The Boat!
Ok, please give me one totally snobby post about this boondocks boat we are sailing on, then it will be out of my system!
We boarded ship yesterday at 1pm. We have always known this wasn't the kind of ship we were used to. For years we have been cruising around on tiny Windstar sailboat yachts or Regent luxury liners from Greece to Lisbon and Russia. But we heard about this trip and thought it would be a lark to go cheap and see the Middle East.
The ship itself is beautiful and well done but the people! I don't know which country does inbreeding better, England or Germany but they are all on this ship. Throw in some Russians and Portuguese too. So not only can we not communicate with many passengers (that goes for the English too with their cockney!) but every announcement is made in four languages.
Then there is the food. Lunch is a free for all food line of all you can eat of everything I wouldn't. But these people are pushing, scrambling, inhaling everything in site. Can I please just get some chicken salad? Dinner so far has been good and we got an awesome wine list. The champagne bar can't be beat either.
Then there is the branding of this entire situation. I just don't get why Royal Caribbean think's middle aged men from Cork would want to hear rap and bad 80's music piped through the entire ship? And then the bands poolside are so loud I have avoided the area all together. Does Ivana from Yugoslavia like that? I have no idea. And every time you turn a corner there is someone dressed as a dolphin or holding a life ring (?) while an Adam Lambert look alike (although it's a girl) springs out of nowhere to take your picture.
Besides all of this, our suite is lovely (although the fact that it is a suite and that we were supposed to share this tiny room with my sister, Happy, is deranged) with a large balcony, the crew is sweet, the gym is fantastic and all in all, you simply can't go wrong waking up listening to the waves lapping and pulling into an exotic port.
This morning we pulled into Fujairah (Fellatia!) and mother in I took the shuttle into the city center and hired a cab to take us to the Friday Market where were were to find glittery table runners for gifts and a solid ball of camels milk which I bit into and nearly gagged so hard I turned inside out. Leave it to me!
We then headed back and just relaxed on deck. Tonight is formal night! So I'm sure Ms. Lambert will be in full force with the camera. But we will take it in stride after a champagne flute or two.
Tomorrow Mystical Muscat!
We boarded ship yesterday at 1pm. We have always known this wasn't the kind of ship we were used to. For years we have been cruising around on tiny Windstar sailboat yachts or Regent luxury liners from Greece to Lisbon and Russia. But we heard about this trip and thought it would be a lark to go cheap and see the Middle East.
The ship itself is beautiful and well done but the people! I don't know which country does inbreeding better, England or Germany but they are all on this ship. Throw in some Russians and Portuguese too. So not only can we not communicate with many passengers (that goes for the English too with their cockney!) but every announcement is made in four languages.
Then there is the food. Lunch is a free for all food line of all you can eat of everything I wouldn't. But these people are pushing, scrambling, inhaling everything in site. Can I please just get some chicken salad? Dinner so far has been good and we got an awesome wine list. The champagne bar can't be beat either.
Then there is the branding of this entire situation. I just don't get why Royal Caribbean think's middle aged men from Cork would want to hear rap and bad 80's music piped through the entire ship? And then the bands poolside are so loud I have avoided the area all together. Does Ivana from Yugoslavia like that? I have no idea. And every time you turn a corner there is someone dressed as a dolphin or holding a life ring (?) while an Adam Lambert look alike (although it's a girl) springs out of nowhere to take your picture.
Besides all of this, our suite is lovely (although the fact that it is a suite and that we were supposed to share this tiny room with my sister, Happy, is deranged) with a large balcony, the crew is sweet, the gym is fantastic and all in all, you simply can't go wrong waking up listening to the waves lapping and pulling into an exotic port.
This morning we pulled into Fujairah (Fellatia!) and mother in I took the shuttle into the city center and hired a cab to take us to the Friday Market where were were to find glittery table runners for gifts and a solid ball of camels milk which I bit into and nearly gagged so hard I turned inside out. Leave it to me!
We then headed back and just relaxed on deck. Tonight is formal night! So I'm sure Ms. Lambert will be in full force with the camera. But we will take it in stride after a champagne flute or two.
