Do Dubai dhow cruises have toilets?

Yes, on every dinner dhow, generally on the enclosed lower deck. Larger boats carrying 150 guests usually have more than one. They are marine toilets on a working boat rather than restaurant washrooms.

Are dhow cruises air-conditioned?

The lower deck is enclosed and air-conditioned; the upper deck is open air. That layout is standard across almost every Dubai dinner dhow.

Which deck should you sit on during a dhow cruise?

The upper deck, for the view. From the lower deck you are looking through glass. Use the air-conditioned deck for the buffet and for cooling down, particularly between June and September.

Is there wheelchair access on a dhow cruise?

It varies considerably by vessel and by boarding point, and the two decks are connected by a staircase rather than a lift. Ask about your specific sailing before booking rather than assuming.

Can you change clothes on a dhow cruise?

Only in the toilets — there are no changing rooms or showers. Dhow cruises are dinner cruises rather than swimming trips, so it rarely comes up.

Answered · 4 minute read

Do dhow cruises have toilets and air conditioning?

Yes to both. Every Dubai dinner dhow has toilets aboard and an air-conditioned enclosed lower deck where the buffet is laid out. The upper deck is open and unconditioned, which is where you should sit for the view — the lower deck is for eating and for cooling down.

Published 16 September 2026

The short version

Toilets are aboard on every dinner dhow. Two decks means two sets on most boats.
The lower deck is enclosed and air-conditioned; the upper deck is open.
Sit upstairs for the view — downstairs you are looking through glass.
There are no showers, and changing facilities are limited to the toilets.

The two-deck layout, and what each is for

Almost every Dubai dinner dhow is built the same way. The lower deck is enclosed, air-conditioned and holds the buffet and most of the seating. The upper deck is open to the sky, with seating along the rails and usually a canopy over part of it.

People instinctively take the first free table, which is usually downstairs, and then spend two hours looking at the Marina through a window. Go upstairs. The lower deck is where you go to eat and to cool down between courses.

What the facilities actually are

Toilets are aboard on every boat, generally on the lower deck, and larger dhows carrying a hundred and fifty people usually have more than one. They are marine toilets on a working boat rather than restaurant washrooms — clean, small and busiest immediately after the buffet opens.

There are no showers and no changing rooms. Dhow cruises are not swimming trips, so this rarely matters, but it catches people who have booked a dhow expecting something closer to a charter.

Toilets — yes, lower deck, more than one on the larger boats
Air conditioning — lower deck only; the upper deck is open air
Showers or changing rooms — no
Lift or step-free access between decks — no, it is a staircase
Wheelchair access — varies considerably; ask before booking

When the air conditioning matters most

June to September, when even an 8pm sailing has an upper deck in the low thirties with high humidity. In those months the enclosed deck stops being a fallback and becomes where a lot of guests spend most of the cruise.

December to February the opposite is true: the upper deck is cool enough on the water that people ask for a layer, and the air-conditioned deck is the least appealing place on the boat. Bring a light jacket in those months and you will get the better half of the cruise.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Do Dubai dhow cruises have toilets?: Yes, on every dinner dhow, generally on the enclosed lower deck. Larger boats carrying 150 guests usually have more than one. They are marine toilets on a working boat rather than restaurant washrooms.
Are dhow cruises air-conditioned?: The lower deck is enclosed and air-conditioned; the upper deck is open air. That layout is standard across almost every Dubai dinner dhow.
Which deck should you sit on during a dhow cruise?: The upper deck, for the view. From the lower deck you are looking through glass. Use the air-conditioned deck for the buffet and for cooling down, particularly between June and September.
Is there wheelchair access on a dhow cruise?: It varies considerably by vessel and by boarding point, and the two decks are connected by a staircase rather than a lift. Ask about your specific sailing before booking rather than assuming.
Can you change clothes on a dhow cruise?: Only in the toilets — there are no changing rooms or showers. Dhow cruises are dinner cruises rather than swimming trips, so it rarely comes up.

Book it

If you want to get on the water

Check a date

Planning one of these? Check your date.

Leave the date and roughly how many of you there are and we will come back with the boats that are free and what each costs. No deposit at this stage.

No deposit to enquire
A reply within a couple of hours
Licensed boats, licensed crew, price all-in

Call +44 7360 497351 WhatsApp us