Review of Celebrity Cruise Dubai, Oman, India & Sri Lanka
So this is a review of the last Cruise we took just prior to the global suspension of cruiseing. It was supposed to be Dubai to Singapore via India and Sri Lanka but due to the virus starting to make its first appearance in South East Asia just as we arrived in India the cruise was diverted and turned into a round trip to Dubai, with stops in Oman, India and Sri Lanka we never lost any actual days just a change of route. The cruise was in February 2020.
Celebrity Constellation
The cruise was with our favourite cruise line and the ship was the Celebrity Constellation one of the lines Millennium Class ships. We had sailed on this class of ship before but this was our first time on the Constellation. Despite being one of Celebrities older ships she is in fact in very good repair, and as a brand we are familiar with ( see my previous Celebrity Cruises review) we were delighted to board her in Dubai.
We were booked into a Aqua Class cabin and one of the features of this class of cabin is you have a exclusive restaurant for your main evening meal and breakfast. The restaurant is called Blu. As it was this is a restaurant that never fails to impressive and is one I really enjoy having experienced it on some of Celebrities other ships.
The Constellation holds 2170 passengers and has 11 public decks a decent size cruise ship but certainly not the biggest. It is a in keeping with the brand a very comfortable and stylish ship to sail on. Where the quality of service, food and relaxation are the main points rather than gimmicks, BUT this particular cruise for us was all about the itinerary and destinations. We had experience India before having toured the Golden Triangle so we were excited about getting back there, Sri Lanka and Oman were new to us.
The Constellation docked in Dubai
Sky Lounge onboard
Piece of artwork onboard the Constellation
Whirlpool on the pool deck
The pool deck on the Constellation
Food station in the buffet
Another part of the buffet
My Logistics Manager enjoying that first glass of bubbles as you board.
Aqua Class Cabin on Celebrity Constellation
DUBAI
This was not our first time in Dubai so it was not new to us, but what was new was we stayed this time in Old Dubai near the creek, and I have to be honest I did prefer that base than on our previous visits where we had stayed on the Walk and at the Marina. Ok hands up " I am not Dubai's biggest fan !! " But there is no doubting it has some incredible attractions and offers you the opportunity to enjoy most pastimes in luxurious surroundings. If its available you will probably find it in Dubai.
Our hotel this time also deserves a recommendation and especially if your joining or leaving a cruise ship, as its very close to the Dubai Cruise Terminal.
Hyatt Regency Dubai was the hotel in question we were on a B&B booking, in a deluxe double room, both the room, which was a decent size with all the amenities, and the breakfast were very good. The pool area was large clean and not overcrowded and there were a couple of other restaurants and bars to choose from at night also the hotel operated a couple of free shuttles to the Dubai Mall and beach if you wanted to go there. Further plus points were that it is in easy walking distance of both the gold and spice souks as well as the creek itself.
We spent a couple of nights here and since we had previously seen most of the big attractions the only special thing we did was I booked a table in the Skyview Cocktail Bar of the incredible Burj Al Arab Hotel. The bar/restaurant is located in the platform bit that sticks out from the building near its top faceing out to sea, it affords some great views along the coastline even at night as when we were there. You have to pre book at get in, in fact without a reservation you don't even get into the hotel or its grounds. There is a minimum spend on any booking which basically covers 3 cocktails each it is expensive , isn't everything in Dubai I prebooked it months in advance and it still cost £90 pp. Seems high but when the cocktails start at around the £30 mark then you see why I said 3 drinks !! Anyway it was a experience and the hotel itself is something else on the inside not that you get to see much as you are allowed in the bottom two floors and the Skyview Bar the rest is strictly residents only.
Dubai Marina
Beach next the the Walk in Dubai
View from Skybar at Burj Al Arab
Logistics Manager in the Sky Bar
Skybar at Burj Al Arab Dubai
Reception within Burj Al Arab Dubai
Area just outside entrance to Burj Al Arab
Burj Khalifa
Musical fountains at the Dubai Mall
Pool at Hyatt Regency Dubai
Hotel pool bar
Logistics Manager outside the gold souk
Yours truly trying to keep my cash in my pockets at the gold souk 😁
A trip along the Dubai creek
Hyatt Regency
After a couple of days it was time to join the ship, always a exciting and happy moment for anyone who like us enjoy cruiseing, there really is no better feeling and it never seems to change. So another plus point for the hotel is its proximity to the Cruise Terminal, in fact after breakfast I walked outside and could see our ship waiting there to greet us. It was no more than a 10 minute taxi run and we were there at the terminal. The Dubai Al Maktoum Terminal, we were in fact No 2 Terminal. Now as embarkation's go it was a little bit disjointed but not the worst. It was at this point we first heard the dreaded words Covid Virus, but really all it ment was a health form and declaration to say we had not travelled at anytime in the previous 14 days through China, after that we were good to go and heading for the ship.
