RAF Air Movements 1953-1961
A retrospective of RAF service of the time
LEGEND OF THE SEAS-ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINES
3rd January 2009
On our Golden Anniversary page I mentioned that we were going to have a major celebration in 2009.
Well we are in to "countdown" now, as we leave in around 4 weeks on Jan 30th.
We fly from Brisbane to Singapore (Changi!) on the 30th and overnight at Allson Hotel just a short hop from the Raffles Hotel.
The next day we board the Legend of the Seas cruise liner to begin a 14 day cruise.
The itinerary includes 2 days at Bangkok in Thailand, Sihanoukville Cambodia, Ho Chi Min City, Nah Trang, Hue/Danang in Vietnam, Sanya China, 2 days in Hong Kong, Xiamen China and terminate in Shanghai. We have a couple of days in Shanghai before flying back home via Melbourne.
On our Golden Anniversary page I mentioned that we were going to have a major celebration in 2009.
Well we are in to "countdown" now, as we leave in around 4 weeks on Jan 30th.
We fly from Brisbane to Singapore (Changi!) on the 30th and overnight at Allson Hotel just a short hop from the Raffles Hotel.
The next day we board the Legend of the Seas cruise liner to begin a 14 day cruise.
The itinerary includes 2 days at Bangkok in Thailand, Sihanoukville Cambodia, Ho Chi Min City, Nah Trang, Hue/Danang in Vietnam, Sanya China, 2 days in Hong Kong, Xiamen China and terminate in Shanghai. We have a couple of days in Shanghai before flying back home via Melbourne.
We have chosen a Balcony Stateroom on the left side (Port?) of the ship so that we can view the landside as we cruise up Malaysia and Vietnam..... that is if the land is visible !
We are just awaiting the return of our passports and visas in the next few days.
Coincidentally....it is just 50 years ago (1959) that I was cas-evac'd back to UK from Changi when I contracted polio. So it is a Golden Anniversary in more ways than one !!!!!
I will be adding more to this "blog" when we return from the trip.
I will be adding more to this "blog" when we return from the trip.
FRIDAY JANUARY 30th 2009
In a little over 3 hours we leave home for Brisbane International Airport.
We are only 1 hour away but with all the new security restrictions we have to be at the airport 3 hours prior to take-off.
We arrive at Changi International at 7.30 this evening and will overnight at Allson Hotel in the City.
We don't have to board the ship till quite late in the day as it sails at 7pm. This will give us plenty time to have a wander around Singapore and maybe have a "Singapore Sling" in the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel ! We have a late (3pm) checkout organised from our hotel.
The ship will be cruising up to Thailand (Bangkok) until Sunday morning, so we will have lots of time to get squared away and explore the ship.
I will update this report when I return.......
We are only 1 hour away but with all the new security restrictions we have to be at the airport 3 hours prior to take-off.
We arrive at Changi International at 7.30 this evening and will overnight at Allson Hotel in the City.
We don't have to board the ship till quite late in the day as it sails at 7pm. This will give us plenty time to have a wander around Singapore and maybe have a "Singapore Sling" in the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel ! We have a late (3pm) checkout organised from our hotel.
The ship will be cruising up to Thailand (Bangkok) until Sunday morning, so we will have lots of time to get squared away and explore the ship.
I will update this report when I return.......
SYNOPSIS AND PROGNOSIS
Well here we are on March 1st (1st day of Autumn down here !)
Both Pat and I have been struggling to shake off a dose of pollution based bronchitis, since we have returned from Shanghai.
I picked up some "wog" on the flight to Singapore and by day 2 of the cruise I was reporting sick to the ship's doctor: an Indonesian medico, who put me onto a course of antibiotics plus a throat gargle and Antussin cough mixture. Within a couple of days, Pat was down with a similar
complaint and also required the Doctor who prescribed a similar treatment.
The claims are already in to the Travel Insurance Company......let's hope they cough (pun intended) up with a refund of the $500+ US$ expended !!
The Airbus flight to Singapore was most uncomfortable in economy. We decided there and then that we would either upgrade to Business Class coming back from Shanghai or attempt to get a flight with a stop-over in Hong Kong or Singapore. When we were in Hong Kong we called over to QANTAS on HK Island (using the Star Ferry). Sadly there was no seats available on our return flight and the Shanghai-Melbourne leg could not be done in hops. With the prospect of an 11 hour flight in similar conditions to the 7+ hour flight to Singapore we requested a seat at any of the emergency exits. This did in fact occur as we found out later.
I think I have said elsewhere that Singapore has changed so much since the 50s/60s. We had a hotel for our one night stop-over in Victoria Street about 2 blocks away from Bugis Street. This street is now well known as a shopping area and there was little sign of the notoriety it once enjoyed !
Allson Hotel was comfortable and we caught up with a few Poms staying over after their vacation in and around Singapore. (Hi Linda !!)
The Cruise Terminal was well set up for large cruise liners and three levels of shopping to keep you occupied before boarding. We had been told that alcohol was prohibited in Staterooms on board. We had bought some duty free Scotch and Drambuie so I stashed that deep in our heavy luggage. Carry on bags were subject to security checking similar to airport security and I didn't want my booze getting snaffled !
Boarding commenced at 10:30 with a sailing time of 19:00. With 1400 pax to embark there was some long waits and delays as you can imagine. A lot of the delays were caused by passengers not having the correct visas for the ports of call. Even if not leaving the ship it was a requirement that a visa be held for each country. Slack travel agents somewhere ! Then all hand baggage had to go through the scanner and we had the magic wand run over us for metallic objects.
Of course we had to keep the liquor out of site as the cabin steward might have "dobbed us in".
*************
Both Pat and I have been struggling to shake off a dose of pollution based bronchitis, since we have returned from Shanghai.
