Super Star Virgo

[ssv]

Star Cruises Entertainment proudly presents

 

Maestro & Muse featuring dancers and gymnast from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia

 

The highlight of the show includes:

Aero Gymnastics

German Wheel

An extremely talented young contortionist from Russia, watch out for the piano!

 

Love Bites: A Las-Vegas Styled Topless Show

 

I have not seen this show yet, but each performance is packed so that may be a sign that it is good.

 

Terry Parade is a comedian and juggler, his antics and amazing use of ping pong balls will humour as well as impress!

 

 

 

On a different note, Wasa Queen is sold and has left Port Klang and we will see a ship based out of a new homeport sailing new and exciting itineraries soon.

[furballPerth]

Thanks for the info on shore excursions in Phuket, ssv. Great advice which I will follow.

 

Have the new shows you posted started on the Virgo? They look good. I've seen Musicians of breman twice before so it's time for a change this time! I'm travelling in August and can't wait!

[ssv]

I have seen Terry Parade and Maestro & Muse.

 

Terry Parade is a very humourous juggler, his use of ping-pong balls for juggling is also quite fascinating. You can find his profile on Star Cruises website.

 

Personally, I like Maestro & Muse but I've heard many feedback about it's lack of story line and acrobats as well as good reviews. The lack of old tried and tested features e.g. a story and Chinese acrobats is sudden but a refreshing visit back to the good old days pre-2000 when the shows features mainly European dancers and gymnasts.

 

 

I have not seen Love Bites but I'll do so this July.

[Bugis]

It's been 2 years since I cruised on Virgo and I have seen some comments that the price of drinks have gone up significantly, has anyone cruised recently who can comment on this, in particular beer, wine and spirits. Also is there a corkage charge for wine you bring on board and want to drink in Bella Vista. Thanks.

[4us2]

It's been 2 years since I cruised on Virgo and I have seen some comments that the price of drinks have gone up significantly, has anyone cruised recently who can comment on this, in particular beer, wine and spirits. Also is there a corkage charge for wine you bring on board and want to drink in Bella Vista. Thanks.

 

My wife and I just returned from a SSV cruise (12 June) drinks were quite expensive but as they returned the fuel surcharge ($30 each) it helped a bit.

Beer was $8.00 a glass, including charges. Cocktails were about $10.00 though they did have a cocktail of the day special where you can get two for $14.00. That was the advertised price, however what they didn't tell you was that there is GST and a service charge that usually added another $2.00.

 

Spirts - we didn't purchase as we drank some of our duty free in the cabin.

 

Wine - We did have some Shiraz and Chardonnay in the Bella Vista which was about $17.00 for two glasses (With Charges). The quality wasn't poor either. I don't know what the Shiraz was but I thought the quality was a little better than a Hardys shiraz. We did ask if we could drink our own wine but that would then incur a $25.00 excise charge, so we drank it in the cabin.

[boeckli]

My wife and I just returned from a SSV cruise (12 June) drinks were quite expensive but as they returned the fuel surcharge ($30 each) it helped a bit.

Beer was $8.00 a glass, including charges. Cocktails were about $10.00 though they did have a cocktail of the day special where you can get two for $14.00. That was the advertised price, however what they didn't tell you was that there is GST and a service charge that usually added another $2.00.

 

Spirts - we didn't purchase as we drank some of our duty free in the cabin.

 

Wine - We did have some Shiraz and Chardonnay in the Bella Vista which was about $17.00 for two glasses (With Charges). The quality wasn't poor either. I don't know what the Shiraz was but I thought the quality was a little better than a Hardys shiraz. We did ask if we could drink our own wine but that would then incur a $25.00 excise charge, so we drank it in the cabin.

 

Did you enjoy your cruise ?

[Bugis]

Thanks 4us2 for the info, it seems prices have gone up significantly. You mentioned you drank your own spirits and wine in your cabin, was there no problems bringing your own liquor on board. Also was the ship still full with all this swine flu around and did that impact on you having a good time.

[4us2]

Thanks 4us2 for the info, it seems prices have gone up significantly. You mentioned you drank your own spirits and wine in your cabin, was there no problems bringing your own liquor on board. Also was the ship still full with all this swine flu around and did that impact on you having a good time.

 

I've written a bit of a review which I will post shortly, but it doesn't cover everything such as your questions, which I am happy to answer.

