Cheating On The Mouse Boats Part 2 - This Time It May Be Terminal

[dolphingirl47]

It is frustrating I can't see any photos!

How annoying. I am sorry.

I get that sometimes on my ipad when the page is long.

That is strange. Even my iPhone displays them quite happily.

I would have liked to seen what you walked across to get on the boat on your excursion! Sounds scary!

I did not actually post of photo of that, but here is one that gives you a bit of an idea. I hope you can see this.

Be great to get a new camera soon.

I need another £15 worth of vouchers, which hopefully I will have achieved before we leave for our next trip. However, I am not in any rush as there is no trip on the horizon where I would need it.

Great pics of the little fishies!

I was quite impressed that they came out so well.

You were very brave to attempt the cave; I wouldn't have the nerve to go in.

It turned out that I did not really have the nerve either. I am not quite sure why this was so scary. I am sure if the cave had been on land, it would not have been an issue. I am a pretty strong and confident swimmer, but this just freaked me out.

Sorry to hear about the camera! That is very frustrating!

The camera had a good innings and salt water is corrosive stuffl

What lovely night shots as well.

Thanks.

What a fabulous trip so far!!!

It was an amazing trip. It was a bit of an eye opener as to Royal Caribbean and it was great being able to spend some time exploring different places in the Middle East.

Your excursion in Khasab looked gorgeous, what a treat to see all that beautiful scenery and able to snorkel as well.

We loved Khasab. People who had no interest in nature were not quite so impressed though.

The food sounds delicious.

It was. For the most part, I liked the food better on the Splendour than on the Magic and the Wonder.

I really like the set-up in the theater with the love seats.

I loved this, too. Unfortunately it looks like the Ovation has a more traditional theater set up.

Too bad about the excursion cancelling in Muscat but glad they had it available for the second day.

It all ended up working out great.

Were you planning on doing that the second day or is this something that would have been a bonus?

We always planned on exploring Muscat, but had planned to do this on the second day and had not given any thought as to how we were going to do this.

All the architecture is stunning, nothing I've ever seen before.

Muscat just feels like one giant treasure chest. I have always had a fascination for Arabic architecture. I think it is simply stunning.

The pictures of the hummingbird are a real treat, wow.

I was really surprised that the hummingbird sat so still.

I also liked the seagull pictures on the ropes.

I loved watching the seagulls.

Corinna

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Thank you I can see that photo! I think it's my ipad. I must take it to the Genius bar at some point when my hip is better. Holy moly I would not have liked to have walked that plank either Corinna!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I must take it to the Genius bar at some point when my hip is better.

I hope they manage to sort it out.

Holy moly I would not have liked to have walked that plank either Corinna!

That was definitely not the highlight of the trip for me. I have always had issues with my balance making this seriously scary for me.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Day 6

This day was an altogether more leisurely affair. We had nowhere to be until ‪10:30 so we had a well deserved lie in. As we had a Champagne Brunch booked that day and as this was a multi-course affair, we passed on breakfast. We got up at around ‪9:30 and got ready slowly. We had a wander around the ship, which felt surprisingly empty for a sea day. Looks like we were not the only people who felt a lie in was in order. Just before ‪10:30, we headed up to the Viking Crown Lounge, where the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle was taking place. This was a new experience for me as Cruise Critic is not very active as far as Disney Cruise Line is concerned. It was nice to meet some of the people that I had been chatting with online since we booked this cruise. They had set up some coffee, juice and pastries and various members of the cruise director’s staff were in attendance. We were each given a raffle ticket as we came in. We both had a cup of coffee. Graham found himself a seat with a view and I joined the rest of the group. We were each given a notebook with a pencil on a lanyard that has the Royal Caribbean logo on it. A member of the cruise director’s staff welcomed us and then the raffle was drawn. Some of the prizes were Royal Caribbean logo items and others were Cruise Critic logo items. My number was drawn for the last prize, which was a bottle of champagne. In the end this came home with us and we enjoyed this on New Year’s Eve to toast in the New Year. This was actually rather nice.

