cruise starting/ending Dubai?

[ERParadise]

I'm looking for suggestions on the best cruise ships and itineraries that start or stop in Dubai. We would like to go in 2008 and are searching for the best ship recommendations.

We are 48/50 and very active. We like shore excursions that are active adventures.

We like eating dinner with active couples (not retired)

We have cruised on Radisson and are also looking at Crystal, Seabourne, celebrity (Concierge Class) and would like your recommendations.

Thanks,

 

:) :) :) :)

[Mines]

I'm looking for suggestions on the best cruise ships and itineraries that start or stop in Dubai. We would like to go in 2008 and are searching for the best ship recommendations.

 

We are 48/50 and very active. We like shore excursions that are active adventures.

 

We like eating dinner with active couples (not retired)

 

We have cruised on Radisson and are also looking at Crystal, Seabourne, celebrity (Concierge Class) and would like your recommendations.

 

Thanks,

 

:) :) :) :)

 

For high quality, take a look at the October 2008 Regent Seven Seas sailing from Athens to Dubai, through the Suez Canal, with overnight stops in Egypt and Jordan on the way. This sounds fantastic.

 

For a much cheaper, fun cruise, you could try the Costa Romantica. They have a series of weekly cruises in the winter, round trip from Dubai, calling at four gulf states.

 

Many leading lines also stop at Dubai as part of their world or repositioning cruise itineraries, but these tend to be very "sea day" intensive.

[Keith1010]

In terms of luxury cruise lines you have named three really fine ones; Crystal, Seabourn and Regent.

 

I have sailed on Seabourn multiple times and Crystal several times including their 2007 full world cruise earlier this year. It included Dubai.

 

The food on all three cruise lines is one of their strong suits.

 

You will meet many well traveled people.

 

In terms of shore excursions, many offered by the lines are not what I would call active excursions but you can find some and also book some on your own.

 

We are very active couple but what I want to warn you about is that you will clearly meet many retired couples on those cruise lines (even Celebrity) given the location of the cruise and the time of the year. And, I happen to be retired but very close to your ages so I wouldn't generalize the word retired and we have dined with lots of couples and individuals who are quite a bit older than us and they are quite active and fun people. I just want to exmphasize that you will meet a fair amount of retired people on all of these ships.

 

Once again, in terms of the cruise lines, Regent, Seabourn and Crystal are in the luxury category and Celebrity is iin the premium category.

 

Keith

[Mines]

Celebrity does not have any cruises that start or finish in Dubai. It only calls there twice on the repositioning cruise from Athens to Asia.

[JaneBP]

>"We like eating dinner with active couples (not retired)"

 

Ouch! Are you showing a prejudice here? I sail on Seabourn, and find all the cruisers varied in age and activity levels. However, they are all interesting, more widely traveled than I and a delight to be with. Seabourn is quite special. It's open seating dining, so if you find more 'active' people with whom to dine, you can do that at your request. You are never made to dine with anyone, can sit alone, be served in your stateroom. course by course.

 

Their activities are varied, and the excursions manager can schedule other trips for you. Have you read comments on the Seabourn BB? That's a good way to start.

 

Beware, you might find yourselves left in the lurch by some of the retirees!

[DebbieH103]

I agree. I have been on two Silversea and one Regent. Headed to Dubai in 10 days for Dubai to Mumbai on Silversea. I am 46, and I did the Regent Voyager alone two weeks ago. I hung out with some widows and widowers (I am not one), and one 84 year old gentleman had me laughing so much that my jaws hurt. He went on a lot of the excursions, and he had a ball. Last Silversea, there was a man that looked about 90, and everyone loved him. Conversely, there are always a very small handful of teens, and they are a delight, too. For well-traveled interesting people, there is no age restriction. Have fun.