Jan 2016 World Cruise live report

[mariners]

Waynetor and cbb,

 

I have never sailed on Oceania nor a World Cruise and I don't usually follow the Oceania board. However, your threads on your experiences on this World Cruise have been a pure joy to read and Oceania is now included in our "radar".

 

Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to keep all of us virtual readers sailing with you!

[Waynetor]

Kuching formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital of the east Malaysian state of Sarawak and is at the banks of the Sarawak River on the northwestern part of the island of Borneo where the river flows into the South China Sea.* Sarawak was a part of the Sultanate of Brunei until the early 1840’s when it was ceded to the British adventurer, James Brooke as a reward on helping him to counter a rebellion.* Kuching is the wettest populated area (on average) in Malaysia with an average of 247 rainy days per year (winter is the wettest and summer the driest).

Kuching maintains several museums showcasing its culture and history.* Interesting historical landmarks and sites of Kuching include The Astana (the former palace of the Whie Rajahs and currently the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak), Fort Margherita (built 1879 in the style of an English castle), and the TuaPek Kong temple.* Kuching's Chinatown is small and surprisingly serene; a decorated archway and a working temple welcome people into the heart.* The oldest street of Kuching is the Main Bazaar, a row of 19th-century Chinese shophouses located along the Kuching Waterfront overlooking the Sarawak River.* It offers the city's best concentration of antique and handicraft shops.* The Kuching Waterfront is an approximately 1km riverside esplanade stretching from the main hotel and commercial heartland of the city to downtown.* The landscaped waterfront is dotted with food stalls, restaurants and benches and offers excellent views of The Astana, Fort Margherita and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building.* The wide walkway is free of touts, hawkers, and hassle found in many other cities.* The waterfront also features an observation tower, an open-air theatre and musical fountains.

 

In the surrounding area there are numerous natural attractions including National Parks, notably the Bako National Park and the Kuching Wetlands National Park as well as the Semenggoh Wildlife Center which operates an orangutan orphanage and rehabilitation program are popular attractions near Kuching.* Also, available near Kuching are the Gunung Gading National Park and the Kubah National Park.

[Waynetor]

It was good we did not have any special plans for the day as we slept in today.* It was very cloudy but hot and humid to start the day.*

 

We docked at terminal Senari, an industrial port - lot of containers around but there was only 1 small freighter there.* There was once again a local tourist rep with handy maps and advice on where to go in the area of the shuttle bus drop-off.* There is no terminal for cruise passengers and there were no taxi or tour operators looking for random passengers for a tour. It was low tide when I got off - in the mud flats near the ship I could see lots of mud-skippers moving around by using their fins to push themselves over the mud.

 

I took a 10:30 shuttle to town (actually arrived at 10:45 for the trip) - just after leaving the port we had a brief shower on the bus but Freda says on the ship is rained heavily for close to 2 hours.* In town there were lots of puddles but the roads were dry and the sun came out making it feel much hotter and steamy.* It remained sunny until near our depature time when dark clouds moved in again.

 

The trip to town took 35 minutes - the area was a mix of rain-forest and small business - the biggest building we passed was the Borneo Convention Centre - a very interesting building with a butterfly style roof.***Most signs including road signs were fully or partially in English

 

We were dropped off at a very convenient location on the Sarawak River. The river would be around 200 meters/yards wide and it was quite brown- not sure if always that way or due to the rain overnight.***

 

There is a China Town area - The stores are mostly Chinese operated and have Chinese signs/products but the buildings were mostly the same as in other areas of town.*

 

On the side of the river we were on there is a promenade that runs for 1.2km (.75mi) - it was nice except in a few areas they were building more facilities causing minor detours - this area was easily accessible - others areas less so.* Across the river was the very large State Legislative Council building - we could see its gold peak from the ship, as well as The Astana and other important looking buildings.* There were signs offering river cruises - I saw 1 that started at 1pm.* There were washroom facilities along the river - a small charge was applied and there was an attendant there.

