Stephanie Abou Jaoude, the hotel's public relation officer, comments: "All the concierges in other hotels know about it and they tell their guests about it. It's something other hotels don't have; it's authentic to Dubai."

"It's just like a normal restaurant - the only difference is we have a captain," she adds.

Satisfaction guaranteed

Now in its 14th year of operation, the dhow has retained its popularity despite all the changes and challenges that come with being in a fast-evolving city.

Micheel points to customer comments the floating restaurant has received over the years as the perfect indicator that all is well.

"The feedback we receive is, in general, very positive," he says.

"People enjoy the cruise very much, but we tend not to have much repeat business because it's really a thing for tourists."

Story continues below
Advertisement

"We do, however, have a lot of families and corporate people bringing friends and clients to the cruise, as well as a few business groups who come when they visit the city."

The very nature of Dubai's F&B industry means that new tours, cruises and restaurants are cropping up all time time to challenge the Al Mansour Dhow's success.

Micheel is well aware of the increasing competition from rival operators.

"There are so many different boats offering different menus at different prices, from small to large boats offering a variety of different options, he says.

"When you look down the creek you can count up to 25 boats or more at any one time."

One of the most popular Creek cruise trips on offer, the Bateaux Dubai, offers guests luxury champagne dinners on a modern diesel vessel.

This French-designed cruiser can seat up to 200 diners and host corporate meetings or product launches.

Laetitia Duchet, marketing executive for Jebel Ali International, operator of the glass-enclosed vessel, explains: "The Bateaux allows uninterrupted 360-degree views of the sights and landmarks surrounding the creek."

"We serve gourmet meals and a fine selection of beverages, complemented by live music."

Radisson's Micheel feels that this cruise, while spectacular, does not offer the same traditional feel of Al Mansour. "The Bateaux has an à-la-carte menu but it doesn't really fit in here; it's more like a boat you would see in London or Paris," he comments. "Great food and a great boat, but it's very different."

"I don't really see it as competition as it's a different product," he adds. "I see our competition as the other dhows along the creek. There really is a healthy mix of boats for all types of budgets, which makes it much more interesting for us."

Arabian magic

The team behind the boat is keen to highlight the dhow's key selling point - its authentic style - to visitors.

"The size of our boat and the buffet we are offering makes us unique," stresses Micheel. "No one else is offering what we do,"

The dhow, which started life two centuries ago as a cruise liner in Abu Dhabi, also features nightly entertainment in the form of a traditional Oud musician, leaving tourists to soak in some authentic Arabian magic as they glide along the Creek and into the ocean.

So while skyscrapers rocket up and cranes work away, guests on Al Mansour are doing something a little special in the region's own city that never sleeps.