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.

Muscat 2. Arcadia in Oman.

Nizwa trinkets for sale.

Nizwa Fort walls.

Quayside activity........

Look out over Nizwa

The Grand Mosque

AIDA Diva in port with Arcadia. AIDA is a sister company geared for the German Market. Looks very colourful.

A traditional welcome.

Get your cannon out!

Local craftsmanship for sale.

The bus driver.

Traditional Omani greeting.

Good Day!

Here is another post on Muscat - thanks to Graham Howell for getting out and about on our Shore Excursion - there is a world out there once you get down the gangway!

Another busy day yesterday in Dubai - all went well and it was exciting to see passengers rejoin who has disembarked Arcadia at Mumbai. Also some well known faces returning to Arcadia for the homeward leg of this amazing Grand Voyage. The weather in Dubai was overcast and even the odd shower of rain! How dare it rain on Arcadia! It was interesting and rather sad to see the old QE2 tied up along side, just ahead of Arcadia with no where to go, awaiting whatever will happen next. No life around her and no lights on at dusk - just a shadow of her former glory.

You see it is the passengers and the Ship's Company that bring these metal ships to life and create the wonderful magic that is 'Shipboard Life'. It cannot be bottled, bagged, frozen or canned, it has to be experienced on a daily basis!! When Canberra came out of service, Lord Sterling made the right decision and had the ship broken up. I once visited the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California which was interesting but again once the ship is sitting in concrete with no engines - it is not a ship in my mind. Ship's need to be cruising and continually on the move.

I enjoyed my quick run in and out of the city centre with Jenny our Loyalty and Cruise Sales Manager - we were in some posh shops but with the exchange rate as it is there were no major purchases made........so short was our time in the afternoon that I think I will have to come back here for a long weekend - it is only a 6.5 hours flight from the UK. Where else does one go for weekends these days?? Any suggestions?...........

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

Omani greeting and the troupe of local men sang and waved their swords to offer a musical greeting as well. In the Nizwa Souq we were able to see first hand the many trinkets and age old crafts being offered for sale. All too soon it was time to leave colourful Nizwa as our coach driver asked us to re board our coach and we headed back to the fantastic sight of the Grand Mosque in Muscat. This building complex is relatively new and was paid for by the Sultan of Oman, certainly a grand setting for a Grand Mosque. No time to go in unfortunately so that pleasure will have to be saved for another time. I must say that our visit to Oman was most enjoyable and certainly whetted many peoples appetite to come back.

Thank you Graham!

That's all for now, thanks for all your lovely messages, I wish I could reply to them all personally - perhaps one day when I am a full time blogger!! Anyhow keep them coming.

Five days at sea now - how lovely. Need to start packing soon.

Bye meantime - back soon with Dubai!

James.

Most kids are excited to be alive - they jump out of bed and believe they can do anything. Unfortunately, a lot of them lose that feeling.

Benjamin V

Muscat - Oman - Arcadia

Here is a Sunday Supplement for you to enjoy!

Arcadia sailing into Muscat this morning.

Dave Thomas CPO - standing by to land the ship's gangways.

The local tour company getting all sorted for our arrival - very organised.

I love the buzz of an early morning arrival.

A beautiful day.

A military operation!

Always good to have a chat with the local guides - they make us so welcome. Ahmed.

Karen our Commercial Manager assisting with tour dispatch meets local Tour Guide Mahmoud.

This lunch time we hosted a Ship's Company BBQ Lunch on the forward deck to celebrate Arcadia's success as Cruise ship of the Quarter for the second time in succession. A perfect day for this occasion. A great time for all the Arcadia team to mix and mingle. It's not every day you invite 900 around for a BBQ! No problem for the Arcadia Food and Beverage Team.

Arcadia from the local town area.

The Sultan's Palace.

A beautiful place to wander around.

The arrival areas to the Palace.

Check out those shiny pavements.

I cannot imagine how stylish it must be when used for state occasions.

The main entrance gate to the Palace.

Administration building in the background.

Commodore Steve Burgoine and Chief Engineer Martyn Elliott at the Palace.

Meet Janaka Kariyawasam our Ship's Agent and James Blog.

The grounds are beautifully manicured.

Acres of patio brick!

Very stylish cars around!

The Entrance Foyer to the AL BUSTAN PALACE.

The Crystal Chandelier.

Everywhere you look there is so much detail - an interior designer's dream I would say......

Another GRAND Hotel Foyer GRAND Piano on this GRAND Voyage!

A small marble internal staircase. The Craftsmanship and the detail is everywhere.

I took this photograph through a glass door as you required a residents pass to enter this lovely area of the Hotel and quite rightly so!

A new road being built.

Chief Engineer Martyn Elliott, Commodore Steve Burgoine and James Blog ashore! This is the first time we have all been out together and it was good fun.

A local construction worker takes an afternoon snooze.

The Golf Course.

A fun park.

Greetings from Oman!

What a joy to be here on our cruise to Muscat. A beautiful day and how wonderful to be in another new port for me. This is an impressive place I can tell you!

Muscat is the capital and largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, an independent state in the Southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. The city which is located on the Arabian Sea is also the financial and economic centre of the county - and it does reflect this! What really impressed me was the Sultan's Palace, flanked by the Portuguese forts jalali and Mairani. The pavements are shining marble and everywhere is immaculate. So impressive. Everyone has a job here, there is no unemployment and no crime as such.

The Commodore, Chief Engineer Martyn Elliott and I went for a drive to see some of the high spots. We had a tour of the AL BUSTAN PALACE Intercontinental Muscat - the moment you walk through the entrance door you are dazzled by the majesty of the 38 metre high lobby, complete with its exquisite centre-piece crystal chandelier and the crystal fountain, the Hotel will further enhance its reputation as the 'Jewel in the Sultanate'. Set against a dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains the Hotel lies solitary amid an emerald green oasis with 200 acres of lush beachfront landscaping, over the azure waters of the Gulf of Oman. I thought I had died and gone to heaven..! The Hotel's motto is ' A return to Splendour' and I think this is what many people are looking for in a holiday now - top quality and glamorous surroundings. And of course the weather - it is always hot here.

Graham is off on tour today so we will have lots to report to you soon. Dubai UAE tomorrow - can you believe it, and then we will be on our homeward leg to our home port of Southampton, having had our minds opened, stretched and amazed with the wonderful experiences of our Inaugural GRAND VOYAGE on Arcadia.

P&O Cruises say ' there is a world out there' but it's only when you step out on these Grand Voyages that you know just how true this saying really is.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and looking forward to the week ahead. Many thanks for all your good wishes and emails, phone calls, text messages, cards, blog messages etc they are all appreciated and brought much joy to these past few days, at a time when we have been very busy at work.

Bye for now,

James.

Man's mind, once stretched, can never regain its original shape'.