Trip Reports from Mariner of the Seas 10/22/2015

[Godsonsafari]

Howdy! I'm a little late getting back over to CC after returning, but you'll have to excuse me - the time change is hitting me pretty hard. I've started typing up trip reports from my wife and I's Asia trip and will post links soon to it, but yes, we were on Mariner of the Seas out of Singapore and yes, we have some definite opinionz 4 u regarding the whole experience. Before I get any pictures or posts up (might be a couple days, this is a long process), I'll go over some basic stuff in a FAQ format:

 

****IS SAILING ROYAL CARIBBEAN IN SOUTHEAST ASIA JUST LIKE SAILING IN THE CARIBBEAN OR MEDITERRANEAN?****

 

Good question! More similar than dissimilar, yes. Is it an identical thing? Absolutely not. Some differences you'll notice immediately:

 

-Singapore Cruise Only Room Service menu at play. My wife had her hopes pinned on some Spinach and Artichoke Dip but learned to love the Veggie Spring Rolls as a replacement.

 

-Dining Room Menus; quite different. Most of the classics are always there, but the rotating items, yeah, lots more Asian and Indian flare here. Which, by the way, is precisely what you should be eating on these ships already since it is the cuisine the people in the galley are most comfortable and familiar with anyhow.

 

-Do you like fountain soda? Tap beer? Forget both! Johnny Rockets' menu suggests they have Mr. Pibb, but no, they have Coke, Sprite, and Fanta from 2 Liters only. Also Johnny Rockets has Curry Bowls and White Miso soup on the menu. What great American old time diner favorites, right?

 

-There's some smoking, but aside from the casino, it never seemed excessive. And then it is a casino and that whole enterprise is about self destruction and hedonism, so it fits IMO and isn't that why you're in there to begin with?

 

-The pub is a lot smaller because part of it is now more shopping. People went after the "sales" super duper hard.

 

-There's something called "Steamboat" in the buffet at $25 a head. What is that you ask? Basically this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot. The number of westerners requesting a Steamboat was probably in the single digits.

 

****IS IT ALL CHINESE PEOPLE?****

 

No. Plenty of Aussies, Kiwis, various Southeast Asian country residents, Germans (Germans get around, y'all), and yes, even Americans.

 

****BUT CHINESE PEOPLE AND CHINESE LANGUAGE****

 

All the announcements are in English. All of them. They don't even do that thing here where they do them in 4-5 languages one after the other. There are informational TV channels in Mandarin, and yes, a lot of signage is in Mandarin, but c'mon, you can manage with all the interactive LED signage that's in clear, concise English, I'm sure.

 

 

****ARE THE PORTS GOOD?****

 

I think so! Phuket was probably our least favorite and closest stylistically to a Cozumel or Grand Cayman, but the ones in Malaysia were all really good.

 

****ISN'T IT A LONG FLIGHT FROM AMERICA?****

 

YES. YES IT IS

 

****FOREIGN PLACES SCARE ME, ISN'T SINGAPORE ISLAMIC OR SOMETHING****

 

Singapore's largest religious group is Buddhist, comprising 33% of the population. 15% of the population is Muslim, almost all of whom are Malay ethnically. There is no state religion and diversity is strongly emphasized as a positive by the folks running the country. Should you be threatened by Singapore? Here's a questionnaire - answer "yes" to any of these and perhaps you shouldn't go:

 

-DO YOU PLAN TO TRAFFIC DRUGS INTO OR OUT OF SINGAPORE?

 

-DO YOU WANT TO TAKE HOME NUMEROUS ENDANGERED SPECIES THROUGH SINGAPORE OR AT LEAST PELTS/BONES/ETC FROM SAID ENDANGERED SPECIES?

 

-DO YOU PLAN TO VANDALIZE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SPACES IN SINGAPORE?

 

-DO YOU REALLY LIKE RENTING CARS AND THEN DRIVING THEM DRUNK?

