Unique Middle East Cruise & Self-Drive: Costa Toscana + Dubai & Abu Dhabi Road Trip
After three years of the pandemic, traveling abroad had become a luxury, with PCR tests and quarantine policies major obstacles. Even so, during those three years I still drove to Xinjiang, even during the peak of the epidemic in 2022, I drove to North China, Northeast China, and Guangdong. When borders opened in early 2023, long-awaited overseas travel finally made it onto the agenda. Having already visited the United States, Europe, Australia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, the mysterious Middle East became the obvious choice, and the UAE – with its visa-free entry, no vaccine or PCR requirements – was the top pick.
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Travel plans began in January. At first, I hadn't thought about self-driving, let alone a cruise, given how badly the pandemic had hit the cruise industry. In January, I saw on a certain travel platform a private small-group tour of the UAE that included stays at three "876-star" hotels: the 8-star Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the 7-star Burj Al Arab in Dubai, and the 6-star Atlantis The Palm. The itinerary didn't seem rushed, and it looked great. But after the Chinese New Year, the platform removed all related products, leaving only a few group tours, and the "876-star" hotels were no longer offered. That left only custom tours. Trusting a big brand, I contacted the same platform for a custom itinerary, hoping for a perfect plan. However, the travel consultant was not only unprofessional – they didn't even know the hotels and attractions of the UAE, kept arranging detours – but also rude and condescending! I filed a complaint in anger, and the platform assigned a professional consultant. That consultant was excellent and designed a good route, but when the budget came out, it was shocking: a 7-day trip (including one day free at the Atlantis) with only driver transfers in a Toyota Land Cruiser cost nearly 30,000 yuan (hotels, attractions, meals all extra)! After seeing such poor value for money, a thought struck me: since I had extensive experience driving in North America and no language barrier, why not drive in the UAE, which is highly international? After discussing with my family, we all agreed – rent a car and self-drive in the UAE!
With the basic plan for self-driving set, next came the cruise. Ever since I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas in Shanghai in 2017, I had been fascinated by cruises. Over the next two years, I sailed on Harmony of the Seas (then the world's largest cruise ship, a title it lost a month later to its sister ship Symphony of the Seas), Norwegian Joy, Island Princess, Pride of America, and Spectrum of the Seas, covering the Caribbean, Alaska, Latin America, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia. When borders opened in early 2023, I stumbled upon news online that MSC World Europa, a new 215,000-ton ship, was sailing in the Middle East. I learned that the Middle East also had seasonal cruise itineraries, mostly from November to March. As MSC's new flagship and one of the very few ships over 200,000 tons that could rival Royal Caribbean's Oasis class, it naturally caught my eye. But when I checked the official website, all cabins (except suites) on the entire Middle East itinerary were sold out! (Even suites were gone a few days later.) Disappointed, I had to settle for second best and found Costa Toscana among the limited options. I didn't have the best impression of Costa – first, because of the disastrous Costa Concordia incident in 2012 and the mishandling of it, and second, because although I had never sailed Costa, I had a poor impression of passengers who had sailed on Costa Serena. However, Toscana's itinerary was attractive: it stopped two days each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and also visited Doha in Qatar and Muscat in Oman. It is Costa's largest ship, over 185,000 tons (eighth largest in the world), and quite new, having been launched at the end of 2021. Since our flight to the UAE arrived at 5 a.m. and we'd need to adjust to jet lag, we decided to take the cruise first and rest up before self-driving. With that, the rough cruise plan was set. Next came the complex and tedious pre-trip preparations.
Three years of the pandemic had caused many people's passports to expire. Mine hadn't, but it had less than six months of validity left. So getting a new passport was a top priority – without one, all planning would be in vain. I applied for a passport renewal on January 29. After the preliminary review passed, I was shocked by the strong desire of Shanghai residents to travel abroad: all appointments at the entry-exit bureaus in every district for the next 14 days were fully booked, including those in remote suburbs like Fengxian and Jinshan. Only the farthest district, Chongming, had a few slots left on the 14th day. After hesitating for a few seconds, I saw the Chongming slots drop by several, so I quickly booked one. On February 13, I successfully processed my new passport. Fortunately, I didn't have to go to Chongming to pick it up; I could collect it in my own district.
The Yangpu District entry-exit center on February 20 – you could feel the strong desire of Shanghai residents to go abroad through the screen.
The UAE had offered visa-free entry to Chinese tourists since January 2018, and Qatar followed in December of the same year, so those two countries were fine. The tricky one was Oman. Online information was conflicting – some said visa-free since December 2020, others said visa on arrival. The Chinese consular service website was unclear. Moreover, not many Chinese tourists go to Oman, even fewer during the pandemic, and we were arriving by cruise ship, so we didn't know the exact procedure. As a last resort, we thought we might just stay on the ship if not allowed. As it turned out, at least for cruise passengers, Chinese tourists could enter Oman freely, just like everyone else. (As a side note, if you take MSC World Europa, it goes to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, not Muscat, so you'd need a Saudi e-visa.)
3. PCR tests and vaccines
Three years of the pandemic devastated tourism, especially international travel and cruises. When the situation eased, the US, the world's largest cruise source market, resumed operations first, requiring vaccines and PCR tests. As the milder Omicron variant spread widely, cruise lines further relaxed policies. Ships sailing in the UAE, like those in the US, did not require passengers to be vaccinated or tested, only "recommending" masks in crowded indoor areas. Although the UAE didn't require tests or vaccines, Costa still required passengers from mainland China and Hong Kong to show a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours. That wasn't a problem – we could get tested in China before departure. However, Qatar had the same requirement, meaning we would need another PCR test in Dubai, which was problematic. In the end, we took a gamble. Based on past experience, shore excursions did not check additional documents, so we didn't get tested in Dubai. Since there were almost no mainland Chinese passengers on board, we managed to step ashore in Doha without a 48-hour test. Oman had no extra PCR requirements.
The UAE is famous for its luxury, so there's no shortage of top hotels. Our itinerary naturally included the 8-star Emirates Palace, 7-star Burj Al Arab, and 6-star Atlantis The Palm. To allow enough time for Aquaventure Waterpark and The Lost Chambers Aquarium, we stayed two nights at Atlantis. Finally, we stayed a few days at Swissotel Al Murooj near the Dubai Mall. All hotels had triple rooms except the Emirates Palace, which only had twin rooms for three people. We thought that staying in two separate rooms wouldn't be fun. Since we were already in a wealthy country, we decided to splurge and booked a Palace Suite, nearly 400 square meters! Later, we felt one day in Abu Dhabi was too tight, so we added one night at The Ritz-Carlton near the Grand Mosque.
Shanghai to Dubai used to have a direct flight on an Airbus A380 – a giant aircraft I used to see at Pudong Airport. After the pandemic, it became a Boeing 777. To fulfill my wish of flying on the largest passenger plane, I decided to take the 777 from Shanghai to Dubai, and on the return, fly the A380 from Dubai to Guangzhou.
The flight time difference was over three hours because Guangzhou is closer to Dubai, and we had headwinds going to Dubai and tailwinds coming back.
