Encore Dubai to Athens

[Sunviking]

After five nights in Dubai we’re boarding the Encore today for our cruise to Athens.  This will be our first time on one of the larger ships and we’re curious to see the differences.  We’ve loved all our cruises on the Odyssey class and expect this one will be just as wonderful.  I know the just completed cruise had unavoidable itinerary changes due to weather and world events.  I’m hopeful that this one will go as planned, but que sera, sera.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Sunviking

[Jane21]

Hi

 

Just left Encore. What itinerary change did we have due to weather?

[Isklaar]

Will you be in the WG suite Sunviking? Looking forward to reading your comments.

Have a wonderful cruise.

[Jane21]

We just left the Wintergarden Suite this morning. Beautiful suite !!

sire you will enjoy it!

[Hoyaheel]

We've been eying this itinerary (or the inverse) so really looking forward to your report! Also your thoughts on different size ships. Hope it's wonderful!

[koalapanda]

I hope you enjoy Encore and  this itinerary. We cruised this repositioning last year and loved it. It is a delightful eye opener into different cultures and a relaxing cruise . Dont forget to buy your outfit for the Arabian night, Seabourn make it a magical evening.

Edited May 8, 2019 by koalapanda
sp

[Isklaar]

1 hour ago, Jane21 said:

We just left the Wintergarden Suite this morning. Beautiful suite !!

sire you will enjoy it!

 

I haven't yet seen any posts comparing it to WG on the Odyssey class ships and am interested to know how it compares as I haven't tried it on the big ships. in photos it looks a bit dark for my taste although I did get a glimpse on Ovation when I passed it and the door was open and it did look lovely. 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Isklaar

[Sunviking]

We are in the Wintergarden Suite and I think it  is  in many ways nicer than the ones on the Quest and Odyssey.  While the wood accents are darker, the suite itself seems to be a little larger.  The furniture in the living area is definitely more comfortable than the l-shaped sofa and chair on the smaller ships.  The bathroom is definitely better.  No longer is there that circular shower which is open to the rest of the bath.  We always wound up with water all over the floor outside the shower especially if there was any ship's motion.  The shower here is much larger, enclosed and has a seat in it. The toilet is enclosed with a sliding glass pocket door.  I think the veranda is larger as well.  We have a very big round table with four cushioned chairs and a double cushioned lounger.  In the conservatory (if that's what it's called) there's the hot tub and two individual cushioned loungers.  I think we'll be more than comfortable here 😊

[Isklaar]

2 hours ago, Sunviking said:

We are in the Wintergarden Suite and I think it  is  in many ways nicer than the ones on the Quest and Odyssey.  While the wood accents are darker, the suite itself seems to be a little larger.  The furniture in the living area is definitely more comfortable than the l-shaped sofa and chair on the smaller ships.  The bathroom is definitely better.  No longer is there that circular shower which is open to the rest of the bath.  We always wound up with water all over the floor outside the shower especially if there was any ship's motion.  The shower here is much larger, enclosed and has a seat in it. The toilet is enclosed with a sliding glass pocket door.  I think the veranda is larger as well.  We have a very big round table with four cushioned chairs and a double cushioned lounger.  In the conservatory (if that's what it's called) there's the hot tub and two individual cushioned loungers.  I think we'll be more than comfortable here 😊

 

All sounds good, look forward to reading your updates!

[Sunviking]

Just a brief update.  Yesterday we were in Doha and it was extremely hazy.  One of the locals told us we were in the midst of a sandstorm (evidently a not infrequent occurrence there).  We only did a brief visit to downtown via the ship's shuttle.  The fine grit in the air was playing with our eyes and sinuses in a not so nice way.  The city looks like a smaller version of Dubai with not as many skyscrapers but lots of construction going on as Qatar prepares for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.  They have a lot of work to do.

 

Today we're at Sir Bani Yas Island and we had the barbecue ashore and caviar in the surf.  It was fun but very hot! Tomorrow is a sea day as we leave the Persian Gulf and make our way to Muscat.  We did a similar cruise to this one in the reverse several years ago and I would have to say I prefer the temperatures then; it wasn't quite as hot but of course we are now entering the area's off season because of the often extreme heat.

 

So far the food has been excellent and after a few little hiccups, the first day service has settled down to the standards to which we have become accustomed.  We think the larger ship is quite nice.  The decor is elegant and a little more modern than the three smaller ships.  The Observation Lounge is definitely better in our opinion.  It's significantly larger and much easier to find a seat in the pre-dinner hour. We don't often go to shows so I can't comment on that aspect.

 

We have lots of sea days on this cruise so I'll have more to report on activities, lectures, etc later.

 

 

 

[Heather White]

Was enjoying this thread. Please write some more about your sea day activities.

[Sunviking]

Today is the first of 6 sea days between Muscat and Aqaba.  There have been lots of activities scheduled.  There are a couple of lecturers who are giving talks about the Middle East geography, history, and political climate, Islam, and about maritime laws and their implications for sea traffic.  This afternoon there is a lecture on photography.  There is an artist onboard teaching some watercolor classes. Of course there is trivia at noon.  I think one can stay busy all day long.  I keep a blog of our cruise travels, my version of a travel journal, and I've been busy updating that and editing our photos.  The sea days seem to fly by as a result.

 

Yesterday in Oman it was awfully hot, about 100° F and quite humid.  We are evidently the last cruise ship of the season to arrive there and I  can understand why.  Today at sea it is a little cooler and there is a little breeze.  The seas are moderate and our captain indicated it should continue this way when he gave us our noon update. 

 

We ate at the TK Grill the night before last.  The bar area outside is a lovely addition as compared to the smaller ships.  The meal was excellent (we both had the sole) and the portion was not overwhelming.  No one tried to sell us any special wines.  We may have to do that later in the cruise because we have a lot of shipboard credit to use.  The  food in general has been quite good.  After the first day, service has seemed to settle down.  

 

I'll write more when I have something more to report.

[jozi]

So direct from Muscat to Aqaba? No stop at Salalah this time? Last year on similar itinerary we went there and took a tour up into the hills to what was allegedly Job’s tomb and to a coastal resort area. I know they had horrible floods after our visit. Enjoy! 

[Sunviking]

No Salalah this time. We stopped there when we did the reverse a few years ago. people seem to be adapting quickly to changes.

[Sunviking]

Hot and muggy have been the operative words for the last few days.  We've been sailing along in calm seas with only an occasional passing freighter to break up the view.  There have been lots of lectures and classes of all sorts to occupy the days.  The food has continued to be consistently very good. We haven't seen a single slice of baloney 😁!  We think the Observation Bar and TK Grill and bar are improvements over the smaller ships.  We haven't had a problem getting a table in the dining room on any occasion. So far it has been an excellent cruise and we've met some lovely fellow passengers.