Brilliant Dubai Christmas

After the sale of our family business, the death of my father and the decision to uplift and move countries, we decided we needed a Christmas to remember.  On the 20th December 2011 my wife and two daughters Erin aged 7 and Gaby aged 3,  flew with Emirates from Cape Town to Dubai.  Flying with Emirates meant we could take an extra 10 kilograms of luggage per person, a real bonus when flying to catch a cruise.  We arrived to a very pleasant 25 degrees which was their average for winter.  Just right for us.

Our Ocean View Cabin

Catching a taxi to the port from the airport was easy.  Soon after a hair raising ride we could see our ship in all her Brilliance – Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas . We had booked a family ocean view cabin and we were soon whisked through check in and into our cabin.

Christmas the Royal way

The Atruim all dressed for Christmas.

The ship was decked out for Christmas and when inside it felt very festive.  She had a great mix of nationalities on board.  Pretty soon Erin had made friends with a little Italian boy.  Neither of them could speak each others language but they got on so well.

The Gulf States are steeped in history but nowadays are also more about modern architecture and extravagant shopping malls which even have indoor ski slopes and giant aquariums.

One of our first ports of call was Muscat.  Here I had arranged a private tour with a local man.  He met us at the port and took us to the Mutrah Coriche which is the old Muscat quater.

Our next stop was the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque where we had to don traditional wear.

Trying on hats at the market with our tour guide.

A very traditional family!

In Abu Dhabi we decided to leave the girls at kids club.  This is possible with Royal Caribbean.  It was a very hot day and they had made a great group of friends who were also staying on board.  When you disembark you are greeted with falcon displays,  henna artistry and traditional music and dancing.  We caught the hop on hop off bus for the days exploration.  Some of the sights included the Marina Mall, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque,  Ferrari World and the Heritage Village.

The old and the new – Abu Dhabi

Hop on Hop off

Dubai itself was our favourite.  Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene.  Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline.  At its foot lies the Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music.  On artificial islands just offshore is Atlantis, The Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks.  We stayed here for a further 4 nights at the Jumierah Beach Hotel. Staying at this hotel also gave us free access to Wild Wadi Water Park.

View of the Burj from our hotel room.

Erin enjoying Wild Wadi Water park

Christmas on the Brilliance was absolutely brilliant.  We were so well looked after. On Christmas morning Santa arrived via a traditional Dhow.  He then climbed up the side of the ship on a rope lader and eventually positioned himself in the atrium under a huge Christmas tree where he proceeded to give each and every child a Christmas present.

Santa!

Christmas Eve at sea is a phenomenal life experience – the crew go out of their way to make it warm, relaxing and merry! This cruise will remain in our memory for years to come!!!