As mentioned, despite extensive self-driving experience in North America and English proficiency, this was my first time renting a car in a non-English-speaking country. After much research, I concluded that renting in the highly international UAE was not difficult, and it turned out to be true. Rental companies in the UAE include well-known US brands like Hertz and Avis and their subsidiaries, as well as Europe's largest, Europcar. Comparing them, Europcar offered the best value and had a good selection, so we decided to try them. (Booking through Emirates' car rental page was cheaper than the rental company's own website.) For the car, I initially wanted a luxury model – the Infiniti QX80 – because it's only fitting to drive a luxury car in a wealthy country. But we booked too late, and all models had increased in price, so we could only choose a Toyota Prado. Due to Europcar's own issues, they gave us a free upgrade to a Toyota Land Cruiser, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Prepare relevant documents before departure. On the left is a driver's license translation purchased from Alipay (very cheap); on the right is a notarized driver's license from the notary office. Both documents were prepared for double insurance and were needed when renting the car.
Emirates airline's car rental page was cheaper than the rental website.
7. Cruise tickets
Unexpectedly, booking cruise tickets was the hardest part of the pre-trip preparations! The biggest problem wasn't time, cabin type, or price – it was that there was simply nowhere to book! First, I went to the Costa official website. The Chinese Costa site was a zombie – all information frozen in 2022, and the WeChat customer service had disappeared due to the pandemic. Then I tried the English Costa site. When I selected the region, choosing China redirected me to the zombie site; choosing the Middle East redirected to a European site. It seemed prices varied by region (needs verification), and it mentioned that selecting the wrong region might prevent booking. The official website was useless, so I turned to travel agents. I started with the same Chinese platform (where I had booked Quantum of the Seas), but they had no results – they couldn't even find the ship's name! When I asked their customer service, they knew nothing. I even asked the custom travel consultant I had dealt with earlier, but she said very few people booked cruises through them, so they couldn't help. Next, I tried cruise.com, which I had used for cruises in the US, but it only served customers in the US and Canada – no foreigners accepted! Finally, I tried my luck with domestic agent websites. I contacted several, but either they had gone out of business due to the pandemic or they couldn't book tickets. Eventually, I found a travel website called "Moumou Tiexie" that had relevant information. They said if I wanted to book, I could contact their American agent, cruisedirect, directly. On that site, I found that foreign tourists could indeed book, but I wanted to confirm with customer service first. Fortunately, the site offered online chat support. Chatting was much more efficient than an international call. When evening fell in China and morning came on the US East Coast, I contacted a professional customer service agent. After several hours of online chat, I finally booked the tickets.
At last, I successfully booked the tickets, completed the registration on the Costa official website, and printed the boarding passes.
The UAE currency is the dirham, with an exchange rate of roughly 1:1.9 to the Chinese yuan. Before departure, I exchanged some at a Chinese bank, just in case some places only accepted cash. As it turned out, only the abra (water taxi) ride on Dubai Creek required cash; everywhere else accepted cards. Some places didn't accept UnionPay, so you needed a Visa or Mastercard.
UAE currency – dirhams
With all pre-trip preparations done, the unique trip was about to begin.
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March 2, 2023
Day 1: Shanghai – Dubai
After taking a PCR test in the afternoon, we left for Pudong Airport at 6 p.m. Check-in was at 9:30 p.m. International flights are gradually returning, and I believe the wave of Chinese tourists going abroad will also come back.
Emirates crew – we felt the exotic atmosphere even before arriving in Dubai.
Entry and exit require filling out the "Health Declaration Form" for health declaration.
Health registration form – asks where you're coming from, where you're going, travel history in the last 14 days, etc. Finally, a QR code is generated. At customs, you scan this code at a machine.
After clearing immigration, security checked everything again, even mouse cables had to be taken out separately – clearly stricter. The flight took off on time at 11 p.m. The photo shows passengers filling out the health declarations.
March 3, 2023
Day 2: Dubai Airport – Dubai Cruise Terminal
After a 10-hour flight, we arrived in Dubai. Long-lost tour groups were also back.
Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest in the world. At 6 a.m., large numbers of passengers were transiting here to various destinations.
Passing through customs in Dubai was very fast – stamp the passport, take a photo, and you're through. Very efficient. No quarantine officers after customs; we walked straight out of the airport.
At customs, the officer gave us three free local SIM cards, each with 1 GB of free data. However, when we tried to use them a few days later, we couldn't get a signal – no idea why.
Airport taxis were all Toyota Innovas, a cross between an MPV and an SUV, with plenty of room for luggage – well-designed. When we told the driver we wanted to go to the cruise terminal, he said there were two: one called Rashid and another called Mina Jebel Ali – which one? New to the city, we struggled with his heavy Arabic accent. The Costa boarding pass simply said "Port of Dubai," unclear. We went to the one closer to the airport (Rashid), and found only Costa Serena and MSC World Europa entering port. A staff member there told us Toscana was at the other terminal, near Palm Jumeirah, so we had to take another half-hour taxi ride.
As you can see, Dubai has two cruise terminals: one near the airport, the other near the Palm, quite far apart.
On the way to the destination – hard to imagine this is an Arab country.
Dubai Financial Center – the oddly shaped building on the left is the Museum of the Future.
Near the destination, the road sign said "Dubai Harbour," not "Mina Jebel Ali" – that was indeed confusing.
As shown, Dubai Harbour is next to Palm Jumeirah; on a clear day you can see the Atlantis.
Inside the terminal, we showed our passports. The officer asked for a visa, and we said we didn't need one. They let us through without asking about PCR tests.
Check-in was at 3 p.m., so we had to wait six hours. We killed time by looking around. The huge ship in the picture is our Costa Toscana; behind it is AIDAcosma.
AIDAcosma. The kissing lips, big eyes, and blue eyeliner on the hull are signature features of AIDA Cruises. This cruise line is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, the industry leader, and mainly serves the German market – 95% of passengers speak German, so AIDA is less well-known internationally.
A mega-cruise ship carries thousands of passengers – a goldmine for sightseeing buses. Buses were already waiting at the terminal early in the morning. The two in front belong to Big Bus Tours, priced at 75 euros per person – not great value. The last one belongs to City Sightseeing, with slightly fewer stops but much cheaper at 120 dirhams (about 30 euros) per person.
A distant view of Dubai Marina – I think the translation "Dubai Marina" is a bit misleading; "Dubai Waterfront City" might be better.
Ain Dubai, the world's largest and tallest observation wheel, originally called Dubai Eye or Dubai-I. It was supposed to start operating during Expo 2020 Dubai but was delayed to 2021 due to COVID. It closed again after just a few months and remained closed during our visit.
At a little past 3 p.m., we finally boarded. First, we went through passport control – we had just entered the country in the morning and were now exiting. Then, at the check-in counter, we were asked if we were from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau. When we said yes, they required a 48-hour PCR test. To have both paper and electronic reports, we had taken a PCR on March 1, got the paper report on March 2, then took another PCR immediately and got the electronic report. After submitting the PCR report, Costa took away our passports, saying they would return them on the last day. (All passengers' passports were collected.) After all these difficulties, we finally reached our cabin, which had one large bed and one sofa bed.
The bathroom was still as small as ever.
The Diamond Princess incident in 2020 had alerted cruise lines to the need for epidemic prevention. The ship courteously reminds everyone to take protective measures. Of course, in the special environment of a cruise ship, it's impossible to fully follow all the points in the picture.
The cabin we booked is called "Premium Terrace Cabin," which is basically a living room added between the bedroom and the balcony, significantly increasing the space.