 

-DOES THE IDEA OF ATTACKING FOREIGN POLICE OR MILITARY SOUND HIGHLY APPEALING TO YOU?

 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, going to Singapore would likely be a bad, if not outright fatal idea. If you answered "no", you'll find an incredibly safe, diverse, colorful urban space probably far more advanced and attractive than wherever the heck it is you live in the Western World. Singapore makes Chicago and LA look like Fallujah. I'm even talking about the nice parts and suburbs of those here, not just Ford Heights and Watts.

 

----------------------------

 

If anyone else has some questions they want to ask, feel free. I'll post links to trip reports and put some pictures up as the days go on.

Edited November 4, 2015 by Godsonsafari

[Godsonsafari]

Here's a link to the first part of the trip report on my blog, which is really just a preface of the trip itself and the departure out of O'Hare.

 

https://realtalkguidetoawesome.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/tr-asia-trip-2015-part-1-preface-departure-1016-101715/

 

Spoilers if you don't read: Emirates Airlines is really good. Also we went to Abu Dhabi and Dubai before Singapore, so maybe you'll read some of that stuff before I get to the ship and whatnot?

[cincicruisers]

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review.

[cruiserinsg]

Howdy! I'm a little late getting back over to CC after returning, but you'll have to excuse me - the time change is hitting me pretty hard. I've started typing up trip reports from my wife and I's Asia trip and will post links soon to it, but yes, we were on Mariner of the Seas out of Singapore and yes, we have some definite opinionz 4 u regarding the whole experience. Before I get any pictures or posts up (might be a couple days, this is a long process), I'll go over some basic stuff in a FAQ format:

 

****IS SAILING ROYAL CARIBBEAN IN SOUTHEAST ASIA JUST LIKE SAILING IN THE CARIBBEAN OR MEDITERRANEAN?****

 

Good question! More similar than dissimilar, yes. Is it an identical thing? Absolutely not. Some differences you'll notice immediately:

 

-Singapore Cruise Only Room Service menu at play. My wife had her hopes pinned on some Spinach and Artichoke Dip but learned to love the Veggie Spring Rolls as a replacement.

 

-Dining Room Menus; quite different. Most of the classics are always there, but the rotating items, yeah, lots more Asian and Indian flare here. Which, by the way, is precisely what you should be eating on these ships already since it is the cuisine the people in the galley are most comfortable and familiar with anyhow.

 

-Do you like fountain soda? Tap beer? Forget both! Johnny Rockets' menu suggests they have Mr. Pibb, but no, they have Coke, Sprite, and Fanta from 2 Liters only. Also Johnny Rockets has Curry Bowls and White Miso soup on the menu. What great American old time diner favorites, right?

 

-There's some smoking, but aside from the casino, it never seemed excessive. And then it is a casino and that whole enterprise is about self destruction and hedonism, so it fits IMO and isn't that why you're in there to begin with?

 

-The pub is a lot smaller because part of it is now more shopping. People went after the "sales" super duper hard.

 

-There's something called "Steamboat" in the buffet at $25 a head. What is that you ask? Basically this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot. The number of westerners requesting a Steamboat was probably in the single digits.

 

****IS IT ALL CHINESE PEOPLE?****

 

No. Plenty of Aussies, Kiwis, various Southeast Asian country residents, Germans (Germans get around, y'all), and yes, even Americans.

 

****BUT CHINESE PEOPLE AND CHINESE LANGUAGE****

 

All the announcements are in English. All of them. They don't even do that thing here where they do them in 4-5 languages one after the other. There are informational TV channels in Mandarin, and yes, a lot of signage is in Mandarin, but c'mon, you can manage with all the interactive LED signage that's in clear, concise English, I'm sure.

 

 

****ARE THE PORTS GOOD?****

 

I think so! Phuket was probably our least favorite and closest stylistically to a Cozumel or Grand Cayman, but the ones in Malaysia were all really good.