I picked up some "wog" on the flight to Singapore and by day 2 of the cruise I was reporting sick to the ship's doctor: an Indonesian medico, who put me onto a course of antibiotics plus a throat gargle and Antussin cough mixture. Within a couple of days, Pat was down with a similar
complaint and also required the Doctor who prescribed a similar treatment.
The claims are already in to the Travel Insurance Company......let's hope they cough (pun intended) up with a refund of the $500+ US$ expended !!
The Airbus flight to Singapore was most uncomfortable in economy. We decided there and then that we would either upgrade to Business Class coming back from Shanghai or attempt to get a flight with a stop-over in Hong Kong or Singapore. When we were in Hong Kong we called over to QANTAS on HK Island (using the Star Ferry). Sadly there was no seats available on our return flight and the Shanghai-Melbourne leg could not be done in hops. With the prospect of an 11 hour flight in similar conditions to the 7+ hour flight to Singapore we requested a seat at any of the emergency exits. This did in fact occur as we found out later.
I think I have said elsewhere that Singapore has changed so much since the 50s/60s. We had a hotel for our one night stop-over in Victoria Street about 2 blocks away from Bugis Street. This street is now well known as a shopping area and there was little sign of the notoriety it once enjoyed !
Allson Hotel was comfortable and we caught up with a few Poms staying over after their vacation in and around Singapore. (Hi Linda !!)
The Cruise Terminal was well set up for large cruise liners and three levels of shopping to keep you occupied before boarding. We had been told that alcohol was prohibited in Staterooms on board. We had bought some duty free Scotch and Drambuie so I stashed that deep in our heavy luggage. Carry on bags were subject to security checking similar to airport security and I didn't want my booze getting snaffled !
Boarding commenced at 10:30 with a sailing time of 19:00. With 1400 pax to embark there was some long waits and delays as you can imagine. A lot of the delays were caused by passengers not having the correct visas for the ports of call. Even if not leaving the ship it was a requirement that a visa be held for each country. Slack travel agents somewhere ! Then all hand baggage had to go through the scanner and we had the magic wand run over us for metallic objects.
Legend of the Seas at Singapore Cruise Terminal
Because we had completed our boarding formalities on-line prior to leaving home we were quickly off to our stateroom and it wasn't too long before the luggage was delivered (complete with booze).Of course we had to keep the liquor out of site as the cabin steward might have "dobbed us in".
*************
Leaving Singapore in the evening meant that there wasn't too much to see as we rounded the bend close the Changi. We were going to be at sea for two days before reaching our first port of call at Laem Chabang, in Thailand which is the port for Bangkok. This gave us the opportunity to explore the ship and try and find just where everything was. It took some time to get used to the various deck levels and whether we should be going forward or aft !!
The seas were calm throughout the entire 14 days at sea and we experienced no discomfort whatsoever.
Having visited Bangkok on two previous visits to Thailand we decided not to avail ourselves of the shore excursion which included 2 1/2 hours bus trip each way. Instead we opted to visit Pataya which was well known as an R & R place for Yanks serving in Vietnam.
Quite a busy little community with the usual shopping "mecca". Gays seemed to be in large quantities and I did see at least one transvestite or perhaps even a transexual. Quite open and brazen so it seemed. Plenty of "older" white guys with younger local girls out and about.
The stay in Laem Chabang was for two days.
OK....where did I get to. Oh yes....we left Bangkok to sail Southward to Cambodia. The sea in the Gulf of Thailand was calm and it was most pleasant drifting along.
We had opted for a shore excursion to Sihanoukville as the trip to Phnom Penh required some 2+ hours on a bus.
The visit to Cambodia was a bit nostalgic for me as my father, who worked in Bangkok in 1928, was on his way there to play Rugby when he was injured in a bus smash. He was captain of the Siam ( now Thailand) Touring Team and was on the way to play against the French Army in Saigon.
After the bus smash, which left one leg badly mangled, he got to the outskirts of Phnom Penh before being hospitalised at a Catholic Missionary. His team lost 5 points to 3 and he never was able to play Rugby again.
The ubiquitous Pagoda/temple was first stop on our tour. Travelling through some appalling poverty it was amazing to see the grandeur that is lavished on these places of worship.
Intra Ngean Pagoda at Sihanoukville....Cambodia
It appears that Cambodia has nothing to offer the world and the aftermath of the Pol Pot regime and American strategic bombing along it's borders with Vietnam, has left the country in dire straits. We saw many limbless beggars (landmine victims) and young children attempting to sell shell artifacts (which are not able to be brought back to Australia). We noticed one American handing out dollars to the kids without taking anything. Guilt perhaps?
The seas were calm throughout the entire 14 days at sea and we experienced no discomfort whatsoever.
Having visited Bangkok on two previous visits to Thailand we decided not to avail ourselves of the shore excursion which included 2 1/2 hours bus trip each way. Instead we opted to visit Pataya which was well known as an R & R place for Yanks serving in Vietnam.
Quite a busy little community with the usual shopping "mecca". Gays seemed to be in large quantities and I did see at least one transvestite or perhaps even a transexual. Quite open and brazen so it seemed. Plenty of "older" white guys with younger local girls out and about.
The stay in Laem Chabang was for two days.
***************************************************************
This 'report' is going take a few days (maybe weeks even!) to put together. I did most of my photography using a video camera and I am going through the footage to collect some stills to include herein !***************************************************************
OK....where did I get to. Oh yes....we left Bangkok to sail Southward to Cambodia. The sea in the Gulf of Thailand was calm and it was most pleasant drifting along.
Welcome to Cambodia.
We had opted for a shore excursion to Sihanoukville as the trip to Phnom Penh required some 2+ hours on a bus.
The visit to Cambodia was a bit nostalgic for me as my father, who worked in Bangkok in 1928, was on his way there to play Rugby when he was injured in a bus smash. He was captain of the Siam ( now Thailand) Touring Team and was on the way to play against the French Army in Saigon.