All smaller ships look tiny next to Toscana. Opposite the ship is the famous Palm Jumeirah.
Enjoying the night views of Dubai and the Palm in the evening.
March 4, 2023
Day 3: Dubai City Sightseeing Bus Tour
Note: We hadn't originally planned to take a sightseeing bus, because we would later rent a car and visit all the places the bus covers. But we thought a day doing nothing on the ship would be boring, and we also needed to buy a power adapter – the ship's outlets are US standard, and we only brought UK-style plugs, so we couldn't use our laptop, kettle, etc. The shop at the cruise terminal was out of stock, so we had to go into Dubai to buy one.
After breakfast at 10 a.m., we returned to the cabin, grabbed our life jackets, and went to the designated assembly point for the safety drill. Staff taught us how to put on life jackets. Although attending the drill is mandatory on every cruise, this was the first time we had to actually wear life jackets. Since passengers board on different days, new passengers join the safety drill every day (except sea days).
Yesterday, I talked to a Big Bus staff member who said there was a discount price of 50 euros before you get your room card, and 75 euros after. Today, they confirmed it. I was about to buy at 75, thinking 75 dirhams wasn't bad, but then I realized it was in euros! So I quickly went to City Sightseeing, which charged only 120 dirhams per person (about 30 euros). We bought tickets and got on the bus.
The audio guide claimed multiple languages, but only a few European languages were available – no Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Surprisingly, Russian was included – probably because many tourists from former Soviet countries visit the UAE.
First, we took the first bus (shuttle) to a stop on the Blue Route, then the Blue Route to Mall of the Emirates, and finally got off at Dubai Mall. Then we switched to the Red Route, which went through the old city area, including Al Fahidi Historical District and Dubai Creek. To return, we took the Red Route back to Dubai Mall, then the Blue Route, and finally the shuttle back to the ship. The total theoretical time was 4.5 hours, but with transfers, waiting, and traffic jams, it took 7 hours.
The world's tallest building – Burj Khalifa – we saved it for the end of the trip as the finale.
The affluent area behind downtown Dubai – peaceful yet close to the action.
Old Dubai – some tourists got off here because the scenery was interesting. Our destination was the Gold Souk and Spice Souk, so we stayed on.
Not far away is the other Dubai port, Rashid, where two MSC ships were docked: MSC Opera on the left and MSC World Europa on the right. This port is very close to old Dubai – if Toscana had been here, we could have walked to the old city and souks without taking a sightseeing bus.
We got off at the Gold Souk / Spice Souk stop – a must-visit in Dubai.
First, we visited the Spice Souk, where merchants constantly tried to attract us with fairly standard Chinese like "saffron," "little sister," "brother." Some were overly enthusiastic, pushing products and blocking the way; a few even hugged us or grabbed our arms.
Deep in the souk, we found a small shop selling various small electronics.
Finally, we bought a universal adapter in that shop for about 40 RMB.
The Gold Souk was crowded with tourists from all over the world – most just browsing, not buying.
Would anyone really wear such extravagant gold?
After leaving the souks, we returned to the bus stop. Here we saw the disadvantage of City Sightseeing: Big Bus came one after another, but our bus took forever – you get what you pay for. We just looked at the creek scenery. The two tall buildings behind are the famous Deira Twin Towers, nicknamed the Rolex Towers because of the Rolex advertisement on top.
They also appear in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Dubai Creek water taxis – locals call these traditional wooden boats "abra." A ride costs only 1 dirham. We didn't have time that day, so we saved it for later.
The wharf was piled with goods from East Asia and India.
This area was also a filming location for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
Finally, the bus arrived. On the way back, we saw the Dubai Frame, also known as the Golden Frame. The Dubai Frame is an observatory, museum, and monument in Zabeel Park. It is the largest frame in the world, offering views of old Dubai to the north and new Dubai to the south.
The Museum of the Future has a unique shape, with a hollow design like an eye watching the future. It blends modern and traditional elements, using stainless steel seamless fiberglass panels from the aerospace industry, assembled from 1,024 panels. The Arabic calligraphy on it expresses good wishes for future development. We weren't interested in museums, and time was running low – if we got off to visit, we might miss the last bus back. So we stayed on and returned directly to the port.
On the way back to the cruise terminal, the sightseeing bus also toured Dubai Marina. Since it was rush hour and Dubai's public transport is limited, traffic was very congested. Dubai Marina is beautiful and a gathering place for expats and tourists, where people dress quite liberally, not covered up at all – it hardly feels like the Middle East, more like a Western country.
Back at the cruise terminal, we saw that AIDAcosma had already left, leaving only Toscana alone.
Around 11 p.m., Toscana departed Dubai, heading to Doha, Qatar.
Dubai's Ottoman Palace Hotel – as the name suggests, the hotel is shaped like an Ottoman palace. Like the famous Burj Al Arab, it is managed by Jumeirah Group.
A distant view of Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. On the left is the Atlantis Royal, which opened in 2023.
The Royal also has an iconic shape – maybe we can experience it next time.
March 5, 2023
Day 4: Doha Bus Tour (Doha Sightseeing Bus)
After a night of sailing, we arrived in Doha, Qatar. The local government sent patrol boats to escort us.
Doha skyline – another miracle city built in the Middle Eastern desert.
The turquoise water of the Doha cruise terminal.
The Doha cruise terminal is very conveniently located, right in the city center, next to Hamad International Airport – no need to rush around like in Dubai. To the north on the map is The Pearl-Qatar, an artificial island that rivals Palm Jumeirah.
Arriving by cruise in Doha, you can simply walk through immigration without any visa – just bring your ship card. Doha is just as extravagant as Dubai – even the small cruise terminal has a free aquarium.
Doha's sightseeing bus is locally operated and called Doha Bus; Big Bus and City Sightseeing don't operate here.
Before the trip, I had read travelogues about Doha and found there wasn't much to do, so taking a bus tour was a no-brainer – easy and worry-free. When we tried to buy tickets, the staff simply swiped our ship cards and said the fee would be charged by the ship later – ride now, pay later. Later we learned it was 59 euros per person – much more expensive than Dubai.
The familiar audio commentary again claimed multiple languages, but again only European languages were available – none in East Asian languages.
Thousands of passengers disembarked in a stream to join various excursions.
The Doha desert safari convoy consisted of more than twenty Japanese off-road vehicles. We decided not to join such a thrilling activity – I heard some people get sick from the dune bashing, especially those in the back – a frightening thought.
Doha is the capital and international metropolis of Qatar, a famous port on the Persian Gulf, and the political, economic, cultural, and transport center of the country.
Although the 2022 FIFA World Cup had ended, World Cup advertisements were still everywhere in Doha. Construction sites used the scaffolding to hang flags of participating nations.
World Cup advertisement and the mascot La'eeb (meaning "super-skilled player" in Arabic; in mainland China, it's affectionately called "little wonton skin"). La'eeb comes from a "parallel world" where mascots live, full of youthful energy, spreading joy and confidence wherever it goes. It has attended every previous World Cup and witnessed many great goals. The mascot is inspired by the traditional Arab headdress.
The QatarEnergy building complex – this company essentially props up the entire national economy.