Once the raffle had been drawn, we had to rush off. The champagne brunch that we had booked for that day included a galley tour . We had expected that this would start around noon and this is what he had been told when we booked this. However, the previous evening we had an invite in our cabin stating that we needed to meet on deck 5 outside the King and I dining room ‪at 11:00. I quickly took our goodies to the cabin and sent Graham ahead. I was still not the last person to arrive. There had been some confusion and not everybody had received the invite. So some people arrived late and others could not make it to the galley tour at all as they had other stuff booked at the same time. So they ended up rescheduling those people for the next day. This worked in our favour. We ended up with quite a small group.

We started off on the top floor for the dining room and our guide explained to us what galley does what. The upstairs galley caters to the Chef’s Table, which is on that floor as well as room service and the crew mess. However, they were getting ready for a galley brunch, which was also offered that day. We had a quick peak at the upstairs galley and then headed downstairs. There we had a closer look at the different areas that make up the galley. I was quite surprised when we were told that all the food for both floors of the main dining room was cooked there and then taken upstairs. This seemed to be a strange way of doing things. It was fascinating seeing all the different area. This galley was very different from the one on the Disney Wonder. However, like on the Disney Wonder, they have pictures of each dish to make sure that the presentation is consistent. We also learned that you could see how senior a member of staff in the kitchen is by the colour of the scarf they wear. The area of the galley that fascinated me the most was the wine cellar.























When we finished our galley tour, we exited through the dining room on deck 4. I kept back a little bit to take some photos of the dining room. We still had some time before we needed to be at Chops for our brunch. We went to get some fresh air and then we headed back up to the Viking Crown Lounge as Chops is next to this. The Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle was over, but most people from this were still there, but had moved to the opposite side of the Viking Crown Lounge. So we joined them until it was time to check in for brunch.











When we checked in, we were given a glass of champagne and then we were escorted to our table. We opted to sit near a window, but the blinds were partially down as the sun was shining straight at those windows. We still had a bit of a view through the slats of blinds. Our server came to introduce himself. He brought some bread and the menus. This was a five-course affair with the first three courses and the dessert being set and three choices for the main course. Graham went with all 5 courses. I omitted the soup course, which was a clam chowder, as I do not eat seafood. Graham had this and enjoyed it. For two of the other courses I asked for some omissions. The first course consisted of crusted red skin potatoes with caviar and lemon sour cream. I asked for the caviar to be left off and this was a lovely light and refreshing way to start the meal. Graham then had his clam chowder, which he seemed to enjoy very much. The next course was an antipasti platter, which came with grilled vegetables, salami, prosciutto, marinated olives, Grissini breadsticks and anchovies. I asked for the anchovies to be left off and again, this was very tasty. For our main course, we both went with the 8 oz. grilled ribeye steak “Café de Paris” with O’Brien potatoes and assorted vegetables. We figured that if we have brunch at a steak house, we should have steak. The steak did not disappoint. It was very flavourful and tender. We had a glass of White Zinfandel with our main course. By then, we were pretty full. However, we still had dessert to come, which was warm apple pudding with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon tuilles, which was also very nice. We had a coffee with dessert and at some point between the main course and dessert; we were offered another glass of champagne, which we happily accepted. It was a very nice meal.













