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LIVE from the Ocean Princess - 28 days from Rome to Singapore 10/15 - 11/12/2011

Pia1913

By Pia1913,
in Princess Cruises

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Pia1913

Pia1913

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LAND at last! Welcome to Dubai, where the temp is expected to hit 88. The ship is just docking at 7:00 AM and here I am already up in the buffet. We have a private tour scheduled for approx. 4 hours and since I like to be surprised, did not read up on it at all. It’s just the four of us, and I know one of the sights will be the Burj al Arab hotel; the only 7 star hotel in the world. This is the one in the shape of a sail and stands almost 1100 feet high. Another sight will be the world’s tallest building, the new Burj Khalifa which has 124 floors. Not for me, or anyone else in our party. I think Donna would go up there, but not Dennis, Mike or myself. They sure do things in a big way here. I would love to visit their major mall; Mall of the Emirates. I know we won’t have the time. This is the one that has the ski slide.

 

　

On board is a day of movies. All day. Starting with “The Sixth Sense”, then “Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein”. Number three is “Beetlejuice” and last at 4:00 PM is “Ghostbusters.” Suggested attire for this evening is costume/masquerade. Our costume will be jeans and a tee shirt. Cabaret entertainment tonight is advertised as a Halloween Variety Show with comedian Al Brown and the Princess dancers.

 

　

This is a short day in Dubai; we depart at 5:00. Catch you later.

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lovevacadays

lovevacadays

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LAND at last! Welcome to Dubai, where the temp is expected to hit 88. The ship is just docking at 7:00 AM and here I am already up in the buffet. We have a private tour scheduled for approx. 4 hours and since I like to be surprised, did not read up on it at all. It’s just the four of us, and I know one of the sights will be the Burj al Arab hotel; the only 7 star hotel in the world. This is the one in the shape of a sail and stands almost 1100 feet high. Another sight will be the world’s tallest building, the new Burj Khalifa which has 124 floors. Not for me, or anyone else in our party. I think Donna would go up there, but not Dennis, Mike or myself. They sure do things in a big way here. I would love to visit their major mall; Mall of the Emirates. I know we won’t have the time. This is the one that has the ski slide.

 

　

On board is a day of movies. All day. Starting with “The Sixth Sense”, then “Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein”. Number three is “Beetlejuice” and last at 4:00 PM is “Ghostbusters.” Suggested attire for this evening is costume/masquerade. Our costume will be jeans and a tee shirt. Cabaret entertainment tonight is advertised as a Halloween Variety Show with comedian Al Brown and the Princess dancers.

 

　

This is a short day in Dubai; we depart at 5:00. Catch you later.

 

Hope you are having a wonderful day in Dubai!. I've only cruised Mexico and the Caribbean so your thread is so "exotic" for me. I love reading about your experiences. It truly makes me want to go out and see more of the world and experience all these different cultures.

 

Looking forward to your next installment.

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Aussie Gal

Aussie Gal

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When we visited Dubai back in 2008, we had afternoon tea at the Burj al Arab up on the one of the top floors. It was amazing though I didn't like the colour schemes. Our taxi driver wasn't allowed to take us into the grounds until I produced the afternoon tea receipt with our names on it. It was a most interesting afternoon and the view up top was incredible.

 

Jennie

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Waynetor "Live from...." Rare

Waynetor

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After 6 days at sea we have hit land again here in Dubai. This is the hottest day yet. The report is 87 high of but it felt warmer by noon. Everyone doing tours was encouraged to wear long pants and no bare shoulders. We are docked near the former Cunard Queen Elizabeth II that was built back in 1967 and retired here a few years ago to become a floating hotel. Having only a few balcony suites on one deck, she sure looks different than any modern cruise ship.

Staff spent much of the morning putting up Halloween decorations in the dinning room, bars and other areas. We'll see in a few hours if many people will dress up tonight.

Only 4 people at trivia this morning so we all got pens just for showing up.