 

Bringing wine and spirits on board - no issue. And as I know mixers such as tonic and coke are expensive on board we purchased our own in the mini mart at Harbourfront and took them onboard. There was no issue with that as well. To keep my mixers cold I had packed a small 6 can esky which I topped up with the ice that the cabin staff will deliver to your room if you ask. Each room had a small ice bucket and our cabin girl was quite happy to keep it full for us. At each stop I purchased a few more cans of mixers and beer and brought them on board (6 -8) - no issues were raised.

 

Swine flu doesn't seem to have affected the numbers on the ship. We were socialising with the Safety officer in the Galaxy of the Stars the night before we arrived back at Singapore and he said that they were very busy with the next two days of our trip having 2,400 passengers on board.

[4us2]

My wife and I have just returned from our second Virgo cruise (7 – 12 June), the first was in September 2007. This cruise went to different locations and even though it was overall enjoyable there were some noticeable changes that we felt impacted on our ability to relax. I will cover the things that went well and may help others to enjoy their cruise and things that I think can be improved by SSV.

 

We flew to and from Singapore ex Perth with Jetstar, and other than the seats not going back far enough it was a comfortable, clean and enjoyable flight. Well done Jetstar.

 

As the flight arrived early, 6.00am, we killed time in town before heading out to Harbourfront at about 11.30am. On our first trip we had arrived prior to the boarding time of 11.00am and were faced with massive crowds. On this occasion we arrived at about Midday and were ushered to the baggage check in and registration areas without any delay. Embarkation was much smoother on this occasion by leaving it a bit later.

 

Things that haven’t changed:

 

SSV Staff – absolutely fantastic! Pleasant, helpful, well mannered and very professional. Their ability to deal with the rude and obnoxious people on board with utmost professionalism is very commendable.

 

Obnoxious people – Still there. But as others have said I also don’t think they mean to be that way. It seems to be a cultural thing where they are rude and obnoxious to everyone, including their own family, the staff, Caucasian and Asian people and people from their own country. The behaviour by some was quite disturbing and unusual, which was the subject of many a discussion with other guests and even people from their own country, who were very embarrassed by the behaviour displayed by their countrymen, women and children.

 

Food: Good quality and variety. No complaints at all. We mostly ate in the Bella Vista as there tended to be less of the obnoxious type there. I think that may have been because many of them had difficulty with waiting for anything. In the Bella Vista you are seated and wait for service like you would in any other restaurant.

 

Captains Gala Dinner: Another good night, good food, nice people, recommended.

 

Entertainment; Good shows, the only one we missed was the Topless show - not my sort of entertainment. All the rest were entertaining if not somewhat incredible. We still can’t get over the contortionist.

 

Ship condition: Still clean, comfortable and impressive. We found areas that we hadn’t seen on our first trip and I think there may yet be more to discover.

 

Things that have changed.

 

Swine flu: Thermal scanning when going on and off the ship at some ports. The need to fill out health declarations at each port. Keep a copy of your passport as you need the number for these declarations. Staff in the Mediterranean Buffet wear face masks and serve the hot food, instead of it being a free for all. Hand wash given to each person when embarking on the ship and prior to being served in food areas.

 

Mediterranean Buffet: Things have changed, now you need to line up and be allocated a table. I think this is a bad change and would like to see it return to the system on our first cruise, which was a self governing system. On our first cruise the Buffet was virtually open all the time and you could access it from the front or aft areas. You would go in and find some free chairs by asking people if vacant seats at their table were taken or by finding a vacant table. It was a good way to meet other passengers. If there were no seats available you would return later. As people knew that others were waiting for seats they would eat and then leave. The current process is that a table is allocated to you, so two people can be on a table for 6, as happened to us, and people are lined up waiting outside for lengthy periods of time. Aggressive and argumentative behaviour was observed when queue jumping was suspected or when people sat at tables that had not been allocated to them. Some passengers stay longer than before at their table and treat it as a restaurant where they eat their meal and sit around talking for lengthy periods. The other obvious difference was that in the past as soon as you finished a plate of whatever staff would clean it away. Now staff are busy walking around with radios trying to locate empty tables to advise the girl out front on availability whilst tables tend to have food scraps and plates left on them for much longer. The Buffet appeared efficient on our first trip now it appears to be in crisis. A noisy place where tempers did flare and a place to be avoided during busy times.

 

Access to areas aft: Stair ways have been blocked off so that people cannot access the Mediterranean Buffet through the rear doors. The result has been that we rarely accessed this area of the ship either for a snack, meal or to relax as we did on our first trip.

