Voyager of the Seas - May 2012 - Dubai to Singapore with a day @ the Taj Mahal

[fireflies]

Hey everyone. Back from a memorable cruise and thought I'd share a few photos and thoughts with anyone interested in the aging but still hanging in there VOS or the funky ports of call on this cruise. This re-positioning cruise originated from New Orleans and made its way to Europe and then the Middle East and ended in Asia. Many guests were on from New Orleans to Singapore which spanned 42 days. We only sailed the Dubai to Singapore section which included stops in India and Malaysia. Visiting Dubai and the chance to see the Taj were big draws in choosing the cruise. Just a note, the review will probably be spread out over a few days as I try to remember the details about the photos. I'll try to answer any questions.

 

We did some travelling around the region before the cruise and spent a couple of days in Dubai. Dubai was similar to what we imagined, scorching heat meets uber metropolis. One thing that was surprising was the reasonable prices for everyday items. Sure the Ferrais and LV bags are out of this world just like everywhere else but some things at the supermarkets and malls were pretty cheap.

 

To start with, a day at Dubai Mall. This is the one without the indoor ski resort but has the gigantic aquarium instead.

 

 

 

Was tempted to give this a whirl but they didn't have any samples to try and the chocolate was very pricey. It's supposed to taste very creamy.

 

 

More camel love.

 

 

 

Sharks and stingrays cirling inside the world's largest acrylic panel, 7.5 cm thick.

 

[fireflies]

Since you need a reservation of some type to go inside, we had afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab (the sail building)

 

 

 

It's in the Skyview Bar on the 27th floor.

 

 

To whet the appetite, fresh fruit and cream

 

 

Then a carving of beef.

 

 

[fireflies]

A highlight of the tea, the sandwich course.

 

 

Muffin, shortbread and crème brûlée.

 

 

Colorful sweets that we couldn't quite finish. There were chocolates afterwards but the fingers were tired from taking so many photographs.

 

 

The escalator down to the lobby.

 

 

 

[fireflies]

This was our third RC cruise but first one on a Voyager class ship. We were a bit concerned since it was an older ship but it has held up quite well. The public spaces were well maintained and our stateroom was in acceptable condition. However the interior decorating does make the ship feel dated. The artwork and many sculptures are impressive but hallway displays of Napoleanic motifs seem a bit musuem like. We did like the Dreamworks presence on the ship. The smaller crowds and older demographic make the interactive a lot more intimate and manageable than on the bigger ships.

 

 

Docked and waiting to depart Dubai.

 

 

The Burj Khalifa looming over the port and cruise ships.

 

The sail away party with some Dreamworks friends.

 

 

On the main deck, deck 5

 

 

 

Cafe Promenade. Enjoyed the no sugar added cookies. Also have fresh fruit in the morning so you don't have to head up to Windjammer.

[fireflies]

 

 

 

The two-story library doubles as the Internet spot. We used it a couple of times, slow connection and at times frustating swiping your sail pass card like other ships.

 

 

The area of crossword, trivia and sudoku stacks.

 

 

Our stateroom was in good condition with a flat screen Samsung tv.

 

Some wear on the balcony

[juniorsmom]

Amazing pictures. Thank you for posting and looking forward for more.

[fireflies]

We had breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer a couple of times. The same crowded between 9-10 am experience like on other RC ships. They did have a server manning the self serve drinks so you would just take your drink or ask want you wanted rather than make it yourself.

 

 

 

This was one of the best desserts we had, steamed coconut cake (like a bread pudding)

 

 

In the evening blue glow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A dragon by the sushi section in the buffet.

[avazah]

Awesome pictures! Loving this so far!