Stopover in Dubai - Time to see the city???

We just booked the Maldives Aggressor and we're trying to make a decision on flights. Option 1 - we can have a partial day in Male after disembarking or Option 2 - we can have a long layover (19 hours) in Dubai. I'm leaning towards Dubai. I realize I won't be able to see a lot but we'll probably never go to Dubai...we aren't really "city" people. We would land in Dubai at 2pm and leave the next morning at 9:30. I'm thinking we'd have time to hop on a city bus tour to see the highlights and then get a good nights sleep before our long flight to Chicago. Is this idea totally crazy?

Male should be visited once so you know what you are missing (or not missing). There are a few decent places to hang out for lunch near where the ferry boats dock. Otherwise, not really a tourist friendly place. The people are fine. It's the over crowding, choking traffic, etc. that spoils the visit.
Definitely opt for the layover in Dubai. Plenty of time to explore, you should be getting through the airport easily by 3pm. The hop-on, hop-off bus is a good way to explore the area. A metro ride/ visit to the Dubai Mall is a great multi-cultural people watching opportunity. Taxi's are reasonably cheap. Hotel rooms are a bit expensive but are usually very nice.

Thanks for the info! We'll have a day when we arrive in Male also. We arrive at 9:30am and we don't board the liveaboard until 4pm. Not sure what we'll do that day...or better question...what we'll do with our luggage.

Airport has (or had in October)) a Left Luggage area.
Some Liveaboard's provide a voucher for day use of the Hulhule hotel. Gives you access to the pool and private beach. You can just show up at the hotel and pay for day use (includes luggage storage).

Definitely Dubai. I can get you the contact info for a tour company and a very knowledgeable private guide if you like. We did about four hours and saw the old city, the palm and the markets in about 4 hours. Well worth it. Where do you plan to spend the night?

Male...um, no thanks. It's as described above.

I would go for Dubai for sure!!!! We have friends that did that layover on the way to the Maldives and loved it!

Dubai. If I was awake and had nothing better to do maybe I would check out Male a bit, but I certainly wouldn't arrange flights to give time in Male over Dubai. The Hulhule airport hotel works well as a place to hang out while waiting for boat or flight.

We had maybe 8 hours in Dubai and decided to stay in the airport (huge, nicer than most US airports, great place to people watch.) But a few people in our group headed out to tour a bit and in hindsight that seemed like a good thing to do and I wish we had.

Mmmm what to see in Dubai ?????

What time of year are you flying? It is already dark by 5:30pm at the moment

What day of the week? Weekends here are Fri/Sat …… going to a mall on a Friday is enough to make any sane person go crazy.

Malls are also two a penny here, and the contents don't differ much, although Mall of the Emirates has a ski slope and Dubai Mall has an aquarium. Last time I was in a mall was probably more than 2 months ago.

Big Bus tour is probably worth it but personally never done it, around $60, the musical fountain at Dubai Mall next to Burj Khalifa is worth watching and is free.

Traffic is a nightmare in particular between 0700 to 1200 and from 1300 to 1900

At the end of the day it's a city of concrete and glass and I fail to understand what draws tourists here, however Deira area around the creek is good for a wander around the dhow wharfage and what remains of the old souk, and be awed by all the shiny stuff in the gold souk.

The good stuff worth seeing is outside of the city in the desert, mountains and under the sea.

What ever you choose I hope you enjoy your stay

We will actually have long layovers in Dubai both ways. On the way there, we'll land at 7pm and the next flight is at 4:35am. Depending on how tired we are, we may or may not leave the airport. On the way home, we'll land in Dubai about 2pm and fly out the next morning at 9:30. We'll never go to Dubai on purpose as we aren't into the "concrete and glass", traffic and crowds so a quick tour will be plenty for us.

I've discovered that Emirates will give you a voucher for a free hotel if you have a long layover - more than 8 hours but less than 24 - if there isn't an earlier flight option. Quite the perk if it really works out.

Yep. Hotel rooms, I believe, are limited to First and Business classes...but they put us up at the JW Marriott Marquis. Quite an impressive place and they put you in a car and deliver you from the airport.