 

Drink prices: They are up, mainly due to a service charge of about $2.00 per order.

 

Pool area: A slide has been added to the main pool which now encourages children to use the area. On our first trip children were only allowed in the children’s area at the rear of the ship. The screaming, shouting and overcrowding of the pool and Jacuzzi’s and general behaviour did not make it very relaxing area as it was on our first trip.

 

Galaxy of the Stars: Entertainment was good and it is a great place to relax, however now children are allowed there until Midnight, on our first cruise it was only until 10.00pm. On this occasion I thought it quite inappropriate that young children were there when adult entertainment, with sexual innuendo included, was being delivered after 10.00pm.

 

Out of Africa Bar: Was a bar and a fun Karaoke venue on our first cruise, where we enjoyed listening to some fantastic voices. Now it is another room full of gambling machines. Karaoke is still available but in a private room which you can hire for $50 an hour.

 

 

Adult retreats and entertainment: Somewhat reduced adult entertainment and relaxation areas. Star cruises seem to have changed their rules to attract more families with young children. In the past children had their areas and adults theirs, now it seems that children have access to most of the ship.

 

Ports and tours:

First port was Penang where they used Tenders to ferry us to shore. Bit slow getting on and off so your overall time ashore is reduced. A group of eight of us got a van for 200 Ringgits for the day and the driver took us all over the island and to anywhere we wanted to go where he gave us advice on prices and information on the history.

 

Second Port Phuket.: Taxi drivers on the dock were very reluctant to give a price for a trip to Patong beach, all they wanted was to try and sell an elephant ride or a visit to a jewellery store. We walked and followed others walking off the port, about 500 m, to the outside gate where we encountered a massive throng of taxi drivers. After some bartering we got a taxi to Patong for 400 Bht (About $15 Aust). Friends went for an elephant ride and said that cost about 850 Bht.

 

Third port Singapore: SSV disembarked some people and took on new passengers. Passengers remaining on board were invited to the Galaxy of the Stars for a Cocktail party, which was free and enjoyable.

 

Forth Port ; Malacca. The SSV didn’t pull into Malacca and in fact you couldn’t even see land from where she stopped. We went on the Malacca tour for $79 per person so we got onto a ferry in the middle of the ocean and 45 minutes later arrived at Malacca. Malacca, the tour guide – Doris – Lunch at the Equatorial Hotel and bus trip up to Kuala Lumpur to rejoin the SSV at Port Klang was all good. Malacca itself was the highlight of this 12 hour tour.

 

Return to Singapore. As we had a flight to catch and knew how lengthy disembarkation was on our first trip we spoke to the staff and arranged for priority disembarkation. The ship birthed at about 2.00pm and we were off and through immigration by 2.10pm. Taxi to the airport cost $18.00. Flight back was good as well.

 

Next cruise already booked for October but I am hoping that there aren’t as many screaming children on the next trip.

 

Glad to answer any questions any one might have.

[Bugis]

That's a great report, thanks so much. The changes to the buffet are dissapointing and you wonder what they are trying to achieve, especially blocking off the aft entry. We are booked on 2nd August and its been nearly 2 years so we are looking forward to the cruise. I always check when the Singapore school holidays are on before booking and they are now on holidays, from 30th May till 28th June, hence all the kids. On our last cruise there were a dozen or so poker machines in the middle of Out of Africa but the "i can't really sing very good" lounge was still there, so it that gone now?

[4us2]

That's a great report, thanks so much. The changes to the buffet are dissapointing and you wonder what they are trying to achieve, especially blocking off the aft entry. We are booked on 2nd August and its been nearly 2 years so we are looking forward to the cruise. I always check when the Singapore school holidays are on before booking and they are now on holidays, from 30th May till 28th June, hence all the kids. On our last cruise there were a dozen or so poker machines in the middle of Out of Africa but the "i can't really sing very good" lounge was still there, so it that gone now?

 

We didn't bother checking the school holidays as on our first cruise children were not allowed up front. They had their own timezone type place and Neptune pool aft where they could scream as much as they liked.

 

Phew - I've checked this time and their school holidays commence on 21 November. So we should be right in October.

 

Out of Africa was a good laugh with partially intoxicated people trying to sing, and also some great singers singing. Great way to meet other passengers. Now it is another roulette type setup where the croupiers spin the wheel and people gamble on the outcome via electronic terminals. The effect is many more people can gamble at the one table.

