Abu Dhabi

Posted on by Lea Ann Reynolds
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

This will be our last stop before arriving back in Dubai. This time we will, sadly, exit the ship. That 30 days sure flew by! Its been a great ship. We really loved it with a few exceptions but all manageable. We had to switch rooms at the beginning of each cruise.

Example of the land before its development. This will more than likely be developed in the next few years.

We booked the 2nd two follow up cruises at the last minute so we took what they had. The rooms were all the same size except the last one. It was about a foot shorter. The only reason we could tell was the closet had a little less room but still plenty for all our clothes and 1 suitcase. Also, the sofa was a little closer to the bed.

The apartments are unique

Other than that, you couldn’t tell the difference. The location of the last room was at the very front of the ship and close to the crew quarters. It was a little noisy but not enough for Chuck to call the front desk and throw a fit! We would love to cruise on this ship again. She is just the right size! 



Today we took a sightseeing tour of Abu Dhabi since our last trip through, Chuck was pretty sick. I think he’s got it kicked to the curb.

Entertainment area

He’s so much better. No more hacking and coughing. 



Our tour started out with a long winded tour guide who told us a lot about the UAE, United Arab Emirates, that we have heard in the other countries so I’ll give you the low down on what we learned new.

I liked the drawings on this building.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and is 66,000 square kilometers in size. Its also comprised of many little islands around it that are owned by Abu Dhabi. Much of these islands were created by acquiring the water and expanding the land. We saw something similar in Gibraltar, UK. Many of the buildings on this one island, Cornish beach are new in the last few years because the dry land itself didn’t exist.

Sheikh Zayed bridge – at night this bridges is beautifully light with illuminations


It is the richest emirate over all which is surprising when you think of how large and all the buildings that exist around Dubai. By looking at it, you wouldn’t think that is the case. The king has his main home/castle here. Some schools here are expensive, which is also surprising since the other countries provided free education or very low cost. The kindergarten is 2 years and this particular school in this area is $25,000 per year. (for a kindergartener?)

Abu Dhabi Flag

A university opened here in 2010 to accommodate many nationalities. If you are low income you can apply for a grant. They are usually approved. 


Another island we visited was YAS island, it is the entertainment island. They have Ferrari world that cost 1 million dollars to build. I’m sure its easily repaid since they have more than 5 million visitors per year. 

Sports Complex

The worlds fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa, that goes 150 mph and all riders are required to wear protective glasses! WOW! Too bad we were only hear for one day! A sports complex was included in this area that had a hockey and soccer arena. Everything here, including the roller coasters were all indoors. Its due to the extreme heat here in the summer.

One of the entrances to the Kings residence

So, everything is air conditioned. 


A new international terminal at the airport is being built. It was scheduled to be complete in 2017 but they are having computer issues. 😆 We are not sure when it will be completed however the 2022 world cup in Qatar may dictate an urgency in getting it done faster. Abu Dhabi is also famous for Formula One Grand Prix racing.

More tall buildings

Their season is November-December. I think we just missed it as it was early December. I’m not disappointed since he said they have about 5 million visitors for this event. 


The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located here and is the largest in the country. It was amazing and quite a spectacle.

Abu Dhabi Skyline

We didn’t go in as part of the tour but we were able to stop and take photos from an amazing view across the street. Chuck & I dressed as if we were going to the mosque. We were given information that instructed the men to wear long pants and cover their shoulders and women to wear a scarf, long pants (no leggings – it was specific about this) and a long sleeve shirt. I’m glad we wore the long pants. Although it was a beautiful 75 degrees outside, it was about 35 degrees in the coach.

Similar to the Atlantis in Bahamas. 1/2 the building is a hotel. Other 1/2 is residential. Residents get the same privileges as hotel guests.

I was freezing. 


The mosque is attended by 1/2 the population in Abu Dhabi which is 1.2 million people. We found out that the Falcon is the national animal of the UAE however they also consider the camel a national animal since its legacy is part of the old age and beginnings of the Arabic community. The falcon is micro-chipped because they fly away from their owners at times and this gets them back home.

They also have passports and fly business class. I am assuming this is for transporting them to different areas. They even have a hospital just for the falcons and houses up to 2000 falcons a year. I think if I wanted to be a falcon, I want to live in Abu Dhabi! 


As our tour came to an end, we stopped at a small shopping area with a couple of stores that sold Dates. Dates is a big deal over here. The dates are an integral part of their earlier survival and history.

Chuck particularly liked this building. Very Unique.

In earlier times, they were not able to survive the nomad or Bedouin life in the desert without dates. Before oil was discovered, the people relied on dates as a food supply since they are considered to be a fruit that contains natural healthy sugar and most of the vitamins that humans need. Another interesting fact: I didn’t know that dates were another source of healthy sugar. However, I’m not that crazy about dates so I’ll stick to the artificial stuff!

Lots of Dates!

The first store we went into, we asked our tour guide if the prices were good and he said no, these prices are outrageous, go to one of the other stores. The owners of the store started yelling at him. We went next door and it was like walking into a wall street stock market exchange. It was just crazy! Chuck wanted some chocolate covered dates (of course) but after he saw that he turned around and said, no thanks! It was a very informational tour.

One of the small stores that sold dates and other merchandise. Interesting that its a Lebanese store.


We learned more than I thought we would since all the countries are almost the same. I guess being the capital you have more options. 

Tonight’s dinner probably wont top last nights. We had lobster with shrimp (I had two), lobster bisque, seafood linguine and an amazing dessert. Its the 50th anniversary of Royal Caribbean and they have this little cake they give to everyone.

Royal Caribbean birthday cake

I think we have had 3 out of 4 so far this year. Too much sugar! Its been a great 30 days of cruising and we hate to get off the ship but more adventures await! 

May God bless you always!

Chuck & Lea Ann

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