As mentioned on the previous day, this Port day apparently was nothing like what most cruisers had ever experienced in terms of getting off for the day. We were all allocated the numbers the previous night before being invited to go in and get our passports checked and approved for getting off the boat. This was to all start from 7am with docking time at 8am. It was only later when we had returned to the boat that we discovered that the last person to have their passport checked was at 10:30am … If I was that person I wouldn’t have been too happy! Thankfully Roberta tipped some man and was re-allocated 1stchecking tickets … a lot nicer than our number 16 tickets, and others in our groups’ number 23’s!!! It was a 6am wake up ... read more

Now I will have to write about this day while its all fresh. Was so exciting waking today to know we were finally getting off the boat, even if it was just for part of the day. Looking out the across the sea this morning I noticed with excitement the amount of smaller boats now in view. The other thing that hit me straight away was the humidity, and boy my camera didn’t like that either. Before long it was a case of skipping up the stairs to breakfast before meeting with a Canadian couple that we would share a taxi with for the day. Now I had pre-organised a taxi through the Goan Taxi Company. Was quite a lot of emails going back and forth with them from the start, as the number of people ... read more

Today was quite something. I remember waking being so excited I would be out in the open sea today. We would have passed Iran sometime overnight and be sailing along the Gulf of Oman into the Arabian Sea. I don’t remember what time I woke, but looking at the photos it must have been just before 7am. Stepping outside onto the balcony, it hit me how humid it was, but also how beautiful the view was. There was this humidity haze over the water that gave it this magical feel. The water also looked like silk and we were just sailing quietly along so peacefully. I think from the entire time I spent on the ship, this moment would have to have been my favorite. It was beyond words and I imagine what everyone dreams of ... read more

This morning we decided to try to find a discount mall that the first tour guide recommended. Unfortunately no one had any idea as to what we were talking about, so we opted into to be driven to the Gold Souk. We got there a little bit early (10am opening), and the traffic around that region was the busiest we have ever seen in this place. Robert kept commenting on the lack of people, well I think I found out where they are! The shops in this area were the type of shops I had been dying to get into. It looked like the place you could haggle and get some cool things. We wandered through the little side alleys of the Gold Souk, however too many men approached us trying to sell their wares. Robert ... read more

Dubai airport was amazing. Unfortunately I didn’t take many photos here. I’ve only ever flown in and out of airports so thought I would have plenty of time taking photos on the day we depart – what an idiot I am. Afterwards it dawned on me that we wouldn’t be back there! Ugh! The water features, the lifts and everything was worth taking photos of! Sorry people! Getting in a taxi was straight forward, telling them the name of the hotel apparently wasn’t, because my pronunciation of words is pretty shot. He eventually worked it out. Arriving at our hotel I had to just love the location. Its one thing booking these things online its another seeing them in person and perspective. The Qamardeen was just beautiful. We were beautifully greeted, and told that we were ... read more