Day 6 & 7 MUMBAI India
Getting to know the ship
PING !! Oh how I love that sound, people who have cruised will know it, if you haven't then its the sound your boarding card makes every time you join or leave the ship, but that first Ping is always good.
Once we were on and with our complementary bubbles in hand, we started to wander the ship, now as I said although this ship was new to us the class and therefore the layout was not, so we quickly found our bearings and after a short while arrived at our favourite Celebrity Bar which is called the Martini Bar, this is unusual as it has a frozen iced top all around it. We were also pleased and surprised to see a old friend behind the bar, Putu who we had met on a previous ship, so it was good to catch up with him again and this just reinforced the feeling this was going to be a good trip.
I can see my ship, view from the hotel.
Al Maktoum Cruise Terminal Dubai
Celebrity Constellation in Dubai
Bubbles in hand time to explore the ship
Our favourite bar onboard
Day 1 & 2
These days were enjoyed simply onboard, the ship did in fact not sail until 5 pm on day two but since we had did everything we wanted to do in Dubai we simply stayed onboard. We had also now met up with our friends from Edinburgh who were also doing this cruise we knew they were and had arranged to meet once they arrived on the ship so basically it was 2 days of relaxation onboard and the occasional refreshment....
Our friends enjoying the Whirlpool
Ships pool
Sail away from Dubai
Cocktail time and a gift from the barman for the Logistics Manager
Two of the friendliest staff at sea Wayan & Christian
Day 3 OMAN
This was our first visit to Oman and its capital Muscat, to say we were impressed was a understatement, it was truly a beautiful, clean, colourfull and friendly place.
We choose to do a ships organised tour, of the highlights. So after meeting up in the ships theater just after the shipped docked in Oman which was not until just before midday, we made our way to our our coach on the dockside. Here you quickly became aware of how hot it was and even in February it was very hot !! We also met our local guide Muhammad just as after we left the ship.
The tour covered the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Royal Opera House, the Royal Palace as well as the Grand Souk. As we drove through this modern and extremely clean city the colour of the vegetation and flowers that were everywhere was magnificent, and at the same time our guide gave us a background to the city and country. All of the attractions were indeed impressive and worth taking the time to visit, we then were given some freedom at the Grand Souk we in fact used this to walk further along the road which
runs parallel with the coast, we found a small cafe and sat for 15 minutes with a lemonade ( Remember Oman like many Middle East countries is dry in that no alcohol, although if you are staying in a hotel you can get alcohol there ) watching local life go past. Before heading back to the coach and the ship. All in we enjoyed our short visit to Muscat and have a abiding memory of the colourful flowers and cleanliness. 
Royal Opera House Oman
Incredible flower display in Muscat
Logistics Manager catching a bit of shade at the Opera House Oman
Visiting the Grand Mosque
Grand Mosque Muscat
Outside the Sultan's Royal Palace
Day 4 & 5
After our day in Oman we had two sea days as we sailed across the Arabian Sea towards India and our first port of call there Mumbai. The sea was very calm in fact it was pond like, and the sky was blue with the temperatures in the low 80 F. So quiet perfect for topping up that tan. That said Celebrity do put on a impressive array of different activities during sea days, from musical performances around the ship in different bars, full feature films, dance classes, fitness classes, and even informative lectures/talks from invited guest speakers, normally relating to popular culture or the ports and countries you are visiting. The ship also has a full Spa offering a range of treatments and the Logistics Manager did endulge herself on Day 5. It was also on Day 4 we had our first " Chic Night" of this trip when everyone puts on there best clothes and the ship has a party, it's something not all lines do these days but to be honest its something we really enjoy, and so we put on the glad rags and had a great night with our friends.
2 days at sea on the Arabian Sea
Dressed up for Chic Night
The gang read to party.
Enjoying the sunset at sea.
Putu pouring our first drinks on Chic Night.
Mumbai, formerly Bombay is home to nearly 19 million people, its full of contrasts with some of India's largest slums and a modern city scape that would rival anything in the west populated by very rich people. There is a large tropical rain forrest in a urban setting and of course it is the center of the huge Indian film industry.
We arrived into the Port of Mumbai early in the morning and as the sun got up you saw we had docked in a largely industrial port. This was the start of 2 days in this incredible city. There is a small cruise terminal of sorts but after passing through it you get a shuttle bus to the port gates.