 

Karaoke is still available but in a private room for $50 an hour. May as well sing in the shower for free.

[bendigoboy]

Yeh i liked your report. i though the bringing of alcohol onboard was not allowed. Were you in a balcony cabin? I wonder if they have refrigerators? So i judge from your report that we shouldn't get to the Singapore cruise centre too early. We leave on the 28th but we are only going for 3 nights - how easy is it to use the credits that the line give us. We like a wine with a meal and enjoy a few coldies pre eating. Any suggestions re good places to relax pre dining?

[4us2]

Yeh i liked your report. i though the bringing of alcohol onboard was not allowed. Were you in a balcony cabin? I wonder if they have refrigerators? So i judge from your report that we shouldn't get to the Singapore cruise centre too early. We leave on the 28th but we are only going for 3 nights - how easy is it to use the credits that the line give us. We like a wine with a meal and enjoy a few coldies pre eating. Any suggestions re good places to relax pre dining?

 

No one told us not to bring alcohol on board. At the ports we stopped at I would come back with a few beer cans and place them on ice in my little 6 can esky. There are no refridgerators in cabins, just an ice bucket.

 

We didn't have a balcony but I guess you do and that is what the credits are attached to. You know that you don't use cash on the ship I presume. Everything you buy is credited to your room access card and you pay it off before leaving the ship. I guess any credits on your account will come off first and then you pay the balance, that's if you have used it all.

 

We liked to relax in the Galaxy of the Stars, great view of the ocean from there. Or relax at the Taverna bar overlooking the pool, or in the small bar above reception. If you have a Balcony perhaps relax there pre meal with a coldie or some of your wine. We didn't spend too much time in the cabin though.

[Paulchili]

Things that haven’t changed:

 

Obnoxious people – Still there. But as others have said I also don’t think they mean to be that way. It seems to be a cultural thing where they are rude and obnoxious to everyone, including their own family, the staff, Caucasian and Asian people and people from their own country. The behaviour by some was quite disturbing and unusual, which was the subject of many a discussion with other guests and even people from their own country, who were very embarrassed by the behaviour displayed by their countrymen, women and children.

 

Glad to answer any questions any one might have.

 

4us2,

Thank you for your comprehensive review. I have been following this thread for a better part of a year as we have a cruise coming up on Virgo in December (like yours - 5 days SOM). From the sound of it, it too will have lots of children on it (holidays).

We have cruised extensively, but all of it on the North American/European cruise lines; this will be a very new adventure for us (and I like new adventures).

I have read about the behavior at the buffet lines (pushing, etc) but your post peaked my curiosity. More specifically, what in their behavior was so "unusual and quite disturbing" to you? I think of Singaporeans (?) as very regimented, almost repressed people (no spitting, no chewing gum, etc), so this type of behavior surprises me.

I just want to know what to expect and how to avoid it. I am not even considering the possibility of cancelling (I am looking forward to the cruise), just want to be prepared.

Thanks,

Paul

[4us2]

4us2,

Thank you for your comprehensive review. I have been following this thread for a better part of a year as we have a cruise coming up on Virgo in December (like yours - 5 days SOM). From the sound of it, it too will have lots of children on it (holidays).

We have cruised extensively, but all of it on the North American/European cruise lines; this will be a very new adventure for us (and I like new adventures).

I have read about the behavior at the buffet lines (pushing, etc) but your post peaked my curiosity. More specifically, what in their behavior was so "unusual and quite disturbing" to you? I think of Singaporeans (?) as very regimented, almost repressed people (no spitting, no chewing gum, etc), so this type of behavior surprises me.

I just want to know what to expect and how to avoid it. I am not even considering the possibility of cancelling (I am looking forward to the cruise), just want to be prepared.

Thanks,

Paul

 

I didn't want to mention the race of people involved because as far as I am concerned there is only one race on the earth. We have different cultural groups and not all the people within those groups are the same. You mention Singaporeans and you are correct they are nice people. The last two days of our cruise had more Singaporeans aboard and the mood changed quite quickly for the better.

 

Unusual behaviour to me was a number of instances where the behaviour was different to most cultures that I have observed. With some of these people they just kept on breaking conventions that I think are normal. Maybe it is me, but I don't like to push in, I dont like to interrupt people when they are talking to others, I will wait for people to exit a lift before I enter, I will say Please and Thank You, I will ask and not demand, I will move aside to give way to a worker carrying a heavy load or doing their job, I am in no hurry and have no problem waiting.

