in India/Nepal included. 18 days, including many meals. 4 and 5* hotels. Cost? Less than $2200 more than Celebrity's 3 day/2 night tour.

+ The "lights out" is only when you are in the Gulf of Aden.and only for 3 nights. Actually pretty cool to be slipping through the water with virtually no lights (except for the idiots that left their balcony lights on). You have a "Safe harbor" safety drill where those in all outside cabins have to head to the hallways as practice for a pirate attack. Pirates had no interest in us, thankfully so no real life adventure.

+ You must be open minded. We loved India (that is why we are returning) but it is not everyone's cup of tea. It is crowded, noisy, dirty and intense. In contrast, we found Dubai and Abu Dhabi blindingly boring. As one of the servers on the ship described it, "Dubai is a city with no soul." Others on our cruise found the exact opposite, fawning over the UAE cities and hating the Indian ports. To each their own but it needs to be considered.

It is simply a great trip.

 

I didn't think we would be in the Gulf of Aden that long. That is 3 out of the 5 sea days to Aqaba. That will be great for star gazing. We enter the Suez Canal at 11:00 PM and exit at 1:00 PM the next day. Since it doesn't have any locks, is there anything of interest to see along it? When we did a Nile River cruise, it was quite beautiful to see the lush greenery along the water in front of the vast desert and barren mountains. I am hoping for something similar to that.

 

Well I was able to edit this post, since I found a nice video that showed what we will see. Now I am unhappy that we will be going through over half of the canal during the night.

Edited by MVPinBoynton
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There are so many fascinating things to see in northern india, why just fly to Agra...think about an entire trip to visit the entire New Delhi general area. We found Veranasi far more interesting and memorable than Agra....Just a thought......

Just done a land based tour of northern India. Never again.

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I hadn't thought about the star gazing opportunities with LOVE. That should be quite spectacular. I am so glad that I moved to a deck 11 Aqua, with great upward viewing from our balcony. The deck 9 ones wouldn't be able to see very much, since deck 10 covers so much of the sky above.

 

How many nights did they black out the ship?

 

Yes, we were on deck 11 too. So many stars.

 

We were blacked out for 4 nights. Security on board was quite visible and consisted of a bunch of large men in tight polo shirts who seemed quite friendly. I guess they spent a lot of late nights watching the waters for approaching boats and the rest of the time they could enjoy their free cruise.

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I didn't think we would be in the Gulf of Aden that long. That is 3 out of the 5 sea days to Aqaba. That will be great for star gazing. We enter the Suez Canal at 11:00 PM and exit at 1:00 PM the next day. Since it doesn't have any locks, is there anything of interest to see along it? When we did a Nile River cruise, it was quite beautiful to see the lush greenery along the water in front of the vast desert and barren mountains. I am hoping for something similar to that.

 

Well I was able to edit this post, since I found a nice video that showed what we will see. Now I am unhappy that we will be going through over half of the canal during the night.

The lights out is for 3 nights but part of that is approach and exit for Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea.

Unless it has changed in the last 2 months, no one transits the Suez at night. Your ship will only be staged the night before. You will join a convoy and begin transit at first light if you are in the first convoy. We began at about 05:00 or so.

If you want to see things during the transit (if you are northbound) you will want to be in a port side cabin. The other side is nothing but desert.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

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Just done a land based tour of northern India. Never again.

 

Sorry to hear that. We did a land tour after our cruise last year and we loved it so much we are heading back next year. I guess the tour company you choose can make a big difference.

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Sorry to hear that. We did a land tour after our cruise last year and we loved it so much we are heading back next year. I guess the tour company you choose can make a big difference.

Actually the tour company was excellent, as were our English and Indian guides. Hotels first class and sights like Taj brilliant. I thought I was well prepared for the chaos, noise, dirt, assault on the senses etc. But until you experience it I don't think you can be. I am very well travelled and been to third world countries, but the poverty and corruption got to me. As did the filth everywhere. This is not the forum to go into it more. I understand that the south is cleaner then the north and think a cruise is the way to do it. But still not sure if I would.

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Unless it has changed in the last 2 months, no one transits the Suez at night. Your ship will only be staged the night before. You will join a convoy and begin transit at first light if you are in the first convoy. We began at about 05:00 or so.

If you want to see things during the transit (if you are northbound) you will want to be in a port side cabin. The other side is nothing but desert.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

 

Southbound cruises definitely transit at night. I guess they have to make sure the convoys meet where the canal is widest or dual lane.

 

Most of the "sights" are on the Egypt side but the desert itself on the Sinai side can be fascinating. The Egyptians love their monuments and memorials and there are a few on the Sinai side too. Keep an eye out for dolphins, particularly near the Southern end.

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+ You must be open minded. We loved India (that is why we are returning) but it is not everyone's cup of tea. It is crowded, noisy, dirty and intense. In contrast, we found Dubai and Abu Dhabi blindingly boring. As one of the servers on the ship described it, "Dubai is a city with no soul." Others on our cruise found the exact opposite, fawning over the UAE cities and hating the Indian ports. To each their own but it needs to be considered.

It is simply a great trip.

 

Couldn't agree more. There are some impressive sights in the UAE but the place just seems void of any real meaning. India is the total opposite but it does seem to horrify some people.

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Southbound cruises definitely transit at night. I guess they have to make sure the convoys meet where the canal is widest or dual lane.

 

Most of the "sights" are on the Egypt side but the desert itself on the Sinai side can be fascinating. The Egyptians love their monuments and memorials and there are a few on the Sinai side too. Keep an eye out for dolphins, particularly near the Southern end.

 

Since it takes between 11 to 16 hrs to transit, we will be partially going through at night. Unfortunately, we will go through the southern end at night.