As you walk out those gates the heat noise and atmosphere of India and Mumbai hit home, now we had experienced India before so knew what to expect but if its your first time then it can be a shock, you will see extreme poverty right next to extreme wealth, its just the way it is. Remember this is a third world country with a huge population trying to quickly modernise so don't compare the conditions to the standards you find in cities in the west, No go with a open mind, if you do you will find a very friendly welcoming people.
We had pre booked a full day tour of Mumbai, I did this by useing a online company I have used a few times before and always with good results. So if your looking for a local guide do give Tours By Locals ( www.toursbylocals.com ) a look.
It was through this site I initially found our Mumbai guide, Maya.
So we walked out the port gates into a rugby scrum of tour guides, passengers and taxi drivers, quickly I found Maya and we walked a little further along a street flanked on both sides by red bricked port administration buildings. We then found Maya's car and driver for the day, we all got in and off we went into the Mumbai traffic, and yes it can get busy, very busy !!
As we drove Maya gave us a informative commentary of anything we passed including the local traditions or a frank honest explanation of the social aspects of life in Mumbai.
Our first stop was at the famous monument The Gateway to India. which is at the site of the old port and was the first thing many travellers to India used to see. Next to this is the famous historical hotel The Taj Mahal, its a very busy spot.
Mumbai Cruise Terminal
Mumbai Port
Taj Mahal Hotel
Gateway to India
After this we got back into the car we drove to the nearby fishing port, now this was where we first saw some really poor living conditions its where mainly woman find daily work gutting fish that are landed from small local boats, the people live and work in this area. Next was a visit to a local laundry, you actually find these throughout India as we had seen a similar one in Delhi on a previous visit, but its basically a local community who sustain themselves by washing laundry, but not as someone from the West would understand.
Fishing port
Logistics manager in Mumbai
Local Laundry
Towels being washed and dried in the laundry
Sitting on the promenade of Marine Drive Mumbai
After this we then headed to the original home of India's founding leader Gandhi. Then it was on to a Jane temple before a quite brilliant and authentic local lunch, as someone who enjoys Indian food this really was a highlight for me. In the afternoon we then visited the tropical suburbs of Mumbai before heading back into the busy, hot and busseling city center to see the Victorian Built Grand Mumbai train station it really is quiet a building, but your not allowed into the train station without a valid train ticket as part of the security precautions. However there is plenty to see from the outside. Then it was onto a local park which was lined by some beautiful Colonial houses built in the time of the British Raj.
So after a very busy and informative day with Maya, we returned to the ship, but only to freshin up, as we were determined to head out into the city and experience some of its nightlife.
Maya our wonderful guide
House of Gandhi
More from the house
Jane temple
Urban Mumbai
Mumbai train station
Myself and Logistics Manager outside train station
Colonial building in Mumbai
So fully refreshed we again headed out into Mumbai and headed to the Marine Drive area we had seen earlier, there were plenty of taxi's just at the port entrance so after another interesting drive throught the now dark streets we arrived the modern, bright cosmopolitan Marine Drive. After a short stroll we decided to try the rooftop bar called The Domb which sits on the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel this had been pointed out to us by our guide earlier. It was a good choice as it affords some great views of the bay and some really good cocktails. So after a enjoyable night out at just after midnight we called it a day and grabbed a taxi back to the ship and bed.
Marine Drive Mumbai at night
Logistics Manager at the Domb Bar Mumbai
Next morning after breakfast we headed out on our own this time to simply wander into Mumbai and see what we found after about 35 minutes of walking in incredible busy streets and traffic with at times no footpaths, but don't worry loads of locals also walk amongst the very slow moving vehicles, we finally found ourselves back at the Taj Mahal Hotel area, feeling hot we found a small cafe and got a refreshment before heading back along another route. Here we found a nice garden area where some locals were practicing there yoga, very relaxed spot in the center of a busy city, further on we discovered a local market so had a walk around there, now this was not for the faint hearted, let's just say some of what was destined for someone's plate that night was still moving !! But it was another slice of the real world. Then as we made our way back to the port we found another local cafe, and had a snack and drinks alongside a great chat with two young office workers who were sitting next to us, just one of those nice moments you often find when you take the time to just wander in a new city.
So that was Mumbai for us a crazy wonderful friendly city that yes has its challenges but was a great port to visit.
Wandering Mumbai
Local market in Mumbai
Day 8
This was another sea day when the weather and sea conditions were perfect. It was another relaxing day by the pool and at night we enjoyed a bit of fun at the Silent Disco !!