 

The disturbing behaviour was an instance where a group of adults harassed two small children seated at a table which they were minding for their parents, who had gone to get a meal. The group of adults, male and female, believed that the table had been allocated to them. Another was where someone was accused of pushing in, which it appeared as though he had done, and he pushed the person in the chest in an aggressive manner.

 

Other than behaviour that could have turned violent, which was rare, I did quite enjoy observing the behaviour and the responses it received from staff and others. There were many a discussion about things that we had observed and the best one I heard was about a group of people from this culture who went on a tour. They had apparently been provided a lunch but the cutlery had not been placed on the table for them. When they asked for the cutlery the staff at this venue, not on SSV, advised them where it was placed for their use. Other people helped themselves but the group in question were so put back that they weren't served that they all got up and sat back on the tour coach without having their lunch. More food for eberyone else I guess.

 

We enjoyed the cruise and I am sure you will as well, the ship and staff are fantastic. We did find the Bella Vista a much nicer venue to eat at with a very polite clientele. We spoke to people from all over the world and enjoyed their company. The few who carry on differently just add to the entertainment, enjoy the difference.

[Paulchili]

4us2,

Thank you for the added comments. I have traveled in Asia extensively (on land) and have observed the cultural differences you describe.

I certainly am going with an open mind and will enjoy the cruise to the fullest. I will do my best to avoid any confrontations - I will be there to have a good time, enjoy the food and the sights. I expect we will meet some very nice people along the way.

Thank you again.

[bendigoboy]

Just enjoying your conversation clocked in politeness! we have cruised in Europe twice on very different ships. On both occasions my wife and i have been stunned with the rudeness of some passengers but i doubt if those from that particular country would travel all the way to SSv to display it. They too came from one country that made up the majority of passengers. We were forever being apologised too by other passengers for the bad behaviour of there countryfolk, but in the end it adds to just poor manners which occurs. People watching is part of travel and we always made sure our standards of politeness was as good as possible. We found that the staff appreciate manners (please and thank you never hurt) and on the cruise on the Insignia we were rewarded with an invitation to one of the specialty restaurants for a meal and drinks "gratis", by the matre de. That was nice!

[Paulchili]

Just enjoying your conversation clocked in politeness! we have cruised in Europe twice on very different ships. On both occasions my wife and i have been stunned with the rudeness of some passengers but i doubt if those from that particular country would travel all the way to SSv to display it. They too came from one country that made up the majority of passengers. We were forever being apologised too by other passengers for the bad behaviour of there countryfolk, but in the end it adds to just poor manners which occurs. People watching is part of travel and we always made sure our standards of politeness was as good as possible. We found that the staff appreciate manners (please and thank you never hurt) and on the cruise on the Insignia we were rewarded with an invitation to one of the specialty restaurants for a meal and drinks "gratis", by the matre de. That was nice!

 

I have to agree with you. Rudeness knows no borders and no country/region has a monopoly on bad manners. I am afraid it is rather universal. One only hopes it is a minority rather than a majority of passengers that behave “badly”.

On all cruises you are bound to find a few people behaving odd but only once did I experience it manifested by a very large number of people (an ethnic group) – it was on a RCI cruise in the Med.

As you say, you have to hold up your standards and just watch others and occasionally shake your head in wonder. It all is part of traveling in general, not just cruising.

[themaxydog]

As most have said here you will find your share of rude people no matter which ship and which destination you choose. It is hardly racist to say that people have different cultures and ways of doing things. Stating that here, and then giving advice on how to avoid misinterpritation, will help all to have a good time. Virgo is a clean well run ship with, on the whole, a great crew who will respond to the way you treat them. If you believe that they are your servants then they will respond to you in a different way than if you treat them like someone who just wants to help you have a good time. To those who have never travelled Asia there are different ways of doing things in societies that have Ten and Hundreds of millions cramped into small islands and countries. Go with the flow, smile and enjoy yourself. When you are in a line those behind you may pinch you on the elbow or touch you, this is just to let you know they are behind you, they dont mean anything by it. To those who are tall, your height is intimidating to alot of Asians, smile alot, they will smile back, and you will make everyone more comfortable. I have this problem and find that those I smile at remember and when I see them again they often wave and smile. Most dont like to socialise with westerners and are there with their family, this means they want to sit together or alone, we should respect this. With regard to entering and leaving a lift. In Asia weather its a lift or a train or something similar stand well to the side of the door when waiting because those exiting will exit straight out the middle which allows you, on the side, to enter at the same time. This helps to move people faster. In the west we tend to stand right in front of the lift door there by stopping those exiting, who's ruder. The last thing I remember is to those who like to exercise all of that good food off. If you are on the walking/running track go anti clockwise. In the west we tend to walk in a clockwise direction in the east they seem to walk in an anticlockwise direction, why, I have no idea, but you dont run into each other if you do it this way.

