Middle East Cruise on Costa Toscana Day 3 Doha
-MiddleEast-Qatar-Doha
Day 3 – We set sail around midnight heading to our first stop, Doha in Qatar. I have only ever been several times in transit at the airport and now I finally get to explore the city. We are scheduled to arrive at 14:00 and set sail again at 21:30.
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Table of Contents
For some ideas what to do in Doha check below:
Day 3 - Morning Sailing on Costa Toscana
Everyone is on board the ship so we decided on a very early breakfast at the buffet and then of course cappuccino. We had the MyDrinks Package which includes 1 half litter bottle of water everyday. It was useful to bring along on our shore excursions. After breakfast we could explore the ship more and it is such a big ship, the largest I have sailed on .It has a capacity of having 6,600 guests on board! However I was happy that it was not too crowded on our sailing around 2,500 passengers.
We had a mandatory drill as on every ship and was scheduled to go this morning. We got a notification that there will be a time shift of 1 hour on our daily bulletin for this night. We made our way to the meeting point and was told that the shift happened already and that we were an hour too early! We weren’t the only ones as people came streaming in and was just as confused! We spent the time having coffee and then attended the drill which was done in many languages. I will make a separate post about the Costa Toscana.
We explored the many decks of the ship and found a hangout place to see the people taking part in the activities with jovial music from the speakers. We got ready for an early lunch so that we could go on shore soon.
Shore visit to Doha
I did think hard about my attire in Doha. I wanted to be respectful so I wore a long dress with shoulders covered. I put on comfortable shoes in anticipation of doing loads of walking. I had a plan about where to go as I like to do my own excursions when it is possible. As we went out to the terminal we were greeted with a beautiful aquarium. If you do go, make sure to make time to admire it.
I also saw an ATM at the terminal and shuttle buses for free! It was at the far end and already a few were lined up to bring passengers to the city. Before we got on, we were approached by taxis offering a tour of the city which we politely but firmly declined. The bus stopped us right at the Souq Waqif and the driver reminded us that this is the pickup point again to bring us back to the ship. In my excitement I forgot to take note of the location in Google Maps – make sure you do this for ease of finding it back again!
I asked where the metro was and it was just a 150m walk away.
Metro Station Doha
The Metro Station in Doha was built to cater for the visitors to the World Cup recently held here. I am really thankful for that. We did not have Qatari Riyal with us but could use our ATM card to buy the metro tickets which only costs QAR6 for a day pass. I was very impressed with the Metro – very clean and modern.
Umbrella Park Doha
Our first stop was the Corniche and out of the station there is a nice green park with the Umbrella tunnels – very attractive and a perfect photo spot. The park has a beautiful art installation of a dugong.
Corniche Doha
This is definitely the spot to be to admire and photograph the amazing skyscrapers of Doha. I did a lot of checking to find this place and it was a definite must see on my list.
Katara Village Doha
Onward to Katara Village, I have seen some photos of beautiful spots there but was not sure how big the area actually is. I looked forward to get hold of a map but it was not to be. We came out of the Metro station and walked towards places which looks to have points of interest. We met and joined forces with a British lady who turned out to be from Costa Toscana as well. With the pieces of information that we both had , we managed to see some interesting spots here. The Ampitheatre, The Golden Masjid and the Masjid of Katara.
Souq Waqif Doha
Souq Waqif was always going to be either our first or last place of visit as the shuttle bus dropoff and pickup is from here. The souq has opening hours that you should look out for should you want to visit. In our case when we were dropped off the Souq was closed and would only re-open later. So after spending time at Katara Village we took the metro back to the Souq.
It was already after sunset and the place had cooled down and bustling with activity. I was surprised at how many different buildings there were that made up the Souq and that it was pretty spread out. I wanted to go hunting for the carpet and camel souq and Rainer wanted to stay in one spot and enjoy the views. So I left him sitting on a bench with these views of the Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center
I went in search of the souks but found myself handicapped by not having internet access to google maps where I had stored the locations I wanted to see. I had bought data access but it did not work for some reason in Qatar. I was so reliant that it would work that I did not save an offline map which would have helped. Anyway I went around directionless and did not find what I was looking for but found other nice places. The Souq is a really good place to spend a longer time in especially for photographers. I ended up being lost within the souk and could not find my way back to the place where I left Rainer. My views were limited by other buildings around. Thankfully I had taken the picture above and could show to the locals to get my bearings and found him! Together we guessed our way back to where the bus stop was to head back to the ship.