Once we had finished our meal and paid, we briefly went back to our cabin to pick up some stuff and then we headed down to deck 4. When we got there, the sun was shining where we were sitting. I found myself a chair and settled down. Unfortunately at some stage we had to change course as Iran was kind of in the way. When we changed direction, the sun no longer was on our side. I also have to say that the chairs they have on deck 4 on the Splendour are nowhere near as comfortable as the loungers they have on deck 4 on the Magic and the Wonder. So I decided to go inside for a bit. When I came back out, it had got very busy and there were no spare chairs. I went to where Graham was sitting. I went to sit on the floor and I was quite happy there. However, a member of crew came by and saw me sitting there and he made it his business to find me a chair. I quickly went up to the pool deck to get myself a towel, as I was feeling quite chilly. Normally I always bring my fleece blanket with sleeves when I am travelling, but for some reason I had left it at home this time. Still, once I was wrapped up in a towel, I was pretty happy. We stayed out there until the sun went down.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Once we went back inside, we had a couple of things to take care off. We went up to the photo studio to find our photos from the last couple of days and have them added to our folder. We also wanted to check out the itineraries that were on offer for 2016. We succeeded on the photos, but the Next Cruise desk was closed when we got there and they had put the folders with the itineraries away. So we decided to check this out on another day. At some stage, I went to get changed as this was the second formal night and we got some more photos. I then decided to give the aerialist show another go, but this is really not my thing. Graham had found himself a seat and I went to join him. I got myself a Coke from the bar on the way. Neither of us felt like going to dinner that evening. We were still stuffed from brunch. We sat in the centrum for a while to give our stateroom host time to do our cabin and then we went back to get an early night. I sorted out what I needed for the next day and then we got ready for bed.

 

[tiggrbaby]

The three pics of the two of you with the dark background are soooo sweet!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Yippee I can see the photos for day 6! How nice to have a champagne brunch booked for this day. I am sure we had something similar re the cruise line critic meet on NCL. I wasn't sure what that entails. I did not attend just saw it on the navigator. It was our first cruise so the whole process was a learning curve!

I love that your brunch included a tour of the galley. Folks think me odd but I would rather tours of the ship and how things operate than most of the excursions! I loved the galley tour of Pride of America ( NCL ) when we did Hawaiian Islands it looked similar to the galley of your ship but to get the food up to the two dining rooms that were on decks one above the other ( you selected which one you wanted to sit in each night it was the same menu but the dining rooms had a different themes for variation ) they had escalator stair case from the galley which was on a very low deck. The servers came up the escalator holding the trays! Very clever from the dining rooms ylu could not see these escalators they were disguised. Most odd when you server popped up in the middle of the restaurant!

I love the name of that King and I! Lovely Christmas scene and later I see you take advantage of that scoring a lovely photo by it.

Oh my the menu on the brunch! You passed up caviar? Lol give give give!

Oh yes please re the steak and what! Warm apple pudding and cinnamon tuilles. We don't serve enough cinnamon in my view in the UK and it marries with apple so well. You can find a hint of it in a McDonalds apple pie!

I just love your light blue dress you have on during the day. So fitting for the culture you are in and what a beautiful red number for the evening. Great photos. Graham looks lovely also.

Sounds like a lovely day.

 

[Pinkocto]

This sounded like a very nice and relaxing day. Brunch looked delicious The galley tour fascinates me, I must do this on my next cruise. Somehow I've always missed it.

 

[dolphingirl47]

The three pics of the two of you with the dark background are soooo sweet!

Thanks. I really like them.

Yippee I can see the photos for day 6!

I am glad that you can see them.

How nice to have a champagne brunch booked for this day.

Yes, that was a nice touch and something to look forward to. I wonder if they will have something similar on Ovation. They have one restaurant that really intrigues me, but not enough to try it for dinner. However, if they were to offer a brunch at Wonderland, I would be all over this.

I am sure we had something similar re the cruise line critic meet on NCL.

Yes, they do this on NCL, too. I did this when we sailed on Norwegian Jade in 2009, but that was very different.

It was our first cruise so the whole process was a learning curve!

I can imagine and especially on NCL where you have to get your head around the whole freestyle concept.

I love that your brunch included a tour of the galley.

That was a major selling point for me.

Folks think me odd but I would rather tours of the ship and how things operate than most of the excursions!

I absolutely agree with you there. I would love to see things like the bridge and the engine room. Royal Caribbean does offer a tour like this, but it costs a small fortune.

The servers came up the escalator holding the trays!

That sounds both fascinating and a recipe for disaster.

I love the name of that King and I!

I love this, too and the theming was amazing.

You passed up caviar?

Yes, I don't eat any seafood apart from prawns.