Doha's beautiful Corniche is one of the most attractive waterfronts in the Middle East, about 7 km long and famous for its wide green spaces, lush lawns, perennial flowers, and tall date palms. In the middle of the avenue is a large park – Al Bidda Park – with several artistic sculptures reflecting traditional Gulf Arab customs, often used for large open-air celebrations.
Souq Waqif (the traditional market) resembles Dubai's Spice Souk. It's a market in central Doha specializing in traditional Arab garments, spices, handicrafts, and souvenirs. It also houses restaurants and shisha lounges. The original buildings date back at least to the 20th century, designed in traditional Qatari architecture, and were renovated in 2006. It is now a famous tourist attraction.
Colorful buildings near the cruise terminal, mostly restaurants.
For the first time, we saw the full view of Costa Toscana – majestic, like a modern floating city.
A model of MSC World Europa inside the Doha cruise terminal. During the World Cup, three MSC ships were used as floating hotels: MSC Poesia, MSC Opera, and MSC World Europa.
As night fell, Toscana prepared to depart. Passengers who hadn't yet boarded rushed to get on.
After dinner, we enjoyed the dazzling Doha night view from the skywalk on Deck 19.
March 6, 2023
Day 5: Sea Day
Doha and Muscat are the two farthest apart ports, so Toscana would sail for a full day and night to reach Muscat. With all the previous port-intensive days, we finally had time to explore the interior of Costa Toscana. But the more we expected, the more disappointed we were. Despite its stunning exterior, the interior of Toscana fell far short of other mega-ships from different cruise lines – it was all show and no substance.
(Note: Every time we eat at the themed restaurants on cruises, we find the food looks good but tastes mediocre, and portions are small, so we prefer the buffet. This time was no different, so I won't comment on Costa Toscana's themed restaurants.)
Leaving aside the quality and taste of the food, did you notice the thick glass panels in front of the buffet? The glass is meant to prevent guests from serving themselves. Isn't a buffet supposed to be self-service? All you can eat? Why must staff serve? That's more like semi-buffet. At first I thought it was due to COVID – after three years away from cruising, maybe it was for health reasons. But then I thought: people aren't wearing masks on the ship, and they all crowd together to get food – isn't that riskier? Later I checked online and found that other cruise lines' buffets are still the same as before – real self-service. Only Costa's Smeralda and Toscana have adopted this semi-buffet model.
At breakfast buffet, everyone was queuing – what for? Gourmet items? No, no, no – they were queuing for juice. There were basically two flavors: orange and apple. And they were dispensed by a dedicated staff member in fixed quantities. Isn't that a bit cheap?
It gets worse! Everyone knows cruise lines make money by charging extra for drinks – nothing is free except water. But previously, on all my cruises, juice was free and unlimited at all meals. Not on Toscana. Juice was only available at breakfast; lunch and dinner only offered ice water and hot water – everything else costs. Many seasoned foreign travelers, like me, were baffled when they discovered the drink machines didn't have juice at lunch and dinner! If you want a drink, you can buy individual ones or purchase a drink package as shown in the picture: 25 euros per person per day – seriously?
It doesn't stop there! Can't have juice? At least some fruit? Yes, but fruit was also distributed by staff, and only a tiny portion each time. You had to ask the guy to add more. And the fruit was all cut into cubes – not a single whole fruit! Compared to other ships with unlimited whole fruit, Toscana takes stinginess to the extreme!
Another issue – I don't know if it's specific to Toscana or all Costa ships: only the first dinner was at a normal time; subsequent dinners were all at 8 p.m. – were they trying to teach us Italian dining habits?
That day's meal was the best – shrimp and steak. Because of Toscana's "hunger marketing," shrimps were rarely seen. Passengers were queuing madly for the shrimps. By the way, I had expected to say goodbye to pork in the Middle East, but the ship served pork products every day. Staff put small labels and repeatedly reminded us: "No Halal" – that was a nice touch.
Moving from dining to the ship's exterior: there are two large waterslides, which looked thrilling.
The sports court and indoor pool at sea.
The ship's staff led exercise sessions – a kind of "finding joy in misery."
Compared to Norwegian's go-karts, Royal Caribbean's North Star and Ultimate Abyss, Costa Toscana, similar in size and tonnage, simply lacks a signature attraction – a shame. The skywalk on Deck 19 is a highlight, offering 100% views.
Despite all the shortcomings, the ship's décor, being new in 2021, is quite nice.
One last complaint: the ship model. Look at this exquisite model of Toscana displayed in the central atrium on Deck 7 – it immediately made me want to buy a souvenir model. To my dismay, the souvenir models sold onboard were very rough, as if they hadn't been properly finished. Absolutely no desire to buy.
Complaints aside, watching the sunset from our balcony was delightful.
March 7, 2023
Day 6: Muscat, Oman – Big Bus Tour
We arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, a little after 7 a.m. The city is nestled among mountains – gone is the bustle of Dubai and Doha. But after being tired of skyscrapers, a change of scenery was welcome.
The cruise terminal is quite far from the city center, but thankfully the main attraction, Muttrah Souq, is right next to the terminal – very convenient.
The conservative Sultanate of Oman has strict border control. Upon disembarkation, the ship issued each passenger a temporary entry permit signed by the Royal Oman Police, which we had to return upon reboarding. If you went ashore again, you'd get a new permit. This simple permit speaks volumes about the country's openness.
As usual, taking a bus tour was the easiest way to see the city. Big Bus has frequent service and good quality, but it's the most expensive: 75 euros per person.
No East Asian language options – it shows how mysterious Oman is to East Asians, and how many confuse it with Amman, Jordan.
The route circled the city and ended along the coastal highway. With its many mountains, Oman's oil extraction is more difficult compared to the UAE and Qatar, so it's understandable that it's less wealthy.
It was the first time we went through customs on a double-decker sightseeing bus. The bus stopped for a few seconds and was let through.
The first stop was Muttrah Souq. We didn't get off immediately (we had good seats and didn't want to give them up); we planned to explore the souq after the full loop.
No skyscrapers, but vibrant and lively.
A sightseeing bus stop. Despite the companies claiming "hop-on hop-off," you wait at least 30 minutes for the next bus, so it's best not to hop off if you can help it.
An unnamed mosque.
The stock exchange in Muscat's central business district.
Muscat Bank near the exchange – the cityscape looks similar to a small Chinese county.
Winding mountain roads on the outskirts of Muscat. If the UAE is half desert, half sea, then Oman is half mountain, half sea.
Al Alam Palace is one of the six palaces of the Sultan of Oman, located in old Muscat. It is not open to the public; visitors can only take photos at the gate.
Near the palace is a fort called Al Jalali Fort, built by the Portuguese during the Age of Discovery. Later, the Omani army recaptured it and later turned it into a prison. Today it is a private museum, accessible only to visiting dignitaries.
We spotted Toscana again, signaling the end of the whirlwind bus tour. We got off to visit Muttrah Souq.
Al Dhalam (meaning "darkness" in Arabic) is the local name for Muttrah Souq. Because sunlight can't penetrate during the day, and the stalls and alleys are crowded, shoppers need lamps to see where they're going – hence the name. It wasn't as dark as described, but it was indeed dim without lights.
The entire souq seemed taken over by cruise passengers.
The mosque at Muttrah Souq is one of Muscat's landmarks.
Al Mirani Fort, like Al Jalali Fort, was also built by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Visitors can only view it from a distance.
