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<\/a>Abu Dhabi on the horizon<\/p>\nAnother interesting thing about this cruise has been the immigration process.\u00a0 When we boarded in Rome, Celebrity kept our passports.\u00a0 Last night, we had to collect our passports in assigned places.\u00a0 This afternoon, when we arrive in Abu Dhabi, everyone on the ship has to get off and go through a face-to-face immigration check.\u00a0 The Abu Dhabi officials kept our passports.\u00a0 Tomorrow morning, we have assigned areas where we pick up our passports again, this time with visa stamps from Abu Dhabi.\u00a0 For the ship, handling all the varied disembarkations would be a nightmare.\u00a0 There are people leaving the ship permanently beginning this afternoon, all the way until Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Since we\u2019re part of a Celebrity excursion this evening, we have our own immigration line to pass through quickly.\u00a0 We board our bus and start the drive to the Grand Mosque.\u00a0 As we drive up, it\u2019s an impressive sight.\u00a0 The complex is huge, with roads and parking to handle the 50,000 worshipers they say they can accommodate at any given time.\u00a0 When we get off the bus, the women are reminded about their headscarves (no shorts or sleeveless shirts for men).\u00a0 As we near an entry gate, there are security personnel checking the dress code.\u00a0 One woman in our group didn\u2019t have sleeves that covered her wrist, and was held back until the guides were able to provide a pullover to meet the requirements.\u00a0They had told us very clearly \u2013 no ankles or wrists showing.<\/p>\n
The Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque was beyond impressive.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have enough adjectives to describe the beauty and impressive size and opulence.\u00a0Under the lights, it\u2019s even more so.\u00a0I think I\u2019ll let the pictures do the talking.<\/p>\n
After the mosque, we drove to the Emirates Hotel.\u00a0 It\u2019s the official hotel used by the UAE to house visiting royalty.\u00a0 With the Formula One World Championships in town, there special visitors in town.\u00a0 The hotel drive-up is jammed with lots of upscale vehicles.\u00a0 We get off the bus and make our way to the restaurant.\u00a0 The hotel is huge as we walk thru.\u00a0 The Arabic food is great, even though there are several items we\u2019re not sure of their origin.\u00a0 That\u2019s part of the fun!<\/p>\n Back at the ship later, we work on our plans for tomorrow, and how, and if we want to go into the city.\u00a0With an Abu Dhabi tour on Monday, we we\u2019ve about decided to \u201clow key\u201d the day, while we get ready for the next two weeks in Dubai and India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today almost seems like a sea day, since the ship isn\u2019t scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi until 4:00.\u00a0We eat at our regular time and bounce around the ship looking for the perfect place to read or write.\u00a0 Finally, around … Continue reading <\/a>First view. \u00a0Wow!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Shoes removed before we are allowed to go inside.<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>One of 5 Rolls Royce cars in the parking area.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n