United Arab Emirates > On board the MSC Euribia

Although I was tired yesterday and went to bed early, I just couldn’t fall asleep. Probably all the impressions and the adventures ahead played a role. I can’t say I woke up feeling completely rested either. This morning I can take it easy. I take a shower and have breakfast in the restaurant. A little after nine, I check out at reception. I leave my luggage behind. I stroll along Al Rigga Street. Where yesterday the night market was bustling with activity, it’s now quiet. People are hurrying to work. The lively stalls from last night are now covered with cloths. I continue walking to the peninsula in Dubai Creek. This is where Dubai was first established. The more modern Dubai only emerged from the late 1970s onwards. In the narrow streets, all sorts of goods are being sold. I’m surprised that nobody looks up or greets me. Even in the Netherlands, there’s more interaction. In the shops and on the streets, I mostly see men. Only occasionally do I spot a woman behind a counter. Even at the souq, the vendors are all male. Here, however, I do get spoken to. Everyone suddenly wants to know where I’m from. When I laughingly ask where they are from, I hear: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. None of the vendors are Arab. On the other side of the souq, I reach its official entrance. Here, groups of tourists disembark from boats that have brought them across Dubai Creek, and guides lead them to the souq. It’s funny to see how the vendors are already poised to sell their goods. From a distance, it’s quite a comical scene. I step into a small shop and order coffee.

United Arab Emirates - The entrance through which most tourists enter the souq

Via the boulevard along Dubai Creek, I walk back. I see the fishing boats moored at the quay. In the background, I can see the silhouette of the Burj Khalifa. After a few kilometers, I arrive at the Al Maktoum Bridge, one of the few crossings over Dubai Creek. I walk a short way onto the bridge for a nice view over the creek, then head back to my hotel. I pick up my luggage. Originally, I had planned to take the metro to the port. I would have needed to transfer once and then walk another twenty minutes. I decide to just take a taxi. The hotel’s bellboy walks with me to the street to hail one. An Uber taxi stops and offers to take me to the port for fifty dirhams. The bellboy doesn’t seem to like the idea, but I think it’s fine. The driver is originally from Pakistan and has lived in the Dubai area for ten years. He tries to make a living and supports his family back home, he tells me along the way. The distance by road is much longer than I expected. As the crow flies, it’s only six kilometers, but it feels like we drive back and forth a few times. In any case, it’s the fastest route according to Google Maps. We have a nice conversation during the ride, and I decide to tip him extra. At the cruise terminal, the next adventure begins. I join the first queue to drop off my main luggage. I would have expected them to sort the luggage by deck, but that’s not the case. With only my hand luggage, I enter the terminal building. Although I had prepared everything at home and have a fast-track ticket, I still end up in a long line. Slowly, the line moves forward. For some unexplained reason, a new line is opened after a while, and those people seem to go ahead. Our line is eventually merged into the newly created one. It all seems chaotic, but I guess it’s fine. The girl at the front, who is supposed to direct everyone to a free counter, is clearly struggling. My passport details are checked against the registration, and I get an “OK” stamp on my boarding pass. As a final step, my hand luggage is screened.

United Arab Emirates - The cruise ship MSC Euribia

It’s not much of a check — my phone and wallet stay in my pocket. The scanner beeps continuously. When I step on board, it feels like entering a different world. Everything looks so unique. The ceiling of the internal promenade is made of LED screens, projecting whales and sharks in an underwater scene. My cabin, 10180, is on deck 10 — a nice room with a balcony. My main luggage hasn’t arrived yet, so I go exploring. I pass the shops, the various restaurants, and check out the pool on the 14th deck. In the buffet restaurant on the 15th, it’s busy. I’m not very hungry, so I order a beer at the bar. Around me, I see everyone trying to find their way. I do notice there are a lot of Russian guests. I hadn’t realized that Dubai is still one of the few destinations Russians can travel to relatively easily without sanctions. Back in my cabin, I get a message that one of my later excursions is canceled due to a lack of participants. A shame. Before I can choose an alternative, I have to watch the safety drill video. After a short explanation in my cabin, I walk to the muster station to have my card scanned. Done. When I’ve successfully switched my Dubai excursion to a cycling tour and an evening trip, I order a glass of wine and watch from my balcony as it slowly gets dark.

United Arab Emirates - The ceiling of the Galleria changes continuously

Dinner is in the Castello restaurant at the back of the ship, on deck six. There’s no fixed time. Around seven, I check in at the entrance and get a table to myself. Next to me sits an Italian lady, and on the other side a couple from Malta. We get into a conversation about Malta, Dutch politics, and the different destinations. In the evening, I head to the theater. There’s a show about the life of Ed Sheeran, told through his hits. It’s a fun and spectacular performance. As the theater empties, a music party kicks off in the covered gallery. From an upper floor, a DJ plays energetic tracks. The entertainment team invites everyone to dance. Although I had planned to head to my cabin, I linger for a while and order another drink.