Dubai by Dinner Cruise

After having sampled the delights of Dubai from the Sea earlier in our Babymoon long weekend in the United Arab Emirates, we couldn’t resist going back for one more night on the Persian Gulf aboard a luxurious Dinner Cruise with Xclusive Yachts.

Whilst the sunset cruise was an option, we decided to sample the dinner cruise from 8:30pm to 10:30pm. At this time the waters were slightly quieter with only a few boats on the water and the sea was a thick inky black.

Usually this dinner cruise is far from a quiet affair. On a typical night there may be 75 people on board this luxury yacht taking in the sights of the Dubai and enjoying the fine food and drinks included in your ticket. Luckily for us, there were only a handful of people sharing our experience.

Take your seat

As we boarded, the firework display at Jumeirah Beach Residence for Dubai Shopping Festival burst into the sky, showering everything with bursts of light.

Fireworks at Jumeirah Beach Residence

Xclusive Yachts pride themselves on making guests happy and aren’t afraid of being competitive about it. We were greeted by friendly staff when we arrived at the Marina and the manager; Sanjeev introduced himself before boarding the ship. The food serving dishes were already out and the bar fully stocked ready for us.

The food serving dishes

We left the Marina and followed the coast, passing through the Mina Siyahi and towards the iconic Burj Al Arab, the 7 Star hotel shaped like a wind sail. For this first stretch of the trip all guests enjoyed the sights on the top deck, taking in the towering buildings lightning up the night sky like stars that have fallen to earth.

The Burj Al Arab

The food was both delicious and plentiful. I tried to stay healthy and sample as many different tastes as possible but after enjoying the Mango Salad and Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms, I tried to sample the “Live Cooking” pasta station and fell hook line and sinker for a mixture of green chilli, garlic, onion and broccoli pasta in a light tomato sauce.

Salad selection

Chicken stuffed with Mushrooms

My pasta that was bursting with flavour

The atmosphere on the boat was very relaxed with a quiet buzz of excitement. The manager floated around the deck all evening, chatting to guests. Over desert he told us about some of the special cruises that are available, including going around the palm to see The Atlantis’ world famous fireworks show at new year’s eve.

Deserts – what a view!

Our ship was a 125ft houseboat which goes East and West along the coast but doesn’t venture out into the rougher waters around the palm. After the Burj al Arab we turned around and sailed back towards the marina. At this point the temperature dropped a little further and most passengers decided to head below to the warmer lower deck leaving only a few of us on the rooftop taking in the incredible sights. I would definitely recommend bringing a warm coat or jacket in order to stay on the top deck to get the full experience.

The Golden Mile

Xclusive Yachts also organise private yacht hire for corporate or private parties. At times their website is a little misleading as it’s somewhat difficult to find their packages for dinner cruises but we found them here.

A private dinner cruise around Dubai would be sensational, but it’s a little out of our budget. However, standing on the top deck of the houseboat with a few friends, both old and new, pulling back into the Marina that is lit up like something from Science fiction, I felt very lucky and privileged to have been able to have this amazing experience.

Our boat

The sunset Dinner Cruise is available from 250 A.E.D. per person which is under £50 and good value for money for everything you get. For more information on cruises and private Yacht hire please see their website: http://xclusiveyachts.com/

Xclusive Yachts

Thank you to Xclusive Yachts for sponsoring ourDinner Cruise. However, this was an amazing experience and all opinions in this article are honest and our own.

Last modified: 20th September 2016