The clear waters of the Gulf of Oman.
After the tour, we took the sightseeing bus back to Toscana, passing through customs once more.
We departed this mysterious Middle Eastern mountain city at sunset. Next stop: the last port of the cruise – Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.
March 8, 2023
Day 7: Sea Day – Arrival in Abu Dhabi
Early in the morning, we received a notice that all passengers, regardless of status, would have to undergo immigration inspection in Abu Dhabi. The ship would return passports to passengers at the cruise terminal; after inspection and stamping, the passports would be collected again.
After a day of sailing, Toscana arrived in Abu Dhabi around 5 p.m., mooring alongside UAE navy vessels, the largest of which was the Baynunah-class corvette Al Dhafra (hull number P173).
The location of the Abu Dhabi cruise terminal is shown on the map – opposite the Louvre Abu Dhabi. We thought it was close, but actually you have to go around a long way and cross a large bridge to get there.
By the time we could disembark, it was dark. We planned no activities for that day – just go through customs and return to the ship.
Disembarkation was on Deck 3, normally not accessible to passengers. But whether due to ship design or management issues, there was no air conditioning down there. People were packed like sardines waiting to go through customs – hot and crowded. Unbelievable.
Finally off the ship, we had to line up again to collect our passports and go through customs.
Just hand over the passport and get it stamped. But here came another problem: due to a staff mistake, one of our passports wasn't stamped. This caused trouble on our last day when leaving Dubai – customs stopped us and demanded an explanation for the missing stamp. Their carelessness became our problem. So I remind everyone: if something similar happens, check that every stamp is there to avoid later headaches.
March 9, 2023
Day 8: Abu Dhabi Big Bus Tour
Actually, we could have skipped the bus tour, since we would return to Abu Dhabi tomorrow after disembarking and spend two days. But if we didn't take it, we had nothing else to do – we weren't interested in the Louvre, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was already on our later itinerary. So, with no other option, we spent 225 euros on the sightseeing bus.
Compared to Dubai, Doha, and Muscat, the Abu Dhabi sightseeing bus offered poor value – it simply went back and forth along the Corniche, covering only three sights: the Louvre, Emirates Palace, and the Presidential Palace. It took only about two hours. Truly a "no other choice" option – I've stepped on a mine for you all.
The Etihad Towers opposite the Emirates Palace.
The UAE Presidential Palace – similar to the Grand Mosque, it's a you-can-take-it-or-leave-it attraction.
Delivery riders in the UAE use motorcycles, sometimes even on highways – I worry for them.
Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace, touted as the only 8-star hotel in the world – we would check it out the day after tomorrow.
Back on the ship, we went to the designated place to collect our passports. It meant saying goodbye to Toscana soon. Despite all the complaints, at that moment, I felt a bit reluctant to leave.
A clear sky and the bright moon for the first time – a fitting end to the Costa Toscana cruise. The UAE self-drive adventure was about to begin!
March 10, 2023
Day 9: Dubai Cruise Port – Abu Dhabi Yas Island – The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi
After breakfast, we disembarked at 8 a.m. and took a taxi from the port to the airport. There were two types of taxis: Toyota Innova and Toyota Camry. With our luggage, we preferred the Innova. The port management was chaotic; you had to grab a taxi. Russian-speaking people were the most aggressive!
The first car we got into refused to take us to the airport. Another Indian driver accepted. The fare was 105 dirhams. On the way, he gave us some driving tips, so we gave him a 5-dirham tip.
Our rental location was at Terminal 1. We followed the signs to the rental car center, found Europcar, and after submitting all documents, they told us the car hadn't arrived yet and we had to wait until noon.
Around 11 a.m., the rental company said the Prado was unavailable for various reasons, so they upgraded us for free to a Land Cruiser – a great deal!
Before handing over the car, we inspected it. Apart from normal wear and tear, the fuel tank wasn't full – the needle was slightly above half. The inspection guy said we just need to return it with the same level. This is different from the US – the UAE doesn't require a full tank.
After the inspection, we set off for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. UAE highways have many lanes – at least four. The leftmost lane is for fast traffic; slower vehicles use the other lanes. Drivers are very courteous – no honking or random lane changes.
The ETC system on UAE highways – no need to stop to pay – very convenient.
If there's a speed camera, there's a warning sign. The limit is usually 120 km/h. On this desert stretch, it was 140 km/h.
There are many service areas on the highway. We stopped at one for gas.
We filled 64+ liters, costing 192 dirhams. That's about 5 RMB per liter – slightly cheaper than in China, but not as cheap as I expected.
There are three types of gasoline: Special (like 92 octane), Super (like 95), and E-Plus for commercial vehicles.
Our first stop in Abu Dhabi was Yas Island, which is a huge mall with all the world brands, plus the world's largest Ferrari theme park. Easy to find with signs.
Lush, a UK cosmetics brand with stores in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
PF Chang's – an upscale version of Panda Express. If you really can't find Chinese food, this is an option.
The entrance to Ferrari World – full of racing atmosphere.
After careful consideration, we decided not to enter the theme park – including the world's fastest roller coaster, which we certainly wouldn't ride – so we just took photos outside and considered it done.
We spent the extra time at the Carrefour in the basement of the mall. Carrefour is a major retail player in the UAE, with many stores and reasonable prices. This one was huge and had a good selection of Asian products – we did a nice shopping run.
Leaving Yas Island, we saw a Russian blogger traveling around the world in a small beat-up van – war can't stop people's passion for travel!
Yas Island is a 20-minute drive from central Abu Dhabi. We arrived at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi at 5 p.m.
We chose this hotel for its prime location – directly opposite the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The hotel environment is beautiful, with a private beach and neighboring brand hotels.
In the UAE, luxury cars are everywhere.
March 11, 2023
Day 10: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi
Across the street from The Ritz-Carlton is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Although it's a straight line, you have to go around, so walking is not convenient.
Before entering the mosque, there are shops and restaurants – Emiratis are business-savvy.
We had looked up dress code information. Women must cover their hair – either with a headscarf or an abaya. Other requirements were varied: some said abayas are free, some said you can rent them, some said only black, others said multiple colors. All were pre-pandemic and no longer relevant. A staff member told us that the free abaya service was discontinued after the pandemic. You must buy one at the shop – from a dozen to several dozen dirhams. Apart from women covering up, the rules are relatively relaxed – women can wear jeans. The sign says men cannot wear shorts, but we saw many men in knee-length shorts. So it's not as strict as expected.
Entry requires an online reservation, usually done on the spot via mobile. The hotel helped us make the reservation and printed the QR code. Our time slot was 10:50–10:59. We entered at a little past 11:00 and got stuck at the machine, so we had to use the manual gate. The time window is too narrow – easy to exceed.
The design and construction of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was a global effort, using artisans and materials from India, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, China, the UK, New Zealand, Macedonia, and the UAE. Over 3,000 workers and 38 renowned contracting companies participated. Natural materials were chosen for their design and durability, including marble, gold, semi-precious stones, crystal, and ceramic. In short: lavish!