We don't serve enough cinnamon in my view in the UK and it marries with apple so well.

I agree with you on all counts.

I just love your light blue dress you have on during the day.

Thanks, this is actually light grey.

So fitting for the culture you are in and what a beautiful red number for the evening.

The dresses I bought on this cruise will come on the next cruise again. Once we reach the Suez canal, they will be a perfect fit for the location we are in.

Sounds like a lovely day.

.

It was

This sounded like a very nice and relaxing day.

I really enjoyed that day.

Brunch looked delicious

It was. It was very different from Brunch at Palo, but just as enjoyable.

The galley tour fascinates me, I must do this on my next cruise. Somehow I've always missed it.

I highly recommend it. I managed to do this once on the Wonder, but it is not really advertised and still books up very quickly.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Day 7

This was the last port day for us as we had decided to stay on the ship in Dubai. We had purchased a ticket for the hop on hop off bus and had a 9:00 start for this. We got up and ready about 8:00. We were still stuffed from brunch the previous day and therefore decided to pass on breakfast. We got ourselves organised. Once we had done this, we headed down towards the gangway. By then it was getting close to our meeting time, but they were not quite ready yet. The local authorities were still clearing the ship. We were sent up to deck 2 to wait by the security staff. I did not mind that at all. Deck 2 is where all the plaques from the inaugural port visits are on display. We had been to a fair few of those ports and it was nice to see them. Shortly afterwards a member of the cruise director's staff came up to us and asked us if we were waiting to get off the ship. We confirmed this and then he sent us up yet another deck. Graham was getting a little annoyed that we kept being told something different. In the end, we were not there very long. The ship was finally cleared and we were allowed to get off.



They were setting up a traditional Arabic meeting place just outside the ship. There was a sign offering a falconry display and henna tattoos. Both of those are right up my street. We decided to check this out in the afternoon. We then entered a very bright and modern cruise terminal. I only found out later that it only had been open a matter of days at that stage. About halfway between the ship and the exit was a kiosk for Big Bus Company and we went to exchange our excursion tickets for their tickets. We were then directed towards the bus. We had a short wait and then we were off.



It turned out that Graham's audio was not working. I offered to move, but he was not bothered. He was quite happy to just enjoy the view. We drove along the Corniche, through the business district, past the heritage centre and through the Sheikh Zayed Centre. The heritage centre and the Sheikh Zayed Centre looked interesting, but did not fit in with our plans that day.























Our first stop was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. I had never been to a mosque before. I was supposed to visit one when I did my teacher training, but ended up in A&E the evening before and could not go. In the Middle East, most mosques are only open to Muslims. The one exception in Dubai has very limited general visiting hours and as they are early in the morning and the mosque is quite far from where we tend to stay when we are in Dubai, we have never got around to visiting. So I was pretty excited about this. I also had heard that the mosque is very beautiful, which increased my excitement even more.

Beautiful does not quite cover it. As soon as I got the first glimpse from the bus, I was absolutely blown away. We got off the bus and I got mosque ready. I had read up on the dressed before we left and for women it is either loose fitting long trousers or a loose fitting long skirt, loose fitting long sleeved top and a headscarf. I live in loose fitting long trousers so that was no issue. Thanks to the last minute shopping trip, the top was no issue either and actually the top I wore that day has become one of my favourites. That left a headscarf and fortunately I have quite a collection of pashminas and they worked very well. We went through security and both passed muster. I was surprised just how many people I saw in the gowns that the mosque loans to people that come inappropriately dressed and that included people that were on the ship's excursions. There really was no excuse for this. There were detailed guidelines for the acceptable dress code on the shore excursion pages online and in the brochures on board. They were also reiterated in the port guide that came with the Daily Compass and people were reminded of this during announcements. Still, I heard that those people who had not come prepared faced long lines to get a robe.

