Hi there mklions ...... yes you must try the shower in the sky, it does have an undeniable novelty factor.

Your pick-up car may not necessarily be a Merc S class (other car brands are available, as the BBC disclaimer goes...!) but it will be something of similar quality. No guarantees on that. Could be a Merc E class or a BMW.

On the matter of lounges : the Heathrow lounge is a joint business /first class facility ..... very pleasant & well-equipped, but nothing overly-special. Dubai will be a whole different experience because there are dedicated F lounges with a LOT more space & luxury, including table service for food with comprehensive a la carte menus

My own favourite beverage onboard is the Hennessy Paradis cognac, but others here will extol the virtues of Dom Perignon champagne (speaking personally, the bubbly stuff never does much for me, but each to his/her own of course).

It's great that you're looking forward to your trip so much and I sincerely hope that it meets your expectations. There's every chance it will, and overall Emirates can be relied on to 'deliver' where First class is concerned. That said, I do always believe in cautioning anyone travelling in F for the first time that a lot can depend on the crew on any given flight. I have had many F flights that were made memorable by the manner & attitude of the cabin crew ; but there have also been occasions where I felt they were merely going though the motions. It tends not to be an issue for me personally because I don't have any particular demands - other than the additional space & privacy that F class provides - but I think some passengers might (understandably) feel a little disappointed if service comes across as routine.

Others here will chime in with their own perspective & thoughts and meantime you might want to gave a read through some of the generic threads included here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...dashboard.html

Have a fantastic trip ^