New Year Dhow Cruise vs Dinner at a Dubai Restaurant: Which Is Better?

10 Views

In Dubai, New Year’s Eve is not just one night, its almost a full week of planning for most of the families and tourists who are here in December. Hotels get full, roads near Downtown get blocked and every restaurant starts posting their gala dinner menus on Instagram from November itself. Since majority of the people want to see the fireworks and also have a good dinner at the same time, one very common question that comes up is whether to book a dhow cruise or go for dinner at a restaurant.

Both are good options, let me tell you that. But the experience is quite different and the budget also changes a lot, so it is better to understand what each one gives you before you pay for it.

What Comes With a New Year Dhow Cruise Dinner

A New Year dhow cruise dinner normally starts around 8 or 8:30 pm and the boat stays on the water till after midnight, so you get around three to four hours on board. The package usually includes an open buffet with Arabic, Indian and continental food, soft drinks, water, and live entertainment like tanoura dance or a DJ playing music on the upper deck. And the main thing which people book it for is the fireworks view at 12 o clock, which you watch directly from the water.

Now if we talk about the route, Dubai Marina cruises go slowly along the JBR and Ain Dubai side, and from there you can see the Atlantis fireworks and the full Marina skyline with lights. Dubai Creek cruises (the older and more traditional route) sail between Deira and Bur Dubai, and depending on where the captain stops the boat, you can get some view of the Burj Khalifa fireworks also, but not the complete show.

When its about price, the rates are higher than normal days which is expected. On a regular evening a Marina dhow cruise is around AED 150 to 250, but for the New Year night it goes to roughly AED 450 to 900 per adult. Creek cruise is little cheaper, somewhere between AED 300 and 600. Children tickets are usually discounted and upper deck seating costs extra.

What Comes With a Restaurant Dinner

Restaurant dinner on New Year is a different kind of experience. You get a proper table, plated food served one by one, better service and a calm setting, which is a big plus point for people who don’t want too much crowd and loud music.

But the problem comes into the picture when you want the fireworks view. The restaurants which has a direct Burj Khalifa view, like in Downtown, Souk Al Bahar or the higher floors in Business Bay, charges anywhere from AED 1,500 to 5,000 per person for the New Year set menu, and these tables gets booked many weeks before. A normal restaurant in a mall can be AED 300 to 500 per person, but there you will be watching the countdown on a TV screen or you have to go outside before 12 and stand with the crowd on the road.

Traffic is another big issue that many people forget. On 31st December, roads near Downtown starts closing from afternoon itself and metro stations near Burj Khalifa get closed once they are full. Going back home after midnight can easily take two hours. With a dhow cruise this headache is not there because you board from the marina and the boat drops you back at the same place.

Which One You Should Choose

It mostly depends on who is going with you. Suppose you are a couple or a group of friends, then the New Year dhow cruise Dubai experience will be more enjoyable because of the music, the open air and the fireworks over the water. Families with kids also like it as children get space to move around and the buffet has something for everyone.

But suppose you are planning a quiet dinner with your parents or elder family members, then a restaurant makes more sense since they get a comfortable chair and air conditioning for the whole evening. In that case my suggestion is to book early and ask the restaurant clearly if your table has a direct fireworks view, because “partial view” means something different for every restaurant.

For majority of the tourists, the dhow cruise gives better value as dinner, entertainment, cruise and fireworks all comes in one ticket, and the total is still less than what a Downtown restaurant charges only for the menu.

FAQs

Worth of the Extra Price

For most people the New Year dhow cruise dinner is worth it because the same money covers food, entertainment and the fireworks view. Only thing is you get less privacy as the boat is shared with other guests.

Marina or Creek on New Year Night

Marina gives better fireworks view and a more modern feel, while Creek is cheaper and more traditional. The Burj Khalifa view from Creek depends on where the boat is stopped.

Reaching the Boarding Point

Better to reach 45 minutes to one hour before boarding time. After 7 pm on 31st December the roads near Marina gets very busy and parking is also limited.

Drinks on Board

Most of the standard dhow cruises serve only soft drinks and water. Few licensed premium cruises have alcohol packages for extra cost, so confirm this at the time of booking.

Cancellation Policy

New Year tickets are mostly non-refundable or have strict cancellation rules because operators sell out early, so read the policy properly before making the payment.

New Year Dhow Cruise vs Dinner at a Dubai Restaurant: Which Is Better?