After the bus smash, which left one leg badly mangled, he got to the outskirts of Phnom Penh before being hospitalised at a Catholic Missionary. His team lost 5 points to 3 and he never was able to play Rugby again.
The ubiquitous Pagoda/temple was first stop on our tour. Travelling through some appalling poverty it was amazing to see the grandeur that is lavished on these places of worship.
It appears that Cambodia has nothing to offer the world and the aftermath of the Pol Pot regime and American strategic bombing along it's borders with Vietnam, has left the country in dire straits. We saw many limbless beggars (landmine victims) and young children attempting to sell shell artifacts (which are not able to be brought back to Australia). We noticed one American handing out dollars to the kids without taking anything. Guilt perhaps?
AT SEA>>>EN ROUTE>>>VIETNAM
Departure from Cambodia was quite late in the evening but we would be at sea for two days before making landfall again in Vietnam.
This was the opportunity to further explore the ship and to partake of some of the onboard entertainment. The casino had available every kind of game imaginable from Blackjack to roulette and the inevitable "one arm bandits".
Breakfast could be had as early as 6am or as late as 11. Then it was time for lunch.....anywhere between 11:30 and 3 pm. If you are a bit of a fang.....then the food supply on a cruise will satisfy the most ardent eater. Concerned that we might over-indulge, we were careful to not over eat just because the food was there and plentiful. Many of the 'overweight' passengers could be seen stuffing themselves like there was no tomorrow! When we got home and checked our weight on our scales, we had not gained one single kilo !
We felt that the main dining restaurant food was a bit of a let down. Mostly it arrived less than hot.
The variety was limited to a menu catering for all different nationalities. After a couple of attendances we opted to eat in the buffet style Windjammer restaurant. Here again, all types of ethnic foods were available plus Western style "roast of the day", chicken, steak, fish, curry and Sushi. So one could dine on a variety of ethnic foods.....say Sushi for entree, fish followed by roast or curry then a huge range of deserts. Coffee (American style) was available endlessly as was soft drinks, ice cream, tea (20+ varieties), Hot Chocolate and plentiful supply of freash fruit was always available..
We did return to the main dining room for the Formal nights. Having invested $100 US to hire a dinner suit, shirt, bow-tie and shoes I had to get my money's worth! The photographers were most active on these nights and there was several venues where you could choose a backdrop for a photo. Fortunately, you got to view before you buy, 'cos some of the candid shots taken at the table were as rough as........
Viking Crown Lounge
Main pool
This was the opportunity to further explore the ship and to partake of some of the onboard entertainment. The casino had available every kind of game imaginable from Blackjack to roulette and the inevitable "one arm bandits".
Breakfast could be had as early as 6am or as late as 11. Then it was time for lunch.....anywhere between 11:30 and 3 pm. If you are a bit of a fang.....then the food supply on a cruise will satisfy the most ardent eater. Concerned that we might over-indulge, we were careful to not over eat just because the food was there and plentiful. Many of the 'overweight' passengers could be seen stuffing themselves like there was no tomorrow! When we got home and checked our weight on our scales, we had not gained one single kilo !
We felt that the main dining restaurant food was a bit of a let down. Mostly it arrived less than hot.
The variety was limited to a menu catering for all different nationalities. After a couple of attendances we opted to eat in the buffet style Windjammer restaurant. Here again, all types of ethnic foods were available plus Western style "roast of the day", chicken, steak, fish, curry and Sushi. So one could dine on a variety of ethnic foods.....say Sushi for entree, fish followed by roast or curry then a huge range of deserts. Coffee (American style) was available endlessly as was soft drinks, ice cream, tea (20+ varieties), Hot Chocolate and plentiful supply of freash fruit was always available..
We did return to the main dining room for the Formal nights. Having invested $100 US to hire a dinner suit, shirt, bow-tie and shoes I had to get my money's worth! The photographers were most active on these nights and there was several venues where you could choose a backdrop for a photo. Fortunately, you got to view before you buy, 'cos some of the candid shots taken at the table were as rough as........
Once the ship rounded the Southern tip of Vietnam we entered the South China Sea. The ship did roll slightly, but nothing to cause any concern, where the Gulf of Thailand meets the South China Sea.
Being smokers, we soon found the best little spots away from the crowd to enjoy a pre-dinner drink and a puff. The "cigar aficionados bar" was to be found on the very top deck to the rear of the Viking Crown Lounge bar. Here we could enjoy a glass of wine and a beer (Heineken was all the go!) and a pretty damn nice view.
Being smokers, we soon found the best little spots away from the crowd to enjoy a pre-dinner drink and a puff. The "cigar aficionados bar" was to be found on the very top deck to the rear of the Viking Crown Lounge bar. Here we could enjoy a glass of wine and a beer (Heineken was all the go!) and a pretty damn nice view.
Main pool
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM !
We arrived early in the morning in Vung Tau which is the port city for Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon the name of which is still used locally.
Although it meant a 2+hour bus journey we decided we would make the effort as we really wanted to see the place which was recently in the news.
The first stop in Saigon was at the old Presidential Palace now renamed to Reunification Hall.
Although it meant a 2+hour bus journey we decided we would make the effort as we really wanted to see the place which was recently in the news.
The first stop in Saigon was at the old Presidential Palace now renamed to Reunification Hall.
This is a life size model of the North Vietnamese tank which crashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace to end the war in 1975.
Now a museum, it was interesting to see the style and luxury enjoyed by past rulers.
Below is the front gates where TV images were beamed around the world of a North Vietnamese tank crashing through, as a mass evacuation was taking place from the US Embassy next door.
NAH TRANG AND DANANG (HUE)
Having seen Vietnam up close and personal in Saigon we opted to stay on board for the next 2 stops in Vietnam. We were both a bit under the weather with the "bug" we had picked up and wanted to shake that as soon a possible. This was an opportunity to explore the ship more fully and with many of the passengers off doing shore excursions, the time was well spent.
