Review - Vision of the Seas - Arabian Gulf Jan 9-16

[endtried]

Your review is very interesting and keen to see the remainder of your trip ! Two weeks today we will be en-route to London for our evening flight out ! Just out of interest what is deemed acceptable clothing for both male and female visitors ashore ?

 

It was suggested to wear "moderate" clothing- we always wore long pants and t-shirts covering the shoulders while on shore simply out of respect but others did not follow this and wore shorts and tank tops (both ladies and gents).

 

The only place that was very restricted was the mosque we visited in Muscat- ladies were only able to show their hands and face, everything else had to be covered up and there were people checking at the entrance so if you didn't cover up, you weren't allowed in.

 

 

Fabulous start and some great photography!

 

Going on Vision in a few weeks - would love to know if they offered any specialty restaurant discounts and what the entertainment was like?

TIA.

 

The only deal on speciality restaurants I saw was a 20% discount on our day at sea. There might have been other discounts but I didn't pay attention to them.

 

Entertainment: according to others that we talked to on shore excursions, it lacked a bit. We never went to any shows because we either saw the movies by the pool deck or went to sleep early :)

Edited January 22, 2017 by endtried

[endtried]

Day 4 - Wednesday, Jan 11

Muscat, Oman

 

When we entered the port, there two ships side by side that were about half the size of the Vision of the Seas- turns out they are the ships of the Sultan of Oman- well, he can't be doing too bad...

 

Besides this, there was nothing else to see in the port since it was more of an industrial port where you had to take a shuttle to the port gates.

 

We had an excursion scheduled- "Mystical Muscat" with a visit to one of the largest mosques in the world, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the main souk in Muscat plus a short visit to a museum, the Bait Al Zubair museum.

 

The tour already started out great- the guide we had was a funny, young guy whose English was at first a bit hard to understand but once we got used to the way he pronounced certain letters and words, we had a good time.

This was more a fun tour than being extremely informative but it was a good group and the guide said when we parted ways midday that we had been the best group he had ever had. I believe it.

 

The tour started out with a drive to the mosque and even though it was mentioned to wear long sleeve shirts plus pants for women (plus to bring a scarf to be able to cover your head), several people on the tour were wearing "inappropriate" clothing and had to rent some stuff at the entrance of the mosque. This caused a delay, which was a bit frustrating for the people that had been reading the instructions on the tour ticket plus had been listening to the announcements at the meeting point before we left the ship.

 

 

 

It was my first visit to a mosque and our guide did a fantastic job explaining everything and showing us around.

The highlight was definitely the main prayer hall, which can hold thousands of worshippers and is one of the bigger ones in the world. Definitely a must see.

 

 

 

 

Our guide knew one of the Imans, who was leading the prayer at times and he explained a lot about Islamic lie and even demonstrated how muslims wash themselves before they pray. Very interesting to see.

We stopped in a shaded place to get coffee and dates while we could ask questions.

After that, it was off to the souk in Murray, which is a town next to Muscat even though the actual borders between the cities seemed blurry.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

At the souk, we were given some free time, I think it was about 45 minutes, which we spent browsing through the different stores and exploring some (back-)alleys. The call to prayer started at one point and people started rushing to the nearby mosque.

The haggling wasn't too bad, definitely not as bad as in Dubai, and the shopkeepers in the side alleys away from the main drag were just minding their own business. Very nice!

 

 

 

 

The last stop of the tour was a visit to a restored house that was now housing a museum, the Bait Al Zubair, which gave a good history and overview of Omani life(-style). It was very interesting- pictures were not allowed inside the museum- it's definitely worth a visit.

 

 

We briefly stopped at the Al Alam Palace, which serves now as a ceremonial palace and guesthouse for foreign dignitaries. After that, it was back to the port after an interesting five hours.

 

 

We bid farewell to our great guide and enjoyed the rest of the day somewhere in the sun reading and catching up on emails.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited January 22, 2017 by endtried

[endtried]

More pictures of Muscat:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited January 22, 2017 by endtried

[Caz2736]

Thank you for posting your reviews and photo's....It looks absolutely amazing!

 

We're cruising on the 6th February and can't wait to get over there.

 

The Vision will be the smallest ship we've cruised on in the RCCL fleet so that will be an experience too.

 

Just one quick question I have...

 

 

I'm getting my suitcase out this week and need to start sorting out my clothes for the formal nights. Do they have one or two and what night?

 

I'm guessing it will be on the Sea day but I have been wrong in the past :)

 

Thanks

 

Carol

[endtried]

 

Just one quick question I have...

