Sapphire Princess: Somewhat Live in Southeast Asia

[ibfern]

Today I had an opportunity to ask a few questions about the changes the Sapphire will go through in dry dock. There will be some mechanical changes, new carpeting, and more changes in the casino. I imagine I will get the details in the coming days, not many elites onboard and it looks like we will make it again to the most traveled luncheon and who knows, we might sit with the captain, another first for us.

 

Not sure if this thread is of any interest to anybody now, I seem to be writing to myself and I don't need to use up my internet minutes for that.

 

This cruise has many tender ports, and tendering is very interesting especially today in Thailand.

 

Ok signing off

[p0240]

I am following your trip as we board in Feb for 2 back to back cruises from Singapore so I am really interested in your comments about the ship and the ports, particularly Saigon and Bangkok and Ko Samui as we haven't been there before. I have booked private tour for Saigon and ship tour for Bangkok and loved your report on both ports.

Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy your cruise.

Pat

[ibfern]

I am following your trip as we board in Feb for 2 back to back cruises from Singapore so I am really interested in your comments about the ship and the ports, particularly Saigon and Bangkok and Ko Samui as we haven't been there before. I have booked private tour for Saigon and ship tour for Bangkok and loved your report on both ports.

Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy your cruise.

Pat

 

We were in Ko Samui today and it was a blast. It's a tender port so unless you are elite, make sure you get tickets to get off early because this is a fantastic port and you don't want to miss a minute of it.

 

We ride elephants today for $25 each, very cool. Don't waste money on a ship tour, grab a taxi and visit the best spots. Forget about the beach, unless you want to stay there. I used a good driver, we visited some nice places and some crappy places but we shared the tour and had to do what the organizer wanted, so make sure you are with a small group of like minded folks.

 

Tomorrow I'll give you specific info, our driver charged us $14 pp for a group of 8, we ate at an incredible restaurant right on the beach, and more! So far this is my favorite port. More on it tomorrow,

Amelia

[san diego sue]

You are not writing for yourself. We all are reading. I check every day for news from you. This is good that the thread is left for you not filled with off topic posts. And any questions asked are valuable.

Keep posting and we all will keep reading.

Gloria:D

[GeeDunk]

Not sure if this thread is of any interest to anybody now, I seem to be writing to myself and I don't need to use up my internet minutes for that.

 

Hey Amelia

 

Have been following your Posts from the start and sort of reliving my Far East Cruise a few years ago.

 

Say "Howdy" to Ken for me:)

 

See you on the Pacific in December

 

Cyril (aka GeeDunk)

[Woobstr112G]

We were in Ko Samui today and it was a blast. It's a tender port so unless you are elite, make sure you get tickets to get off early because this is a fantastic port and you don't want to miss a minute of it.

 

We ride elephants today for $25 each, very cool. Don't waste money on a ship tour, grab a taxi and visit the best spots. Forget about the beach, unless you want to stay there. I used a good driver, we visited some nice places and some crappy places but we shared the tour and had to do what the organizer wanted, so make sure you are with a small group of like minded folks.

 

Tomorrow I'll give you specific info, our driver charged us $14 pp for a group of 8, we ate at an incredible restaurant right on the beach, and more! So far this is my favorite port. More on it tomorrow,

Amelia

 

Amelia;

 

So how did the Elephant ride go.....:D:):D

 

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

Sihanoukville

 

12/25/2014

 

This was a tender port and we were on the first tender. We had a private tour with eight of us hosted by Don Bosco's hotel school for disadvantaged children. Our guides were Bunkea and Sokea, and they were wonderful, touching guides. Our first visit was the very stinky fish market, located on the docks close to where we tendered in. We walked cross unstable boards and it was kind of scary, but our guides guided us through with ease.

 

We piled into our small 10 seater van and headed for an interesting Buddhist temple on a hill. As we got out of the car we were surrounded by a large group of children, they were orphaned beggars, and they were very sad and touching. I was afraid to get money out because there was so many of them I thought it might be dangerous. We walked around the temple saw a monk doing some kind of cleansing ritual, it was very interesting and also very sad. I was walking around holding hands with two of the little girls who put flowers in my hair. Then they started asking for money and I didn't think it would be right give them any. I wish I brought some candy or toys to give them. It is very sobering to interact with them.