Nah Trang-Vietnam
Some more shots of the Legend of the Seas
Purser's Desk
The Centrum-Glass sided lifts to all deck levels
Comfortable sitting areas everywhere
A small group sang and played here most afternoons
Main pool on a busy day !
Nah Trang-Vietnam
Going ashore for an excursion was made by ship's tender. There is no deep-water port at Nah Trang.
The tenders (2) were kept busy all day shuttling the 10 minute ride back and forth.
There was an island across from Nah Trang that appeared to be under development as a tourist resort.
The tenders (2) were kept busy all day shuttling the 10 minute ride back and forth.
There was an island across from Nah Trang that appeared to be under development as a tourist resort.
Could be a nice spot if only the wind could blow away the pollution!
Purser's Desk
The Centrum-Glass sided lifts to all deck levels
Comfortable sitting areas everywhere
A small group sang and played here most afternoons
Main pool on a busy day !
ON A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA !
Perhaps one disappointment on the cruise was the fact that we didn't get to Hanoi in the North of Vietnam. Three ports in the South was a bit of overkill. Then again....perhaps American owned ships are a "bit on the nose" in the North !
Anyway, after departing from Vietnam it was a short hop across to Sanya on Hainan Island off the south coast of China. Not much improvement in the pollution as can be seen here. In fact as we got closer to China it deteriorated markedly.
Rows upon rows of apartments.
A welcome from Sanya
One of the "tips" I passed on to the Travel company who did our bookings, concerned the pre-booking of shore excursions. All the pre-cruise blurb would have you believe that shore excursions could be booked out unless advance bookings were made. In fact, all through the cruise we were bombarded with messages to book for the next days excursions. Many old hands at cruising were smart enough to not pre-book and in most cases they hired a cab at the jetty to take them for a tour around or to a particular destination. Often the tours, which were always acompanied by a tour guide, would end up in a high priced jewelery or silk factory where 20-30 minutes was wasted, as not much buying was done. Also the tours were not cheap and all priced in US dollars.
At Sanya we decided to do the taxi bit! We were first at the main street shopping mall well before the tour buses started to arrive. We found Sanya a great place to shop with middle of the road stores selling reasonable quality goods at fair prices. Of course in these stores it is not possible to haggle but the pricing is still very keen.
Excellent Sea Terminal facilities at Sanya
There is a love of bright lights in Sanya
Anyway, after departing from Vietnam it was a short hop across to Sanya on Hainan Island off the south coast of China. Not much improvement in the pollution as can be seen here. In fact as we got closer to China it deteriorated markedly.
Rows upon rows of apartments.
Sanya Harbour - Hainan Island
Hainan has been designated a SEZ ....Special Economic Zone....and is rapidly becoming known as a tourist destination as well as an important international seaport.A welcome from Sanya
One of the "tips" I passed on to the Travel company who did our bookings, concerned the pre-booking of shore excursions. All the pre-cruise blurb would have you believe that shore excursions could be booked out unless advance bookings were made. In fact, all through the cruise we were bombarded with messages to book for the next days excursions. Many old hands at cruising were smart enough to not pre-book and in most cases they hired a cab at the jetty to take them for a tour around or to a particular destination. Often the tours, which were always acompanied by a tour guide, would end up in a high priced jewelery or silk factory where 20-30 minutes was wasted, as not much buying was done. Also the tours were not cheap and all priced in US dollars.
At Sanya we decided to do the taxi bit! We were first at the main street shopping mall well before the tour buses started to arrive. We found Sanya a great place to shop with middle of the road stores selling reasonable quality goods at fair prices. Of course in these stores it is not possible to haggle but the pricing is still very keen.
Excellent Sea Terminal facilities at Sanya
There is a love of bright lights in Sanya
Quite a pleasant stay there and as we sailed off into the sunset bound for Hong Kong the lights from the shore were like a fairyland.
HONG KONG
While I was stationed at RAF Changi there was many opportunities to get an indulgence flight up to Hong Kong. Of course Murphy's Law dictates that if you don't grab the chance then you'll sure to miss out.
I often regretted that I never got there and for me the highlight of this trip was the visit to "Honkers".
Hong Kong Harbour approach
Berthing jetty
Welcome to Hong Kong!
A full pipe band- must have known I was onboard !
I often regretted that I never got there and for me the highlight of this trip was the visit to "Honkers".
Hong Kong Harbour approach
Berthing jetty
Welcome to Hong Kong!
A full pipe band- must have known I was onboard !
Our arrival at the quayside in Hong Kong was met by a local bagpipes and drums band who marched up and down the jetty while the ship was being docked.
We had pre-booked a shore excusion for the day we arrived and that involved a tour of Hong Kong including crossing from Kowloon to HK Island via the undersea tunnel. We visited Stanley Markets for 20 minutes of shopping and Aberdeen fishing village where we had a junk trip around the floating population. It is said that the population of Aberdeen is seen as lower class citizens and as such are not permitted to live onshore. In fact after so long on sea-living, they would get "land sick" much as us landlubbers tend to get seasick when on the water.
Junk trip around Aberdeen
Aberdeen with Victoria Peak in background
We had pre-booked a shore excusion for the day we arrived and that involved a tour of Hong Kong including crossing from Kowloon to HK Island via the undersea tunnel. We visited Stanley Markets for 20 minutes of shopping and Aberdeen fishing village where we had a junk trip around the floating population. It is said that the population of Aberdeen is seen as lower class citizens and as such are not permitted to live onshore. In fact after so long on sea-living, they would get "land sick" much as us landlubbers tend to get seasick when on the water.
Junk trip around Aberdeen
Aberdeen with Victoria Peak in background
On our way to the next stop we passed through Repulse Bay. Our tour guide took great pains to tell us the story of the building in the next photo.
Why the big hole in the middle?
Why the big hole in the middle?
