Anyone on Navigator right now .?

Brunei is not worth going to either IMO. Very oppressive and depressing society, but at least the food was better than Kota Kinabalu. I would not return.

Absolutely loved Singapore and would go back anytime.

I have never been to island of Borneo; neither the Malaysian nor Brunei parts. Both would be great for me to see; alas, only way I would go to either is on cruise; not a land trip. Therefore, I have a lot of empathy for those disappointed by the changes.

Marc

I have never been to island of Borneo; neither the Malaysian nor Brunei parts. Both would be great for me to see; alas, only way I would go to either is on cruise; not a land trip. Therefore, I have a lot of empathy for those disappointed by the changes.

 

Marc

Marq, the Navigator may be a bit down, but she is not out!

Captain just announced we caught a bit of a break and lost the current but still have the gale force wind across the bow. We should pick up our pilot tomorrow about noon and be in Kota Kinabalu by about 1:15. If we lose some of the wind we might be earlier.

So looks like the people who are chalking up new countries and/or new ports will still be able to add both cites and one country.

Travel is always an adventure and to really enjoy traveling, we have learned you just have to adapt. Things can change when you least expect it.

Today was another door decorating day. The funniest door had a picture of the Navigator (from a Regent mailer) in a sea of blue tissue paper except for the area around the ship and that was brown. The title was: ''Charter Member of the Stuck in the Mud Society".

This contest was sponsored by the ship and the ship was giving out decorating supplies to anyone wanting them. I got out and took pictures of all the contest doors for our blog...there were 10 entries. They were all great! I noticed around 25 other doors also had some sort of decoration on them.

We crossed the equator at 3 AM so it was the King Neptune Ceremony this morning. Instead of the messy dunking we had the Country Fair to celebrate. In keeping with the theme of this segment it rained! However it didn't stop the fun. Lots of people out playing the games. The crew seemed to be having a ball. Even the Captain and Davor were smiling and they definitely need a laugh or two.

www.2018worldcruise.blogspot.com

Just a quick Comment about Kota Kinabulu for people that will be visiting there on the Voyager later this month. We spent a week there and loved it. For us, we prefer reality and find Singapore a bit Disneyland-ish in the tourist areas. Borneo has a very interesting history and we are happy to be returning.

Carolyn, loving your posts. Keep it up😹

Travelcat, as you know, the experiences offered by travelling independently to a place differ enormously from those offered from a limited time stop and a ship's excursion, in particular that KK excursion to the Cloud Forest. Whilst I wouldn't have missed it, the experience was somewhat disappointing and depending on our circumstances that can prompt different reactions: those fortunate enough to be able to do so might choose to return and do the thing "properly" with time and a more focused itinerary (as you did). However, the very real Gardens by the Bay offers a clearer scientific picture of the ecosystem of the Cloud Forest and for someone wishing to learn about that and see the plant life up close without the physical challenge of the excursion, there's no doubt which I would recommend.

And, the Cloud Forrest at gardens by the bay is air conditioned - a huge bonus! Perhaps not a truly authentic experience, but interesting and easily accessible!

Travelcat, as you know, the experiences offered by travelling independently to a place differ enormously from those offered from a limited time stop and a ship's excursion, in particular that KK excursion to the Cloud Forest. Whilst I wouldn't have missed it, the experience was somewhat disappointing and depending on our circumstances that can prompt different reactions: those fortunate enough to be able to do so might choose to return and do the thing "properly" with time and a more focused itinerary (as you did). However, the very real Gardens by the Bay offers a clearer scientific picture of the ecosystem of the Cloud Forest and for someone wishing to learn about that and see the plant life up close without the physical challenge of the excursion, there's no doubt which I would recommend.

Glad to hear this about KK. We reluctantly canceled the Cloud Forest tour for fear that it was too much for us. But are planning to go to the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

So glad you will be doing a blog also.....I fear mine gets rather dull. Have a safe trip, see you on the ship!

forgap, thanks for the heads up about the Gardens. Dick is really having problems with the heat this trip.

Glad to hear this about KK. We reluctantly canceled the Cloud Forest tour for fear that it was too much for us. But are planning to go to the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

 

So glad you will be doing a blog also.....I fear mine gets rather dull. Have a safe trip, see you on the ship!

 

forgap, thanks for the heads up about the Gardens. Dick is really having problems with the heat this trip.

Your blog is definitely not dull - it is interesting and we look forward to reading it every day!

Sorry to hear that Dick is having problems with the heat. I definitely can identify with that. I'll always remember how much fun it was to have him on our trivia team in South America. If we ever sail on the same ship again, I'd go back to playing trivia but for now, we tend to avoid it.

In terms of my blog from the Voyager, I can't compete with the amazing photos that have been posted over the past month or so so I won't try to but we are looking forward to being back in Asia!

Gilly - I do "get" your point about doing land vacations vs. cruising and also understand that being in a sanitized country seeing the gardens is better for some people than being in the extreme heat of the real jungle. For us, as much as I dislike the heat, we always look back fondly at the experience and are glad that we did it (the Amazon is a good example - it was rough going through it but wonderful to remember). We will be doing an excursion in Kota Kinabalu - to a village which we hope will be interesting.

Glad to hear this about KK. We reluctantly canceled the Cloud Forest tour for fear that it was too much for us. But are planning to go to the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

 

So glad you will be doing a blog also.....I fear mine gets rather dull. Have a safe trip, see you on the ship!

 

forgap, thanks for the heads up about the Gardens. Dick is really having problems with the heat this trip.

Carolyn, your blog is not dull at all nor are your pictures! I have been reading it every day, sometimes sharing events with my husband. This is in a “subtle” effort to convince him a world cruise is in his future. Jan

Briar 14, Thanks, we do the blog to remember what happened, what we did/saw on our trips and for the family to follow. Glad you are enjoying it. Hope it will encourage your husband to take the plunge. The world cruise is a dream come true for me and Dick is doing OK. Sea days are his problem, but being a small ship he has made friends and loves to talk and there are plenty of other men looking for conversation also.

TC, Thanks, glad you are reading the blog. Dick loved playing trivia on the SA trip especially the first leg. That was a great group. He talks about your husband's stories all the time. It would be fun to sail together again sometime.

Looking forward to your take on some of the same ports we are doing...and maybe some we missed. Right now Jamie is calling this the "Plan B cruise"! We have received three different tickets as the time has changed for the KK tours today. It is 11:30 now and we are picking up the pilot soon.

Carolyn, I had to laugh about your comment about the world cruise being a dream come true for you and your husband was doing just ok. That will be me and George someday. He doesn’t thrive on seadays.

Carolyn, I had to laugh about your comment about the world cruise being a dream come true for you and your husband was doing just ok. That will be me and George someday. He doesn’t thrive on seadays.

There are plenty of men who will sympathize with George. Dick always seems to find company.

The Navigator is back on track, will be leaving Brunei at 3PM.