 

Next we headed to Don Bosco's ice cream parlor where we had coffee,tea, cookies, drinks, and ice cream. The ice cream was delicious, I had mango and passion fruit. We learned that part of Don Bosco's hotel training included making this wonderful Italian ice cream. We left a generous tip and departed for our next stop, a beautiful waterfall and park area. We climbed around the rocks & took some pictures. We crossed some funky wooden bridges carefully because there was on coming traffic; some people, as well as some motorcycles! As we reach the other side of the banks I was pushed aside by a rude boy and his parents. I could not help laughing when the nasty mom slipped and fell, the father started screaming at her so loudly and the little girl cried as if she fell. I felt sorry for the girl as the father slapped her! OMG, this was unbelievable behavior and later we saw the on the tender boat, they were loud and rude there as well. They clearly missed the message about this place, how blessed we all are and how grateful we should be that we can afford this lovely cruise. Sihanouk is clearly filled with a few "haves" and mostly "have-nots".

 

Back to the tour.after the waterfall we headed towards the spot where we were going to see monkeys. We saw so many monkeys it was awesome, they were eating out of peoples hands and very very friendly almost to friendly. I spotted a mother with her baby clinging to her underbelly, it was very cool. Many of the monkeys were grooming each other, picking what I assume where fleas and other debris off each other. After a few minutes of watching them we got back into the van and headed to the beach.

 

The beach was unbelievable it was very beautiful The white sand was gorgeous and the water looked quite inviting. Sadly there was beggars and poor people everywhere. We could see that there were some very fancy resort on the beach as well as shacks in a juxtaposition of realities. In this place you see giant mansions and resorts on the beaches with lines (walls) separating the poor from the wealthy everywhere. So sad. Some of the man went down to the water and put there feet in, we all took a picture the headed to Don Bosco's hotel for our Christmas lunch.

 

They had a banquet room filled with food for us, a magnificent Christmas lunch. We met several of the volunteers who help run the school, and then we had our meal. It was yummy, one of the best meals I've had on this trip. We had lovely appetizers such as cheese balls, and tomatoes filled with spicy cous-cous, cheeses, and salads. The main courses included Turkey with all the trimmings, omelets, a fish dish, and lasagna. Deserts were plentiful with a Christmas log, cookies, lemon pie, fruit, and more. It was an incredible meal prepared by a chef trained here!

 

Many of us decided to sponsor a child for next year, for $250 we could help a child learn a trade. I decided that this is what I wanted for my anniversary gift! My favorite gift ever! After lunch the children sang Christmas songs to us then we sang to them, it was a joyous experience. We exchanged Facebook info and friended each other using the free wifi at the hotel. This was quite a touching experience.

 

We headed back to the port and Sokea tearfully said goodby to us, we all wanted to take them with us! We hugged both kids many times, having made deep connections with them during our tour. This was the best excursion I ever did, the best Xmas ever, and truly a life changing experience. I'll never forget those kids, and Don Bosco's hotel. There are over a hundred of these places throughout the world and I will always be looking for them when I a, looking for tours.

 

We paid $60 pp for the who day including lunch, Ice cream and coffee stop, and all entrance fees. I highly recommend this experience to anybody coming here in the future.

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

Sounds like a great day ashore.....:):):)

 

Bob

[dshimizu]

Loved your amazing photos riding an elephant! Gosh, I had never heard of some of these ports before and am enjoying your reviews so much. Sihanoukville? What a fantastic day you had there with the children and the Hotel training school. Bet you are having a ball shopping!?! I'm jealous! Tried looking up the Inside Dragon Mall but no luck! Off to Hanoi in 9 more sleeps. I didn't realize you were on a back to back cruise. New and interesting ports I'm sure! Keep writing. I'm feeling like we are right alongside you...just don't have am armful of shopping bags to prove it! Deb

[Nubus]

Not sure if this thread is of any interest to anybody now, I seem to be writing to myself and I don't need to use up my internet minutes for that

 

Dear Amelia,

 

All of your posts are highly valued. These are the first about Sapphire in a very long time. In addition it seems we will see some of the same ports when we travel in March. Based on your writings we booked the trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

 

I'm looking forward to your post about the Bangkok tour!

