Question About Cruise Ship Docking in Dubai

[Lauren Spray]

If you have been on a ship that has docked in Dubai, can you tell me how far the ship usually docks from the new terminal? I believe this is a container port. Once you exit the terminal, do you have to travel a distance to get out of the dock area? I mean, are there shuttle buses to a point outside the dock where we can get a taxi, or shuttle buses to the terminal or can we walk it, if it isn't too far? I am asking because we are trying to plan an independent lunch at the Burj and we are on a very tight schedule to return to the ship prior to our afternoon departure. I need to know how long it should take us to get to the ship once we are dropped off.

 

I appreciate all the great advice I have gotten in the past.

 

Lauren

[Saga Ruby]

If you have been on a ship that has docked in Dubai, can you tell me how far the ship usually docks from the new terminal? I believe this is a container port. Once you exit the terminal, do you have to travel a distance to get out of the dock area? I mean, are there shuttle buses to a point outside the dock where we can get a taxi, or shuttle buses to the terminal or can we walk it, if it isn't too far? I am asking because we are trying to plan an independent lunch at the Burj and we are on a very tight schedule to return to the ship prior to our afternoon departure. I need to know how long it should take us to get to the ship once we are dropped off.I appreciate all the great advice I have gotten in the past. Lauren

 

I was in Dubai on Nautica last December. The port is indeed a container port and the Burj is not even visible from that point - it is across town. I was meeting a friend for lunch on Dubai Creek and all I needed was a taxi. We docked about 100 feet from the new cruise ship terminal and were greeted in a posh way by the tourist bureau with a beautiful red carpet, musicians, school children in native costumes. We walked the few feet into the nice terminal, then you walk out the other side to where the tour buses await.

 

My problem was getting a cab. The story was that shuttle buses would take us to another area to get cabs but, after standing in line for 45 mins., no buses came. We were told they were stuck in the stupendous traffic that is Dubai. Because of my social engagement, I was getting nervous and needed to make something happen.

 

A solitary cab wandered up by the tour buses and I almost literally threw myself in front of it. A local tourist assistant said I couldn't have the cab, that I must wait for the shuttle buses. I brushed him off, told the driver I needed to get to the Dubai Yacht Club and he motioned to get in.

 

After lunch, I asked a cab driver to take me to the Burj. There is a guard gate at the end of the peninsula of the island where the hotel stands. The return to the cruise ship terminal on Jumairah Blvd. is easy. In summary, I was surprised at how hard it was to find a cab but, as you can see, it all works out. If you're on a tight schedule, perhaps you could email the Burj from the States asking if a car could be sent for your group. As you can imagine, it might be pricey.

 

Because this is a working port area, there is no taxi stand anywhere that I saw. To walk to a cab seems daunting to me. I do believe that grabbing a cab at the cruise terminal can be done after the initial burst of passengers dissipates and lunch at the Burj should be easily accomplished.

 

All best wishes for a pleasant day in Dubai.

 

Ruby

[Rickey 88]

I completely second everything my friend and fellow traveler, Saga Ruby, has to say about Dubai. It was the most magical stop on our cruise and since we were there for an over-night, there was much to do....

 

A word about the Burj Al Arab.... It is not possible to simply take a cab and walk in for a visit. Reservations must be made in advance as they are extremely protective about their property, and usually only registered guests are permitted.

 

As an alternative, several on our cruise went to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel which is close by and had their concierge call over to the Burj and make arrangements for them to come over for lunch. They had a great time and hopefully, it might work for you too.

 

Have a great cruise..... :cool:

[Saga Ruby]

A word about the Burj Al Arab.... It is not possible to simply take a cab and walk in for a visit. Reservations must be made in advance as they are extremely protective about their property, and usually only registered guests are permitted.

 

Yes, but I have such an innocent face . . . .

 

Ruby

[Lauren Spray]

Dear Saga Ruby and Rickey 88:

 

Thank you for taking the time to post and for the valuable information. I will consider everything you said in making my decision.

 

Ruby, I have read a lot of your other posts. You always have good advice and experiences. You are a force to be reckoned with! I have another question for you. Do you remember how much the taxi fare was from the Burj back to the cruise ship terminal (approximately). Do you think the trip from the Burj to the dock can be done in 30 minutes?

 

I have heard from various sources that the fare in Dubai is either cheap or expensive. How can it be both?

 

I am confused.

 

Lauri

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby, I have read a lot of your other posts. You always have good advice and experiences. You are a force to be reckoned with! I have another question for you. Do you remember how much the taxi fare was from the Burj back to the cruise ship terminal (approximately). Do you think the trip from the Burj to the dock can be done in 30 minutes? Lauri

 

I enjoy posting on Cruise Critic and your kind comments are appreciated. It's all about sharing fresh information and where better than CCritic?

