Just Cruisin'

Dearest Friends,

I blame my recent blog sabbatical on too much sun on the high seas, where the world of 
wi-fi was left behind, along with dry land, work deadlines, college exams, daily life stresses...and above all, reality. I joined the Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas cruiseliner for a memorable voyage along the tranquil waters of the Persian Gulf. 
These are a few snapshots from the trip.

The ship sails along the United Arab Emirates, through the Sultanate of Oman and Abu Dhabi. We were over 2200 guests on board from 65 different countries. It's a luxurious floating island fitted with a cinema, theatre, rock climbing wall, mini golf course, outdoor and indoor pools, hot tubs, steam room, a casino, spa, fitness centre and a range of bars & restaurants.

The Centrum (pictured above) is the central meeting point of the ship where all 13 floors reach a pinnacle. It's a great place for relaxing the day away, listening to live bands perform everything from Jazz to Lounge and Latin music. I spent hours here attending fun creative classes like sushi making, towel folding and cake decorating. The entertainment varied with quiz shows, dance classes and amazing aerial acts, with performers from Cirque du Soleil.

The best place to be while out in the 36 degree sun is at one of the swimming pools. 

 This dining room with the sweeping staircase reminded me of The Titanic (in a good way, of course). The decor along the many bars and cafés on the indoor decks was richly opulent and grandly romantic in velvet burgundy, cream and gold.

 One of the themed evenings was an Arabian White Night, where the dress code was all white or anything out of Aladdin's wardrobe. The spicy scent of hookah shishah filled the air, spirits were through the (open-air) roof, buffet tables were laid out with an abundance of delicious midnight snacks & the DJ spun the perfect soundtrack for guests to dance the night away.

A Beautiful Sunset at Sea 

Another themed event was the very lively and energetic 70's Disco Party, where the entertainment team led everyone in line dancing - although, to some people that meant 'zig-zag'. Also, the Village People made a surprise appearance to perform their 2013 cruise-line edition of 'YMCA', (pictured right). Not really - these guys are actually part of the crew. I hope they're being paid well enough to wear these costumes.

A scenic view from the shoreline.

I hope you've enjoyed my mini tour onboard the Serenade of the Seas. I will share pictures of some of the ports of call I visited soon.

*All images belong to me.