 

 

 

I'm getting my suitcase out this week and need to start sorting out my clothes for the formal nights. Do they have one or two and what night?

 

 

 

I'm guessing it will be on the Sea day but I have been wrong in the past :)

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Carol

 

 

 

Formal nights were on day 2 and day 5.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

Day 5 - Thursday, Jan 12

Muscat, Oman

 

For today, we decided on the "Fascinating Forts" tour, which was about eight hours long since it included a two-hour drive to the Nizwa, the former capital of Oman.

This made for a long day but it was great tour and while we didn't get too much information from yesterday's guide, today was much different.

 

If you grades are good in high school, Omani students have the opportunity to get a scholarship from the government to attend a university in the U.K., Europe or the US. Clearly our guide had gone to school abroad since his English was very good and you could even hear a slight British accent.

He gave us a lot of information about the Omani everyday life and it was interesting to listen to his stories.

According to him, Oman sees itself as he Switzerland of the Middle East since they try to remain neutral and keep good relationships with e.g. both Iran and the US. Not taking sides seems to have worked for this country.

 

The highway to Nizwa seemed to be pretty new and well-maintained and about two hours after we left the port, we pulled into a parking lot outside the historic part of the town.

 

First, we visited a small store where dates and coffee were served together with the possibility of buying dates.

 

 

 

Afterwards, we made our way into to the town where we had some free time.

We just walked around while trying to find a post office since we wanted to mail some postcards. Luckily, we found one and while going back to the meeting point, we stopped to buy some nuts and spices in one of the little stores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

We then made our way to Nizwa Fort, which was a short five minute stroll from our meeting point in town.

 

 

Again, free time and after walking around a bit, we decided to have a cold drink and just enjoyed the atmosphere.

 

 

 

After visiting Nizwa, we went to a local hotel to have a buffet lunch with some Arabic food but mainly Western dishes. I wish they would have included more traditional food but overall, it was okay.

 

After about 45 minutes, we continue our drive to Jabreen Castle, where we were almost the only visitors. The castle was just about 450 years ago and while it served mainly as a residence, it was also a fort.

It was a beautiful building and considering it was built in the 17th century, it was a very good example of Omani craftsmanship.

 

 

 

 

Eventually, it was time to go back to Muscat and it was nice to escape the warmth of he midday sun for a bit. Overall, it was a long tour but definitely worth it.

 

We had a quick dinner at the Windjammer since they showed "Sully" on the big screen by the pool at 6.30pm and after getting a sweater, we enjoyed watching the movie under the stars. Just some popcorn was missing...

Afterwards, it was time to call it a night.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jem57]

Where Dirhams taken in Muscat or did you have to have their currency?

Also where there many men in tuxedos on formal nights?On our last cruise with Celebrity not many bothered,don't want to be overdressed.

[voyager70]

Where Dirhams taken in Muscat or did you have to have their currency?

Also where there many men in tuxedos on formal nights?On our last cruise with Celebrity not many bothered,don't want to be overdressed.

 

Dirhams were accepted in Muscat when we were there a few years ago. As far as dress I don't recall it being overly formal, with many men in dark suits but a fair number did wear tuxes. You'll be fine either way.

Edited January 23, 2017 by voyager70

[Roofire]

Thank you. Your review has given us great insight into somewhere we are thinking of visiting.

[endtried]

Day 6 - Friday, Jan 13

At Sea

 

The sun was shining and it seemed that every single passenger was occupying a lounger buy the pool. We slept in and by the time we had breakfast, it was impossible to find two chairs together on the upper decks so we retreated down to deck number 5 where we found not only chairs but also some peace and quiet to read.

 

We only got up to get lunch but eventually it got a bit too windy so we went back into our cabin to watch some TV and take a nap.

 

A lazy day made for a good time during the otherwise almost hectic week.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

Day 7 - Saturday, Jan 14

Abu Dhabi, UAE

 

Originally, I had a city tour planned that we wanted to take by taxi but when we saw the Shore Excursion brochure in our cabin when we boarded, we decided to book the "A Day in the Desert" - Tour, which turned out to be a fantastic decision.

 

Just outside the cruise terminal, we boarded 4x4 Toyotas- each SUV held six people and there were three cars in total. We ended up in the back row and even though it was made clear by the guide that we could rotate our seats during the day, we never moved- seems that the last row is not popular but we actually sat quite comfortably and enjoyed the ride. We shared the car with two couple in their 30s/40s and it was a good group.