Safely back on Costa Toscana
Probably cruisers know this feeling well – when after a day exploring on land and you make it back on the ship, is such a relief. The knowledge of feeling that you are safely back home , free once more to relax. We made it back in time for our sit down dinner which was really pleasant as we have a table for two and a very nice and competent server.
I look like I have a big problem to solve when faced with this delicious dish – below : like can I order another plate ? Further below is the entire 4-course – oh man, making me hungry all over again.
After dinner, we relaxed with catching some shows around the ship while having a drink. The very nice thing about being on board is the diverse entertainment on board that suits almost every taste. We were really into live bands and there was a good one playing at the Heineken Bar which we went back to on other evenings as well. We were enjoying the entertainment music on board while the ship set sail to our next destination. Stay tuned for the next one.
-end of Day 3-
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The cruise sounds awesome. Doha is such a beautiful city. The metro is much like the Delhi Metro. And i love the souqs in the Middle East, I went to a few in Sharjah. Now, you have given me new travel goals. I would like to see this beautiful, clean city.
Costa Toscana explemplarily displays the Persian style architecture in Qatar. I’m especially keen on visiting Katara Village in Doha for its Masjids. Not to forget all the delicacies that you’ve added on the pictures tempts me to try all of the traditional foods of Doha.
Doha looks like an interesting place. I would like to see the Katara Village, it seems more authentic than the high rises on the Corniche. How awful to get lost in the souk! I have been to quite a few really narrow and intricate souks before and I know how confusing they can be. You can easily get lost if you are not a local and don’t know the way out. They are like mazes.
After the world cup, I’m not honestly too keen on seeing Qatar. But, if an opportunity presents itself like on your cruise I wouldn’t mind seeing Doha. The umbrella park and Katara Village do both look like pretty attractions to see and so Middle Eastern too!
I have been to Quatar several times and really like the city. I can see, that it is nice to eat on the ship and relax. On the other hand you missed all the fantastic food at tge Souq Waquif. I bet, a cruise is a very comfortable way to experience the Middle East.
This sounds like a very interesting cruise. I have never been to Doha but if I had an opportunity to visit for couple of days I definitely would. I have read about the layovers there when you get to spend a day in the city and it seems like an interesting place. I bet that is one thing about the cruises that you are always kind of hurrying to get back because the ship wont wait for you.
Although I haven’t quite gone through your first two days adventure, this third day certainly was interesting. More so being Doha where I too have only seen the airport changing flights. The Umbrella Park with all the colors looks so vibrant. Would love to click many photos in Corniche Doha with the waterfront. Katara Village would be a must visit to check out Golden Masjid & Masjid of Katara. Had a good laugh seeing you getting lost in Souq Waqif as I could relate to my own experiences when traveling with internet working and maps not saved offline.
I haven’t managed to stay in Doha yet but passed through a few times. I love the colourful umbrellas near Corniche and would be so excited to wander around the architecture of the Masjid of Katara and Golden Masjid, very persian.
I haven’t managed to stay in Doha yet but passed through a few times. I love the colourful umbrellas near Corniche and would be so excited to wander around the architecture of the Masjid of Katara and Golden Masjid, very persian.
Doha is a beautiful city for sure and that was obvious from the sprawling amazing airport which was a stopover on my way to USA. The cruise ship seems to be pretty big with a capacity of 6600 passengers. And there are so many places to explore. The souq wawif looks like an amazing place to shop for local artifacts. And the Doha corniche is awesome to click pictures with its picture perfect skyline. Also the umbrella park is yet another unusual attraction with its colorful tunnel of umbrellas. And definitely the Doha metro is a great transport facilitating passengers to and from cruise Costa Toscana via the bus shuttle which is free!