Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

Reports about cruises on Oceana
User avatar

Topic author
Kendhni
Ex Team Member
Posts: 6520
Joined: January 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#26

Post by Kendhni »

Silkworm wrote: 05 Apr 2019, 18:35
Thank you so much Librarian for your input, greatly appreciated.

Would you please let me know when it was you were able to book your Emirate seat as P and O flights info in their advice centre is not very clear. We already have flight times etc.
For us we were told to phone 30 days prior to the sail date - so we phoned exactly 30 days before and were given the locator and reference numbers.


Silkworm
Able Seaman
Able Seaman
Posts: 17
Joined: July 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#27

Post by Silkworm »

Thank you all for the info. most appreciated.


Ilovemygarden
Able Seaman
Able Seaman
Posts: 12
Joined: December 2018
Location: Glasgow

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#28

Post by Ilovemygarden »

Thank you so much everyone who posted on this. It has been very helpful indeed. I was slightly apprehensive that I had made a mistake in booking this cruise but am now greatly reassured and looking forward to it. Silkworm - perhaps we are on the same sailing - I board on 18 November. Thanks for the heads up on Tomscruiseblogs which I found very informative albeit slightly daunted by the sound of all the passport checks!

User avatar

Topic author
Kendhni
Ex Team Member
Posts: 6520
Joined: January 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#29

Post by Kendhni »

No problems, if there is anything we can help with just ask. :)


Ritamary
Able Seaman
Able Seaman
Posts: 4
Joined: July 2016

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#30

Post by Ritamary »

Just found your very informative information. We are due to join Oceana in November in Dubai. A few questions , on booking your flight seats were you able to book inward and outward at the same time? and Monorail trip was that with P and O. Also can you pick up Hop on Hop off bus in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the cruise port and do they return to same pick up point at cruise port. Thanks

User avatar

Manoverboard
Ex Team Member
Posts: 13014
Joined: January 2013
Location: Dorset

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#31

Post by Manoverboard »

Our visit to the region was part of a World Cruise Segment ( Bangkok to Dubai ) and the flights, with added days in Thailand, were both booked by P&O …. however ;

We wanted to fly BA's Economy Plus and to achieve this we had to reserve the seats and pay the excess via the BA Website.

ps …. Hello and welcome :wave:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being


Silkworm
Able Seaman
Able Seaman
Posts: 17
Joined: July 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#32

Post by Silkworm »

Sorry, Ilovemygarden, I have just realised I did not respond to your last comment.
Yes, we join Oceana on 18 November, we have booked a few days in Dubai prior so will
be joining early on 18th. Have booked a dhow trip in Khasab with a private tour operator
and am waiting for P and O to list their excursions for other places.

User avatar

Topic author
Kendhni
Ex Team Member
Posts: 6520
Joined: January 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#33

Post by Kendhni »

Ritamary wrote: 01 Jul 2019, 17:43
Just found your very informative information. We are due to join Oceana in November in Dubai. A few questions , on booking your flight seats were you able to book inward and outward at the same time? and Monorail trip was that with P and O. Also can you pick up Hop on Hop off bus in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the cruise port and do they return to same pick up point at cruise port. Thanks
Hi RitaMary
Yes we booked our in and out flight seats at the same time. We had to wait until 30 days before the trip and then phoned P&O to get a reference and locator. The aircraft configuration was different, on the way out the entire upper deck was first class while on the way back some of the upper deck seats were economy.

We did the monorail trip through P&O - we both thought it was good value.

There were HoHo buses but, if memory serves me correctly, they looked a bit expensive. In most ports there was a free shuttle bus to take you to some central point in the town (in Dubai it was the Mall, not sure where it went to in Abu Dhabi (we did our own thing there)).

Have a great trip

User avatar

Manoverboard
Ex Team Member
Posts: 13014
Joined: January 2013
Location: Dorset

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#34

Post by Manoverboard »

When in Abu Dhabi go to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque … it is beautiful and an interesting experience :thumbup:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being

User avatar

GillD46
Senior First Officer
Senior First Officer
Posts: 3364
Joined: January 2013
Location: Gower Peninsula, South Wales

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#35

Post by GillD46 »

We almost always book our own flights and then, with the exception of BA who are awkward so we try to avoid, can always select our seats as soon as we book.
Gill

User avatar

Jan Rosser
Senior First Officer
Senior First Officer
Posts: 2406
Joined: January 2013
Location: South Wales

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#36

Post by Jan Rosser »

