Destination Dubai

Arcadia let go her lines at 17:30 hrs and headed out into the Arabian Sea from our port in Muscat, next destination is Dubai. Bad weather is expected over the next few days and therefore the temperature had dropped to 28 with overcast sky. To be honest the lower temperature was welcome. The port was surrounded by mountain ranges right out of the water and if the skies had been clear i am pretty sure we would have cooked with the reflective heat. We arrived in Dubai around 08:30 hrs on Monday, this was the port that we were waiting so forward to seeing. When we arrived the weather was dry but very hazy, lots of sand in the air making visibility difficult. At 09:30 the bridge announced that passengers were cleared for going ashore weather conditions could be mixed with thunder storms likely mid afternoon. Temperatures were expected to reach 30 and humidity would be high. Arcadia was berthed behind the QE2 which is tied up at the dockside until she is transfered to her final resting place it was sad to see her sitting there all alone, no lights or passengers to give her life. On the quayside, all of the Malls had laid on courtesy buses to take passengers to and from the city centre. We only had time to visit one Mall located in the old part of Dubai near the creek and also a couple of Souks, There was no time to visit the Palm or indeed the World man made islands located offshore complete with expensive hotels and properties. To say we were disappointed with our first impression of Dubai was an understatement. I am sure if the weather had been better our thoughts would now be different, however to give it any justice, we need a return visit and both agree that a solution would be to visit when we are back in Cyprus, flying time is only around 3.5 hours compared to 6 from Scotland. At 16:30 the heavens opened and thunder and lighting was splitting the skies, luckily we made it back on board and spent a few hours watching soaked passengers run from the safety of a covered walkway and make the 200 meter dash to the gangway. Fortunately Muscat gave us lovely memories of the UAE and these will have to do until the next time. Arcadia threw her lines at 18:00 hrs and is now heading back out to sea for 5 days before reaching Safaga in Luxor. After this port we enter Suez, our last port of call in the Middle East before we transit the Canal and enter the Mediterranean, heading in the direction of Italy for our visit to Rome on Easter Friday.