And here we go! Again. A little week long interlude for mid term break has seen us escaping from Dubai on the Costa Diadema. We are in for some R&R. Actually, I will be working and there is some concern over the current COVID-19 pandemic but, here we are. Decision made and we are ready to go cruising again Doha!
Cruising Again:
Day 6
Abu Dhabi is the last stop on our itinerary before we head back to Dubai. Nevertheless, we have two days here and are determined to make the most of it.
Today the boys enjoy an electric scooter experience along the Abu Dhabi esplanade. They are so excited about the prospect and admirably take it in turns for their rides, the other one running and jumping along, trying to keep up with the lucky rider. Later they declare it the best day of the cruise (which makes me think that we could have just taken them down to JBR and saved a lot of expense!). Still they are happy. They return to the ship for lunch and a quieter afternoon.
Meanwhile, I am hard at work having made my way out to our office at Al Maryah Island. This is still relatively new and a fancy development indeed. Touted as Abu Dhabi’s business and lifestyle destination, the offices are built over The Galleria, a luxury retail and restaurant complex offering all manner of shopping and dining experiences. It is also the home of the world’s newest international financial centre, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), an economic free zone in the Emirate.
After work it takes me over an hour to get back to the ship from the office. In hindsight I should have caught a taxi directly to the port, however, I have taxied to the port shuttle instead and it is another wait until the bus finally leaves. I’m feeling pretty awful by now but as it is Thursday night I am determined to make the most of the weekend which is my holiday.
As I arrive back I can see Jason on the balcony. They have had a relatively quiet afternoon, except for the #MarsaMina launch going on downstairs.
Marsa Mina is Abu Dhabi’s brand new dining and entertainment district, located at Zayed Port, literally on the doorstep of the cruise terminal. This is a family friendly day out with a huge selection of food trucks and purpose refurbished shipping containers.
The activities, including basketball, axe throwing and trampolining have kept the entertainment sustained for a while and the displays of fancy cars and loud motorbikes are enough to pique anyone’s interest.
Making it back to the cabin I find that they have just arrived back from enjoying the games, rides and exhibits of the fair. They are now engrossed in screen time and I barely warrant a “hello”. This means that Jason and I can take a drink on the balcony together.
Despite the tempting smells from the fair, we save ourselves and go to dinner on board.
Day 7
We have set aside today to visit the Louvre. We taxi from the port and while it is not far, the port fees & charges (much like the airport) makes it more than the generally reasonable taxi fares in the Emirates. It is a lovely day though and I have procured some sinus tablets so I am feeling a little better, for now at least.
We enjoy the exhibits making a beeline to the excellent Children’s exhibit, where we get to be characters in our own artistic adventure.
After pausing for refreshments in the museum’s cafe which overlooks the water and provides us with views of our ship while we rest. Then afterwards we brave a walk through the permanent collection. The bravado comes simply because we know from experience that there is only so much museum that a boisterous 7 year old will tolerate and sense that we are near to our use-by time.
After the exhibits we burst back out into the sunlight and Jason has had the foresight to pack (and carry all day!) a tennis ball and frisbee. We play catch and fetch for a while and it could be enjoyable but the whinging starts (the week of late nights catching up with them) and in the end we decide to cut our losses. It has been an enjoyable day overall and there is no need to push our luck so we taxi back to the ship.
The boys have a second wind when we get back and we decide to revisit the #MinaMasa fair ground.
After our farewell dinner it is late enough to call it a night. We put the boys to bed and wait for them to fall asleep. The we rouse ourselves to pack the suitcases and put them in the hall to be collected. They will be waiting in port for us after disembarkation tomorrow. Shortly afterwards I fall asleep to the sound of the ship’s churing. I know that by the time we wake up tomorrow we will be arriving back in Dubai.
Day 8
Disembarkation is relatively uneventful. There is nothing left but to dress, pack the remainder of our belongings and go to breakfast. No activities or entertainment is scheduled for the day. Today, everyone is expected to disembark. The staff are busy cleaning and readying the ship and themselves for the next round of visitors.
As we have no flight connections we are in no particular rush. This means that we can take our time with preparations and dressing. After breakfast we linger on deck with one last coffee and our views of the Dubai skyline over the port. Eventually it is time to depart and we may our way onto shore once more.
Half an hour later we are back home unpacking. Oskar, our cat, is busy investigating the open suitcases which are now strewn across the floor. It is as if he can smell the fun and excitement of the week still lingering.
Good To Know
Costa Diadema runs a complimentary shuttle into Abu Dhabi which terminates a couple of block from the Corniche. This is a good base from which to explore Abu Dhabi. It will also save you the port fees if you taxi from here, though it will take extra time.
Abu Dhabi is not generally a walkable city. The Corniche, along the Abu Dhabi waterfront, is nice for walking. There are restaurants and cafes scattered along the way for refreshment. This is also where you can hire local electric scooters for a little bit of extra fun on the outing. Download and sign in to the Circ app for hire details.
If you intend visiting local sites that are further afield such as:
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque;
- Louvre, Abu Dhabi;
- Al Maryah Island;
- Yas Island (Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World);
- Marina Mall, the Eye and the cultural village;
then you will need to hire a car, take a taxi or hop on the Big Red Bus.
To make the most of your day during your Abu Dhabi port visit, plan your day carefully. Alternatively you could consider a planned tour (ship organised or a local tour that can be booked through Viator).
Would I Return?
Yes. Abu Dhabi has some great local attractions, luxury shopping and a wide range of entertainment, festivals and features throughout the year.
The Red Bull Air Race and the Formula 1 are both worth a trip.
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