Cruise Day, Early Arival in Abu Dhabi

[gerryuk]

I will be boarding cruise ship in AB in March. Due to circumstances, I can only fly in on the day of the cruise, the flight arrives at 03.30 in the morning. Now I am aware that, by the time I get off the plane, collected my luggage and gone through customs I will be looking at around 05.00 / 05.30 in the morning for leaving the airport. Any suggestions on what to do for a couple of hours before making my way to the port and hanging around there before I can hand over my bags and board the ship? I am sure looking at the flight arrivals in this region, I will not be alone with this predicament. One option for me, will to book 2 days in a hotel with the previous day being my first although I wont use it, any body have any suggestions? Thanks.

[mef_57]

16 hours ago, gerryuk said:

I will be boarding cruise ship in AB in March. Due to circumstances, I can only fly in on the day of the cruise, the flight arrives at 03.30 in the morning. Now I am aware that, by the time I get off the plane, collected my luggage and gone through customs I will be looking at around 05.00 / 05.30 in the morning for leaving the airport. Any suggestions on what to do for a couple of hours before making my way to the port and hanging around there before I can hand over my bags and board the ship? I am sure looking at the flight arrivals in this region, I will not be alone with this predicament. One option for me, will to book 2 days in a hotel with the previous day being my first although I wont use it, any body have any suggestions? Thanks.

Can't help with immediate question, but trying to figure out the reasoning for '2 days' in a hotel - unless that equates to 'one night' as well.  Book for the night you are flying and ask guaranteed arrival (and tell them it will be early morning on XXMarch) and ask for late check out....if checkout is before noon. Alternatively, are there any airport lounges on the public side of the airport? 

I like to use 'sleeping in airports' website for these strange arrival or departure dilemmas.  It is crowd sourced so tends to be up to date and more helpful than the airport websites.  Here is the link https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/abu-dhabi-airport-guide.htm

As a bird watcher, dawn is a special time for me, but not everyone feels the same 🙂  But that seems to be about 6:30, so still a long time to wait.  If it wasn't pitch black with luggage, early morning along the quay for sunrise, call to prayer, or fishboat's coming into the market would be interesting....but the luggage.....

Not sure how expensive taxis are, or whether you have been to AB before, but last thought thrown out is to doddle at the airport as long as possible (early, early breakfast?), then hire a taxi for a couple of hours until closer to dawn, then see note above for sunrise, etc.  I understand the walk from Corniche to port isn't very pedestrian friendly, so you may need to flag down another taxi.

All complicated and a lot of effort.....but that's how my problem solving seems to go.

I hope you'll loop back and let us know what you did.