Nearby is a large mosque with a spiral minaret. When we ventured in, we were welcomed by guides who took us to the modern prayer room upstairs and provided us with extensive free booklets about Islam and a copy of the Koran itself. Downstairs was a very interesting photo exhibition of Islamic calligraphy, and a resident calligrapher wrote our (transliterated) names as a free souvenir of our visit. Until the major new museums are completed, there is not much else to do in Doha, although the nearby corniche (waterfront) provides a pleasant walk on mild winter days.
MANAMA (Bahrain) - Like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Bahrain is undergoing an economic boom, with futuristic skyscrapers and massive public works. Ships dock several miles south of the Manama city center, and the free shuttle bus from the port to the Bahrain Gate (Bab al Bahrain) was very useful. However, rush hour can mean gridlock, and some of our cruise mates spent more than an hour on the bus traveling those few miles. Fortunately we disembarked early, as soon as the ship cleared immigration formalities, when traffic was still light.
The highlight of Manama for us was the free Koran Museum (Beit al Quran), about a mile east of the Gate, not far from the new National Museum. This provides beautifully displayed examples of rare and modern Korans and related Arabic calligraphy. While we were there, large tour groups from the Costa Romantica passed through in waves. The groups seemed too large to enjoy the exhibits, and we were glad to have the museum to ourselves between groups. An easy walk (with some frightening intersections) to the east is the modern National Museum, which provides beautiful cultural and historical displays pertaining to Bahrain. The entry fee is about $3 US ( 1 Bahraini dinar) for two people. The ticket seller accepted US cash. The museum is well worth a visit.
BANDAR ABBAS (Iran) - This was the first time that Silversea stopped at a mainland Iran port (Bandar Abbas is Iran's largest gulf port and is a major naval station). Some passengers were apprehensive about stopping there, but the welcome could not have been warmer. In fact, we were greeted dockside by a group of young children in ethnic (Bandar) costumes as local newsmen hovered in the background taking photos. As in other ports, the ship provided a free shuttle to the town center, which is several miles to the east of the port. The local escorts seemed hesitant to let us wander on our own, not because of any travel restrictions but simply because they felt responsible for our well-being in the crowded markets. Fortunately a group of Turkish passengers (perhaps Persian emigres) spoke Farsi and explained to the guides that we would be fine on our own, so off we went.
There is little in the way of museums or major sights in Bandar Abbas, which is not known as a tourist center. However, the several traditional covered markets, small modern shopping centers, and outdoor farmers markets provided enough color to make the port a very enjoyable and photogenic stop.
Unlike their Arab neighbors, the Persians did not seem to mind being photographed, although we always asked permission first. In one modern shopping center we found a small internet café. We had no Iranian currency, so I offered the owner a handful of euros, dollars, and dirhams. He took two dollars (for half an hour of internet time), and even though our currency was probably worthless to him, he wanted to gives us change in Iranian rials, which we declined. Whatever one may read in the news about Iran as a nation, the people of Bandar Abbas were exceptionally friendly and seemed surprised to see us. One senses the financial constraints they are under (there were some beggars but no apparent urban squalor), but still they managed to smile and were happy to help us when possible. Their Persian ancestry is quite distinct from their Arabic neighbors across the Persian (called Arabian by the Arabs) Gulf. One hopes that tourism to Iran will flourish when current political issues stabilize.
CONCLUSION - Two weeks after our Persian Gulf cruise on the Silver Cloud my wife and I took a Panama Canal cruise on a premium mainstream cruise line. Although we found that canal cruise very enjoyable, with fine food and good service, the large ship (2,000 passengers) seemed noisy, crowded, and impersonal when compared with our experience on the Silver Cloud. Whether the difference between luxury and mainstream cruise lines is worth the difference in cruise price is a personal question. You will have to try a luxury cruise to answer that question for yourself. When choosing a cruise style, for us the answer remains "all of the above". We will continue to cruise on a variety of cruise lines in a variety of cruise styles, enjoying each for what it does best. Similarly, over the years we have owned economical compact cars, high performance sports cars, and luxury sedans. Wouldn't life be boring if we were all limited to one type of car -- or one type of cruise ship?