According to Chinese superstition and the Feng Shui for buildings, the developer of this building had to make allowance for the dragon that lived on the side of the hill, to reach the water at Repulse Bay. True story !!
Our next port of call was at a jewelry factory. Here we saw jade being fashioned into beautiful pieces. We were given time to inspect the finished article but prices were HUGE. Only the richest of yanks would have bought anything. For myself....I popped downstairs to the street and had a quiet smoke !
Jade carver at work
A big "lump" of raw jadeJade carver at work
Next on our tour was a visit to Victoria Peak. Originally we were to travel up by cable car and then be met by the bus for the trip down. Due to the huge number of buses, not only from our ship, the tour guide decided that we would drive up to the Peak and return via the funicular railway. The very narrow road on the way up had us with white knuckles as we kept meeting buses on the way down ! Not a lot of room for passing and the sides of the hill are sheer drops!
On top, the views would have been magnificent but for the smog that hung all over the city.
The following photos give some idea of the pollution that is rampant throughout Asia today.
The lookout Victoria Peak
Hong Kong city from Victoria Peak
On top, the views would have been magnificent but for the smog that hung all over the city.
The following photos give some idea of the pollution that is rampant throughout Asia today.
The lookout Victoria Peak
Hong Kong city from Victoria Peak
As mentioned previously, we decided to front QANTAS to see if we could change flights or upgrade to Business for the long overnight flight back from Shanghai to Melbourne.
The QANTAS office in HK is on HK Island so we headed down to the Star Ferry terminal which was just near our berth. These ferries run continuously across to the island.
The Legend at Hong Kong seen from the Star Ferry
The Legend at Hong Kong seen from the Star Ferry
On the island side we left the ferry and used a covered walkway which went right into the city without any roads to navigate. We soon found the office tower where QANTAS was located and rose by fast lift to the 23rd floor. The young Chinese lady was very pleasant but re-assured us there was nothing she could do. Our flight was fully booked in all classes and there was no option to have a stop-over on the way from Shanghai. As an alternative, she suggested that we change our pre-booked seats in Economy to the 'emergency exit' which had lots more leg room. She said she would do that for us but I still wasn't 100% certain that we would get that allocation when we flew from Shanghai.
In fact it did happen and we had a most comfortable return journey even although it took 11:30 hours. Thank you QANTAS !
Casinos are not permitted in Hong Kong. Macao is close by but if the locals want a bit of a gamble they can cruise out of the territorial waters on one of the Star Cruises floating casinos for a night of uninhibited gambling. And we all know how much the Chinese like a gamble.
This is a "Casino" ship
In fact it did happen and we had a most comfortable return journey even although it took 11:30 hours. Thank you QANTAS !
Casinos are not permitted in Hong Kong. Macao is close by but if the locals want a bit of a gamble they can cruise out of the territorial waters on one of the Star Cruises floating casinos for a night of uninhibited gambling. And we all know how much the Chinese like a gamble.
This is a "Casino" ship
Night time sees a laser light show along the waterfront at Kowloon. This is a nightly show and lasts for some 10-12 minutes. Along with all the other night time lights from city buildings and advertising boards, this makes quite a show.
Laser light show at Kowloon
Star Ferry terminal on KowloonLaser light show at Kowloon
Soon enough our 2 night stop over in Hong Kong came to an end. By 16:30 on day 12 of our cruise the ship slowly pulled away from the jetty.
The leaving of Hong Kong
The leaving of Hong Kong
The tall building in the background will be the tallest in the world. Hong Kong is waiting to see how high the one will be in Dubai before they add another 19 or so storeys. I think around 200 floors !!
Next stop will be Xiamen in China.....opposite Taiwan Island
XIAMEN CHINA
We hadn't booked a shore trip for this stop. As we were going to be in Shanghai soon with 2 days to look around we decided to relax. The onboard library was well stocked and as we had read the two Jeffrey Archer books we brought with us we found some good books and some comfortable armchairs.
The computer station had around 20 computers available and internet connection was available throughout the cruise, probably by satellite. I was able to keep in touch with family and also receive email. I could also frighten myself by checking to see how the credit card was holding up ! With all onboard activities, purchases etc. this was charged to the Visa card in US Dollars. Astounding how it quickly racks up after conversion to AUD !
A further tour of the ship discovered the kid's areas. Not that there were too many kids on this cruise but I suppose they have to allow for them and in all sizes.
Teen's Club
Teen's Club-Dance floor, TV, Video, games and milk bar
Electronic games room for kids
The computer station had around 20 computers available and internet connection was available throughout the cruise, probably by satellite. I was able to keep in touch with family and also receive email. I could also frighten myself by checking to see how the credit card was holding up ! With all onboard activities, purchases etc. this was charged to the Visa card in US Dollars. Astounding how it quickly racks up after conversion to AUD !
A further tour of the ship discovered the kid's areas. Not that there were too many kids on this cruise but I suppose they have to allow for them and in all sizes.
Teen's Club
Teen's Club-Dance floor, TV, Video, games and milk bar
Electronic games room for kids
For the more active and adventurous there was a "climbing wall" right at the back end of the ship on the very highest deck ! Didn't see anyone on it but I have to say the day was wet and miserable.
Climbing Wall......about 20 metres high
Deck games with the usual quoits or shuffleboard and a small putting green seemed to be the total for outside activities other than the swimming pools.
Deck Games
Putting
Pool and Spas
Deck games with the usual quoits or shuffleboard and a small putting green seemed to be the total for outside activities other than the swimming pools.
Deck Games
Putting
Pool and Spas
As we departed Xiamen we could look forward to a full day at sea. We would arrive in Shanghai on day 14 of our trip at 10 in the morning on Saturday.
The final night would involve packing as our heavy luggage had to be outside the stateroom by 11pm. This was to give the baggage handlers time to get all luggage down to the deck level for off loading.
On the last evening we made a point of being in the Main dining room. Not only to say farewell to our table companions but also this is when the 'gratuities' are handed out.
Another point I made to our travel agent......about gratuities. With most American ships tipping or 'gratuities' is almost compulsory ! We had pre-paid all our gratuities for dining room staff and our Stateroom steward. When you consider that our attendance at the Main Dining Room was perhaps 5 times out of 14 possible evening meals plus breakfast and lunch meals, the round sum of $100US was a bit over the top. Had we not pre-paid, I would have made a pro rata payment. We had no problem with the cabin steward as he did look after us particularly well.
This was discussed several times with other passengers and the feeling was that the cruise line pays a small basic salary and the staff are forced to rely on tips to augment the wage.
All drinks are automatically loaded with 15% gratuity whether you go to the bar and collect your own drinks or are served at a table.
The drinks pricing was exorbitant considering the ship was mainly in "duty-free" international waters. Beer and wine for example would have been 2.5-3 times the price in Australia. Now we begin to understand why the ban on alcohol in Staterooms. Makes you buy their over-priced product !!
However, we enjoyed our nightly Drambuie with a cup of coffee out on our balcony as we drifted along.
Arrival in Shanghai was to be at 10:00 so we could have a leisurely breakfast before our disembarkation was due.
The final night would involve packing as our heavy luggage had to be outside the stateroom by 11pm. This was to give the baggage handlers time to get all luggage down to the deck level for off loading.
On the last evening we made a point of being in the Main dining room. Not only to say farewell to our table companions but also this is when the 'gratuities' are handed out.
Another point I made to our travel agent......about gratuities. With most American ships tipping or 'gratuities' is almost compulsory ! We had pre-paid all our gratuities for dining room staff and our Stateroom steward. When you consider that our attendance at the Main Dining Room was perhaps 5 times out of 14 possible evening meals plus breakfast and lunch meals, the round sum of $100US was a bit over the top. Had we not pre-paid, I would have made a pro rata payment. We had no problem with the cabin steward as he did look after us particularly well.
This was discussed several times with other passengers and the feeling was that the cruise line pays a small basic salary and the staff are forced to rely on tips to augment the wage.
All drinks are automatically loaded with 15% gratuity whether you go to the bar and collect your own drinks or are served at a table.
The drinks pricing was exorbitant considering the ship was mainly in "duty-free" international waters. Beer and wine for example would have been 2.5-3 times the price in Australia. Now we begin to understand why the ban on alcohol in Staterooms. Makes you buy their over-priced product !!
However, we enjoyed our nightly Drambuie with a cup of coffee out on our balcony as we drifted along.
Arrival in Shanghai was to be at 10:00 so we could have a leisurely breakfast before our disembarkation was due.
SHANGHAI
From quite early on our last morning onboard, I was on the balcony watching the approach to Shanghai up the Huang Pu River. I had looked it up on Google Earth but I had no idea that the river would accommodate a ship the size of Legend. The lower reaches of the river was mostly industrial, giving way to skyscrapers as we neared the city centre.
Smog makes for poor photography !
Smog and more smog..
Bronchitis land !!
Sea Terminal jetty at Shanghai
Departure from the ship was controlled by colour coding that applied to your luggage tags.
Waiting in one of the lounges meant that the cabins could be made ready for the next boarding of passengers. The ship was going to do a reverse journey back to Singapore.
Everything went quite smoothly and we were soon in a taxi heading to our hotel. It was extremely cold after the tropical heat we had come from but we had taken some parkas with us and were quite well rugged up.
Waiting in one of the lounges meant that the cabins could be made ready for the next boarding of passengers. The ship was going to do a reverse journey back to Singapore.
Everything went quite smoothly and we were soon in a taxi heading to our hotel. It was extremely cold after the tropical heat we had come from but we had taken some parkas with us and were quite well rugged up.
Our hotel in Central Shanghai, on the Bund, was once very popular with Westerners and there are photos throughout depicting the notables that have stayed there. It seemed as if the hotel had lapsed into some obscurity and had been largely frequented by locals. After some extensive refurbishment the hotel is now chasing the tourist dollar and with World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, there will be plenty of visitors looking for rooms.
Very comfortable rooms with 12 foot ceilings put one in mind of the Raffles in it's heyday.
Over the Saturday and Sunday we were there, the hotel hosted 3 Chinese weddings.
The reception staff found it hard to smile. I had the feeling that language was a major stumbling block and that by being serious, there was little chance of any conversation other than the booking in/out proceedure.
As I've mentioned, World Expo 2010 is being hosted by Shanghai and the city is in the throes of an extensive make-over. Streets are closed and traffic diversions are happening everywhere. With the drab overcast weather, the dull grey buildings and the extreme cold we were just so glad that we only opted for 2 days before returning to Australia. We met some people on the ship who were planning on 6 days. Winter is certainly not the time to see Shanghai at it's best.
We met some nice folk at the hotel. One family of mother, father and visiting daughter, were Americans. Mother and father were in China teaching English. They were on a contract and spent about 15 hours a week on conversational english language. Neither were teachers as a profession. Another, an expatriate Welshman who now lives in Canada.
He was in China on business and usually spends 4 -6 weeks there at a time. He also travels to other parts of the world as a Cryogenic Engineer.
Yu Yuan Gardens shopping area was suggested as being a great place to shop with "haggling" being very much part of the process. It also has some stunning architecture.
Very comfortable rooms with 12 foot ceilings put one in mind of the Raffles in it's heyday.
Over the Saturday and Sunday we were there, the hotel hosted 3 Chinese weddings.
The reception staff found it hard to smile. I had the feeling that language was a major stumbling block and that by being serious, there was little chance of any conversation other than the booking in/out proceedure.
As I've mentioned, World Expo 2010 is being hosted by Shanghai and the city is in the throes of an extensive make-over. Streets are closed and traffic diversions are happening everywhere. With the drab overcast weather, the dull grey buildings and the extreme cold we were just so glad that we only opted for 2 days before returning to Australia. We met some people on the ship who were planning on 6 days. Winter is certainly not the time to see Shanghai at it's best.
We met some nice folk at the hotel. One family of mother, father and visiting daughter, were Americans. Mother and father were in China teaching English. They were on a contract and spent about 15 hours a week on conversational english language. Neither were teachers as a profession. Another, an expatriate Welshman who now lives in Canada.
He was in China on business and usually spends 4 -6 weeks there at a time. He also travels to other parts of the world as a Cryogenic Engineer.
Yu Yuan Gardens shopping area was suggested as being a great place to shop with "haggling" being very much part of the process. It also has some stunning architecture.
Touts are at you all the time as you walk through. "Watch-Bag?" is the catch call or a sureptitious look at a small leaflet depicting watches such as Rolex, Omega, Dior etc. The bags on offer are Prada and Gucci. All rip-offs needless to say, but they do look good at a fraction of the price of the real thing.
Mostly the fake stuff is well away from prying eyes. If one decides to have a look, a secret door will open at the back of the shop and then a further secret door takes you into the inner sanctum. On one ocassion I was taken to the 6th floor of an apartment block down a side alley and then up a flight of wooden steps to a "secret" room. We did buy a few souvenir brand name watches. Even if they only last for a couple of years the price is right!
Centre promotions as we know them in Australia called for a Chinese band and singer. The crowd was very appreciative although it didn't do much for us!
Mostly the fake stuff is well away from prying eyes. If one decides to have a look, a secret door will open at the back of the shop and then a further secret door takes you into the inner sanctum. On one ocassion I was taken to the 6th floor of an apartment block down a side alley and then up a flight of wooden steps to a "secret" room. We did buy a few souvenir brand name watches. Even if they only last for a couple of years the price is right!
Centre promotions as we know them in Australia called for a Chinese band and singer. The crowd was very appreciative although it didn't do much for us!
Come Monday morning we breakfasted and bid farewell to our recent friends. We were due to check out at 12 noon and our flight was not until 8:30 in the evening. A long day and night ahead of us. It was too cold to do anything outside so we decided that we would head out the airport at Pudong and spend some time there.
Taxi to the airport or Maglev train? That is the question !!
Taxi to the airport or Maglev train? That is the question !!
SHANGHAI MAGNETIC LEVITATION TRAIN TO PUDONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
While I am still sorting out some "stills" from my video files I thought I would post some comments about Shanghai.
This is where our cruise ended and we had elected to stay over for a couple of days before flying home. Before we left, we checked out the current weather in Shanghai and were amazed that after an Asian tour with temperatures in the mid 30'sC, we were going to find it cold. Well.....cold it was !
Overnight got down to 4C and rose to around 8C during the day. It was cold!
The centre of Shanghai is undergoing a major renovation ahead of the World Expo next year. Streets are in chaos everywhere. Major disruptions to traffic were the order of the day.
We found the cold weather and grey overcast skies to be a bit off putting but we did manage to get to a few places of interest. We had left most of our "shopping" for Shanghai and there are a couple of really great "shoppers paradise" areas in Shanghai. For upmarket stores like Gucci, Prada, Nike, Rolex and the like you need to head to the pedestrian mall at Jinling Road. There are still the usual 'touts" who try to attract you up some side street to view their merchandise. We found the mall stores to be too expensive and on further enquiry we found that a street called Sichuan Road was the place to go. Also there is a great shopping/tourist area called Yu-Yuan Gardens which is where we decided to venture.
Because we had plenty of time between hotel check-out and our return flight we decided to get a cab over to the Maglev train terminal and see what that offered for passengers with a couple of large suitcases as well as backpacks. I was a bit worried that the facilities would be difficult to manage.
No such trouble......the taxi dropped us at the foot of an escalator and this was designed to make it easy to ascend with luggage in tow.
Because we were flying out of Pudong we got a discounted 'ticket to ride'. There are two trains on the Maglev system...... VIP and Economy. For the 8 minute ride, I can only imagine that difference would be more comfortable seating. Certainly there is no time for a coffee or a beer even !
I did take some personal video of the trip on Maglev but the following YouTube video is much more interesting and informative...enjoy.
This is where our cruise ended and we had elected to stay over for a couple of days before flying home. Before we left, we checked out the current weather in Shanghai and were amazed that after an Asian tour with temperatures in the mid 30'sC, we were going to find it cold. Well.....cold it was !
Overnight got down to 4C and rose to around 8C during the day. It was cold!
The centre of Shanghai is undergoing a major renovation ahead of the World Expo next year. Streets are in chaos everywhere. Major disruptions to traffic were the order of the day.
We found the cold weather and grey overcast skies to be a bit off putting but we did manage to get to a few places of interest. We had left most of our "shopping" for Shanghai and there are a couple of really great "shoppers paradise" areas in Shanghai. For upmarket stores like Gucci, Prada, Nike, Rolex and the like you need to head to the pedestrian mall at Jinling Road. There are still the usual 'touts" who try to attract you up some side street to view their merchandise. We found the mall stores to be too expensive and on further enquiry we found that a street called Sichuan Road was the place to go. Also there is a great shopping/tourist area called Yu-Yuan Gardens which is where we decided to venture.
Because we had plenty of time between hotel check-out and our return flight we decided to get a cab over to the Maglev train terminal and see what that offered for passengers with a couple of large suitcases as well as backpacks. I was a bit worried that the facilities would be difficult to manage.
No such trouble......the taxi dropped us at the foot of an escalator and this was designed to make it easy to ascend with luggage in tow.
Because we were flying out of Pudong we got a discounted 'ticket to ride'. There are two trains on the Maglev system...... VIP and Economy. For the 8 minute ride, I can only imagine that difference would be more comfortable seating. Certainly there is no time for a coffee or a beer even !
I did take some personal video of the trip on Maglev but the following YouTube video is much more interesting and informative...enjoy.
PUDONG INTERNATIONAL SHANGHAI TO TULLAMARINE MELBOURNE.
I have covered the Rapid Transit train in the previous paragraph so I won't dwell on that. Suffice to say that places like Singapore and Shanghai have embraced the future of rapid city transportation and airline travel with a vengeance. The airports at both these cities are incredible.
Departure set down area Pudong
Marble floors and cantilevered roof
Airbus to Melbourne
Departure set down area Pudong
Marble floors and cantilevered roof
Airbus to Melbourne
QANTAS in Hong Kong had told us the flight was full. Indeed it was. The queue formed well before the check in was opened. We had spent a fair bit of time checking out the airport and having a meal in one of the restaurants. Apparently the flight was made up of many overseas students returning to Australia for the new Uni year. Some would be coming for the first time. They were the obvious ones as it seemed that Momma had done the packing and having no care about the 20 kg baggage allowance, had packed everything including the kitchen sink. The staff must have seen this many times because there was a special roped off area where those with overweight baggage could offload a few things. We saw kettles, toasters, doonas, cans of food getting the flick for Momma to take home. One suitcase had dozens of wooden clothes hagers. ...hullooo! I bet when they were told the amount of money the extra weight was going to cost they soon decided to travel light !
At check-in we were delighted to see that our lady in Hong Kong had got us a side pair of seats by the emergency exit. Tons of legroom and better yet......... the opportunity to chat to the "hostie" in the jump seat during take-off and landing! Nice legs too !!
The aircraft, an Airbus, was very new and much better than the outward flight to Singapore. We both managed to get some sleep by putting our backpacks on the floor and getting our legs off the floor.
After we reached cruising altitude the Captain came on to say that due to a volcanic eruption somewhere on the Indonesian Islands, he would have to make a detour from the regular route. This would add around 40 minute to the flight time.We originally had a 2 hour transit in Melbourne but we thought we could still be in time for our onward flight.
Approaching Melbourne we were amazed to see how brown it was. This wasn't areas that had suffered from the recent bushfires....this was just parched grassland that had been drought stricken for months.
After Changi and Pudong, we thought we had arrived in some 3rd world country. Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport is an absolute disgrace. One International flight coming in at 10:50 completely jammed the place.
Getting baggage off the carousel was a total free for all. The queue to get through immigration was slooooow !
So many Asians on the flight required close scrutiny and yet returning residents had to wait their turn. The new Australian passports which we have, has an electronic chip embedded in the centre page which allows returning residents to go through a chip scanner rather than wait for immigration. Of course there was no signs to indicate this and when a staff member finally made the announcement we were almost at the front of the line. Typical !
Then to clear customs required a queue that snaked around back and forth for what must have been 500 metres. The wait was the best part of an hour and of course we missed our flight to Brisbane.
We did manage to get a later flight with minimal waiting and finally got to Brisbane and then home just 27 hours after we left our Shanghai hotel.
At check-in we were delighted to see that our lady in Hong Kong had got us a side pair of seats by the emergency exit. Tons of legroom and better yet......... the opportunity to chat to the "hostie" in the jump seat during take-off and landing! Nice legs too !!
The aircraft, an Airbus, was very new and much better than the outward flight to Singapore. We both managed to get some sleep by putting our backpacks on the floor and getting our legs off the floor.
After we reached cruising altitude the Captain came on to say that due to a volcanic eruption somewhere on the Indonesian Islands, he would have to make a detour from the regular route. This would add around 40 minute to the flight time.We originally had a 2 hour transit in Melbourne but we thought we could still be in time for our onward flight.
Approaching Melbourne we were amazed to see how brown it was. This wasn't areas that had suffered from the recent bushfires....this was just parched grassland that had been drought stricken for months.
After Changi and Pudong, we thought we had arrived in some 3rd world country. Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport is an absolute disgrace. One International flight coming in at 10:50 completely jammed the place.
Getting baggage off the carousel was a total free for all. The queue to get through immigration was slooooow !
So many Asians on the flight required close scrutiny and yet returning residents had to wait their turn. The new Australian passports which we have, has an electronic chip embedded in the centre page which allows returning residents to go through a chip scanner rather than wait for immigration. Of course there was no signs to indicate this and when a staff member finally made the announcement we were almost at the front of the line. Typical !
Then to clear customs required a queue that snaked around back and forth for what must have been 500 metres. The wait was the best part of an hour and of course we missed our flight to Brisbane.
We did manage to get a later flight with minimal waiting and finally got to Brisbane and then home just 27 hours after we left our Shanghai hotel.
IN SUMMARY
We wouldn't have missed this trip for anything.
Although we found most of Asia badly polluted and
ended up with the "dreaded lurgy",
it was an experience of a lifetime.
The cruise ship was OK but did not come anywhere near
the experience of the QE2, on which we sailed from
New York to Southampton, as part of a Round the World trip
on our 40th wedding anniversary.
We met some great people and made friends across the sea.
Adding another five countries to the list of places visited and seeing both
poverty and affluence on this journey, has made us
appreciate the wonderful country in which we
are so fortunate to live.
Click the link below to sample
our feelings!
AustraliaHome.wma
James and Pat Aitken
Although we found most of Asia badly polluted and
ended up with the "dreaded lurgy",
it was an experience of a lifetime.
The cruise ship was OK but did not come anywhere near
the experience of the QE2, on which we sailed from
New York to Southampton, as part of a Round the World trip
on our 40th wedding anniversary.
We met some great people and made friends across the sea.
Adding another five countries to the list of places visited and seeing both
poverty and affluence on this journey, has made us
appreciate the wonderful country in which we
are so fortunate to live.
Click the link below to sample
our feelings!
AustraliaHome.wma
James and Pat Aitken
March 2009
