Breaking up the flight to Europe in Dubai? Here’s how to plan a family yacht trip, from route and timing to life jackets and snacks.
Family yacht adventures in the UAE: Exploring the coast from the water
Ask a Brisbane parent about the trip to Europe and there’s a decent chance Dubai comes up somewhere around the word “survived”. Emirates flies there direct out of Brisbane, and plenty of families now break the journey with a night or two on the ground, partly for the sights and partly so nobody has to sit still for fourteen hours twice in a row.
Here’s the thing, though. Most stopover plans look identical: mall, indoor ski slope, mall again, aquarium (inside a mall). The coast barely gets a look-in, which is odd for a city that basically grew up on the water. A short trip on a hired boat fixes that, and it needn’t blow the holiday budget either. Shorter outings on smaller vessels are usually where cheap yacht rental prices in Dubai turn up, so have a squiz at a few before booking anything. Two hours of sea air on a modest yacht rental can easily end up the bit of the stopover the kids still talk about at Christmas.
Keep it short, go late
Two to three hours. That’s the magic number with toddlers and primary-schoolers. Any longer and the novelty curdles somewhere around the fourth “are we going back yet?”.
When you go matters just as much. The Gulf sun at noon is fierce (think January in Rockhampton, then turn it up), so aim for a late-afternoon departure instead. By then the heat’s backed off a bit, the light is soft and golden for the family photo, and there’s a fair chance the smallest crew member conks out on the cruise home.
October to April is the gentler season, handily overlapping the Aussie summer holidays. Wind can still muck up a booking at short notice, so it’s worth asking how rescheduling works before any money changes hands.
What they’ll spot from the deck
Most family charters push off from Dubai Marina, and the standard loop is a ripper for kids. There’s the enormous observation wheel on Bluewaters Island, the hulking pinkish Atlantis hotel perched on the end of Palm Jumeirah, and further along, the Burj Al Arab looking exactly like a sail someone forgot to take down. Kids who’ve only seen these on a screensaver tend to go very quiet. Briefly. Travelling with grandparents or another family? Then it might make sense to rent a yacht with a little more deck space, but for four people a small boat is plenty.
Some skippers will pull up for a swim where that’s allowed. Check when you book. Promising a swim to an eight-year-old and then breaking the news on board is nobody’s idea of fun.
Questions worth asking first
Good operators won’t mind a few questions. Send these before you pay a cent:
- Are there kids’ life jackets aboard, and in which sizes? Toddler ones aren’t guaranteed.
- Proper railings? Non-slip decking?
- Shade up top and a cabin down below for meltdown management?
- Can you bring your own snacks, and is there somewhere cold to put them?
- If the wind picks up on the day, what’s the plan?
Honestly, an indoor lounge is gold with little ones. Ten minutes of air-con has rescued many a toddler mood.
The day bag
Pack like it’s a beach day with ambitions. Sunscreen, hats and rashies are a given. Throw in swimmers even if the swim isn’t confirmed, and spare clothes for the kid who’ll definitely get soaked anyway. Got someone who goes green on winding roads? Bring the motion-sickness tablets. Then water bottles, snacks, and whichever soft toy can’t be left at the hotel.
So, is it worth squeezing in?
On a one-day stopover, probably yes. The skyline looks like a different city from out on the water, and there’s something about salty hair and a sunburnt nose (lightly, hopefully) that a shopping centre can’t compete with. Small boat, short trip, late afternoon. That’s really the whole recipe.