 

 

Our tour guide/ driver introduced himself as Schumi, the German Formula 1 driver and we knew we were in good hands. He was originally from Palestine but grew up as a refugee in Lebanon. Being in a little group like this has the advantage that a lot of questions could be asked and of course easily answered.

 

Schumi told us about his life in the UAE and that he is only able to see his family once a year for one months since expats need to earn a specific amount of money in order to get visas for the immediate family. One of us asked how he copes with this and he summarized what probably most expats in the UAE feel "what choice do I have?".

 

We started the tour by visiting the camel race track outside Abu Dhabi, where we saw some camels plus their jockeys on training runs. Jockeys are not allowed during actual races due to injury risks so they use little robots, that are maybe the size of a computer screen. The coaches of the camels then drive in their car next to the race track and activate the whip through a remote control. Very interesting to say the least...

 

 

 

After watching the camels for a bit, we started the 40minute drive into the desert, where a quick photo stop was made at a camel farm. We were able to take some picture of a mother with her little baby, while the cars we're prepared for the dune bashing. In order to drive "effectively" on the sand, the tire pressure has to be lowered and then we were on our way.

 

 

Schumi definitely lived up to his name and raced up and down the dunes. It was like riding the rollercoaster but it felt softer. Then again- I hate rollercoaster but quiet enjoyed this ride. The fact that we we sitting in the back definitely had the advantage that we didn't see what was coming until it was too late to be scared.

After about 10-15minutes, we had to stop on top of one of the dunes because a guy in one of the other cars felt really sick. We all took pictures of the beautiful landscape and the guy seemed to be okay as well.

 

 

 

Eventually we had to cut the ride short though since the guy actually got worse so we slowly drove to the camp where a picnic lunch was served. Nothing to write home about but considering it was in the middle of the desert, we couldn't really complain (salad with sandwiches and cold soft drinks plus fruit and muffins for desert).

 

Around 12.15/12.30pm, we made our way back to the highway to go back to Abu Dhabi where we reached the port around 1.30pm.

 

Overall, it was a great experience and even though the price is a bit steep ($129/person), it is something that I can only recommend and I'm glad we decided to do this excursion.

 

Back inside the cruise terminal, we spend a few minutes browsing the different shops but couldn't really find anything that interested us except for a fridge magnet and some postcards. So it was back to the ship and we spend some hours enjoying the sun while reading on Deck 5 since the upper decks were packed.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cruzgryphon]

When I travelled to Egypt a few years ago they told us to be very careful with the food and not to eat salads, only drink bottled water where they opened the bottle in front of you things like that. Did you encounter any such concerns/ warnings on your trip?

[endtried]

When I travelled to Egypt a few years ago they told us to be very careful with the food and not to eat salads, only drink bottled water where they opened the bottle in front of you things like that. Did you encounter any such concerns/ warnings on your trip?

 

 

 

Not at all. But then again we were mainly in the bigger cities so I'm sure if you venture out into the countryside, it will be different.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tin can]

Fantastic review, reminds us of our same cruise last March on Splendour.

 

We even had the same local guide as you on the 'Mystical Muscat' tour. We really enjoyed the young chaps company, he was very informative and good fun.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[endtried]

Fantastic review, reminds us of our same cruise last March on Splendour.

 

We even had the same local guide as you on the 'Mystical Muscat' tour. We really enjoyed the young chaps company, he was very informative and good fun.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

Yeah, the guy was indeed funny- it did get a bit embarrassing though when some ladies wanted to hook him up with their granddaughters. Everyone except them of course felt bad for the tour guide.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

Where Dirhams taken in Muscat or did you have to have their currency?.

 

 

Not sure about Dirhams but they definitely took Euro.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

Day 8 - Sunday, Jan 15

Dubai, UAE

 

We took our time in the morning to get off the ship because it was the last full day of our vacation and we knew that we had a very early morning tomorrow.

 

We purchased the Big Bus Hop On Hop Off-tour from the shore excursion desk and even though the price was a little steep ($55), it was a good way to get to see other parts of Dubai.

There was a shuttle bus from the cruise terminal to Dubai Mall, where two of the bus routes would depart from. It took about 20min to get there and then we had to wait a bit for the next bus that would take us on the "Beach Route" going through Jumeirah.

When we received the map, I saw that the next stop after Dubai Mall was "Citywalk", a new, outside shopping mall with lots of street art that I wanted to see so we got off there, walked around and had a coffee at Starbucks before waiting for the next bus to come (they were running every 20minutes more or less).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

We stayed on the bus during the rest of the loop since I wasn't feeling well and we wanted to keep the walking to a minimum.