[sterling2]

I'm reading and enjoying very much. Keep posting, please. Love your lives.

 

Sue

[jefa]

Please keep posting! I am doing this cruise in February, apart from visiting Sihanoukville, and am so interested in your take of the places visited. I check in here a few times a day to see whether you have posted or not!!!

[chaz cruiser]

We are looking forward to our Sapphire Princess cruise on the 8th of January & are keen to read the details of your tour in Koh Samui as we are still trying to finalise our plans for that port. Thanks Charmain

[Colo Cruiser]

Not sure if this thread is of any interest to anybody now, I seem to be writing to myself and I don't need to use up my internet minutes for that.

 

 

4000 views.

Not everyone posts, many just follow, including myself. :confused:

Why would you think there is no interest?

[RJ2002]

Enjoying your reports very much. Please continue if you can.

 

You may know this already, but many suggest to compose your postings offline, then copy and paste them into CC when you log on.

[MauiLvrs]

You are not writing for yourself. We all are reading. I check every day for news from you. This is good that the thread is left for you not filled with off topic posts. And any questions asked are valuable.

Keep posting and we all will keep reading.

Gloria:D

 

Yep .. that sums it up well.

[ibfern]

Goodmornig friends,

 

Thanks for the responses, I also need your feedback to inspire my writing. I have no idea who or how many are reading, not checking the general boards.

 

Today is the last sea day of this segment of the cruise, finally time to write. I wanted to share specifics of my tours with you all, as well as review Ko Samui and Bangkok.

 

Based on yesterday, we decided to cancel our ship tour in Bali and hire a private driver, save money but even more important see the things we want to see and enjoy local lunches.

 

My luggage got damaged in the port of Singapore, btw. This is the luggage replacement for the damaged luggage from last years Royal cruise, and the second time I used it! Good grief, I'm going to throw it away and start again with a new piece of luggage. :eek:

 

More later,

Amelia

[CRUZGAL53]

Goodmornig friends,

 

Thanks for the responses, I also need your feedback to inspire my writing. I have no idea who or how many are reading, not checking the general boards.

 

Today is the last sea day of this segment of the cruise, finally time to write. I wanted to share specifics of my tours with you all, as well as review Ko Samui and Bangkok.

 

Based on yesterday, we decided to cancel our ship tour in Bali and hire a private driver, save money but even more important see the things we want to see and enjoy local lunches.

 

My luggage got damaged in the port of Singapore, btw. This is the luggage replacement for the damaged luggage from last years Royal cruise, and the second time I used it! Good grief, I'm going to throw it away and start again with a new piece of luggage. :eek:

 

More later,

Amelia

 

Luggage damage again???!!! Oh NO!! You poor thing.

 

Love following your posts!

xxoo Joyce

[ibfern]

Bangkok

12/26/14

 

Woke up at the crack of dawn this morning to get ready for our ship tour of Bangkok. My dental abscess is much better that yesterday I didn't call the ship doctor to make an appointment at a dentist in the port city of Laem Chabang. I am happy about that.

 

We started out by 7:15 am with our guide Nina and her lovely, roomy bus with reclining seats, gobs of foot room, cup holders, and an Internet hot spot! Yay, I was able to upload some pics to Facebook and even make a phone call. Also of note here was the instructions that women needed to cover their legs and shoulders, we had been told by another passenger to cover our arms but this was not necessary and caused us to be more uncomfortable. Read the tour ticket and don't ask passengers who don't know squat!

 

The bus ride was long, about 2.5 hours, and we stopped at a 7-11 for a rest stop. I found both squat toilets and western toilets, guess which one I used. LOL I can't get used to the squat toilets. I know, TMI. Anyway our guide changed small amounts of dollars for local currency so we could buy snacks at the store. After a few minutes we were off again. There was lots of traffic and we went slowly into the city. It was also very hot and humid.

