Dubai - U.A.E. - Arcadia

Spice Souq.

The Reception area at Dubai Dock, complete with crystal chandeliers, swags and tails!

Part of the Palm Island.

A modern Souq.

Jumeirah Mosque.

The Gold Souq.

A kiss on the hand may be quite continental but Diamonds are a girl's best friend. I love the quote from May West ' I never hated a man enough to give the diamonds back'!!

Dubai Museum boat building.

Burj Al Arab.

Burj Dubai

The Atlantis Hotel.

Traditional Abra.

Good Day Everyone,

Two sea days nearly over now! Looking forward to seeing and hearing our Comedian and Singer Mike Doyle tonight in The Palladium Theatre. This morning there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun really brings everyone to life.

Please enjoy these photographs of our cruise to Dubai and Grahams report on the day. It is a shame that it was so overcast and that we had a sandstorm in the middle of it all which meant that we had to cancel the helicopter tours for our passengers. However we cannot control the weather! The sea is still kind to us and that is what matters.

Here is Graham's report..................

So here we are; another port on this fantastic Grand Voyage. We arrived in Dubai in hazy sunshine and we were all itching to get ashore to see the Dubai developments that we have heard so much about in recent times.

Unfortunately the weather man was against us today and although the passengers on tour in the morning kept fairly dry, the afternoon was disappointing as the thunderstorms set in.
We passed by the building site of the Burj Dubai, now even before it is completed, is the tallest building in the world.

We motored out onto the fronds of the Palm Resort to see the exterior of the Atlantis Hotel, what an amazing building that is, as many passengers were to testify later in the day.
A site we all know from the TV screens at home was the Burj el Arab Hotel stretching up into the misty sky, the only 7 star hotel in the world; this city is certainly one of superlatives, biggest, highest, grandest the list goes on.

The Palm Island development is all but complete and many are now enjoying living here in pristine surroundings.

Away from the modern and now back into the past as we enter the Dubai Museum. There is no doubt that the local government have done a great job in setting up this museum in what is actually the oldest building in the city. Here we saw the traditional boats and buildings of the Dubai people before stepping inside to see the exhibits such as the dhow boat building skills, skills that are still practised today.

Another aspect of Dubai that we stop and take photographs of was the Jumeirah Mosque a further example of outstanding Dubai architecture.

The souqs soon called, especially the Gold variety, here we saw countless window displays of beautiful gold jewellery, whilst in one of the modern souqs we were all mesmerised by the outstanding things on offer and these days all in air conditioned comfort.

There is no doubt that Dubai is a city of wonderful things and although we did not see it at its best we will look forward to an early return. On now to Egypt and the wonderful things to see in the Valley of the Kings.

Thank you Graham - hope you are not too lonesome now that Cynthia has gone home from Dubai!

Hope your week is going well - I see on BBC World that President Obama is in London so I will be watching the news with interest. I expect you are all planning what you are doing for the Easter Break? I love this time of year, new seasons, new hope, new beginnings, new cruising seasons.........

Best wishes,

James.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.