May 16 – Dubai, UAE

Burj from the balcony

Weather – 39º

Steps – 8,312

Humidity – not sure, but lower than yesterday

One last travel day for the next 2 weeks. Today we boarded the Regent Seven Seas Voyager for a 19-day journey to Cape Town, South Africa. About 2 weeks into the 19 days, we will be off the ship for a 3-day safari.

The included hotel breakfast was ala carte. There were Arabic options (I’m usually up for the local option), but I went with 2 small eggs Benidict and a bowl of yogurt and granola. The Dubai yogurt/granola has not disappointed! Eggs benedict on the ship can be a pain – they are so popular it is often a long wait at the breakfast buffet as they are made to order.

Dubai Frame

After breakfast we searched out the Regent hotel rep. We wanted to let her know we would not be using the coach bus transfer to the ship. We’ve schlepped our stuff with a million other people on coaches to and from the ship in the past and for a $30 Uber ride, we got ourselves to the port. Plus, getting there on your own means you are less likely to be in line to check in with a busload of others.

We knew before the trip that our passports needed to have 10 blank pages, with 3 of them being consecutive. Doesn’t sound like a hard criteria to meet, but if you are a traveller and have an old passport it could be. My passport is new, so we knew I would be fine, but Chris’s is much fuller of stamps. However, we counted and recounted at home and knew his was fine. The checker did not agree…WHAT!?! I surprisingly wasn’t too freaked out. I

about to board

knew we checked and as confident we could be fine. The checker went to talk to someone else and in the end he passed.

It was a long process to count everyone’s blank passport pages. I was glad we arrived on our own and were only behind a few people in line. Even then, it took us a while to be approved.

Finally, we were aboard!!! A Champagne in hand, we checked in at our muster station – face to face muster drills are loooong gone, one good thing to come out of Covid.

Since we haven’t had clean clothes in a week and we weren’t able to get into our room for a couple of hours, we packed a bag of dirty clothes to throw into the laundry when we got on. Laundry is included with your fare on Regent, so we don’t really HAVE to do the laundry right now, but to start fresh without having to itemize everything to send out is easier.

When we board cruises, our usual routine is to sit at the pool with a drink while until our rooms are ready. Today was just too hot! Even inside was warm. We found a quiet spot in the ‘Observation Lounge’ at the top and front of the ship

and relaxed.

Around 2:30 our room was ready, so we started to explore the room we have basically been in back in 2011. The room we are in 679, is at the back of the ship, smack dap in the middle. We were in 678 in 2011 which we loved, so were happy when a room at the back was available for this cruise.

Shortly after we arrived Saravanan our butler arrived. Yes, I said our butler. It’s a bit cringy to say that, but if we wanted the location of this room, it comes with a butler. He’s from India, had 2 kids and has been a butler for 20 years and is lovely. He took all of our special requests and preferences – we did a lot of this online prior to the cruise, but things such as how I’d like a bowl of ground flax, a few plain yogurts and some kiwis for my own DIY breakfasts. My very delicate constitution appreciates fiber. Ground flax on cruises is extremely had to come by, essentially impossible. Flax…sure, GROUND flax…nope. By the time we were back from dinner, Saravanan had taken care of me and my belly!

Then we met Muhamad our room steward. He took the only requests we have for him, which are more pillows.

We are still suffering from jet lag, so after unpacking we napped and then headed out for some predinner music and a drink.

Regent cruises typically have 3 options for music: 1 - a duo (usually from Philippines), 2 – a pianist, and 3 – the ‘Regent Signature Orchestra’) not an orchestra at all, but a 5- or 7-piece band. We opted for the duo.

We both had a local fish for dinner.

Usually, I am the one who wants to bail on any kind of post dinner activity, but tonight it was Chris who was more tired. However, we decided to check out the show. The cruise director was showcasing the 3 musical options, and the onboard singers and dancers. It was good. We were back to the room by 10:30, asleep by 10:31!