 

Yes, I do think you can get from the Burj to the cruise ship terminal in no more than 30 mins. I never saw the ghastly traffic on the Boulevard that I saw in the the tourist areas. Jumeirah Blvd. is a local boulevard, brand-new, 3 lanes each side, and it is for the use of locals, so there is not the madness you see where tourists roam. The traffic is residential, not commercial. At the cruise terminal, as you know I got a cab, but we drove out the lane onto the main street and came to a complete stop. I was gobsmacked to see the traffic ahead of us and it did take a long while to get to the Yacht Club.

 

I don't have a "mind shock" image of the cab fare from the Burj to the cruise terminal, so it couldn't have been too much. I was traveling all over the Middle East and Far East so I don't recall specific cab fare numbers. But, of course, I do have a story to tell:

 

On the way back to the ship on Jumeirah Blvd., I asked my cabbie if there was a KFC on the boulevard. He looked up in his mirror and said, "KFC?" and I nodded. Big grin. A few blocks later, we did a U-turn and whipped into the drive-thru of a lovely new KFC. I'm thinkin', "I wonder how to say legs and thighs in Arabic? And I only have US dollars." Oh well, nothing daunted.

 

We pulled up to the window, a nice Arabic man in his 20s leaned out the window looking at me in the backseat. After rolling down the window, I said, "Do you speak English?" and he replied in flawless English, "Yes I do." Whew! I wasn't going to have to point to my leg and my thigh in an Arabic country. I gave him my order, then quickly said that I didn't have Dirhams. He said, "If you have a $10 or $20, I can run it thru my strip reader and make change." So there I was, in Dubai, at a KFC, speaking English and using American dollars. It truly is a global village.

 

To me, if I want to see the Burj, I'm gonna do it. I'll never be in Dubai again (theoretically) and this is my Big Chance. So, within reason, I'm not price-oriented. My goals were lunch at Dubai Golf & Yacht Club on the Creek, and seeing the Burj. On a trip, I cut financial corners in other ways, maybe with an inside cabin, maybe ordering a cheaper item on a local menu.

 

Before I get to a port or a city, I think about my Number One priority and set my day's schedule accordingly. As far as shopping is concerned, there is nice, minimal shopping in the cruise terminal but their huge malls would be so time-consuming that I did none of it in Dubai. I did, however, accomplish my goals.

 

You could Google "Dubai tourism" and see if there are cab fares for the obvious places and make your decision. I do that for every place I travel and it's amazing what information you can glean from a local tourism board and other websites. And, of course, we are here to serve.

 

Ruby

[alsas]

The new cruise terminal is open. We used it this year . Very nice.Happy sailing Alsas

[Lauren Spray]

We settled on and booked breakfast at the Burj-al-arab. That takes the worry away from having a rushed lunch and then trying to return to the ship for our 3 PM departure.

 

Thanks Alsas for your input. Since we are the only ship in port that day, I think we will be berthed along side of the new terminal.

 

Thanks Saga Ruby for another great story. I cannot pass a KFC without thinking of you.

 

L.S.

[Saga Ruby]

We settled on and booked breakfast at the Burj-al-arab. That takes the worry away from having a rushed lunch and then trying to return to the ship for our 3 PM departure. Thanks Alsas for your input. Since we are the only ship in port that day, I think we will be berthed along side of the new terminal. Thanks Saga Ruby for another great story. I cannot pass a KFC without thinking of you. L.S.

 

Lauren, I bumped into a post of yours elsewhere and, if memory serves, y'all are leaving soon for your Nautica adventure. What a great idea to book breakfast at the Burj!

 

As alsas said, the cruise terminal in Dubai is new and quite appealing - the building is shaped like a ship. There are nice, new facilities in the terminal - unfortunately, 3 of the 5 computer terminals in the internet cafe were not working - it was a work in progress.

 

Butting into your question about the elephant trek in Phuket - I drove by the place on my way to Phang Nga Bay and frankly was glad I wasn't booked on this elephant stop. It's like Orient House in Istanbul - a total tourist experience. My objective in Phuket was the Bay and I am still "top of the world" from seeing the sights there. I use those islands as wallpaper on my computer so I can see them everyday. I pretend the long-tailed boat is the photo of me "driving up" to the James Bond beach.

 

You will love this itinerary. I know you've put a lot of hard work and research into it. Being prepared always pays off because it gives you flexibility - like stopping at a KFC in Dubai. Enjoy, then come back and tell us all about it.

 

Happy sails!

Ruby