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Looking at doing this cruise Jan 2018. The ship is due to port at 5am in our disembarkation point, Abu Dhabi Cruise terminal. We are looking at a flight home departing at 9.30am. I understand it takes approx. 40 minutes by taxi to the airport.

 

Are we leaving it too tight?

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You may well be, it all depends on when the ship gets clearance from the authorities as to how soon you will be able to alight.

 

If that flight time suits you, maybe a room at the on airport Premier Inn and fly the next day?

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Forums mobile app

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I just booked the repositioning cruise from Rome that links to our cruise on Nov 26. Allows for arrival in Abu Dhabi on the 24th, with two nights on board. Then we disembark, and embark for the Nov 26 cruise, same day. Sounds pretty easy. The rates are highly discounted on the repositioning cruise.

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Looking at doing this cruise Jan 2018. The ship is due to port at 5am in our disembarkation point, Abu Dhabi Cruise terminal. We are looking at a flight home departing at 9.30am. I understand it takes approx. 40 minutes by taxi to the airport.

 

Are we leaving it too tight?

 

We are doing the Dec. 19th cruise and I had my TA contact Celebrity about disembarkation. She was told the immigration authorities usually start work between 7 and 8 am and that disembarkation will begin by 9 am so that flight would be way too early I would think. We've booked a 2 pm flight for our cruise.

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Couldn't agree more. There are some impressive sights in the UAE but the place just seems void of any real meaning. India is the total opposite but it does seem to horrify some people.

Until mid-20th Century, the UAE was a very poor country, a group of seven independent Emirates, under the British.

 

Now it is a very rich country with a relatively small population of native citizens. 90 percent of the residents are expatriate workers from India and Pakistan.

 

If you get out away from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, you get a better feel for the country and its history. We did the 7 Emirates tour and it was great. I think that now only a six Emirates tour is offered from Dubai.

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Looking at doing this cruise Jan 2018. The ship is due to port at 5am in our disembarkation point, Abu Dhabi Cruise terminal. We are looking at a flight home departing at 9.30am. I understand it takes approx. 40 minutes by taxi to the airport.

 

Are we leaving it too tight?

Our transport from the cruise terminal in January was quick and very well organised. However I can't say the same for the airport. There are automated passport kiosks where you scan your passport to enter the terminal but for some reason my husband went through but it wouldn't accept mine. I then had to join a long slow queue with only one agent who kept leaving his desk. When I finally reached him he quickly looked in my passport then told me to accompany him to a side room. There was no explanation and my husband couldn't reach me to find out what was wrong. Another guy photographed my passport then I was asked repeatedly how long I had been in the country, did I work there etc. It was an awful experience. He kept saying my passport had an entry stamp from June. He was very aggressive and it was scary. I eventually got him to give me my passport and I found the stamp for January which he obviously misread. He didn't even apologise just took me back to the desk and sent me on my way. The whole process took about an hour and I will never go there again. With regard to the cruise itself, it was interesting to see new places but I agree that Abu Dhabi and Dubai are soulless places. Dubai isn't the shopping paradise that it promotes. Certainly all the UK branded stuff was more expensive than at home !

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  • 2 weeks later...
This is one of the cruises we're considering for 2019. I'm Jewish - would that pose a problem? (And I know that my passport says nothing about that, but I do have a Jewish last name).

 

 

 

No we are Jewish as well just got off this cruise in July. Fantastic cruise. If you can book the keep safari in Dubai do it. Best tour I gave ever been on. They do it twice. Do the evening cruise. Also if the go to Petra it is a must and most tourists are coming over from Israel.

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We have booked this itinerary for 2019. So hoping for some replies

Hi Is it the 17th Feb 2019 Singapore to Abu Dabi you have booked? only we have too. I m constantly checking for a roll call.

looking forward to hearing everyone's experience and tips.

Best wishes

Lesley

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  • 3 months later...
Hi all

Just done Connie this april from abu dhabi to rome it was amazing and it must be on your bucket list and yes they do black out the ship which they called LOVE time !!! Lights Out Virtually Everywhere we also took on armed guards which were transferred off the ship once the threat level got reduced.

Abu Dhabi WOW that was an eye opener ,Do not miss Petra jordan which we done with a private company and was so much cheaper than CEL and more personal because of the group size ( only 10 ) .

Suez canal was interesting as we had a running commentary all the way through pointing out points of interest .

All in all a excellent cruise.

We also did this cruise and agree - it was our favorite Celebrity cruise so far.

 

Not sure if this will work but trying a link to my photos from that trip. We flew from Phx-LAX, then LAX directly to Abu Dhabi. If i booked the entire trip together it was $1,400 per person, but booked separately ( yes there is risk here), phoenix to Lax was $79 a person and LAX - Abu Dhabi was $450 per person. Go figure.

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It is my understanding that it's not a problem being Jewish only having visited Israel as indicated on your passport. I do know someone who went to Dubai and got a new passport prior to the trip for that reason.

 

And BTW, only two of my Jewish friends (and being Jewish I have lots) have relatives in Israel. All Jews are not Israeli (or related to one) and all Israelis are not Jews.

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  • 1 month later...
We did Singapore to Abu Dhabi this Easter & loved it.

 

Really great itinerary, the variety of ports was fascinating, coupled with a nice, fairly even sprinkling of sea days made for a perfect relaxing but interesting cruise. Worst port (by far) was New Mangalore but I think that may be dropped for next season? All others - Phuket, Colombo, Cochin, Goa, Mumbai, Oman, Dubai offered interesting & enjoyable days out.

We are going on this cruise February 24, 2018.

Would appreciate tour feedback on ports, especially Cochin, Goa & Mumbai. As we are 2 couples we are looking at private tours in these ports. Would you recommend pre booking tours?

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