 

****ISN'T IT A LONG FLIGHT FROM AMERICA?****

 

YES. YES IT IS

 

****FOREIGN PLACES SCARE ME, ISN'T SINGAPORE ISLAMIC OR SOMETHING****

 

Singapore's largest religious group is Buddhist, comprising 33% of the population. 15% of the population is Muslim, almost all of whom are Malay ethnically. There is no state religion and diversity is strongly emphasized as a positive by the folks running the country. Should you be threatened by Singapore? Here's a questionnaire - answer "yes" to any of these and perhaps you shouldn't go:

 

-DO YOU PLAN TO TRAFFIC DRUGS INTO OR OUT OF SINGAPORE?

 

-DO YOU WANT TO TAKE HOME NUMEROUS ENDANGERED SPECIES THROUGH SINGAPORE OR AT LEAST PELTS/BONES/ETC FROM SAID ENDANGERED SPECIES?

 

-DO YOU PLAN TO VANDALIZE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SPACES IN SINGAPORE?

 

-DO YOU REALLY LIKE RENTING CARS AND THEN DRIVING THEM DRUNK?

 

-DOES THE IDEA OF ATTACKING FOREIGN POLICE OR MILITARY SOUND HIGHLY APPEALING TO YOU?

 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, going to Singapore would likely be a bad, if not outright fatal idea. If you answered "no", you'll find an incredibly safe, diverse, colorful urban space probably far more advanced and attractive than wherever the heck it is you live in the Western World. Singapore makes Chicago and LA look like Fallujah. I'm even talking about the nice parts and suburbs of those here, not just Ford Heights and Watts.

 

----------------------------

 

If anyone else has some questions they want to ask, feel free. I'll post links to trip reports and put some pictures up as the days go on.

 

Haha thanks for laugh. :) Glad to be on board on the same cruise. :)

[eveanddavid]

thanks for all so far ! Am keen to see and hear more about the cruise and day trips as we are going on same cruise in January !

[Godsonsafari]

All the precruise stuff is done (there's 5 parts) including stuff in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that you can see links to here. I'm working on the one for pre-cruise and embarkation in Singapore as we speak.

 

https://realtalkguidetoawesome.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/asia-trip-report-series/

[RealNorwegianCruiser]

Thank you for doing this review! Really looking forward to my Asia cruise in January! Will be my first time in Asia, and I am going there with the same open mind as when I travelled to USA couple years ago. Always fun to check out new places and new cultures! Always fun to try out new food as well:)

[lalenalei]

Thank you for the info! Hot pots are HUGE here! Super yummy. We didn't have that option when we sailed out of Shanghai. I will definitely try it next month. Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!

[Godsonsafari]

Finally, I'm getting to Singapore and to our cruise. Before I go further, go read gapearl's photo trip report too. "But isn't it all duplication?" Nah, we pretty much did totally different stuff, so between us, it's like you get to see everything from the comfort of your own home without any of the intestinal distress you might receive from eating congealed blood.

 

I already posted a link to the index for the trip reports before, but in case you missed it, click here to see it again. To try summarize what is in those on Abu Dhabi and Dubai before I get back to business: I try to cover everything amusement and water park oriented that I can within the time frame along with some cultural facts and adoration of Shake Shack. It's a great time, I'm sure of it.

 

And now - here's the link to the full Part 6 TR for our entry into Singapore and embarking the ship:

 

https://realtalkguidetoawesome.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/tr-asia-trip-2015-part-6-singapore-1st-glance-1021-10222015/

 

Now, because I always fear I'll get shut down for spamming a no hits wordpress blog, I always offer the folks of CC some summary and bonus content. It's a thanks from me to you. I'm good like that.

 

-Flying to Singapore is long from almost anywhere, so pick an airline that doesn't suck to do it with. Obviously the state airline is consistently among the world's best, but Emirates (what we used) was pretty sweet too.