Sometimes you just got to go with the flow 🙂
Silent Disco Night
Day 9 GOA
So we docked early in Goa, and this was when the dreaded virus made its first real impact, we found out to leave the ship we had to fill in a Indian Government health questionnaire and then undergo a temperature check. This was complied with and off we headed to a relaxing day at the beach. You could have chosen to do various trips to old Goa but for us this stop was always going to be about the beach.
Day 10
This was to be another relaxing sea day, however this was also the day that the news began to break that we would not be finishing this trip in Singapore and instead we would return to Dubai, as you can imagine this caused a bit of a stir. Celebrity immediately gave all passengers unlimited Internet access and a free sea to shore phone call to assist everyone with changing there travel plans. I won't dwell on this but for us it was another 3 days before we had finalised how we were getting home but we did not let it upset our trip and the fact we had been to Singapore and that part of the world before it was not something that was to disappointing.
Day 11 KOCHI
Today found us docked in the city of Kochi the capital of the state of Kerala, this low lying Southern Indian state is known for its spice and tea growing plantations. It however also has a backwaters area around Alappuzha This location is full of canals and lakes and is famous for wild life and particularly birds. So rather than tour the town we decided to do a houseboat trip in this area. So after the now routine checks as we left the ship we headed by coach towards Alappuzha. The route there gave us another flavour of life in this lush area of Indian, its a mix of many religions and quickly you see the large amount of temples and places of worship all from different religions seeming living in harmony. It certainly makes for a colourful and interesting journey. After about an hour we arrived at the town where we boarded our houseboat. We then set off into this tranquil, lush tropical and productive habitat. It really was another world as you slowly drifted past people living and working at the side of the canals and lakes. This was a beautiful location and trip and one I am glad we took. At the end of it we were treated to a meal and then it was back to the ship, but it was 4 hours on the water and this is a area I hope to return to for a longer visit as it was one that I really enjoyed. On the way back we were shown the traditional way of fishing in this region witch is by fixed Chinese style fishing nets unique to this part of India. All in another interesting day and our last in India, which once again had shown itself to be a fascinating destination and its one I would encourage anyone go visit but to do so with a open mind you won't regret it.
Houseboats in Alappuzha
Houseboat on the canal
Logistics manager on a bridge over one of the smaller backwaters.
Rice field
Houseboat
More Houseboats
Life on the waters edge
Locals living and working by the water
One of the lakes
Life in Alappuzha
Yours truly in Kerala
Chinese fishing nets in Kerala
So after leaving India we headed for our final destination in Sri Lanka and for the first time on this voyage the sea had a little bit of movement but nothing that was detectable onboard it remained however very hot.
So just after 10 am we sailed into the Port of Colombo the capital of Sri Lanka.
This was a first for us we had never before visited Sri Lanka. It was a another large city and right away you could see that its expanding with many extensive building works and large modern tower blocks growing just outside the port area, we learned later some of this is on land reclaimed from the sea.
We had chosen to do a walking tour of Old Colombo, our guide was a local of the city even if his name conceal that, he is Mark Forbes, look him up online and on TripAdvisor, he delivers a very informative and interesting tour.
After meeting him at the port we headed to the main and busy market area of the city where we saw some of the incredible food products grown on the island, the market was full of some interesting and friendly people.
Barrow of goods heading to market
Logistics Manager within the market
Busy local street life around the market
So that was our short visit to Sri Lanka, it is another country that I hope to return to and experience in more depth. So we now knew we had 4 days at sea to follow as we sailed back to Dubai due to the virus.
Interesting Mosque in Colombo
Enjoying a local refreshment in Colombo
Colonial building in Old Colombo
Old department store in Colombo
Day 13 to 16.
If you enjoy cruiseing then some of the best days are the days at sea, and we now had 4 of them to enjoy. So thats what we did the ship put on various entertainment all around the ship, and we were again lucky that the weather remained perfect throughout the voyage.
Little did we appreciate just how much the virus that had impacted this cruise was going to effect cruise Holidays and the world in general.
So as we wait for the Pandemic to end and for the suspension of cruiseing to stop so that the ships can sail again, all we can do is look forward and plan our next adventures, so when it does all end we are ready to go.
I believe in staying positive and therefore I look forward to more trips in the hopefully not to distant future.
Pool party on sail back to Dubai
Enjoying the party
Last night baloon drop in ships Atrium
Martini Bar tricks
Enjoying our room balcony
Fun at the pool bar.
Martini Bar guys doing there stuff.
So hope you enjoyed my review of our last cruise before the suspension of cruiseing around the globe, thanks for reading and please share on social media if you enjoyed it.
Let's see where we can visit next , stay safe remain positive and keep following.
