The emirates is a fantastic destination for a cruise and stay holiday as with so many activities on offer, sights to see and culture to discover, you’ll find yourself wanting more than a day or two to explore it all.
Cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi aim to be the biggest and best in the world and each has an ever-growing list of world records to its name, whether it’s the world’s tallest building, fastest rollercoaster or largest indoor snow park. Whilst these cities display a somewhat superficial facade, there is much more to these destinations than fast cars, luxury hotels and designer shopping. Cruisers can still find themselves exploring points of cultural interest like the awe-inspiring Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, traditional bustling souks or even venturing outside the cities to see the surrounding nature in Mangrove National Park which is home to over 60 bird species.
Ports of call such as Muscat, the capital of Oman, offer you a completely different perspective to the towering skyscrapers of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Muscat is a city proud of its heritage and architecture and much of it has been maintained, offering a beautiful traditional setting where the old town is bordered in by rocky terracotta-coloured mountains.
Salalah is another port of call where you can discover fascinating history, including seeing the alleged ruins of a palace once belonging to the Queen of Sheba. Despite lying in the Arabian desert, Salalah enjoys a temperate climate and people flock here for scuba diving and bird watching.
Here at WOWCruise we offer a wide choice of Dubai and Far East itineraries with several different cruise lines including Princess, Royal Caribbean, MSC and Celebrity Cruises so we can help you discover a holiday which is perfect for you. Take a look at our offers below or get in touch with any questions you have on 0800 888 6787.
Although this is a relatively new port of call for many mainstream cruise lines, it’s quickly becoming a much talked about destination and it’ easy to see why. The island is dominated by the Arabian Wildlife Park which is home to more than 10,000 free-roaming animals including giraffe, oryx, hyenas and cheetahs wander here freely. Sir Bani Yas was awarded the ‘World’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination’ in 2014 and here you can enjoy a multitude of activities such as horseriding at a state of the art equestrian centre, kayaking through mangroves and even land sailing. If you’re interested in a cruise that stops at Sir Bani Yas Island it’s worth considering a cruise with MSC who have created their own exclusive beach oasis here.
Dubai is a city that aims to be bigger and better than anywhere and this sense of determination has led to a string of impressive (and very unique) accolades including the world’s tallest building - the Burj Khalifa, the world’s longest painting and even the world’s fastest police cars; the officers here are equipped with sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Aston Martin One-77. Dubai is packed with fun and exciting experiences including waterparks, 4X4 tours in the desert and even an indoor ski slope. The shopping experience in Dubai is also considered one of the best in the world and the malls are lined with exclusive designer boutiques. Visitors can also go shopping in a traditional souk or see a falconry demonstration in the desert to learn about this fascinating skill that is part of the history and heritage here.
In many ways Abu Dhabi is similar to Dubai and again you’ll find yourself gazing up at glittering skyscrapers whilst watching revved up Bentleys cruise the streets. Like Dubai it also wants to be the biggest and best. This being said, as the capital of the Emirates, Abu Dhabi has so much more to it. Admire the impressive architecture of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which has a capacity for 41,000 worshippers, contemplate some of the world’s most expensive art at the Louvre or Guggenheim or explore the surrounding nature and go kayaking through mangroves at the Mangrove National Park.