 

-Our hotel was the AMOY, located in Chinatown. When everything is expensive, pick the thing that's battling for top spot in the country, right? The rooms are full of gadgetry, the hotel is doubles as a museum, and it looks amazing from outside. However, if you're into cold A/C, soft bedding, and lots of space, this might not be your best option. It definitely has character, and the level of service will always keep it from even remotely sucking, but it may not be your thing.

 

-Singapore isn't bumping that hard on a Wednesday night, but I was able to find some food at 10:30 PM. Drinks might have been easier to come by really, but my wife was at the hotel room trying to sleep off a headache. Maybe not the best idea if I want to still be married.

 

-Hop-On-Hop-Off Sightseeing buses in Lima, Peru turned out to be more timely than in Singapore. That was a shocker. Since it was a freebie with the room, that was our early Thursday pre-embarkation activity and we ultimately bailed early on it to get to the ship.

 

-Singapore Flyer is a giant amusement ride and thus I had to do it. It wasn't in the plan for the day the cruise left, but it worked out that way. Lots of interactive exhibits in the queue. Downer was the haze. You may way to avoid Singapore in August-October if interested in going due to this annual occurrence brought about by slash and burn palm oil farming in the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This was probably the thing I came away with most as a traveler from the trip; being confronted with the harsh realities of how my actions as a consumer affect places very, very far away.

 

-You think you've had it bad boarding a cruise ship? Really? Do you? Singapore managed to stun us with possibly the most disorganized job we've seen at embarkation yet. How do they get so many other things right and this so totally wrong? I almost have to wonder if Royal Caribbean is partially at fault for organization here given that it was they who were closing down half the building's desks while a over capacity line for check-in sat on the other side. Really.

 

PICTURES!

 

 

Mmm...Singaporean food. Also oh so cheap.

 

 

Given Singapore's well deserved reputation for safety, I had a blast wandering the streets at night. My only regret was not taking more pictures. Seeing the Hindu temples at night with people burning incense late into the night was something else.

[Godsonsafari]

cont...

 

 

Lobby of the AMOY doubles as a Chinatown museum describing the history of the neighborhood.

 

 

Day wandering in the neighborhood around the AMOY.

 

 

Singapore Flyer time! There's a (fake) hawker mall and a cute little garden inside the ferris wheel's complex.

 

 

Heading up to the top. You can see the F1 track's main straight directly below, and off in the background shrouded in the ever-present haze is the National Stadium. When we returned, we could have opted to see the semis or finals of a WTA tennis event there, but tennis isn't really my thing.

[Godsonsafari]

cont...

 

 

And we're there! Downtown is to the right, Marina Bay Sands to the left.

 

 

Double decker bus ride time at long last. We're in the center of downtown about to pass Lau Pa Sat (where the first picture was taken the night before).

 

 

And we're heading down toward Orchard. We got off around here to hustle back to the hotel for our bags and make our way to the cruise terminal.

 

Again: go check out the full TR with even more pictures here. It'll be waiting there for you. Promise.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Godsonsafari

[eveanddavid]

Thankyou Godsonsafari all looks great ! We are also going on the Mariner Jan 22 so are keen to read the rest of your trip !

[Coralc]

Thank you for the info! Hot pots are HUGE here! Super yummy. We didn't have that option when we sailed out of Shanghai. I will definitely try it next month. Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!

 

I think they sound sort of tasty! I have no interest in the vegetable options, but the noodles, meat and shrimp would be great! :D

[Godsonsafari]

Next part is up and it is the cruise ship review:

 

https://realtalkguidetoawesome.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/tr-asia-trip-2015-pt-7-mariner-of-the-seas-ship-review/

 

Just some quick items:

 

-Food on RCCL has either gone downhill or my palate really has changed a ton. After our cruise on the Vision in Norway 6 years ago, I thought the food was fantastic. Now I find the food in the MDR to be mediocre at best, sometimes falling to subpar Cancun all inclusive fare. Really too bad. Even Giovanni's Table is a downgrade over Portofino's as far as I'm concerned. Food is similar/same in quality, but the level of service has dropped. That stinks.