Went for a swim in the pool yesterday and the water was fresh and about 82, today much warmer and is salt water. Getting a mouthful of that was not a welcome surprise. Hope they change back soon.

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Pia1913

Pia1913

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Dubai: A BIG city which requires lots of time, which we did not have. Traffic and construction and more traffic and more construction. Our guide told us that 30% of the world’s construction cranes are currently in Dubai. But I’m getting ahead of myself, so here goes.

 

　

We (the four of us) had contracted with Tours by Locals for a 4 hour tour which was to start at 8:30. Samer, our guide, was a few minutes late due to security nonsense at the entrance.

　

 

Interestingly, getting off the ship we had to put our things through xray screening before we could enter the terminal. The terminal is very nice and airconditioned with a few shops; I.e. souvenirs, perfume, cameras and watches. There is a free internet area with 7 computers and also supposed to have free wifi with your own computer. I could not log on with mine, so used theirs for a few minutes. Just outside the terminal is a mini-mart selling snackies and soft drinks and other sundry items. Big bargain here. Bought 6 cans of Diet Pepsi for 50 cents each. What a deal!

 

　

Our tour began in a Toyota 4 x 4 jeep which can hold 7 passengers. We began with Mike in the front seat with the guide and the three of us squooshed in the middle. At our first stop I elected to climb into the back jump seat which made it a lot more comfortable for everyone. Along the main roadway we noticed cute bus shelters, which Samer told us were air conditioned. Yes, the heat gets oppressive here and according to him we are very lucky because it’s only high 80’s.

 

 

We visited an art gallery; sort of like a mall with no doors on the shops. Just one big area with exquisite merchandise, rugs and artifacts. All for sale, though we didn’t really price anything. We made several stops for photo ops, such as the tall Burj Khalifa and the Jumeriah Mosque. We then proceeded to Madinat Jumeirah, the Arabian resort which resembles an ancient Arabian citadel. This is a complex of boutique hotels, restaurants and shops and has a waterway which transports guests throughout the complex. The water taxis can be hired by non guests at the cost of $18/pp. From this venue we were able to get great photos of the Burj al Arab, the 7 star luxury hotel shaped like a sail and built on Palm Island; an artificial island. You cannot gain entry to this place unless you have an advance reservation. Princess had an expensive tour scheduled for this, but it was cancelled due to lack of interest. The cost was $399/pp, so you know why there was lack of interest.

 

　

We saw lots recognizable venues such as Haagen Daz, McD’s, KFC, Subway, Hardees, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, Seattles Best, Cinnabon and Tony Roma’s. I priced a small Americano coffee at Seattles Best; $3.85. YIKES! We also saw Atlantis; a carbon copy of the one in the Bahamas. We asked our guide about real estate, because all we saw was big, bigger and biggest housing; some more opulent than others. In one area he said the penthouse apartments were going for 5 - 6 million and a two story villa would cost approx. 4 million. There is major money here and it looks it. What is also noticeable is the cleanliness. Floors are clean and streets are clean. Everything is immaculate. No cigarette butts, no paper/trash thrown on the ground and no graffiti anywhere.

 

 

　

Our time frame could not have both a souk visit and a mall visit, so we chose to visit the unbelievable Mall of the Emirates. That made me sooooooooooo happy, even though it was for a very short time. What we really wanted to see was the indoor ski slope. We entered the mall through the Kempinski hotel whose lobby has 5 full size restaurants. Everything in this city is BIG! You see the snow ski area from huge glass windows; right there. Everyone inside was wearing ski pants, parkas and gloves and the children also had boots and helmets. This is a must visit site when you come here. Ski slopes, chair lifts, etc. right in the middle of a mall. We laughed at people having snowball fights and also rolling down a slope in a Zorb. The price is $50 for 2 hours.

　

 

Our last stop was to the Dubai Museum which is housed in a restored fort that was built in 1799 to defend against invasion and the museum has served as both a palace and a prison. There are life-size figures and galleries depicting Arab houses, mosques, gardens, desert and marine life. We really could have spent more time there, but ours had run out.