 

Our first stop was Wat Trimitar, the temple of the golden Buddha which is one of the largest gold carved Buddhas in the world. This temple was on the fourth floor, and there was an elevator for those who could not walk it. Gratefully I had my socks because shoes are not allowed in temples here. It was very crowded at the statue and difficult to see, I gave up and hightailed it back down to the street to shop a little while we waited for our group. The shopping here was good, got a silly hat/fan, and a few other trinkets and tees (2 for $8) and then fought the crowds to get back on the bus. There must have been 8 bus loads or more at this stop. That is the biggest problem with ship tours, they stop at all sights at the same time. Wish they would stagger or switch up their stops so it was not so packed with ship people.

 

Anyway on to the Grand Palace. We left the bus here, we would visit the grand palace, walk to the river for our boat ride, stop at the hotel for lunch before we met up with the bus again. It was very hot and humid, be sure to grab fans and leave whatever you don't need in the bus because it is cumbersome to carry stuff in the palace which was so packed with people.

 

As we entered the Palace, I saw men being turned away because they were wearing wraps rather than pants! Our guide/bus did provide pants to the men and skirts to women who were not dressed properly. Our guide was difficult to follow, she walked fast and talked softly so unless you stayed with her, the descriptions were difficult to hear. I found myself watching g where I walked as the cobbled streets were uneven and I almost twisted my ankle because I had on platform flip flops! Wear flat sensible shoes.

 

The Temple was interesting, and filled with large crowds of people making it difficult to see things, I got pushed around a lot making me fall back and so I missed some of the sites. Instead I found shady places to rest and wait for my group. By now I was so hot and wet, I just could not fight the crowds. This is when I met a couple from Singapore who told me to take it slowly and wait for the ship crowds to leave! I imagine after an hour of so the crowds would have been greatly reduced. We didn't think about a private tour here because the port was so far from the city but later I talked to friends who did take a private tour and they missed the crowds, and also beat the buses back to the port.

 

After the Palace we walked through an interesting market--no time to stop--and boarded a boat for a Chao Phraya river cruise. The boat was small and low, and the river was filthy from recent floods although there were cleaners trying to scoop up the debris. It was an interesting ride. We cooled down and passed several temples and sites. They also passed around much needed cooled towels and cold water, much appreciated by all of us.

 

We ended our bus ride at a riverside hotel and restaurant and found air conditioned comfort with a buffet of Thai and American food. I got a vegetarian plate that was basically a salad, very much appreciated and good. After lunch we were going to be taken to a local reputable market which turned out to be a factory like place with very high prices and lots of jewelry, souvenirs, and other junk. We had a full hour here, and none of us bought anything more than a magnet, which cost way too much! We waited on the bus for the one person (there is always one) who had to spend the whole hour in the place. Finally it was time for the 3 hour drive back to the ship, the extra hLf hour due to traffic!

 

There was decent shopping at the port, prices were higher but savvy shoppers can bargain for better prices especially at the end of the day. If I ever come back here I will seriously consider a private tour rather than ship tour to avoid crowds and those awful factory visits!

[ibfern]

Luggage damage again???!!! Oh NO!! You poor thing.

 

Love following your posts!

xxoo Joyce

 

I know, bummer! Will deal with insurance when I get home. It's not worth battle g for so we will buy a new case tomorrow in Singapore.

 

We have a private driver lined up for Singapore and we know where we want to go now. Having spend 4 days there, we know where to go for luggage!

 

:)Amelia

[waltd]

Amelia keep writing as I check each day. Love the small details. Enjoy the hot humid weather because the alternative is what we are having right now. Cold and windy in Santa Clarita.

 

Joe

[azbirdmom]

I'm also enjoying your posts, just like I enjoyed reading about your South American adventures. In fact, we booked a tour in Ecuador because you had raved about it so much. Hope the rest of the cruise is smooth sailing, and I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts.

[MauiLvrs]

... I have no idea who or how many are reading...