 

Across the road from the promenade are many small shops.* Most catered to locals with lots of curry and other spices available.* Some shops had linen, clothing and some souvenirs. I was rushed to see the area so did not spend time checking them out too much.* In that area I saw the elaborate Tua Pek Kong temple and a large Mosque - the lawn of the Mosque was full of pieces of wood sticking up, almost like grave markers but nothing that I could see marked on them - not sure the significance and I had not seen this at any other mosque.

 

In the centre of several round-abouts there were statues of multiple cats.

 

I spent about 2.5 hours wondering around before heading back for a late lunch - wish I had got up and moving a little earlier.

 

Most people drove cars but there were a few motorcycles.* I did not see any heavy traffic and other than a lot of double parking, everything seemed to flow smoothly.

 

Kuching is built on an area that is mostly flat but the area is ringed with mountains - as the sun came out we had good views of them in the distance.

 

We had a guide on the bus on the way back that would answer any questions - I asked how far to the equator - he said it is about a 2.5 hour drive.* He also explained about the cats connection - the city name goes back a long way but the British started to call it CATching and the city decided to use the cat as its symbol.

 

After leaving port the river slowly widens (mostly forest covered hills) and after just over an hour we were out in the open sea but continued to pass islands until sunset around 6:30

 

As I wandered around town I saw a gentleman on his steps feeding his cats - I have him a big smile and nod - in very good English, he replied back - "Cats, are like potato chips, you can’t just have one".

 

Today’s thought for the day -To go around the world, to talk to almost anybody you want to talk to, to have enough time on the air, so that you could really tell a full story. What a voyage of discovery it was. - Mike Wallace

[Floridiana]

Waynetor,

 

... your threads on your experiences on this World Cruise have been a pure joy to read.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to keep all of us virtual readers sailing with you!

 

He is so right!

[Waynetor]

Appreciate ALL of the continued great interest from those dropping by, those making good comments, giving tips and reliving wonderful past memories, etc. Keep them coming!!

 

Overnight we rounded the north west corner of Borneo and headed down the west coast leaving the South China Sea and now we are cruising through the Karimata Strait.

 

Another very pleasant day - a mix of sun and cloud, around 30C or mid 80'sF with very calm seas.* From time to time we would pass a few islands on the port side. Just after sunset we were having diner in Toscana and were once again treated to a lightning storm.

 

We crossed the equator sometime just after 9am this morning.* For the 3rd time on this cruise we had King Neptune and is entourage come and visited us while initiating the pollywogs on the cruise as they crossed the equator for their first time. It was the 1st time we have had CD Ray Carr host the event.* Around 20 new shellbacks went through the 'Order of the Shellback ceromony'.* We will not cross into the northern hemisphere again until we travel between Tahiti and Hawaii.

 

After the King Neptune party we were sitting out by the Terrace Grill - I try not to be too nosy, but as a daily reporter I am always looking for interesting things to pass on to my readers about life on this cruise - there were 3 men were discussing a number of topics when they got around to aging.

Sixty is the worst age to be," said the 60-year-old. You always feel like you have to pee.

And most of the time, you stand at the toilet and nothing comes out!"

"Ah, that's nothin'," said the 70-year-old. When you're 70, you don't have a bowel movement anymore.

You take laxatives, eat bran, you sit on the toilet all day and nothin' comes out!"

"Actually," said the 80-year-old, "Eighty is the worst age of all."

"Do you have trouble peeing too?" asked the 60-year-old.

The 80-year-old replied, "No, not really. I pee every morning at 6:00. I pee like a racehorse on a flat rock;

no problem at all."

"Do you have trouble having a bowel movement?" asked the 70-year-old.

"No, I have one every morning at 6:30" the 80 year old stated confidently.

With great exasperation, the 60-year-old said, "Let me get this straight.

You pee every morning at 6:00 and poop every morning at 6:30.

So what's so tough about being 80?"

So just as Freda and I were taking a sip of our drink, he replied "I don't wake up until 7:00." - there will be a few extra items in the laundry tonight.

