On February 28, 2026, an intercepted drone struck the Burj al Arab, causing a minor fire on the outer facade of the building. The USA was suddenly at war with Iran, which has since quickly escalated to include most of the Middle East becoming involved as either ally or agent. We worried, should we cancel our trip?
It’s easy to let worries prevent you from traveling. Like many places we visit, things change after we have been there. Whether man-made disasters, or caused by nature; the politics, the safety, the infrastructure and/or the landscape may alter quickly.
When we saw the images of the Burj al Arab, shaped like a sailboat, we recalled that we had seen the luxury hotel, while driving through the city of Dubai in 2023. This was just one of the amazing, architecturally interesting structures we would see. The images instantly took me back to why we were there at all.
We had an opportunity to extend our last cruise by an additional segment, for half the regular cost. This would allow us to sail through parts of Asia and ultimately end our trip in Dubai. We decided to jump at the opportunity. Dubai wasn’t a country which I would likely ever have chosen to explore on our own, yet we did just that as we rented a car and so enjoyed the cultural experiences we encountered. This is the beauty of travel, it opens your eyes and challenges your stereotypes and personal biases. I had felt very safe in Dubai, I couldn’t imagine at the time, that the very airport which we had flown out of, would be bombed just a couple of years later. I know I am unlikely to travel through Dubai again in my lifetime, not because I don’t want to (I do) but rather because it is not near any other place I am likely to be visiting.
As I watch the news, I am worried about the challenges which might be created for us on this trip. We will be thousands of miles away from the fighting but terrorist attacks are arising daily. Countries are beginning to hoard their oil reserves, including some which we will be visiting. We may experience fuel shortages which could affect both our air and sea travels.
Stateside our Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is being hampered by a government shut down. Yesterday over 300 agents quit, since they are working without pay. As a result, the lines are getting long at the airports.
To top things off, it looks like we may be hit with 2 snow storms, measuring in feet not inches over the next couple of days. Today is Thursday, we leave Monday. The first storm arrives tomorrow into Saturday and the more serious one arrives overnight on Sunday. Our flight departs at 7a.m., hopefully.
In our last few days of preparation for our Asia trip, I do not have a crystal ball to know how this will play out for us. I accept that I have zero control over any of it. I have travel insurance to handle any change of plans which may come our way. The rest of it I must leave to fate. In the meantime I will try to stay focused on the joy I shared with Alan, as we traveled down a river near old Dubai. I am excited to make new memories and by this time next week we should be in Singapore!