 

-Our cabin (7206) was AWESOME. It's a oceanview located at the front, and, well, look:

 

[YOUTUBE]UghVsmlxNfw[/YOUTUBE]

 

-Ship never felt overly crowded. I don't know that the people on this ship were as into shows as some other crowds might have been.

 

-Honestly didn't think people smoked on this to any crazy degree except maybe in the casino. But we were so rarely there, it wasn't a concern of ours.

 

(I can add more but I can't think of anything immediately, so ask away)

 

PICTURES~!

 

 

Grand Promenade - still a great space. Though when there are sales, things get bonkers. During the cheap boxed watch sale the last full day of the cruise, people were practically ripping boxes from each other's paws.

 

 

View of pool deck with Singapore in the background from the day of embarkation.

 

 

Menu time! Here's the Dog House, which was practically never opened during the cruise.

 

 

Great American diner fare like Johnny Miso Soup Ramen?

 

 

*exclusive* Singapore Room Service menu.

[Godsonsafari]

Part 8 of the series is done and it is Kuala Lumpur:

 

https://realtalkguidetoawesome.wordpress.com/2015/11/18/tr-asia-trip-2015-pt-8-disembarking-kuala-lumpur-1022-10232015/

 

-We took the official shore excursion "Batu Caves and City Experience" offered by the line. I'd say that this, like any big city tour from a ship, is going to depend a lot on your guide. Ours was outstanding. We changed the schedule to best fit our needs and see everything on the itinerary as we went along and he offered some awesome commentary.

 

-Kuala Lumpur is a city I'd like to spend a lot more time in. There's some definite similarities with Singapore with the modernity crossed with British colonial vibes. It is a bigger place though in terms of people and, from at least a surface perspective, seems more "lived in" - e.g. more of the things necessary or anticipated for function in the western world without the benefit of a border to keep the cheap labor away.

 

And some pictures! You'd like those, right?

 

 

The reason we showed up to begin with - Batu Caves. I don't even have a reference point for anything like this in the past.

 

 

My main man Murugan is standing watch over the people as they show up. PS: He likes flowers.

 

 

Doing our part as selfish millennials to take a selfie. Many people's times were ruined by us not asking them to use my camera and frame the shot. Scandalous.

 

 

This is actually looking backwards towards the entrance of the cave. It gives you some perspective of how large this chamber is. There's a number of smaller shrines inside of it, kinda like you'd see a mix of altars and shrines inside the really big Catholic churches.

 

 

Like this.

 

 

From the stairs, you go through the cave's big chamber and arrive at, what else, more stairs. This area, carved out of the limestone through what I imagine are the same acidic processes that formed the caves, opens up to the air and has a small shrine in there where gifts are left by believers and incense is burned.

 

More to come...

[Godsonsafari]

continuing...

 

After Batu Caves, we made a stop at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre. One downer was that our tour guide was a big too quiet for the huge group assigned to her, so unless you stayed close by, I can't imagine you heard much if anything. Still, you get to see some nice displays of classic work, hear about the company origins, and see the process and factory floor first hand.

 

 

 

[YOUTUBE]uyXK_CCEBXk[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

Then a brief stop at Merdeka (directly translates to Independence) Square. The Brits love cricket, and so an oval was built here. Years later, the Malays ended up using this as the spiritual center for their country.

 

 

 

[SherriZ366]

Thanks for putting the review together.

[eveanddavid]

enjoying your review and loving your photos ! 66 days till out same cruise starts !

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your review.

 

Keith

[WaveSplasher]

Thanks for giving me a laugh about your introduction about Singapore.