 

[dolphingirl47]

We were able to bypass this pleasure and instead had plenty of time to enjoy the grounds and the courtyards. Those areas alone were breath-taking, but nothing could prepare me for what we would find inside. In the biggest courtyard, there were cubbyholes where we could leave our shoes. We then went into a foyer with some beautiful mosaics, ornamental metal work and a beautiful chandelier. We then entered the main room of the mosque, which features the largest handmade Iranian carpet in the world and a whole range of huge and very beautiful chandeliers. The scope of that room is such that even with my wide angle lens I had no chance to take a photo of the whole room. We took our time walking around and just taking in the beauty around us. Eventually we ended up at another foyer. This also had a scale model of the mosque and some display cases with various artefacts.

















































[

 

[dolphingirl47]

 

[dolphingirl47]

We then backtracked and collected our shoes. We both used the bathroom. Even the bathrooms were stunning. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos in this area. What made the biggest impression on me is that instead of having the typical public convenience smell, those bathrooms smelled of rose water. Once we were both back, we had a closer look at one of the elaborate tile works in the corridor along the courtyards. It is a tradition that every piece of Arabic architecture or art has a deliberate flaw. The thought behind this is that only Allah is perfect. It took me a while, but eventually I found the flaw. It was a tiny smudge on one of the tiles.























We then headed out and back to the bus stop. Our next stop was for the Eastern Mangroves. The bus stop for those was in the car park of a rather nice hotel and we had to walk through this hotel to get to the mangroves. There was a path by the waterfront that gave a good view of the mangroves. We walked for a bit and then found a bench to sit down for a bit. If we make it to Abu Dhabi again, we are going to do a boat tour through the mangroves. After about half an hour, we headed back to the bus stop. We had a short wait for the bus.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Once we were back on the bus, we completed the loop. This time Graham's audio worked, too. We then got off at the Corniche and walked along the waterfront. This area is really pretty with fountains, parks and statues. We then crossed over into the business district with the aim to find the stop for the shuttle back to the port. One thing that really piqued our interest was that every few metres there was a mosque in the middle of the skyscrapers. This made for an interesting contrast.

























In the end we found the shopping mall from which the port shuttle was leaving. It is surprisingly difficult to find a low-rise building in a jungle of skyscrapers. We had a look around the shopping mall and then headed for Starbucks. By that stage, it had been 26 hours since we had last eaten. We both had a Toffee Nut Frappuccino. Graham had a cinnamon swirl and I had some kind of peanut butter and chocolate concoction that was very tasty. I had a quick look at a couple of the shops and then we went in search of the souk. When we were on the hop on hop off bus in the morning, it mentioned that there was a souk in that area. However, it was not obvious where this was supposed to be and the signposting was dire. In the end, thanks to my trusty iPhone and the free Wi-Fi, I managed to work it out. The souk was just across the road.





The idea behind the souk was a good one. This was designed to be on three levels. It was pretty obvious that this was firmly for the tourist market. Most of the shops in there were either chain stores or shops selling souvenirs of dubious appeal and quality. There were some interesting shops, but they were in the minority. We went up to the next floor and all the shops there were empty. The access to the top floor was blocked off. I had hoped to get a couple more Arabic dresses there, but I was out of luck.

We then headed over to the stop for the shuttle back to the port. It looked like the world and its dog had the same idea. The shuttle came and went and this had not even made a dent into the crowd that was waiting. Fortunately the shuttle service was organised by the Big Bus Company and the staff at the shuttle stop were able to get a spare Big Bus to the stop pretty quickly. Most people got on and they got another regular shuttle for the rest of the people, which was right behind us when we got to the port. We ended up sitting on the open part of the top deck, which was a new experience for me and I actually quite enjoyed it. The ride back to the port was smooth and quite quick.

I have to say that Abu Dhabi was my least favourite of the ports on that cruise. It would not be fair to compare Abu Dhabi to Khasab as Khasab is very different from the other ports and in fact different from most ports I have visited over the years. However, when it comes to the cities, Abu Dhabi has neither the charm of Muscat nor the wow factor of Dubai. I am still glad that we had the chance to visit and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque left a huge impression.