The mosque has seven chandeliers imported from Faustig in Munich, Germany, featuring millions of Swarovski crystals. The largest chandelier is the second-largest known chandelier in a mosque and the third-largest in the world, with a diameter of 10 meters and height of 15 meters.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has many unique elements: the carpet in the main prayer hall is considered the world's largest carpet, made by Iran's Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. The carpet covers 5,627 square meters, woven by about 1,200–1,300 knotters. It weighs 35 tons, mainly wool (from New Zealand and Iran), with 2,268,000,000 knots, taking about two years to complete.
There are signs called "photo stops" indicating where photos are allowed. In practice, it's not strict – tourists take photos everywhere, and staff ignore it.
The Pope and the Queen of England visited the mosque during their trips to Abu Dhabi in 2019 and 2010 respectively.
We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant called "Big Bowl Noodle" near the mosque. It's above a bowling alley – you can eat while watching bowling. The staff are not Chinese and don't understand Chinese; we had to order in English. The food was good, and we packed some for dinner.
After lunch, we went to the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. No other activities that day – we dedicated it entirely to the world's only 8-star hotel.
The hotel and the Etihad Towers – the movie Fast & Furious 7 from 2015 boosted their popularity.
The Emirates Palace is located on the waterfront in central Abu Dhabi, covering 85 hectares and adjacent to the Persian Gulf. The architectural style blends Arab and European elements, inspired by traditional Arab palaces and French court architecture. The exterior is white and gold, magnificent and imposing. The interior is lavishly decorated with gold, marble, crystal, pearls, carvings, and artworks, exuding luxury. The outer areas are open to the public; entering certain restaurants and facilities requires consumption.
As mentioned, standard rooms at the Emirates Palace only accommodate two people. For three of us, we decided to go for the Palace Suite, gritting our teeth to experience "aristocratic life" for one day. The Palace Suite totals 390 square meters, divided into two rooms, each with its own oversized bathroom. From check-in, a personal butler escorted us to the room to prevent us from getting lost in the palace. The room's facilities can be controlled via an iPad mini on the bedside table, but it responded slowly – probably due to aging hardware. Traditional switches are more convenient. Notably, the room's air conditioning cannot be adjusted by guests; you must ask the butler to do it – a bit unnecessary.
The bathroom is not just large – it's resplendent.
All drinks in the minibar are free, with unlimited refills. If you need something not available, you can ask the butler to buy it from the supermarket outside (no alcohol).
The dining table and living room in the Palace Suite, with chandeliers full of Swarovski crystals.
The balcony, though small, offers a magnificent view.
This handsome guy was our personal butler, from Nice, France. We could reach him via the room phone or WhatsApp. He was always available. He explained the suite, told us about the privileges, and chatted with me about world affairs and the impact of COVID on tourism. All in English – showing the importance of English for overseas travel!
Night view – the building opposite is designed to imitate Atlantis The Palm, hence the resemblance.
March 12, 2023
Day 11: Abu Dhabi – The Last Exit – Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
The buffet restaurant at the Emirates Palace had a strong Arabic atmosphere.
Breakfast was sumptuous and exquisite. Servers asked what hot dishes and drinks we wanted. Most importantly, at breakfast you could eat unlimited salmon!
After the meal, the server presented the bill – a shocking 885 dirhams (about 1,663 RMB, 554 RMB per person). That's like a top-end Chinese dinner buffet – luckily breakfast was included in the room rate, otherwise it would have been a huge loss.
Since we were staying in such a luxurious room, we wanted to stay until the last moment. After breakfast, we asked the butler if we could check out at 2 p.m. He agreed without hesitation.
We spent the remaining time watching Fast & Furious 7 – it was fun watching the movie filmed right where we were staying.
In the afternoon, on the way to Dubai, we passed by The Last Exit, a truck-themed rest area with American classic cars and fast food. The Last Exit is more of a highway service area than a tourist attraction, located on the main road between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There are actually two such service areas. We missed it on the way down, but this time we saw the billboard and slowed down, not missing it.
The restroom was designed to look like a car – step on the "gas pedal" to make the faucet work.
The appearance of skyscrapers meant we were back in Dubai.
The Atlantis Hotel has a unique location at the apex of Palm Jumeirah. Most visitors take a car or the monorail to get onto the Palm – the monorail is more for sightseeing than practicality.
Supercars at the entrance of the Atlantis welcome guests.
The Palm Island Atlantis is called "Atlantis" because its design was inspired by the legendary lost city of Atlantis. According to legend, Atlantis was an ancient, mysterious civilization with advanced technology and culture, eventually destroyed by a great catastrophe. In the story, Atlantis was a luxurious and mysterious place, aligning with the hotel's design concept. The name also conveys a sense of luxury, mystery, and imagination, fitting the hotel's brand identity. The interior is full of ocean elements.
When booking, we saw options for "Ocean View" and "Palm View." Since we had seen the ocean every day on the cruise, we chose Palm View. It turned out to be worth it – we could not only see the entire Palm but also catch glimpses of the Burj Al Arab on the left and Dubai Marina on the right. The only downside was that the view was a bit low – we couldn't see all the "fronds" of the Palm.
Evening view of the Palm – Dubai's air pollution is quite bad, but that night was relatively clear. The bright building cluster directly opposite the hotel is called The Pointe, a complex of restaurants, retail, hotels, apartments, theme parks, a man-made beach, and an observation deck – a new gem on the Palm. Its highlight is the world's largest seawater musical fountain – The Palm Fountain.
Important reminder: Do not touch the minibar items. If an item is moved for more than 60 seconds, the system assumes it has been consumed and will automatically charge you. The prices are ridiculously high, plus 10% service charge and 5% tax.
March 13, 2023
Day 12: Atlantis Hotel (The Lost Chambers Aquarium + Aquaventure Waterpark)
I first visited The Lost Chambers Aquarium at the end of December 2019 in Sanya (just before the pandemic). The giant central tank was unforgettable. To see the whole aquarium, we had bought separate tickets. This time, the aquarium was complimentary – hotel guests could enter anytime with their room key. But since I had seen it before, it was just so-so – we were out in half an hour.
Next was Aquaventure Waterpark. Tickets are not cheap – 355 dirhams for the waterpark alone, or 405 for a combo with the aquarium. Hotel guests again got free entry with their room key.
As the largest waterpark in the Middle East, it attracts tourists from all over. The most famous slide requires climbing to a height of nine stories, then plunging down through a transparent tube surrounded by fish, and splashing into a pool. We naturally didn't do that "terrifying" ride; we only tried the family-friendly, less thrilling attractions. Overall, if you're not staying at the Atlantis, buying a separate ticket just for the waterpark isn't good value.
That evening, we had dinner at the hotel's Saffron buffet restaurant. The hotel has two buffets: Saffron (Asian cuisine) and Kaleidoscope (Western). With our Chinese palates, we chose Saffron. We were lucky – the restaurant features a different theme each night: Japanese, Korean, Thai, Malay, etc. That night was Singaporean cuisine, the closest to Chinese food. The hotel thoughtfully played songs by Singaporean singers like JJ Lin and Stefanie Sun.
Before the trip, I had read that drinks at the restaurant cost extra, but that wasn't the case – soft drinks were free; only alcoholic beverages required payment.
We finally had decent Chinese food – the spicy crab was excellent. A few Russians nearby seemed to have come to the wrong restaurant or didn't appreciate Chinese food – they stared at the delicious dishes and could only eat noodles and fried rice.
Other items like seafood, meat, and desserts were also of good quality, but we were already full from the Chinese dishes, so we could only feast our eyes. The only complaint was the oysters – fresh but too small, not up to the restaurant's standard.