Paulchili remember this is Asia and the ship is set toward that fact, smile and you will have a great time.

[Paulchili]

Baby Cruiser 60,

Thanks for your good advice.

What kind of dog is in your avatar? Mine is a black lab.

[bendigoboy]

Just seeking information about changing money. With the ship going into Penang and Phuket does anyone have any advice on money? Do we need to get Malaysian and Thai currency or will Aussie dollars/ Visa /Singapore dollar get us by. What does the ship offer? Do we need it before boarding? Can we get it on shore and what is the best currency to have? What have recent cruisers used for the day visits?

[themaxydog]

Paulchili.......

 

Maremma sheep dog. They are not related at all to the Lab or the Golden Retriever. The originally come from the provence of Maremma in Northern Italy. They live with and protect sheep mainly, they do not herd them. In Australia you will find them mainly in the colder climates in the paddocks with the sheep. They are also used to protect everything from chickens to penguin colonies. They are extreamly protective of what the bond to and at 40+ kilos deserve a lot of respect.

 

bendigoboy...........

 

Phuket and Panang are the same as everywhere else in the world there are plenty of money changers, banks, ATMs and the such like to get money. You can change it on the ship or there will a money changer on the wharf:mad: and plenty of ATMs:). Regarding the ATMs, always remember that "skimming" was most likely invented in Asia so use the proper precautions with your card and you pin. Also make sure your ATM card has the blue "Plus" branding on it so you can use it overseas, if in doubt ask your bank. Good money changers are sometimes an option they can often give you a better daily rate. The average Asian shop keeper has a far better grasp of the exchange rates than what you will be used to and will most likely take any currency they are offered. Before you go make sure you know what the rate is roughly so you dont get taken advantage of. You can also get money before you go from banks and the post office, watch out for the fees. Personally when I go I leave home with Singapore dollars and get the rest when I get to the country concerned. The ATM in Phuket is just across the road from the wharf where you land, Panang I cant remember where it is but their everywhere. Credit cards are taken but again dont let it out of your sight, Amex and Visa are the biggest. A little tip Asia is big on AMEX and you can often get extras for free with your meal if you use it so shop around. Phuket is a shopping mecca, go with an empty suitcase. We went in March on Virgo and are flying back to Phuket in September for a week with empty suit cases just to go shopping, its that good.

[busseltoncruisers]

This thread is great and most informative. I Really appreciate everyones opinions and I am sure with everyones hints and tips we will have a great holiday in August. Getting the general drift to keep clear of the buffet and am pleased to know that it won't be Singapore school holidays when we sail. Where in Phuket is the best place to shop and what are the best buys ?

[4us2]

Just seeking information about changing money. With the ship going into Penang and Phuket does anyone have any advice on money? Do we need to get Malaysian and Thai currency or will Aussie dollars/ Visa /Singapore dollar get us by. What does the ship offer? Do we need it before boarding? Can we get it on shore and what is the best currency to have? What have recent cruisers used for the day visits?

 

In June 09 we used local currency at each port, so we could grab cabs etc. The ships rates are ok, bit less than at the money changers but nothing to worry about. At least you know you are dealing with nice people and aren't getting ripped off.

 

For example at Penang we changed $100 Aussie on the ship and got 265 ringgits, on land at the money changes we got 275 ringgits. 10 ringgits a bit more than $3 aussie, nothing to worry about.

[Paulchili]

Paulchili.......

Maremma sheep dog. They are not related at all to the Lab or the Golden Retriever. The originally come from the provence of Maremma in Northern Italy. They live with and protect sheep mainly, they do not herd them. In Australia you will find them mainly in the colder climates in the paddocks with the sheep. They are also used to protect everything from chickens to penguin colonies. They are extreamly protective of what the bond to and at 40+ kilos deserve a lot of respect.

 

Baby Cruiser 60,

Thanks for the info - I was not familiar with the breed. I'll keep my distance if I see one in the future, while he/she may be guarding their loved ones (lol).