 

Glad you like it. Come back next time if you have time :D

 

How long did you need to wait before you board the ship at the Cruise Center in Singapore? I think the disorganized boarding has got something to do with the Voyager in town. I will see how it goes when it comes to my turn.

Edited November 18, 2015 by WaveSplasher

[Godsonsafari]

continuing with Kuala Lumpur...

 

 

After a stop at the Royal Dorsett for lunch, we headed to KL Tower. I typically am all about going into buildings and getting pictures from observations decks, but this was subpar due to the haze.

 

 

There's a lot going on inside - there's gift shops (one sold what looked like bootleg Disney merch, another selling Durian), a "traditional Malay village" themed area was an upcharge, and the entry to the elevators had an appreciably Arab tone.

 

 

Shame about the view.

 

 

Back at ground level, a quick stop to get pictures of the Petronas Towers in the background with my wife posing.

 

 

Back aboard the ship (and after Meet and Mingle), it was dinner time over at Giovanni's Table. Mmmm.

 

 

There's some little things here I don't like compared to Portofino's, but overall the food is pretty much identical.

[Godsonsafari]

Thanks for giving me a laugh about your introduction about Singapore.

 

Glad you like it. Come back next time if you have time :D

 

How long did you need to wait before you board the ship at the Cruise Center in Singapore? I think the disorganized boarding has got something to do with the Voyager in town. I will see how it goes when it comes to my turn.

 

There's a lot more Singapore to come - it'll take me a little while though, but I promise, it is coming. As for the wait, man, I'd say like a hour for customs getting out of the port. Using the gold RCCL line cut probably an hour or more off of getting our SeaPasses and paperwork all done.

[Godsonsafari]

OK, before I get to sleep (I have to be up early for blood work, YUSSSSSS), some items from Penang. First off: if you want to be cheap and do the Hop On Hop Off Bus, let me give you a big pointer. It does pick up from near the pier, but the "Cruise pier" stop is a bit of a misnomer. Lemme help you to find it:

 

 

There are two routes - City and Beach. You could try to combine the two, but keep in mind a loop could really take close to 3 hours for the City. You may want to step back your expectations of hitting a lot of sights down just a smidge as a result. Really honestly, I would much prefer that RCCL leave the boat here longer. After you leave Penang for Langkawi, the ship basically moves off shore, anchors, and sits there most of the night. It is no more than 40-50 miles to Langkawi, so why not have us there until 7-8PM? Or later? Oh well.

 

 

You come out of the Port by the Queen Victoria Clock Tower, very close to the historic center of Georgetown.

 

 

And when I say "very close", I mean you could trip and fall into it from there.

 

 

We went for a bit of a ramble and saw all sorts of stuff, like this colorful guy.

 

 

And art, with my wife playing the part of life imitating it.

 

 

We would have loved to tour Blue Mansion, but tours are guided and limited to only a couple times a day. I wish I knew.

 

To be continued...

[Godsonsafari]

Before I head to lunch from work, here's the completed written TR for Penang on my blog. I'll post some more pictures later:

 

https://realtalkguidetoawesome.wordpress.com/2015/11/20/tr-asia-trip-2015-pt-9-penang-10242015/

[Godsonsafari]

continuing with some more Penang shots...

 

 

The jewel we found was this, the Old Protestant Cemetary. It dates back to the 18th century and looks like it has been abandoned for even longer than that. It has been cleaned up a touch, so I read, but the overall appearance is something else.

 

 

It looks otherworldly. Definitely worth a stop and visit when you're in town.

 

 

There's also a stop for the Hop On Hop Off bus (listed for the Blue Mansion) right outside, where we got on board. Both of us were able to get tickets on it for something like $20 USD. But it is slow. It probably takes about 3 hours for a full lap around the City Route.

 

 

And you'll see everything from this...

 

 

To this...

 

 

To this. And that's just a small sampling.