　

 

Back to the ship shortly before 1:00, so Donna and Dennis could retrieve their suitcase and off to the airport they went. They had a 3 PM flight to New Delhi where they will spend tonight before traveling tomorrow to Agra and the Taj. They return to the ship on Friday in Mumbai.

 

　

We covered quite a bit in our short time here. A visit to Dubai really needs three days or more. BTW, we were told to keep shoulders and legs covered and I complied. However, everywhere there were tourists wearing shorts and tank tops; men and women.

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Aussie Gal

Aussie Gal

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Would you recommend Canadians pay for a Visa and get off the ship to visit Dubai. I say it is not to be missed but someone else disagreed with me :eek:

 

I think I was the one who disagreed. If you are only on shore for 4 hours like Pia then I wouldn't waste the $125 per person for the visa. It is one big building site and it is hard to get around. We found the Dubai Museum to be the one interesting place to visit. It was excellent but it needs time as it shows the history of Dubai.

 

Four hours in any city only touches the surface especially with heavy traffic and it can be so hot there. We were there in May and it was well over 40C (104F) so unless you have great air conditioning it is extremely hot.

 

We spent 3 days there and whilst I am glad we have been there, we have no reason or desire to return again.

 

It depends on whether you are prepared to pay out the money for a visa. Though if you go with Princess, they are good at organizing visas on arrival. When we did the West African cruise on the Ocean Princess in 2010, one Aussie couple didn't have a visa for Senegal because it cost us $600+ to get the visa from London. They thought at that price they would stay on board. Before we left home Princess insisted that we all have visas. Instead, Princess organized them a visa on arrival for about 40 Euros each, a huge saving. So I do think that Princess often will organize visas once the cruise has begun even though they say they won't.

 

Jennie

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ssbeagle

ssbeagle

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Dubai: A BIG city which requires lots of time, which we did not have. Traffic and construction and more traffic and more construction. Our guide told us that 30% of the world’s construction cranes are currently in Dubai. But I’m getting ahead of myself, so here goes.

 

　

We (the four of us) had contracted with Tours by Locals for a 4 hour tour which was to start at 8:30. Samer, our guide, was a few minutes late due to security nonsense at the entrance.

　

 

Interestingly, getting off the ship we had to put our things through xray screening before we could enter the terminal. The terminal is very nice and airconditioned with a few shops; I.e. souvenirs, perfume, cameras and watches. There is a free internet area with 7 computers and also supposed to have free wifi with your own computer. I could not log on with mine, so used theirs for a few minutes. Just outside the terminal is a mini-mart selling snackies and soft drinks and other sundry items. Big bargain here. Bought 6 cans of Diet Pepsi for 50 cents each. What a deal!

 

　

Our tour began in a Toyota 4 x 4 jeep which can hold 7 passengers. We began with Mike in the front seat with the guide and the three of us squooshed in the middle. At our first stop I elected to climb into the back jump seat which made it a lot more comfortable for everyone. Along the main roadway we noticed cute bus shelters, which Samer told us were air conditioned. Yes, the heat gets oppressive here and according to him we are very lucky because it’s only high 80’s.

 

 

We visited an art gallery; sort of like a mall with no doors on the shops. Just one big area with exquisite merchandise, rugs and artifacts. All for sale, though we didn’t really price anything. We made several stops for photo ops, such as the tall Burj Khalifa and the Jumeriah Mosque. We then proceeded to Madinat Jumeirah, the Arabian resort which resembles an ancient Arabian citadel. This is a complex of boutique hotels, restaurants and shops and has a waterway which transports guests throughout the complex. The water taxis can be hired by non guests at the cost of $18/pp. From this venue we were able to get great photos of the Burj al Arab, the 7 star luxury hotel shaped like a sail and built on Palm Island; an artificial island. You cannot gain entry to this place unless you have an advance reservation. Princess had an expensive tour scheduled for this, but it was cancelled due to lack of interest. The cost was $399/pp, so you know why there was lack of interest.