One more incident: the hotel was conducting its semi-annual fire drill (unfortunately for us) while we were there. Our car was parked at the entrance, and they asked us to move it. The hotel staff took the car keys, and after the drill, they returned the keys in an envelope. Later, we took the envelope to the valet parking to get our car back. An Indian staff member was rude, saying he didn't have the keys and we should go inside. After waiting half an hour, the hotel sent us back to the valet – outrageous! We demanded an apology from the staff, and under our insistence, he reluctantly apologized. Wherever you are, stand up for your rights reasonably and legally.
March 14, 2023
Day 13: Burj Al Arab, Dubai
In the morning, we checked out of the Atlantis and went to a Chinese supermarket called "Wen Chao" for lunch. There are several Wen Chao markets in the UAE; this one was near old Dubai. Inside, it felt like a food court, but the staff seemed to be Southeast Asian, speaking only a little Chinese.
The second floor was a supermarket with Chinese products, including a special room selling pork products. After shopping, we headed to the Burj Al Arab.
The Burj Al Arab has a guard booth at the entrance that verifies guest information. After successful verification, we drove across the bridge, and the iconic sail-shaped hotel came into view. Since the hotel has become a tourist attraction, you can pay 249 dirhams to tour the interior and the Royal Suite.
Rolls-Royces are not rare in the extravagant UAE.
The Burj Al Arab is surrounded by several beaches; Jumeirah Public Beach is free, while others are managed by other hotels.
The lobby – honestly, not as luxurious as I had imagined.
After check-in, we were told the room would be ready by 3 p.m., and our luggage would be taken to the room. The hotel also gave us three complimentary tickets to visit the Royal Suite on the top floor.
At the entrance of the Royal Suite, there was a Swarovski crystal model of the Burj Al Arab.
The suite has been converted into a museum. This F1 car once drifted on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab.
After the tour, we still had time, so we wandered around outside. The interior of the Burj Al Arab is hollow; all rooms are suites, hence the high price.
Each floor has a floor butler, but they are not always available – a clear difference from the Emirates Palace.
We had originally booked a Deluxe Suite Sea View, but the hotel said they would upgrade us to a Sky Suite Sea View for free – maybe it's true, maybe just a gimmick. The room itself was great: 170 square meters, with a living room downstairs and a bedroom upstairs. The décor was a bit dated but still luxurious.
The downside: the large window only offered an unobstructed view on the right side; on the left, the steel structural supports of the hotel blocked the view, making it hard to see The World Islands.
The toiletries in the room were all Hermès.
Shortly after we arrived, the butler brought gold leaf and caviar bread – a small perk for hotel guests.
In the evening, we walked around the hotel grounds and enjoyed the infinity pool.
A view of Dubai Marina and the Palm, with the sunset lingering above Atlantis The Royal.
Looking up at the Burj Al Arab from the back. Rooms on the left have sea views; those on the right have palm views. Some scenery outside our room was blocked by the steel structure on the side, which affected the view to some extent.
March 15, 2023
Day 14: Souk Madinat Jumeirah – Miracle Garden – Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve – Global Village – Swissotel Al Murooj
This was the most packed day of the entire trip – a "old town + garden + desert + nightlife" day tour. We started with breakfast at the Burj Al Arab buffet. Honestly, the variety wasn't great, but there was plenty of Russian food – probably because many Russian oligarchs stay at the Burj.
The restaurant environment was beautiful, with a live musician.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah is located on Jumeirah Beach near the Burj Al Arab. It's a complex designed like an old Arab town, featuring a souk, hotels, restaurants, etc. Like Jumeirah Public Beach, it's a great spot to view the Burj Al Arab from a distance.
The interior of the Madinat is enclosed, effectively blocking heat – you don't feel hot inside. It's more of a souvenir market than a traditional souk. Since it's free, it's always crowded.
We were about to pay for parking but found out it's free for the first two hours – good news for self-drivers.
Next stop: Miracle Garden, about 10 km from the Madinat. Ticket price 75 dirhams per person – absolutely worth it.
The Miracle Garden is a huge outdoor garden in the desert on the outskirts of Dubai. Flowers are shaped into various designs: animals, brides, bees, Smurfs, and most impressively, an Emirates A380 aircraft. Dubai doesn't just throw money around – it does it creatively. "Miracle Garden" lives up to its name.
After the garden, we hit the highway and headed out of the city towards the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.
We hadn't gone far when we saw the desert – indeed the UAE is half sea, half desert.
The reserve's signage was unclear; we missed the entrance at first. After circling back, we found a small road that might be the entrance. We went in but were stopped by the gatekeeper, who said only convoys could enter – no individual visitors. No wonder the signs were poor – this place wasn't meant for individual travelers.
Unable to enter the reserve, we just enjoyed the desert from the outside. There were many tire tracks, but despite driving a Land Cruiser, we didn't dare drive onto the sand – we weren't familiar with the car, didn't have proper tires, and had nearly gotten stuck in the Kumtag Desert in Xinjiang before. It wasn't worth the risk, so we returned to Dubai.
Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant called Han Shi Fu. The food was good – the cooking was definitely by a Chinese chef. However, none of the staff spoke Chinese; we ordered in English. The restaurant didn't provide free hot or cold water – and alcohol was obviously not allowed. We had to bring our own bottled water – ridiculous.
Finally, the last stop: Global Village in Dubai – a theme park combining shops, food stalls, rides, and lights. Regular admission 20 dirhams; on Friday and Saturday, 25 dirhams.
The first pavilion was the India Pavilion – basically a market selling Indian goods.
The China Pavilion was similar – full of Yiwu-made products, with mostly locals browsing.
We happened to catch a Chinese song and dance performance. "Loyal to the Country" by Tu Honggang stirred our blood!
The pavilions based on iconic landmarks from various countries were diverse; inside, they sold products from that country. Some were just window dressing – the Japan Pavilion sold Chinese and Korean goods, taking advantage of people not knowing East Asian culture.
Apart from shopping, Global Village has large amusement rides, and a red dragon on the lake breathes fire.
The food street offers mainly Arabic and Western fast food.
We were fortunate to see a performance of the famous Irish step dance show "Lord of the Dance." Based on Irish folklore, the story is a battle between good and evil. Michael Flatley brought it to the stage in step-dance form. The show's passionate music and rhythmic steps have attracted over 5 million viewers worldwide. The troupe is currently touring the world.
March 16, 2023
Day 15: Burj Khalifa + Dubai Mall + Dubai Fountain
Our room at Swissotel Al Murooj wasn't great, but the location was unbeatable – diagonally across from Dubai Mall, and from the balcony we could directly view the Burj Khalifa.
First, we explored the world's largest mall – Dubai Mall. The signage includes Arabic, English, and Chinese, but Chinese only appears at the mall entrances; most signs are only in Arabic and English.
To go up the Burj Khalifa, you first need to go to the lower ground floor of the mall. The Dubai Aquarium is along the way. Since we had already visited The Lost Chambers, we just looked from outside – no need to repeat.
Research had suggested buying VIP tickets, because standard ticket lines are long both up and down. At the ticket office, we were told standard tickets were sold out, so we had to buy VIP. There were two types of VIP: both allow priority elevator access and access to the 125th-floor observation deck. The difference was that one goes to the 148th floor, the other to the 154th floor and includes afternoon tea.