Manoverboard wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 08:56
When in Abu Dhabi go to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque … it is beautiful and an interesting experience :thumbup:
I agree it was an amazing place - I always tell people to visit it if they go to Abu Dhabi. Only drawback the long dresses and head covering they make the women wear while the men only have to remove their shoes :roll:
Janis

User avatar

Manoverboard
Ex Team Member
Posts: 13014
Joined: January 2013
Location: Dorset

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#37

Post by Manoverboard »

Jan Rosser wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 11:41
Manoverboard wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 08:56
When in Abu Dhabi go to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque … it is beautiful and an interesting experience :thumbup:
I agree it was an amazing place - I always tell people to visit it if they go to Abu Dhabi. Only drawback the long dresses and head covering they make the women wear while the men only have to remove their shoes :roll:
I thought that the ladies dressing up traditionally was a highlight … when they were coming back I couldn't recognise Mobietta :lol:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being


Ritamary
Able Seaman
Able Seaman
Posts: 4
Joined: July 2016

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#38

Post by Ritamary »

thanks you for the info. Another question (2) , was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque easy to get to from cruise port? It looks amazing! Also do you advise taking currency or just using credit card? Looking at HoHo buses on YouTube they look to spend quite a bit of time stuck in traffic , as you say shuttle buses are available to a central point. Sorry to keep asking questions but it's good to actually ask someone who has done this trip! Thanks again

User avatar

Jan Rosser
Senior First Officer
Senior First Officer
Posts: 2406
Joined: January 2013
Location: South Wales

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#39

Post by Jan Rosser »

Manoverboard wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 13:04
Jan Rosser wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 11:41
Manoverboard wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 08:56
When in Abu Dhabi go to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque … it is beautiful and an interesting experience :thumbup:
I agree it was an amazing place - I always tell people to visit it if they go to Abu Dhabi. Only drawback the long dresses and head covering they make the women wear while the men only have to remove their shoes :roll:
I thought that the ladies dressing up traditionally was a highlight … when they were coming back I couldn't recognise Mobietta :lol:
I travelled with my friend and her husband and he was panicking he couldn't find us - so many ladies looking exactly the same :lolno:
Janis

User avatar

Topic author
Kendhni
Ex Team Member
Posts: 6520
Joined: January 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#40

Post by Kendhni »

Ritamary wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 15:39
thanks you for the info. Another question (2) , was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque easy to get to from cruise port? It looks amazing! Also do you advise taking currency or just using credit card? Looking at HoHo buses on YouTube they look to spend quite a bit of time stuck in traffic , as you say shuttle buses are available to a central point. Sorry to keep asking questions but it's good to actually ask someone who has done this trip! Thanks again
We didn't visit the mosque on our last trip (although, due to chats with other passengers, it is most definitely on the cards for 2021).
There is a lot of traffic and lights in Dubai and they seem to take a long time to change - sitting at lights for 5 minutes was not uncommon.

I used my credit card for everything (there is something in the back of my mind that I used some US dollars as well - but can't remember where or why)

User avatar

Topic author
Kendhni
Ex Team Member
Posts: 6520
Joined: January 2013

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#41

Post by Kendhni »

Jan Rosser wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 16:21
Manoverboard wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 13:04
Jan Rosser wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 11:41


I agree it was an amazing place - I always tell people to visit it if they go to Abu Dhabi. Only drawback the long dresses and head covering they make the women wear while the men only have to remove their shoes :roll:
I thought that the ladies dressing up traditionally was a highlight … when they were coming back I couldn't recognise Mobietta :lol:
I travelled with my friend and her husband and he was panicking he couldn't find us - so many ladies looking exactly the same :lolno:
I hope you didn't miss the opportunity for a family photo with everyone saying 'cheese'
Image

User avatar

Manoverboard
Ex Team Member
Posts: 13014
Joined: January 2013
Location: Dorset

Re: Oceana Arabian Gulf 2019

#42

Post by Manoverboard »

Ritamary wrote: 02 Jul 2019, 15:39
thanks you for the info. Another question (2) , was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque easy to get to from cruise port? It looks amazing! Also do you advise taking currency or just using credit card? Looking at HoHo buses on YouTube they look to spend quite a bit of time stuck in traffic , as you say shuttle buses are available to a central point. Sorry to keep asking questions but it's good to actually ask someone who has done this trip! Thanks again
Entry into the Grand Mosque is, or can be, timed and because of this we opted for an air conditioned coach and a booking with P&O. Temperatures in Abu Dhabi and Dubai can reach the early fifties so it is deffo not a place to stand around waiting for Buses.

On another day we did a P&O trip to the Old Fort via the Creek … this is also a must see.

:thumbup:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being

Return to “Oceana Cruise Reports”