 

　

We saw lots recognizable venues such as Haagen Daz, McD’s, KFC, Subway, Hardees, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, Seattles Best, Cinnabon and Tony Roma’s. I priced a small Americano coffee at Seattles Best; $3.85. YIKES! We also saw Atlantis; a carbon copy of the one in the Bahamas. We asked our guide about real estate, because all we saw was big, bigger and biggest housing; some more opulent than others. In one area he said the penthouse apartments were going for 5 - 6 million and a two story villa would cost approx. 4 million. There is major money here and it looks it. What is also noticeable is the cleanliness. Floors are clean and streets are clean. Everything is immaculate. No cigarette butts, no paper/trash thrown on the ground and no graffiti anywhere.

 

 

　

Our time frame could not have both a souk visit and a mall visit, so we chose to visit the unbelievable Mall of the Emirates. That made me sooooooooooo happy, even though it was for a very short time. What we really wanted to see was the indoor ski slope. We entered the mall through the Kempinski hotel whose lobby has 5 full size restaurants. Everything in this city is BIG! You see the snow ski area from huge glass windows; right there. Everyone inside was wearing ski pants, parkas and gloves and the children also had boots and helmets. This is a must visit site when you come here. Ski slopes, chair lifts, etc. right in the middle of a mall. We laughed at people having snowball fights and also rolling down a slope in a Zorb. The price is $50 for 2 hours.

　

 

Our last stop was to the Dubai Museum which is housed in a restored fort that was built in 1799 to defend against invasion and the museum has served as both a palace and a prison. There are life-size figures and galleries depicting Arab houses, mosques, gardens, desert and marine life. We really could have spent more time there, but ours had run out.

　

 

Back to the ship shortly before 1:00, so Donna and Dennis could retrieve their suitcase and off to the airport they went. They had a 3 PM flight to New Delhi where they will spend tonight before traveling tomorrow to Agra and the Taj. They return to the ship on Friday in Mumbai.

 

　

We covered quite a bit in our short time here. A visit to Dubai really needs three days or more. BTW, we were told to keep shoulders and legs covered and I complied. However, everywhere there were tourists wearing shorts and tank tops; men and women.

 

It seems like no matter where you go now there is MickeyD's, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc all around the world.

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Lilique

Lilique

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Love hearing all the info from your cruise. We board the ship in Singapore and sail to Hawaii. Look forward to meeting everyone. Marsha and Gerry (from Collinsville, IL near

St. Louis - home the Cardinals World Chapions!)

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JWJs

JWJs

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Hi Pia. You sure made the most of your time in Dubai! :)

I think you and Donna are excellent candidates for The Amazing Race!

Our neighbor lives in Dubai several months each year. Interesting how big and grand the hotels are.

Looking forward to reading more reports as you continue on your journey.

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Pia1913

Pia1913

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Good Morning from sea, prior to our arrival into Oman. We expect to dock at approx. 1:00 PM and be in port until 6:00. Short day, but also not much to see or do. Princess was offering only 3 shorex - a. A mosque and a museum, b. the above with a stop at a souk and c. a cruise aboard an Arab Dhow. Number 3 is way out of line I think, because it’s $129 for two hours which also includes the bus ride to the marina. It has just finished raining and no sign of sun yet. First rain since we left Rome.

 

　

This should be quite an interesting port, since everything here closes at 1:00 PM and reopens at 4:00-4:30. There will be a free shuttle operating from the pier to the Muttrah souk, which is the same one that the excursion goes to. So we can go there free, but it won’t be open. A comedy, huh? The port lecturer told us that Princess suggested and formally requested that the shops remain open. We will see what happens.

　

 

Meanwhile, there’s a lecture this morning on Hinduism and how it shapes the daily life of over 80% of the people of modern India. Other than this, only regularly scheduled trivia. I haven’t mentioned trivia much, since we are winning almost all of them and I didn’t want to sound like I was boasting. Then again, yes………….I think I will boast. :D

 

 

This afternoon has the movie “Jane Eyre” and showtime tonight is a pianist; Brett Cave. Starting at 10:30 will be an on deck Arabian Night party with a buffet of course. We don’t do pianists and we certainly don’t do late night food, so our evening will definitely be a quiet one. Besides which, we lose another hour tonight.

