OP here. I've managed to obtain a full refund from one of the hotels with whom I'd booked a nonrefundable reservation. Very grateful. The other hotel offered me the option to reschedule within the next six months, but I've responded that I cannot travel to Dubai given the current situation and I continue to request a full refund. I'm hopeful they'll come through. Our airline is offering refunds for all flights through March 22 - ours is a few days after that. I called and they said try back in a week. I've also gotten refunds for various excursions booked, including a desert safari, night golf, Dinner in the Sky, Burj Khalifa and tour of Old Dubai. So - about 1/2 of our $25k vacation has been returned and I feel optimistic about getting the other half. If not directly from the vendors themselves, then I'll escalate to my credit card.

Really sad not to visit this beautiful and exciting place. But after this, I can't see us taking our children there, likely ever. Feeling very lucky that we were not there when this all broke out. What a nightmare for those who are stuck and scared.

I am totally worn down by this relentless winter and the kids have 11 days off for spring break, so now figuring out where to go that's warm and not in a war zone. Suggestions welcome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just flabbergasted that there are people from the US that voluntarily spend their spring break in Dubai

A few months ago the spring break tix to Dubai were about $650. That’s a good price and the weather is lovely in March. I much prefer Oman but for someone who mainly wants to sit by the pool and do an occasional activity, it’s a solid option.

Fly half way around the world to go to a pool and a mall? Nah.

…and people wonder why are earth is dying. But at least you got to visit Dubai for spring break 🙄

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's fine. Dubai is super safe. We lived there during Arab Spring and everything was fine. Dubai will protect tourists 100%

Remnants of a missile hit terminal 3 at the Dubai airport today (Emirates terminal, so likely lots of international travelers). 1 confirmed killed already. They’ll try to keep people safe but there’s only so much they can do.

Someone I know just traveled from back from Dubai and they said their plane took off on a runway right next to where the blown up terminal was.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean. What were you going to do there as a family? Buy gold bars from a vending machine and stay at a 7 star hotel?

DP, not rich, but my kids absolutely loved Dubai.

lol. “Not rich” by DCUM standards…your kids have been to Dubai. You are plenty rich.

DP here. A lot of people have stops in Dubai on the way to Asia or Africa.

Sometimes you can get a longer layover and get a chance to get a hotel and visit Dubai for a day or two. I wouldn't classify these people as rich. I took several of these trips with my Mom growing up, but they were the only times I traveled as a kid and they were spaced every few years as it took a lot of saving. Costs once we got to our destination weren't much as we always stayed with various family members for the summer.

I grew up actual middle class. Not DCUM “not rich.” I was an adult the first time I flew and it wasn’t with my family. We never flew anywhere was a family and never took more than 1 driving vacation a year.

PP here. Come on, you don't know my story and I don't know yours. Don't discount other peoples experiences.

When I say we weren't rich, we weren't. We didn't take any driving vacations any years, except once to Niagara Falls. We got pizza a couple times a month, but that was it. Clipped coupons, shopped at several stores each week to get what was on sale from each store. When I say we saved to take those trips, I mean we saved. My parents had 15 siblings overseas along with two remaining parents and made it a priority that we got to visit with them every few years. That doesn't mean we were rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know that vacation here are awful people generally

Quite a generalization. What is awful about the only people you know who vacation in Dubai?

DP here. I’m guessing they are just the insufferable performative traveler types.

Lots of Brits go to Dubai on vacation on package tours. Definitely not performative, it's just a good deal for a nice beach. I know a lot of people who travel there for work too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know that vacation here are awful people generally

Quite a generalization. What is awful about the only people you know who vacation in Dubai?

DP here. I’m guessing they are just the insufferable performative traveler types.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean. What were you going to do there as a family? Buy gold bars from a vending machine and stay at a 7 star hotel?

DP, not rich, but my kids absolutely loved Dubai.

lol. “Not rich” by DCUM standards…your kids have been to Dubai. You are plenty rich.

DP here. A lot of people have stops in Dubai on the way to Asia or Africa.

Sometimes you can get a longer layover and get a chance to get a hotel and visit Dubai for a day or two. I wouldn't classify these people as rich. I took several of these trips with my Mom growing up, but they were the only times I traveled as a kid and they were spaced every few years as it took a lot of saving. Costs once we got to our destination weren't much as we always stayed with various family members for the summer.