It took about two hours to complete the whole tour and when getting back to Dubai Mall, we right away got on the City Tour-route since we wanted to go back to the Arabian Tea House where we had gone at the beginning of the trip.

It was early afternoon by now and we were getting hungry anyways so we got off at the Dubai Museum stop and walk a few minutes to the restaurant, where we enjoyed a nice meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we had to finish the red tour loop to go back to Dubai Mall to catch the shuttle bus back to the cruise terminal.

 

All in all, it was an easy and relaxed day and after a few little bites in the Windjammer, we packed the rest of our bags and were asleep at 7pm since we knew that the alarm would go off at 3.45am.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[endtried]

Day 9 - Monday, Jan 16

Dubai, UAE - Doha, Qatar - Washington, D.C.

 

Due to the timings offered, right when I booked the cruise, it was obvious that I wanted to take Qatar Airways since I had to be back in the U.S. on Monday afternoon in order to be back at work on Tuesday.

This of course meant a very early start: The flight from Dubai to Doha was supposed to depart at 6.30am so it was a 3.45am wake up call but it seems that quite a few people were already leaving around 4-4.30am.

 

 

Anybody wanting to leave before 4am had to get a clearance card from Guest Service to show security- I guess to make sure that all bills were settled?

Regardless, we were ready by 4.15am and were already in the cab to the airport just a few minutes later.

 

20 minutes and 40 AED later, we were dropped off in front of Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport. I quickly picked up my boarding passes and since my mothers flight to London wasn't departing until mid-morning, we enjoyed a last coffee and sandwich together.

 

I was a bit concerned about lines at immigration and security but they were nonexistent so I was through to the gate in a matter of minutes.

 

The flight to Dubai boarded on time and off we went for the short 50min-flight. E plane was pretty full and while on approach, the captain suddenly pulled up the nose of the airplane, the engines came to full life and everybody looked surprised. To make things a little "stranger", it was time for the second prayer of the day and a cell phone alerted the whole plane of this fact. A few minutes later, the captain announced that they had missed the approach so we would circle around and "try again".

 

Second time, thankfully not the third time, was a charm and everybody seemed relieved when the airplane touched down gently with just a few minutes of delay.

 

 

I had planned to walked around Doha Airport for a bit but after all that early morning excitement did not feel like it and made my way straight to the gate for the Washington flight where another security/ passport checkpoint was set up so after going through this procedure, I was just glad to sit down, hoping that 14-hour-flight ahead of me would be boring without any turbulence or missed approaches.

 

After watching some movies, writing this trip report, and just resting and sleeping, the 14 hours finally came to an end.

 

Summarizing, this cruise had a great itinerary and I can just recommend it. The ports on this cruise seem to be a bit out of the comfort zone, also because the culture is just so different from eg European cruises but it is very refreshing to see something completely different.

 

It is definitely more of a challenge to find independent tours in this area and the location where the ship docks normally requires a shuttle bus ride to the port gate.

 

Overall, it was a great experience and I am glad to have done this cruise with this itinerary.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tropiclvrs]

Sounds and looks like it was an amazing trip. This type of itinerary is definitely one on my bucket list, but it'll have to wait for some time....

Thanks for sharing with all of us!

[scrozuk]

Fabulous start and some great photography!

 

Going on Vision in a few weeks - would love to know if they offered any specialty restaurant discounts and what the entertainment was like?

TIA.

 

I can say if it helps that there were flyers left around the ship advertising a deal for speciality dining, think it was 3 meals for $75, 4 for $90 or 5 for $105, which gave you access to Giovannis, Chops or Izumi.. think it's something like that.

 

Wife and I had been tempted by it, but then we saw the last night dinner in the desert in Dubai, and went with that instead. The food in the Aquarius is fine, but I did note a fair few tables only had 2 or three people on, so if that happens, get the maitre d' to bump you to another table where others are, and make a nice group dinner..

 

Hope that helps

 

Ian

[scrozuk]

Where Dirhams taken in Muscat or did you have to have their currency?

Also where there many men in tuxedos on formal nights?On our last cruise with Celebrity not many bothered,don't want to be overdressed.

 

In Muscat/Khasab we took the local currency Rials, which in the souq did confuse some shop owners, as they were expecting us to have the US Dollars.

 

That said, in Muscat, they'll take US Dollars or Euros, you just have to keep in mind the exchange rates..

 

On the ship, there were a few in tuxedos, but it was by no means mainstream. if you went to formal nights in tuxedos you'll be by no means out of place.

 

Enjoy

 

Ian