We are .... love to be there ... but they kinda expect me to show up at work if they are going to pay me ...

[ibfern]

I thought I'd share some port info since I have some extra minutes, and of course I know how much I love this kind of info. I am covering most of the ports, I'll fill in the rest later and of course post on the port boards when I get home, or when I get to Siem Reap after January 8th.

 

Nha Trang

We signed up for a tour with Magical Mystery Tours for a full day tour visiting all the major sites. The man who organized this tour failed to tell us he had made a non refundable deposit and I don't generally take tours with non refundable fees at a tender port. We missed the port due to high winds making the tendering unsafe, resulting in a missed port! Magical mystery tours refused to refund our money, so we lost our deposits due to no fault of our own. The tour company could have picked up tourists already on the island, but he refused to give any info and we all ate it. Others on our cruise booked with different companies and were refunded their deposits. I cannot recommend Magical Mystery tours because this is a tender port and the likelihood of missing is too great for non refunding vendors. Proceed with caution here.

 

Christmas lights tour with FunVee in Singapore.

This was a delightful tour and included many sights like the gardens by the bay, a bus ride through the festively lighted places in the city, coupons for dinner, and a boat ride around the bay and river. This fully guided tour was reasonably priced at about $40SNG pp and well worth it.

 

Bandar Seri Begawan (Muara), Brunei

We used a private company called Tours by Locals and had a fantastic full day tour including lunch at a fabulous restaurant, a bus tour of all the major sites including the Brunei museum, a boat ride to see Monkeys, a tour of the water houses and town including snacks and tea at a local homes, and a visit to a magnificent Mosque. We all had a fantastic time with our lovely guide Esjay for about $60 pp, not including lunch. It was a wonderful day and I highly recommend Tours by Locals.

 

Saigon (HCMC)

We took a ship tour which was nice, we visited some good sites and had a wonderful meal where they brought wonderful vegetarian food that was yummy. Aside from the bad recommendation by the guide to show at his (mums the word) recommended place to shop (avoid like the plague) and the standard long stop at the enamel factory it was pretty good. It's was quite expensive, next time we will take a private tour over a ship tour because Vietnam was interesting and deserved more sightseeing and less factory visits!

 

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

We used Don Bosco's hotel school for disadvantaged children and this was an incredible experience. Google Don Bosco, well worth the $60 pp we paid which included a lavish lunch. Ice cream stop, a visit to all the best sights, and the opportunity to interact with some incredible young adults and others. I highly recommend this tour to all who visit.

 

Bangkok, Thailand

We did a ship tour of the best of Bangkok. It was a very long drive and very crowded. The ship provided a shuttle to Pattaya for $8 each way and you had to buy them in advance to get early priority departure so if you do this buy the tickets in advance from the ship.

 

Ko Samui, Thailand

We did a private tour with Mr. Samui (Google him) for 8 people. An all day tour costs us 3500 Thai Baht which equaled $14 pp, a very good deal. This is a tender port so be sure to get tender tickets early, unless you are elite and can get off when you choose. We loved this port, had some problems with the folks we shared the van with and wished we had kept our group smaller so we could have had more time and done the things we wanted. At these prices there is no need to share! There were plenty of taxis available and we would have felt comfortable with any of them.

 

PS...I've got a lot of Singapore info but still writing about it so more on that later. Tomorrow we hired a driver to pick us up and take us to the places we missed In Singapore prior to getting on the ship.

[bcnvcanada]

Thanks for your information. I am sure that the change in the casino area will be the same as the Diamonds, adding rooms to the side of it. On the Diamond it really didn't make the casino seem smaller. Will be interested in

another changes you here of. Hope that you tooth is better or that you

go some help by now. Again, thanks for the updates.

[CRUZGAL53]

I know, bummer! Will deal with insurance when I get home. It's not worth battle g for so we will buy a new case tomorrow in Singapore.

 

We have a private driver lined up for Singapore and we know where we want to go now. Having spend 4 days there, we know where to go for luggage!

 

:)Amelia

 

Good job! We also love Singapore. Have fun :)

J