We had planned on going to breakfast some time before 10:30am, but when we awoke at 1pm…well, that was not possible. We packed, got ready, and arranged for a taxi to take us to Port Rashid around 2:30. Before leaving, we enjoyed a fantastic lunch by the pool and fountains. I had the chicken briyani, which was excellent and I can’t wait for India!, and Dave had the mushroom risotto of course. Everything was great and I truly was sad to leave this hotel.
One&Only Pool, Dubai
Everything had been so perfect that I can’t think of a better start to our honeymoon. From the room upgrade to the beach to the above and beyond service, the One&Only really lived up to any expectations that I had. Dave is so so lucky that he gets to stay with them all of the time while visiting Cape Town.
Port Rashid was located in the old part of Dubai and took approx 40 minutes to reach by taxi. We were very early though, and arrived shortly after 3pm. The boarding process was overly simple compared to other cruise ships and in 5 minutes we were shown to our suite with glasses of champagne in hand. There was also a bottle of champagne waiting on our table as we entered our room.
Silver Wind Suite
Our room is actually the smallest of those on the ship, but is still a suite with a large bed and living room with a couch and 2 chairs. We have a large window (as it was 3k extra for a balcony), but I think it will be just fine. Myrna our butler (!!) asked our preferences of mini-bar and we are all set for a steady supply of Amaretto and diet coke. Dave and I explored the ship a bit before the welcome aboard party. The ship is much smaller than any I’ve been on, but is very well kept and modern feeling. With about 260 guests, everyone fit in one room during our lifeboat drill. The welcome party was very nice, with all the staff introducing themselves and such. Well, I suppose not all of them because there are just as many staff as guests. The drinks kept coming and the passed food was also delicious. This is going to be an excellent 18 days!
Dave and I ate dinner around 8pm and met Jimmy, the cruise director, who took some pity upon us being the youngest members of the cruise. He told us that he’d do whatever we wanted to make the time enjoyable for us. He seems like a nice guy and is in his early 30s. After some pre-dinner drinks, we headed to dinner and enjoyed 3 courses of delicious food – mushroom pastry, soup and veal with vegetables – all delicious. We found a bottle of Amaretto on our counter when we returned and sat on our couch watching Snake Eyes until it was well past bed time. This is going to be a very relaxing and very unique honeymoon! Can’t wait.