I grew up actual middle class. Not DCUM “not rich.” I was an adult the first time I flew and it wasn’t with my family. We never flew anywhere was a family and never took more than 1 driving vacation a year.

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know that vacation here are awful people generally

Quite a generalization. What is awful about the only people you know who vacation in Dubai?

[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ignorance on this thread is stunning. I lived and worked in Dubai for years. Most women I knew loved Dubai, they felt totally safe. And women do work in the Emirates, at all levels. As Arab countries go, the Emirates is pretty progressive. Yes, I can laugh at aspects of Dubai materialism, as do many Emiratis who remember the old days. But the transformation and nation building is phenomenal. There's lots of things to do, not just malls. Beaches, Desert safaris, day trips to Oman, exploring old souks and bazaars, a shockingly cosmopolitan society with food from all over the world. And yes, the over the top architecture is fun to see. I love old historic cities but Dubai is still worth seeing.

"Most women I know loved Dubai" = majority of white women voted for Trump.
In other words, there are lots of women that are willing to overlook an unpleasant underbelly of misogyny because they have a relative level of privilege and think that it won't really affect them.
Signed, a privileged white woman

MAGA voters are not foreign travel people. Sorry, we have to own that some of these misogyny supporters voted blue.

The only people I know that vacation here are awful people generally

Anonymous wrote:The ignorance on this thread is stunning. I lived and worked in Dubai for years. Most women I knew loved Dubai, they felt totally safe. And women do work in the Emirates, at all levels. As Arab countries go, the Emirates is pretty progressive. Yes, I can laugh at aspects of Dubai materialism, as do many Emiratis who remember the old days. But the transformation and nation building is phenomenal. There's lots of things to do, not just malls. Beaches, Desert safaris, day trips to Oman, exploring old souks and bazaars, a shockingly cosmopolitan society with food from all over the world. And yes, the over the top architecture is fun to see. I love old historic cities but Dubai is still worth seeing.

"Most women I know loved Dubai" = majority of white women voted for Trump.
In other words, there are lots of women that are willing to overlook an unpleasant underbelly of misogyny because they have a relative level of privilege and think that it won't really affect them.
Signed, a privileged white woman

Anonymous wrote:US Department of State telling citizens to Leave Now from the Middle East, including UAE.

Here’s the post:
https://x.com/AsstSecStateCA/status/2028588420403241021

Funny, there’s no way out. Airports struck.

I hope no dcum members are stranded there, sounds horrible. Even those few lucky enough to get out are at risk, there aren’t enough flight attendants so the few flights home are pilot only. USA citizens being ordered to leave asap but no way out.

US Department of State telling citizens to Leave Now from the Middle East, including UAE.

Here’s the post:
https://x.com/AsstSecStateCA/status/2028588420403241021

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ignorance on this thread is stunning. I lived and worked in Dubai for years. Most women I knew loved Dubai, they felt totally safe. And women do work in the Emirates, at all levels. As Arab countries go, the Emirates is pretty progressive. Yes, I can laugh at aspects of Dubai materialism, as do many Emiratis who remember the old days. But the transformation and nation building is phenomenal. There's lots of things to do, not just malls. Beaches, Desert safaris, day trips to Oman, exploring old souks and bazaars, a shockingly cosmopolitan society with food from all over the world. And yes, the over the top architecture is fun to see. I love old historic cities but Dubai is still worth seeing.

Where is the ignorance? I have no desire to visit Dubai. Does this make me ignorant? I've been to the Middle East a couple times. With the way things are currently, i don't see myself going there anytime soon.

Are you really too dumb to follow the conversation?

Nobody cares if you personally want to visit Dubai, dear. Your travel preferences are not the ignorance on display in this thread…

You’re the poster that raged at another for saying Dubai and Doha are similar! Guess what, they are very much alike. Dubai is less conservative, by ME standards, but otherwise…pretty similar.

I've lived in both cities. They are very different. There are some commonalities but no one in the Gulf would confuse the two cities or countries.

Splitting hairs. No, they aren’t the same, but they share a lot of similarities.