When we got back to the port, we cleared security and then browsed the shops in the terminal. There was nothing really that interested me. It was only when we headed towards the exit to the ship that something caught my eye. There was a stall full of colourful Arabic dresses and pashminas. I ended up getting two more dresses. We then headed out towards the ship. Unfortunately they had already packed up at the Arabic meeting place again. The gangway was pretty busy so we decided to sit out the crowds again. We were offered cold towels and something to drink. Both things were blissful. The crowds disappeared pretty quickly and a short time later, we got back on the ship.

 

[dolphingirl47]

We headed back to our cabin to drop off our stuff and get changed. We then went to the Boardwalk Dog House for a snack. Graham had another German and I just had the sausage from the Smokehouse with peppers and onions and passed on the roll. Once we had finished this, we headed for the solarium. We decided to get an alcoholic coffee. When we ordered this, I realised that I could have got my Coke there as well. I don’t know how often I had headed to the bar near the family pool to get a Coke to enjoy while we were hanging out in the Solarium. The bar there is really low key. Graham had a hot alcoholic coffee with Kahlua and cream and I had a cold espresso based concoction that had all kinds of different liqueurs in it. We both enjoyed our respective drinks. We also enjoyed a cookie each. This time round we decided to make ourselves comfortable on the loungers. They were every bit as comfortable as my favourite loungers on the Magic and the Wonder.

At some stage Graham decided to go for a swim. I was quite happy for him to test the water. If the report had been favourable, I would have gone back to our cabin to get changed. The report I got was that the water is freezing. He has a lot more tolerance for cold water than I have. So I decided to sit this out. I ended up chatting with a very nice couple from Birmingham. Graham swam a handful of length and then he retired to the hot tub. Normally I would have been seriously tempted by this, but as it was so chilly in the solarium, I did not relish the idea of getting out of the hot tub. So I stayed put.

Once Graham was done, I said goodbye to my companions and then we headed back to the cabin. Graham got showered and changed while I read my book. Once he was ready, we headed downstairs. We stopped at the photo gallery and rounded up our photos and then went down to deck 4. I wanted a Coke so we went to the Schooner bar as the Centrum was very busy. I loved the Schooner bar and it is a shame that we did not get to spend more time there. It was starting to get really busy there, too so once I finished my Coke, we moved on.

We had one thing that we had to accomplish that evening. In the Daily Compass for that day, it states that we needed to pick up our passports from the Top Hat Lounge between 16:00 and 19:30. We left it as late as possible as we figured that this would be awful. When we got there, the line looked quite long, but we were intercepted by a member of staff and asked which deck we were on. We were then directed straight to a table and there were only a couple of people in front of us. Once it was our turn, we were asked for our cabin number and handed our passports. The whole process was very quick and painless. I had a quick look at what stamps we had gained and then I took the passports back to the cabin before re-joining Graham, who had gone downstairs. Graham managed to find a seat in Centrum. I sat down for a bit, but then decided to head over to the stage area to see what was going on. This was the last evening that everybody was on the ship. The next evening we would be docked in Dubai and a lot of people would be out on excursions or just going out for meals on their own. So the crew flag parade that normally takes place on the last evening took place that night. They do it in the Centrum between early and late dinner and include all the crew and not just the dining room staff. This was also a lot livelier than what I am used to from DCL. I prefer the way DCL does this, but I am still glad that I made the effort.