 

Today’s thought for the day - A traveler without observation is a bird without wings. - Sheikh Saadi

[Waynetor]

The majority of passengers on board doing the full 180 do not have experience anywhere near what they are now doing but are all enjoying the voyage - it seems to be going by very quickly.

 

Many tours will included shopping time - some markets are worth it just to see the items and how they are sold in other parts of the world.* While other shopping spots just sell STUFF that you have no need for once you get home.

 

All Oceania shuttles have gone to a shopping area - some have options in the area to explore and others do not.* It is hard to preplan around these shuttles - posts like mine and others here on* will help but the shuttle stop could be different next time.* The location is not given much ahead and the best thing to do is see the on-board local tourist rep as soon as they are available in the port for a map of the shuttle area.* the shuttle can also be used to shorten a taxi ride to some other location.

 

Eating off the ship - most restaurants I have been to are very clean and the food well prepared.* I would caution about buffets if food has been left out to long and roadside grills.* Most ports have American fast food outlets with the same quality standards as in the US and there are also convenience stores offering prepackaged items that can be used as snacks.* Most ports have allowed food to be taken off the ship - Australia and New Zealand are big exceptions.

 

For tours, if you do your research you will save time and $ while seeing more* on private tours.* I've enjoyed the ones I have done - all worthwhile.* As the # in a group gets into the 20 range, it gets hard to keep the group together and for everyone to hear the guide.

 

The roll call is the best way to meet others but there are also non CC groups doing private tours.* If you are the person arranging the tour, you pick the time, # of participants and the itinerary including meal breaks and shopping.

 

I have not been using the gym but it has lots of equipment - I have not heard any complaints about having to wait.* The equipment is free to use but there are classes with a cost to attend.

 

Legitimate complaints - everyone feels their complaint is legitimate but generally a world cruise is no different than most other cruises that are 20 days or more.* For this cruise there are no production shows so no shows repeat.* The range of shows is very good - some are not worth going to but others like that type so that is fine.

 

Some complaints are about dining time - We normally eat in the Main Dining Room and have found for 2 it takes 1 - 1:15 hour and for a shared table 1:30 to 1:45 - only twice have we had to leave early to make it to 8:30 trivia without desert.* This can happen sometimes when a waiter gets* all the tables in his area arriving near the same time.

 

There is also some complaints are about the repeating menus - this depends a lot on how fussy you are - If you are willing to try most items on the menu then it will not seem to repeat as often.* I find the worst thing about the menu is the deserts - they repeat too often - for example New York style cheesecake shows up often - a few days ago at afternoon tea they offered 6 types of cheesecake so why not offer a variety at night - same thing with apple crisp - they have nice similar items at lunch when we do not have desert - they are obviously able to make a better variety of deserts, they just need to move them around.*

 

There is always the on going computer response issue - generally I have not found it too bad. last night and this morning there was no access to sites like facebook, yahoo and CC but that kind of issue has been rare.

 

Hope this helps

[Wisewoman8]

Is there computer access in staterooms or only in dedicated computer room?

[Waynetor]

There is computer access all over the ship including your stateroom if you have your own computer - in general the response is better if in a more public open area such as on deck 10 or the computer room.

[Waynetor]

Today we are cruising through the Java Sea.

 

This morning was a nice mix of sun and cloud, nice breeze and temp around 28C (82F)- perfect start to the day.* The afternoon become solid cloud with some light rain.*

 

Ventriloquist Don Bryon finished his 2nd fabulous show last night - this morning he did an interview with Ray Carr in the lounge - it was again very funny and informative - he has likely done the same before and knows most questions to expect, but he appeared to be dong a great job of add-libbing along with his main star - Noseworthy.

 

Yesterday and today they had the past guest party - we received our gold pin today.* It was nice they are doing it this way - we actually don't hit that level until the end of the cruise but there are so many in the same situation, that they are spreading out the awards so that there are not too many all at the same time at the end.**There are currently 570 passengers on board and 512 have cruised with Oceania before.