We bought the first type of VIP – 633 dirhams each (about 1,200 RMB!). Staff directed VIP ticket holders to a specific room, then we were given priority for the elevator.
Seeing the long, snaking queue, we were glad we bought VIP. It was not cheap, but you get what you pay for – if you want to save money, you have to spend time.
The elevator is extremely fast – reaching the 123rd floor in just 75 seconds. To get to the VIP floor, you first go to the 125th floor, then transfer to another elevator.
On the 148th floor, you can take in the entire Dubai Financial Center.
Dubai Creek winds through the city, nurturing this miracle city that rose from the desert.
The pool below is the location of the Dubai Fountain.
Dubai International Airport is near old Dubai; from the Burj Khalifa you can see the blurry shapes of A380s lined up.
On the sea floats The World Islands, a man-made archipelago based on a modified world map.
Viewed this way, the world map theme is more apparent.
The cluster of buildings with red roofs is our hotel, Swissotel Al Murooj. From the Burj Khalifa, you can also see the Palm and Dubai Marina. However, these are to the south of the tower – taking photos there meant backlight and reflections from the glass, plus afternoon haze, so we reluctantly went down.
After descending, we walked around the fountain area to find the best viewing spot. Some said the second floor of the Apple Store at the mall is good; personally, I think the bridge over the water is the best spot.
The area around the mall is filled with luxury cars – even the police cars are Ferraris!
The top floor of Dubai Mall has a huge food court with cuisines from around the world. American fast food dominates and is reasonably priced, so we had dinner there for the remaining days.
After eating, we secured a good spot to watch the Dubai Fountain. The music fountain plays famous pieces from around the world. I'd read that two Chinese songs are included: "Kiss Goodbye" by Jacky Cheung and "Butterfly Lovers" (which rivals Western classical music). The first song that evening was "Butterfly Lovers" – we were incredibly lucky!
Following "Butterfly Lovers" was a fountain light show. The entire performance lasted 8 minutes. I filmed it all, my hands numb from holding the camera. Here are the final two minutes, the most spectacular part. After these two shows, the later performances were disappointing – unknown songs, weak fountains, and the final one just displayed ads on the Burj Khalifa without any fountain. But no trip is perfect – a few regrets are to be expected.
March 17, 2023
Day 16: Al Fahidi Historical District – Dubai Mall Chinatown
Today, we returned the car at the airport, then took the Dubai Metro to Al Fahidi Historical District, completing the last piece of the UAE puzzle. The Dubai Metro has two lines: Red and Green. The Red Line mostly runs on elevated tracks – more like a light rail.
Each metro train has a First Class and a Women's Cabin – don't get them wrong, or you'll face a hefty fine.
A train slowly arriving – note that it's driverless.
We took the Red Line, changed to the Green Line, and got off at the Gold Souk station. We saw the familiar Rolex Towers again and took an abra for 1 dirham across the creek.
Pay after boarding – the captain collects the fare after the boat starts. On the other side, we saw that Costa Toscana was not docked at Dubai Harbour by the Palm, but was moored together with MSC World Europa. If Toscana had been here, getting to the Gold Souk or Al Fahidi would have been much easier.
Compared to the Gold Souk and Spice Souk, Al Fahidi Historical District is less popular and less commercial – it better reflects the old, historic city as it used to be. From the mid-19th century until the 1970s, Al Fahidi was an important trading center.
Today, the old district has become a multicultural hub with several museums and art galleries, frequented by foreign tourists. Close to the airport, it's also a great spot for plane spotting.
After exploring the old district, we took a taxi to Dubai Mall and discovered a newly opened Chinatown section, with some shops already open. Unfortunately, most shops were still being leased, and the few Chinese restaurants were either outrageously expensive or not authentic enough. Maybe come back in a few years when it's more developed.
March 18, 2023
Day 17: Dubai Mall
This day was originally an extra – we had planned to return to China on March 18, but we thought we might run out of time, so we added a buffer day. In the end, we had extra time, so we went back to Dubai Mall to kill time. On the 18th, the sky was perfectly clear – better than any previous day. Several cruise ships were docked in Dubai. Going up the Burj Khalifa on that day would have been amazing – another small regret of the trip. One more incident: yesterday on the metro, we initially took the wrong direction and rode past our stop. But we decided to enjoy the scenery and just ride to the end and back. When we tried to exit, the ticket machine said our pass had expired. A staff member said we couldn't exit with an expired pass, but since we were tourists, they let us through.
March 19, 2023
Day 18: Dubai – Guangzhou
There weren't many taxis at the hotel entrance, so we called an Uber. An MPV was available – good for our luggage.
This Uber had driven over 700,000 km, the fuel gauge was broken, and there were issues like engine trouble and a leaking tire – honestly a bit nerve-wracking. But we arrived safely at the airport.
At the check-in counter, they asked for our health declaration QR code, which caused a delay. It's better to fill it out in advance to save time.
Dubai Airport is truly one of the world's most important aviation hubs, with flights to all major cities.
For the first time, we flew on the world's largest passenger aircraft – the A380. In today's era of energy conservation and emission reduction, only a wealthy country like the UAE can afford to operate these giants.
After several hours of flight, we landed at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. We showed our health declaration code at the health inspection and then left the airport. Thus, our 18-day Middle East cruise and self-drive trip came to a successful conclusion!
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1. The hardest part of the entire trip was booking the cruise tickets. There was simply nowhere to book. Probably because the borders had only opened in January, many travel agencies hadn't reacted yet. By the end of March/early April, the situation had improved, and booking was no longer a problem. The Viking Sun (China) will also start a Shanghai-Japan round trip this summer. The recovery of China's cruise industry is on the horizon.
2. This trip spanned 18 days, but it could easily be compressed to about 10 days. The cruise itself stops two days each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With proper planning and reliable local assistance, four days are enough to visit both cities. If you want a deeper exploration of Dubai, two more days are more than enough. So 10 days is sufficient. Since this was our first time in the UAE, we were unfamiliar, and we wanted to experience the 7-star and 8-star hotels, which lengthened the itinerary.
3. For shore excursions in four cities, we chose sightseeing buses – a last resort. They are expensive, and the "hop-on hop-off" is a gimmick – you wait ages for the next bus. The cruise offers shore excursions, but because there are so few mainland Chinese passengers, there's hardly any Chinese service. Based on my observation, among all the passengers on Costa Toscana, it's very likely we were the only three from mainland China. If cruise lines and travel agents could provide more Chinese-language services, it would greatly attract mainland Chinese passengers to overseas cruises.
Sightseeing buses are great for scenery, but poor value for money.
MSC World Europa's shore excursion buses offered English and German services. If Chinese service were available, it would be great news for mainland Chinese tourists.
4. If any industry was hit hardest by the three-year pandemic, it's tourism – especially international travel. The pandemic not only made travel impossible, but also disrupted the entire tourism ecosystem. The most surprising thing during this trip was seeing both Russian and Ukrainian passengers on the ship, proving that even war and conflict cannot stop people's desire to travel. The passion for travel never dies, and the tourism industry is gradually recovering. I believe the day when Chinese tourists travel all over the world again will come soon. May the world be at peace, free from the troubles of pandemics and conflicts.
