Ms. Nhung Pham is the pioneer in bringing the type of international travel by plane combined with 5-star cruise experience to Vietnamese customers in the past 8 years. Following her footsteps, I had the opportunity to explore the luxurious ship on a cruise departing from Singapore.
DISCOVER LUXURY CRUISES FROM SINGAPORE
The cruise departed from Singapore, so we flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Changi Airport in the morning, then took a car to Marina Bay Cruise Port. At the port, I went through the same procedures as an airline, showing my passport and checking in at the counter. The cruise line staff gave me a boarding pass with important information printed on it, such as guest name, room number, restaurant name, dinner time at the restaurant, table number, and rescue staging area. After receiving my passport and boarding pass, I went inside to complete the exit procedures from Singapore at the Customs counter.
Leaving the harbor lobby, I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the ship named Voyager of the Seas with a length of 311 m, 15 floors high, weighing 138,000 tons. The entrance to the ship is on the 4th floor, past the hand luggage scanner, turn right to the lobby to take souvenir photos with the cruise ship background.
The room I stayed in was on the 7th floor, facing the street, overlooking the Royal Promenade on the 5th floor. The room on the ship was not as spacious as on land, but it was fully equipped with a double bed, dressing table, sofa, wardrobe, TV, kettle and toilet. Opening the door, I was surprised to see a towel folded into a cute rabbit on the bed, a gift from the cruise ship to welcome guests.
The avenue stretches from the bow to the stern of the ship, with fashion, cosmetics, and jewelry stores (only open when the ship is in international waters), the 24-hour Promenade Cafe with free drinks and cakes, and a customer service counter. Walking on the avenue, I felt like I was lost in a Western neighborhood.
On any cruise, before the ship leaves the port, all passengers must gather on the 4th floor deck to listen to the rescue briefing. After 30 minutes of completing this important procedure, everyone disperses and is free to move around.
The ship left Singapore for Malaysia. The sea was so smooth that I didn’t even notice the anchor had been set alight. Only when I asked the cruise staff did I learn that the ship had been at sea for an hour.
I went to the Sapphire restaurant on the 4th floor for dinner. Stepping through the restaurant door, I was surprised by the luxurious space and melodious music. Although the restaurant has three floors, the inside is connected by a common space. According to the cruise regulations, when dining at one of the three luxurious restaurants on floors 3, 4, 5, guests are required to wear formal clothes and sit at the correct table number printed on the boarding pass.
The waiters in their suit jackets greeted me with a smile and guided me to the right table. Dinner was served a la carte, with appetizers, main courses and desserts. The menu changed daily so that guests had plenty of choice and did not get bored.
MODERN MALAYSIA
At 8:00 a.m., the ship docked at Port Klang (Malaysia) – about 60km from Kuala Lumpur. We got off the ship to go ashore and drove to visit Putrajaya – the new federal administrative capital of Malaysia. I took pictures of the famous Wawasan suspension bridge shaped like a sailboat, then went to the pink mosque. The mosque is reflected in the lake, a perfect combination of traditional and modern Islamic architecture, built with pink granite. Next is the new Royal Palace located majestically on the hill. In the center of Kuala Lumpur, the place I wanted to go was the Petronas Twin Towers – a symbol of Malaysia's prosperity.
We returned to Port Klang before the ship left at 4pm, departing for the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand. The evening of the second day of the cruise had many exciting programs. The highlight of the day was the captain's welcome party at the Royal Avenue lobby. At exactly 7pm, elegant gentlemen and ladies in traditional costumes from various countries raised their glasses of wine and chatted together. The captain and officers came out to give a speech and welcome the guests. I had the honor of taking a souvenir photo with the captain.
THAILAND'S PARADISE ISLAND OF PHUKET
Phuket Island is located in the southwest and is the largest island in the land of golden temples with an area of nearly 540 km2.2. The cruise ship is too big to dock close to shore, so small boats will take passengers to the island 15 minutes away. We have fun on the island and return to the boat at any time of the day (as long as it is before the ship sets sail).
As soon as I set foot on the island, I felt the bustling atmosphere. We drove to Wat Chalong, the most famous and sacred temple among the 29 temples on Phuket Island. The temple is about 8 km from the center of Phuket town and was built in the 19th century. In the temple, there is a gilded statue of the revered monk Luang Po Cham, who led the people of Phuket to fight against the invasion of the Chinese army in 1876. Going up to the highest floor of the tower, I looked out at the majestic mountains looming in the distance. In the open space, the wind chimes hanging from the four corners of the tower gently rang, bringing a sense of peace.
And of course, I did not miss watching the breathtaking sunset on Phuket beach. The last rays of the day shone through the trees and spilled down to the sea, making the surface of the sea glow with a shimmering silver color like crystal.
ENJOY THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT ON THE CRUISE
The cruise from Phuket back to Singapore drifted at sea for 32 hours. At first, it sounds boring, but the entertainment activities on the sea took place continuously day and night, giving me countless experiences. Early in the morning, I walked up to the deck on the 12th floor, walked along the ship's railing, and went out to a large open space at the front of the ship to catch the first rays of sunlight and freely breathe in the scent of the sea.
I had breakfast at the Windjammer restaurant on the 11th floor. The buffet-style restaurant has over a hundred Asian and European dishes, mixed salads, fruits such as kiwi, apple, orange, yogurt, lemonade, strawberry juice... There are free seats in this restaurant, so I went down early to sit next to the glass window, watching the ocean view while having breakfast.
With some new friends I made on the cruise, I headed to the outdoor golf course and tried my hand at hitting balls on the green grass. The sports area on decks 12 and 13 also has a jogging lane, rock climbing, basketball courts, paddle boarding and a grandstand for spectators.
In the afternoon, the Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme musical, staged in Broadway style at the Savoy Theatre on the third floor, brought applause because the dancers danced and sang so wonderfully. Just passing by the Royale casino area, I heard the skillful shuffling of cards, the bustling sound of pulling the machines, and the excited shouts of players when they won big. The difference of the casino on the cruise ship is that it allows tourists to take souvenir photos freely. At the end of the day, soaking in the warm jacuzzi brought me a refreshing feeling on the cruise ship and a good night's sleep.
On the morning of the last day of the cruise, the cruise ship docked at the beautiful port of Singapore. It was time for me to disembark to visit famous landmarks, take pictures with the Merlion statue spouting water - a symbol of wealth and prosperity of the Lion Island, then fly back to Vietnam with regret!
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