 

We were sitting around the pool bar early this afternoon with 2 gentlemen and we got around to discussing how we all came to be on this cruise.

Billy Bob tells us of a story he had with his friend Luther that led him to be on this cruise -

"Luther, Ya know, I reckon I'm 'bout ready for a another vacation. Only this year I'm gonna do it a little different!

The last few years, I took your advice about where to go. Three years ago you said to go to Hawaii. I went to Hawaii and Earline got pregnant. Then two years ago, you told me to go to the Bahamas, and Earline got pregnant again.

Last year you suggested Tahiti and darned if Earline didn't get pregnant again."

Luther asked Billy Bob, "So, what you gonna do this year that's different?"

Billy Bob says, "This year I'm taking Earline with me."

 

Today’s thought for the day -“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes

[no fuss travel]

Keep up the journal please. I look forward to your stories each day. You have reached an area that I have not travelled to yet, but may in the future. Most of your other ports I have been to, so you bring back many very happy memories.:)

[jaxw17]

Every evening before settling down to a glass of red I go to the computer and look to see what you have posted. I dont think that we will ever be able to do a RTW cruise and as we have 2 little dogs not able to.

Your accounts keep me going and i am so glad that you share them with us. keep up the good work

[socrafty]

Great post, Wayne!! Loved the reviews for all the different areas you mentioned. My DH would like to know if you know of any casino action onboard. Looking forward to meeting you and Freda at the Meet & Greet in Sydney!

[gar90]

Quick question. How much spending money would you recommend you have available for a cruise like this? Obviously we don't need to do a private tour every single port or pound a 12 pack every day, but we would like to be able to enjoy ourselves. We are a 26 year old couple and want to start putting away money for this now. Neither of us have jobs that will allow us to retire in the upper class, but we figure if we start putting away money now we may be able to do it when we retire in 40 years. I know money now is very different from money in the future, but just trying to get a general idea.

 

Okay, maybe that wasn't so quick.

 

Also, is there a show every night? That's our favorite part of any cruise.

 

Just wanted to add, absolutely love the blog.

Edited April 27, 2016 by gar90

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Indonesia is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia and Oceania.* Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 17,508 islands, about 6,000 of which are inhabited (a few islands are shared with other countries).* The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia.* Other neighbouring countries separated by water include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Palau, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

 

Indonesia's form of government comprises an elected legislature and president.* With over 238 million people it is the world's fourth most populous country.* The nation's capital city is Jakarta.

 

Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups. The largest – and politically dominant ethnic group is the Javanese.

Bali is located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java and Lombok.* With kilometers of sandy beaches, towering volcanoes, flowing rivers, and lush tropical forests full of exotic wildlife, Bali has long been the favorite destination for locals and international tourists. Bali is often called the “most beautiful island in the world.”* The current population is over 4 million.* Bali is home to most of Indonesia minority Hindu population.* You have to wear a sarong and a sash to enter through the various temple gates. Bali's central mountains include several peaks over 3,000m (10,000ft) in elevation.* The highest is Mount Agung (3,031m), known as the "mother mountain" which is an active volcano.

 

The port of Benoa is located in bay on the south east coast of Bali.* It provides easy access to nearby Kuta, the best known resort area of the island.* Kuta is known internationally for its long sandy beach, varied accommodation, many restaurants and bars.* Visitors can also view the memorial to the 202 people murdered by the terrorist bombs on 12th October 2002.

[Waynetor]

Enjoyable morning at sea as we slowly approached Bali.* We passed a few islands on the way in.* As we approached the harbour, on the starboard side was the beach area - there were many boats doing snorkeling and diving tours plus many other water sports including several para-sailing.* Lots of hotels and restaurants along the beach but we docked in a large, sheltered harbour and the beach is on the opposite side so while we can see the beach from the ship, it is a fair distance by taxi to get there.* Due to a strong taxi union here there is no shuttle offered.*

 

The weather projection was a high of 28C (82F) but it seemed a lot hotter.* For the late afternoon there was a 50/50 chance of thunderstorms.

