A dhow is a wooden boat that has been working the Gulf for centuries. The dinner cruise version has two routes in Dubai, and they are not the same evening. Visitors book one assuming the other, then wonder why their photographs look nothing like the ones that sold it to them. Both routes appear in our guide to things to do in Dubai, alongside what else an evening can hold. Here is the difference.

Dubai Marina: the modern one

The Marina cruise sails a canal lined with towers. You pass JBR, Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, everything lit, the water flat and reflecting all of it. The boats are larger, usually two decks, with glass sides on the lower deck and open seating above.

This is the one for the photographs. If somebody has sent you a picture of a wooden boat strung with lights in front of a wall of skyscrapers, it was taken here. It suits couples, groups celebrating something, and anyone whose mental image of Dubai is the skyline.

Our Marina dhow cruise runs two hours with a five star international buffet, soft drinks and live entertainment, from AED 119 per person.

Dubai Creek: the old one

The Creek cruise sails the waterway the city grew around, through Deira and Bur Dubai. You pass the souks, the wind tower houses, the abra crossings and the wooden trading boats that still load goods for Iran and East Africa by hand. The buildings are low, the lighting is warmer, and the city feels about a hundred years older.

This is the quieter evening and the more interesting one historically. It suits families, older travellers, and anyone who has already done the skyline and wants the other Dubai. It is also the cheaper of the two.

Our Creek dhow cruise runs two hours with an international buffet and live entertainment, from AED 99 per person.

Choosing between them

  • First trip to Dubai, want the postcard: Marina.
  • Second trip, or travelling with people who tire of towers: Creek.
  • Celebrating something: Marina. The boats are bigger and the setting does the work.
  • Travelling with grandparents or small children: Creek. Shorter transfers from the older hotel districts, calmer water, less walking at the pier.
  • On a budget: Creek, and it is not a compromise.

What a dhow dinner actually involves

Boarding is in the evening, usually between 19:30 and 20:30 depending on the season. You are seated at a table, the boat casts off, and the buffet opens once it is under way. Expect an international spread with Arabic dishes, grilled meats, rice, salads and dessert, with vegetarian options. Soft drinks and water are included. Alcohol is not served on most Dubai dhows.

Entertainment is usually a tanoura dancer, sometimes with a musician. It happens on the lower deck and lasts fifteen or twenty minutes. The upper deck is where people go afterwards, and it is where you want to be for the last half hour.

The whole thing runs two hours from boarding to disembarking. Add transfer time at both ends.

Practical notes

  • Dress: smart casual. The upper deck is breezy in winter, so take a layer from November to February.
  • Seasickness: not a factor. Both routes are enclosed water and the boats barely move.
  • Seating: tables are assigned on arrival. Arriving at the start of boarding rather than the end gives you a better one.
  • Photographs: the light is gone within twenty minutes of boarding, so take your skyline shots early and enjoy the rest of it.
  • Transfers: hotel pickup can be added to either cruise. Marina pickups run earlier because the drive is longer from Deira.

Pairing it with a day tour

A cruise is an evening, which makes it easy to pair with something that finishes in the afternoon. Two of our combinations exist for exactly that reason: the city tour with the Marina cruise puts the half day sightseeing in the morning and the boat at night, and the desert safari with a dhow cruise runs them on two separate evenings so neither is rushed. Both are priced lower than booking the parts separately.

The honest summary

Marina is the better photograph. Creek is the better evening. If you are only doing one and you have never been to Dubai before, do the Marina and know that you are choosing the view. If you have been before, do the Creek and find out what the city was built on.