 

Comments:

 

1. Peter Roberts is the CD

 

2. Didn't see a Pizza Hut, CAryn

 

3. Yes, I think it's worth it, but I can't tell Canadians how to spend their money. We have to pay $131 just for arrival by air into Santiago Chile. Do I think it's worth it? No. Do I pay it? Yes.

 

 

Time for breakfast.

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Oahucruiser

Oahucruiser

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Muscat is one of our favorites. I hope you will see the enormous and incredible mosque - -just stunning outside and inside. And, as you arrive into the harbor there is a huge white incense burner on the left as you sail in - - a wonderful sight and symbol. The very clean souq has always been open when we were there, at all different hours. Lots of people speak english. Wonderful country and a great sultan who has done so much for his people.

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Dorset Cruiser

Dorset Cruiser

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Good Morning from sea, prior to our arrival into Oman. We expect to dock at approx. 1:00 PM and be in port until 6:00. Short day, but also not much to see or do. Princess was offering only 3 shorex - a. A mosque and a museum, b. the above with a stop at a souk and c. a cruise aboard an Arab Dhow. Number 3 is way out of line I think, because it’s $129 for two hours which also includes the bus ride to the marina. It has just finished raining and no sign of sun yet. First rain since we left Rome.

 

　

This should be quite an interesting port, since everything here closes at 1:00 PM and reopens at 4:00-4:30. There will be a free shuttle operating from the pier to the Muttrah souk, which is the same one that the excursion goes to. So we can go there free, but it won’t be open. A comedy, huh? The port lecturer told us that Princess suggested and formally requested that the shops remain open. We will see what happens.

　

 

Meanwhile, there’s a lecture this morning on Hinduism and how it shapes the daily life of over 80% of the people of modern India. Other than this, only regularly scheduled trivia. I haven’t mentioned trivia much, since we are winning almost all of them and I didn’t want to sound like I was boasting. Then again, yes………….I think I will boast. :D

 

 

This afternoon has the movie “Jane Eyre” and showtime tonight is a pianist; Brett Cave. Starting at 10:30 will be an on deck Arabian Night party with a buffet of course. We don’t do pianists and we certainly don’t do late night food, so our evening will definitely be a quiet one. Besides which, we lose another hour tonight.

 

Comments:

 

1. Peter Roberts is the CD

 

2. Didn't see a Pizza Hut, CAryn

 

3. Yes, I think it's worth it, but I can't tell Canadians how to spend their money. We have to pay $131 just for arrival by air into Santiago Chile. Do I think it's worth it? No. Do I pay it? Yes.

 

 

Time for breakfast.

 

At least you are being offered a free transfer from the ship to the souk. When we called into Oman on Dawn Princess a couple of years ago, they said it was too far to walk from the ship and the transfer offered was $10 per person. The actual bus ride was minutes, and it was walkable, and there were a LOT of disgruntled passengers - result - we got our money refunded by Princess. We liked Oman - not much there to see but it had a special 'atmosphere' that we liked most in all the middle eastern countries we have visited.

 

Love reading your 'live-froms':D:D

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Pia1913

Pia1913

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OK. We took the shuttle to the souk. Most of the stalls were open and we spent very little time there. It is dark. It is filthy. It smells. There's an underlying "aroma" other than incense. And incense permeates everywhere. Sorry for not being able to give you any additional information, but the best part of getting off the ship was getting back on. Before you leave the ship, they give you a landing card which is checked by Omam security prior to the shuttle leaving the port area. They also look at you/it when returning.

 

 

The early morning rain never again materialized and the day remained overcast and breezy. We will lose another hour tonight as we sail towards Mumbai for our Friday arrival.

 

Oahucruiser: interesting about very clean souk. Something has changed. :eek:

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