Yesterday I had the opportunity to have dinner on the ‘hype of the town’ Dubai Dream Cruises. Before I begin, I would like to issue a disclaimer more so to make you aware of the frame of mind I had while walking up the gangplank to enter the Gulf Dream Cruise vessel. I have previously taken a cruise to the Caribbean upon the Celebrity vessel managed by Carnival Cruise Liners, it was a superb experience with excellent food and amazing entertainment. At the same time many Pakistanis have been relating the ship to the amazing footage they saw in the movie Titanic which in its time captured the heart of millions. Despite my experience, and the splendor of the Titanic I will attempt to review this experience with neutrality leaving my own critique to the end.The ship was located on a berth at the West Wharf and one could easily see the ship in the distance if you were to drive on the Keamari Bridge and gaze in the general direction of the West Wharf, the ship was well lit in the darkness with a stream of fairy lights. Directional signs led us to the KPT yard from where we were shuttled to the berth. We were dropped on the aft of the ship and walked our way to midship where a gangplank extended upwards about four stories high, during the walk alongside, the ship was a mid-size vessel and apparently a little old with as the hull condition showed signs of many adventures in the high seas around the globe. The walkway I assume was provided by the KPT as it was a flimsy staircase of thin metal sheets unsteady on each step for those who dared to walk the plank, all concerns were put to ease as we reached the entrance of the ship where the boarding party greeted us with amazing smiles and the tornado draft of much needed air conditioning to soak up the dampness that was lingering in the Karachi air.
Once inside the ship we were free to walk and explore the vessel without any restrictions, the maze of corridors and passageways was confusing to say the least and everyone around was lost, occasionally in the maze you would bump into someone you happened to know and have a few words then commence into the never ending maze of corridors, it was fun. The crew, predominantly Indonesian and Russian was stationed around in strategic locations to help the ‘very lost souls’ on board. Communication with the crew would have to be predominantly be in rustic English (as the Indonesians and Russians cant be said to have impeccable pronunciation – so as they say tooti-phooti english chaal jayie gee) even then there should be a sizable crew to cater to our Urdu speaking community also, which I think might be a problem
Of all the luck, the first place we walked into was the Casino (maybe the casino Gods were at work – though I have never gambled) which was lined with slot machines enough to satisfy the gambling urge in all Pakistanis, generally I saw a noticeable absence of Black Jack, Roulette or even Poker tables, which are an essential component of a casino but in a cruise ship man power is generally kept to a bare minimum with many multi tasking individuals on board. Casino is probably the main entertainment available for the five-day cruise, for many it could very well be the sole purpose to spend 35,000 for a room (consider it as an entrance fee to heaven [or hell]).
Walking through the casino we entered the main dining restaurant called ‘King & I’ where a wide selection of buffet awaited us to be served a little later in the evening, the restaurant was impressive to be able to cater easily for two seatings (early and late) with some elegant table settings bringing the overall dining experience comparable to a buffet at PC or Sheraton. The close proximity to the casino served a very interesting purpose if I might add, strategically positioned to attract customers while they take a casual stroll to the restaurant every lunch or dinner.
Beyond the dining area was the spacious entertainment auditorium called ‘My Fair Lady Salon’ located towards the extreme front of the ship, where a musical band entertained the guest on stage in front of a with a brightly lit dance floor while waitresses scurried around to serve drinks luckily todays menu was limited to only fizzy drinks on the house, but later the cork popping alcoholic beverages await the open seas
The other end of the ship was a cinema which at this time was playing an Indian flick starring Shahrukh Khan, the overall seating seemed to comfortable but I feel the projector could have been better as during the day it would easily be drowned in the sunlight despite heavy drapery. The cruise faring passengers can enjoy a few outings to the big screen as an added entertainment value on this cruise.
Heading upwards we landed on to the pool deck, ample to accommodating a good evening crowd which can take it easy on the abundant deck chairs around the pool. The pool sadly would not & should not be called a swimming pool at all, I would compare it to any paddle pool with one shallow end and the deep end measuring 2 meters the hilarious part was the unsuspecting pool had a sign plastered on the side warning stating ‘No Diving’ brilliant I thought, I’d be lucky to get a place even if 7-10 people decided to jump in. The pool had nothing for the over-tanned brown-skin Pakistanis who are not sun bathing freaks so I think the sun deck will generally remain deserted during the day with a few sparing individuals who may choose to brave the winter sun fully drenched in SPF-100.
We wandered around a bit more to discover that there was another bar cum dance floor to the aft of the ship, along with a few scattered massage parlors, a gym and a baby sitting center somewhere in the two happening decks of the cruise liner. The evening hosted by Geo and Jang was supposed to end with a concert by Sukhbir on the Sun Deck after a buffet diner at King & I. We did not stay long after our tour as the buffet paled against a tempting offer for dinner at Sakura (PC).
The only part we were unable to inspect were the staterooms which were closed to the public, but a look around in the corridor gave an impression of neatness comparable to a hotel room but a little cramped for space. The Rs. 55,000 suites are located on the Main Deck, within easy access to all amenities, the lower classification of rooms were situated on the floors beneath with a small pot hole offering a breath taking view of the ocean. One important aspect to even the pricey suites was the apparent absence of a private balcony which can be an added advantage to the long hours between ports. With or without balconies, this cruise can be great for honeymooners who may avail the services before its last sailing date scheduled for February 27, 2007.
Critique: Apparently it appeared to be a neat and clean ship but was undoubtedly an old vessel, it was considerably small as to the one we used to tour the Caribbeans. The cleanliness was decent but found lacking in certain areas specially a very strange smell around the casino areas.
If you happen to have no qualms with drinking and the quick get-rich temptation of slot machines then five days may seem too short for the crore-patti within you, but if you are far from these temptations then plan accordingly, take books and the works, I assure you TV entertainment is usually nothing to write home about, and once on the ship the only way off is to take the Leonardo de’Caprio route in the Titanic.
Bottom line is that for a ticketed price of Rs.35,000 – Rs 55,000 I feel its not a bad deal, the overall experience can be comparable to entering a three-star hotel like Carlton or Reagent Plaza (in Karachi), as they say ‘you get what you paid for’ and being the first modern-day cruise out of Pakistan its not bad to start as the economics of a higher price tag would have kept the majority away.
The biggest problem I see if that the 8-10 hours stay in Dubai is too short for our Dubai-crazy Pakistani people. A day or so in port at Dubai would have been the icing, as one could enjoy two days on the ship going into UAE, relax while enjoying the sights and sounds of Dubai and return home with the fanfare of Dubai Dream Cruise. Maybe another venture capitalist could plan along these lines maybe next winter and again become the star attraction for Pakistan more on a permanent basis. Should be a great experience for those who have not been on a cruise, report back here and update us on where I was wrong, as my 2 hours on board will surely be different to actually living the five days. ALL ABOARD.
Source: http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog