sj-cruiser

I forgot to mention the reason we went with the private driver is the port stop was extended by 5 hours but the ship excursions were not extended.  We were going to originally go with the excursion to the shopping area because it was an easy way to get there and back without risking missing the ship.  However when they didn't extend the excursions for the longer time in port we decided it was worth getting a private driver.

I'll have to find out what app or website my wife used but we had a fantastic time in Kuala Lumpur.  We ended up taking a private tour from a guy who used to be a restaurant and hotel manager in the area.  He was amazing and got us to places we might not have known of otherwise.  We got to see lots of different things and places and he made sure to get us back about an hour before we had to be on the ship.  Kuala Lumpur ended up being our favorite stop on the trip other than Singapore where we started and ended the cruise.

I can try to find out if my wife still has his information.

I wrote this in another thread before finding this one:

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We were on a Singapore to Singapore cruise to Thailand and Malaysia on the Westerdam Feb 3-14.  We brought two bottles of red wine and two of white with us.  One of the bottles of white was in our carryon and the other three were in our "checked" luggage.  When we got to the carryon x-ray machine we let the person running it know we had a bon voyage bottle in our carryon and that we'd have have to pay corkage for it.  They said don't worry about it.  We also never got charged for the other three bottles.

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However we were prepared to pay the corkage if need be.  The prices they charge for wine onboard are ridiculous compared to what a bottle costs here in California.  It's worth it to us to bring wine we know we will enjoy and pay the $20 because it will cost the same or less than what we can get onboard.

We are not tied to any particular cruise line but have cruised most on HAL.  Most of our cruise decisions have been based on where we wanted to go and which ship offered the best itinerary and least days at sea.

We started cruising back in the early 90's and had our first HAL trip (our 2nd cruise) 2003 when we went to Alaska.  We loved that cruise and thought everything was amazing.  With each subsequent HAL trip the cruise line has been slipping.  However HAL still offered a reasonable price to experience ratio for our most recent trip but that might be our last HAL trip.

The things that got me the most on our most recent cruise was the lack of quality and interesting meals in the main dining room.  We're also bothered that there is no longer a lobster night and that steak in the main dining room costs extra.  There were a few wonderful dishes and appetizers during the cruise but they were definitely few and far apart.

The one area where HAL has not gone downhill in my eyes is the quality of their lowest level employees.  They were all very professional, upbeat or at least pleasant and very welcoming and helpful.  Whoever is running that portion of their ships is doing a great job as far as I'm concerned.

We were on the Westerdam February 3-14 travelling around Thailand and Malaysia from Singapore.  When we got on board our room was too cold.  As the week progressed the room got warmer and warmer even though the temp setting was as low as possible.  We started to leave the drapes closed when we were out so the sun wouldn't warm the room too much.

We met one woman onboard who said the AC wasn't working in her room at all and this was on day four.  She even threatened to go sleep in one of the common areas since her room was too hot.

We also met one cruiser who didn't have any hot water in her room and another set of cruisers who only had hot water in their room.

The Westerdam seemed to be having problems on this cruise.

We were on a Singapore to Singapore cruise to Thailand and Malaysia on the Westerdam last month.  We brought two bottles of red wine and two of white with us.  One of the bottles of white was in our carryon and the other three were in our "checked" luggage.  When we got to the carryon x-ray machine we let the person running it know we had a bon voyage bottle in our carryon and that we'd have have to pay corkage for it.  They said don't worry about it.  We also never got charged for the other three bottles.

We drank the two whites in our room (they had screw tops so opening them was not an issue) and it was so hot and humid we didn't feel like drinking the reds so they cruised with us and got off the boat with is.

If one every cruises to Singapore be careful if your last stop is in Malaysia before arriving in Singapore.  Evidently all alcohol from Malaysia is taxed when coming into Singapore.  There were a lot of other cruisers who were getting off in Singapore.  Several of them had bought liquor in Malaysia in the duty free shops and when they tried to bring it in to Singapore they were being asked to pay tax on them.   The tax was running about $30 to $40 Singapore dollars per bottle.

I was stopped because of the red wine I brought in even though I explained I had brought it from the US and we just didn't drink on the ship.  We had paid $95 and $70 for the bottles so we were going to pay the tax because we didn't want to lose the wine.  When it came time to pay for them the tax agent asked a lot of questions including how much I had paid for the wine.  They asked for receipts for the bottles but since I'd bought them several years ago I didn't have them.  I think they looked up the wine on the internet and found out that winery doesn't distribute and eventually let me through with the bottles without having to pay tax on them.

I'll be on the Westerdam in a couple of weeks and this is one of the stops.  The port is Port Kelang and I've read in another post here people are saying it takes an hour to an hour and a half to get to Kuala Lumpur from the port.  I'm wondering what the options are.  Is there any public transportation (bus, train, etc...)?  Do taxis go there from the port and if so how much and is it easy to get a taxi back to the ship?  How much should one expect to pay for a private car and are there any ways to make sure you have a reliable car and driver?  I generally dislike taking the ship's excursions but sometimes I know those are the best ways to get places while on a cruise.

On 12/27/2022 at 3:49 AM, Solent Richard said:

If your not into beaches then there is little to actually entertain oneself with in Phuket.

 

With that in mind we took an amazing day out while there: so good indeed, I wrote a review of it on my cruise blog...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/10/13/one-way-to-do-phuket/

 

Unfortunately this is no longer available.  I've checked multiple sites and all of them say it isn't available for booking anymore.  I'm so happy you were able to experience it and wish I'd be able to as well.

On 12/27/2022 at 3:49 AM, Solent Richard said:

If your not into beaches then there is little to actually entertain oneself with in Phuket.

 

With that in mind we took an amazing day out while there: so good indeed, I wrote a review of it on my cruise blog...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/10/13/one-way-to-do-phuket/

 

Wow!  What an amazing write up.  Thank you so much for sharing that.  I think we have a winner!

I'll be stopping for an overnight stay on Holland America Feb 3 through the 4th.  cruisemapper.com said that overnight cruise ships are tendered in but Holland America says they're docked.  Assuming Holland America is correct is there anyone here who has taken Holland America to Phuket for an overnight stay and what was it like where the ship is docked?

When did you go and how much did it cost to get into Phuket City?

What were your highlights when you were there?

Thank you in advance.

It used to be that one only paid corkage if one brought a bottle to a dining room or bar.

For that bottle of Simi Saugivnon Blanc you're probably better off buying a bottle and paying the corkage.  It's about $15 here with one place having it for $10.

Thank you CruiserBruce and AFNavigator.

It seems reasonable to get 4 glasses of good wine for $5 a glass plus with you paid for the bottle in the first place.  As I recall last time I cruised (2019) a passable wine was usually about $9 a glass and it's probably gone up since then.

For those who have brought wine on board after the policy change when did you get charged the corkage?

21 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Over the years, I have been to most of the ports in both countries. However, without knowing your interests, it is impossible to suggest one over the other.

 

I suggest researching the local attractions and available tours in each of the ports and picking the itinerary that meets more of your interests.

Thank you Heidi13, here's a bit more about our interests.  We tend to be more active than a lot of other folks we meet on cruises and like to either go hiking or bicycling in the ports we visit.  We also enjoy walking around the cities we visit on our own "tour" rather than taking something organized.  We do occasionally take food tours in ports when there's time to take one.

We're currently deciding between the HAL cruises from Singapore in Feb 2023.  One goes to Thailand and Malaysia while the other goes to Indonesia.  I'd like to hear from folks who've been on cruises in those areas to find out which you preferred and why you preferred it.  It doesn't need to have been a HAL cruise.

In the past we've displayed computer games on the cabin TV on a HAL cruise.  I was wondering if anyone has successfully done that on a Norwegian ship.  We'll be in an outside cabin on the Spirit and was wondering if it was worth bringing the HDMI cable to do the same thing on that ship.  In the past I've had to use a universal TV remote to bypass the restricted remote that the cruise line provides you.  I don't mind doing that again.

While in Kirkwall we went to a place near Birsay to try to see Puffins, and also saw:

Skara Brae

Ring of Brodgar

Standing Stones of Stenness

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn

Highland Park Distillery

Our driver/guide also took us to a friend's farm to see their two cool "sheep" pigs. They are fuzzy pigs that were very cute and friendly.

