Berlin, Germany to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Travel day diary including mode of travel, experience and costs. First part of our Asia tour is a cruise.
January 10, 2017 – 12 noon – Train / bus to airport. € 3.30 / $3.40
Arrived at Berlin Tegel Airport. Our flight has a 45 minute delay – Ukraine Air $180.00 (Berlin/Kiev/Dubai)
Sunny takeoff, on our way to Kiev, Ukraine
Arrived in Kiev, 1/2 hour late landing. (1 hour time change). Airport chaos. Worst airline ever? Staff do not speak Languages. Chat with each other ignoring questions.
Flight from Kiev to Dubai very late, supposedly waiting for other passengers. Supposed to leave at 7:30pm local time. We are sitting on the tarmac waiting. Plane is over heated and air vents do not work. Thin seats with a kid behind kicking non stop. Nobody is telling us why we are not leaving, it is now 9:45 pm. Update: 10:01 pm and we have just been given our safety demonstration. Lights turned out. Possibly leaving now? Nope, now we have to de-ice the plane!
Better safe than sorry, right? Lights back on. Oh, and now we are waiting for a tow because it is icy… 10:33 pm – everybody is getting up, talking, questioning, getting no answers, going to the washroom.
10:39 – lights out again. Short tow. Engines seem to be going, but are we? 10:44 – we are taxiing to the runway! 10:50 pm Lift off! Yay
Flight was extremely hot and bright; most airlines dim the lights, especially on night flights, Air Ukraine keeps everything bright. Only thing included is still water. No movies, no music, no snacks, no food, no soft drinks.
Landing in Dubai, January 11, 2107 at 5:45 am local time. (2 hour time change).
Long customs line moved quickly. Baggage arrived!
6:45 AM Taxi to Abu Dhabi 1.5 hour transfer AED 360 / $98
Motel – Top Stars, Muroor Street, Near Empost, Madinat Zayed – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates. Very old fashioned but clean with a much needed bed and shower. Remember, originally we were supposed to arrive at 2:30 am, thus the hotel room. 8:30am to 2:30 pm. Cost: 180 AED / $49 and worth every penny!
Taxi to Port Zayed Cruise Terminal Cost: 17 AED / $5
Day Total: $335.40
Stay tuned for our cruise update.
Next Blog: Settling into Ship Life
Check out our Asia Travels!