Once this was over, I went back to where Graham was sitting. We were just relaxing for a little while longer and then we took the rounds of the photo opportunities. After this, we headed down to dinner. On the way, we bumped into two of our table mates. We were told that we had been missed the previous evening. The other four people did not turn up. We were asked if we wanted to wait and we said we would. However, after a while we decided that they were not going to turn up and we ordered. Graham had the Spanish Tapas Plate with assorted cold cuts, Manchego cheese and a Spanish potato frittata for his starter and then went with the Fish, Seafood and Mash, which consisted of battered fish fillet, sea scallops and shrimp, minted peas, mashed potatoes and a remoulade sauce. I had the chilled pineapple and lychee soup with Malibu-scented cream and toasted coconut followed by rigatoni pasta with prosciutto-chardonnay wine sauce and grated Piave cheese. We both passed on dessert. We took our time over dinner and enjoyed the company. Once it was time to say goodbye, we headed to our cabin and got ready for bed.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Enjoyed Day 7 Corinna thank you. That was neat you saw the inside of a mosque. How beauitful. The photos are amazing. Such detail. Simply must have been an honour to see that. I can't believe people don't rescept the customs of the place of worship. Despite being warned. We saw the same thing in Dubai. Ladies wearing beach gear in public despite being told no. Then acting outraged. Well vacation in Spain then. You know the rules.

The souk looks nice with that tree!

I am glad they put on another bus for you. Shame you missed the Falcony.

Lovely photos. Again what an amazing dress! Where do you get these pretty outfits from was that one you got during the day? Or one you had made? Looks great.
Dinner sounds wonderful! L

 

[dolphingirl47]

That was neat you saw the inside of a mosque. How beauitful.

I was glad that I got that opportunity.

The photos are amazing.

Thanks.

Simply must have been an honour to see that.

It was and it definitely was one of the highlights of the cruise.

I can't believe people don't rescept the customs of the place of worship. Despite being warned. We saw the same thing in Dubai. Ladies wearing beach gear in public despite being told no. Then acting outraged. Well vacation in Spain then. You know the rules.

I don't get this either. I am a firm believer of " When in Rome...".

The souk looks nice with that tree!

The tree was in the shopping centre part of the complex, but both were very nice.

Where do you get these pretty outfits from was that one you got during the day?

This is one of the dresses that I bought at the port that day. The second will make an appearance in the next instalment.

Corinna

 

[Pinkocto]

The mosque was absolutely gorgeous! I'm a bit overwhelmed at all the detail and beauty, I can't imagine seeing that in person.

How lovely to sit by the mangroves and relax.

Were the signs for the bus easy to find? Did you have a map of where they stopped?

Oh my about the super cold water in the pool!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Catching up!

What pretty fishes. Shame about the dead reef. It's all that global warming!!! The poor Great Barrier Reef has had massive coral bleaching this year.
Sorry about the underwater camera. Do you have a replacement model in mind?
I love the look of Abu Dhabi. Thanks for sharing. I was intrigued to see the Christmas Tree! Fancy that!
Love the blue dress. Looks stunning on you.

 

[dolphingirl47]

The mosque was absolutely gorgeous!

It really is.

I'm a bit overwhelmed at all the detail and beauty, I can't imagine seeing that in person.

It was mind-blowingly amazing.

Were the signs for the bus easy to find? Did you have a map of where they stopped?

There were no signs until you were right there. We had a map, but that just had the bus route on it with the stop numbers and was no good for navigating. We had passed through this area in the morning and we were told that this is where the port shuttle would go from, but having all the high-rise buildings around it made it really confusing.

Oh my about the super cold water in the pool!

I was really surprised about this, but then the whole of the solarium was quite chilly. I hope that both the solarium and the pools will be warmer on the Ovation.

What pretty fishes. Shame about the dead reef. It's all that global warming!!!

I loved seeing all the different fish. I had the feeling that this had more to do with people not respecting the environment they were in than any natural factors as there was a lot of rubbish in those areas, too.

Sorry about the underwater camera.

It had a good innings.

Do you have a replacement model in mind?

I have my eye on the Nikon COOLPIX S33. Graham has this and loves it.

I love the look of Abu Dhabi.

I think taken on its own merit, Abu Dhabi is perfectly nice. I just did not rate it in comparison to the other places I have visited in the region.

I was intrigued to see the Christmas Tree! Fancy that!

Actually, Christmas is a big deal in the UAE. The first time Graham and I went to Dubai together was over Christmas and new year. I was so surprised to find Christmas trees everywhere and they even had carol singers in our hotel

Love the blue dress. Looks stunning on you.

Thank you.

Corinna