Have not used it yet as I sail next month, but there is a Majestic Wine across from the train station and an ASDA superstore also in the west quay area. Both of them will sell wine and Majestic has an easy to use online site to select and price.

We were there on May 25th, took the train from London and stopped at Majestic before heading to the trip. It was a great place to get wine with very reasonable prices and knowledgeable staff. Sarah helped us choose a couple of ports for the cruise (we like port and cheese as a self served snack/dessert in our cabin.) I looked around and their selection in other areas was fairly good as well. I was very impressed.

When we were there on May 27th on the Royal Princess the train was very easy to get. It stops right at the port and we could see it from the ship when docked.

If you have any interest in Irish Whisky I highly recommend the Jameson Distillery tour. It was one of the highlights of our trip. It is very interesting because it's a tour of the old distillery with lots of great information and interesting recreations of the work that was done there. It's a very photogenic site as well if you like old buildings and old equipment.

The premium tasting at the end of the tour was absolutely wonderful. I tried a whisky that was so smooth and interesting I wouldn't have known it existed without the tasting. It was the Middletown Very Rare that goes for 180 Euros a bottle. I'm glad I had a chance to try it.

If you do go to the distillery get a taxi from Cobh rather than Cork because Cobh is closer to the distillery than Cork (You pass the roads to Cobh going from Cork.)

Did all those ports (except Liverpool) last week on the Royal Princess and your assessment was correct. We did hear that one of the dock ports we went to could be dock or tender but I don't remember which one.

We were unable to stop in St Peter Port due to high winds. (May 26, 2018)

We booked ours about a month before the cruise and the only time available for us was the last time slot. It was crowded but we had a good time. If you do have the last time slots some of the tasting areas start shutting down shortly after (within 30 minutes) you complete your self guided tour. The booking was easy, just did it on the Guinness Storehouse web site.

I would choose Kirkwall and Dublin rather than just Dublin. Lots of interesting places around Kirkwall. We were there last week. Be sure to make plans before you get there. The taxis were all booked when we got there and we only got a taxi by dumb luck.

We were there last week. Definitely make arrangements before you get there to be sure you have a tour. The hop on hop off had a huge line when we were there on the Royal Princess. We dumb lucked into getting a taxi because our driver had driven her son to school and was available. All the other taxis were pre-booked or for locals only. It was well worth the 40 pounds an hour for five hours of tour seeing most of the major sites.

We were in Kirkwall last week. I *highly* recommend making plans before you get there because resources are limited. The lines for the T11 were horrible when we were there on the Royal Princess. We went to the two downtown taxi services and both of them told us all of their taxis were already booked. The only reason we got a taxi was dumb luck. Our wonderful driver and guide Mary had given her tour to her husband and then taken their son to school before heading into town. We were lucky to catch her as she was approaching town and she was free. It was 40 pounds an hour and our tour around Orkney took 5 hours but was amazingly interesting. It might have taken us more time than it would take you because we were trying to find puffins and visited two places without seeing them. (Puffins generally are out at sea during the day feeding when the ship is in port) We visited all of the major neolithic sites (very interesting) and some other places as well including the Highland Park Distillery.

After the taxi tour we went to a bar downtown and tried some of the local scotches and one gin. I generally don't like gin, but since it was a rhubarb flavored gin I thought it was worth a try. It was amazing. It was Rhubarb Old Tom from the Orkney Gin Company. It was more of a dessert drink and was very enjoyable. I highly recommend trying it and buying a bottle at the bottle shop in town if you do like it. We went other places in Scotland that had their other products and they said they can't get the Rhubarb Old Tom outside of Kirkwall.

We were there just last week and we were lucky to find a cab to drive us around and get a tour. Be sure to make arrangements before you get there if you want to be sure to get around. I would highly recommend using a taxi rather than driving yourself because a good guide/driver will know when to visit various places to avoid the throngs taking the buses. We had Mary who runs tours and had a fantastic time. It was 40 pounds an hour and our tour was five hours but it was well worth it. We did all of the major neolithic sites and finished up at the Highland Park Distillery and felt it was one of the best days of our cruise.