 

We are at the Port of Benoa Cruise Pier which is about 15km (9mi) north west of the city.* At the dock we were greeted by Balinese dancers and musicians.* In the terminal there were various vendors plus many more outside.* Taxis were available at the pier - a bit on the aggressive side trying to get your business.

 

Bali is the largest tourist destination in Indonesia.* Next to farming, tourism is the 2nd largest employer.* Next to India, Bali is actually the largest Hindu outpost in the world. It boasts over 20,000 temples.

 

It has been about a month but now we are back to a port that we have visited before - We were here in November 2011, the day after a visit by US President Obama for the Sixth East Asia Summit.* US Navy ships were still off shore.* At that time we tendered even though we were on a sister ‘R’ class ship.* We did a ship tour.* Stops on that excursion included Basakih temple - everyone had to put on a sarong which was supplied.* It was quite beautiful but involved climbing 30+ stairs,

Lunchtime views of Batur Lake and the volcano (20 years since last eruption), views of the rice terrace and rice fields in other areas,

Penglipuran traditional village (we wandered around this small town and the women would be out front inviting us into see their meager homes.* Each one had some small item that they tried to sell as souvenirs).

and the town of Ubad.* I passed on the foot cleaning fish pedicure.

It was a very nice tour until the torrential rain started at the end of lunch. Freda was able to see a lot from the bus but the sites were not very accessible for wheelchairs.*

 

This afternoon we stayed on the ship except for a me doing a brief look at the vendors.

 

Tonight Oceania put on its 4th event for those on the full voyage - Royal Balinese Temple Feast.* A very big thanks to the O team for helping to make it possible for Freda to get to the event.* We left the ship at 5:15 for the 1 hour drive.* Our caravan of 10 buses and 1 van had a police escort all the way which saved us a lot of time during rush-hour traffic.

 

When we got to the sight a parade started involving over a 100 participants playing instruments and doing a bit of a dance as they paraded down the street to the temple.* Once on the temple property there was a performance while we had a welcome beverage.* Locals were able to watch the parade and the performance.* After the performance we made our way up to the temple where tables had been set for diner.* We had a nice Indonesia diner served very nicely.* There was a salad, a soup and several main coarse items.* We had red or white wine, beer and some other beverage options.* Performances were done before and after dinner as well.* The service and show were great and the weather held up - a very nice evening - back to the ship by 11pm. Everything was accesible for Freda except the washroom - fortunately she was prepared and went light on the beverages.

 

I noted to our driver at the end of our trip there was a lot of dead bugs on the windshield. He said that was because the live bugs don’t stick very well.

 

Today’s thought for the day - "These days I love to take in the sunset because every time I do so, I remember how lucky I am to be alive. That’s a great relationship to have with the setting sun." - Lincoln Hall

[Waynetor]

Questions

re casino - everytime I pass it during the day there is very little going on - along with the shops, working there had got to be very boring. They do sometimes on sea days have afternoon tournaments. After diner I pass it while going to the forward elevators to get to trivia on deck 10 - after that its back down those elevators to the lounge and then back up the same elevators to our cabin so I don't know if much is going on there after 8:30.

 

re saving for such a voyage

Very tough question

Oceania has a well deserved reputation for high excursion prices - these can be offset with packages of tours or if a regular O cruiser, you get OBC (many people book tours before the cruise in which case the tour needs to be prepaid). The best way to save is group tours organized through that sailings roll-call. Just taking the shuttle to town rarely gives you much of an oversight of the town.

 

For the world cruise a lot of things such as internet, laundry, gratuities and air fare were included - this is a huge saving - if not dong a full voyage these can add up.

 

The 2 big other expense on board are spa and alcohol - spa prices are typical ship expensive - beach type destinations often offer much less expensive option - today manicure and massage were available in the port terminal.

 

For alcohol it depends on how much and when you drink - You can save if you bring your own wine and pay the $25 corkage fee if bringing a bottle to the cabin - you can bring your own alcohol to the ship for consumption in your cabin- lots of people like a pre-diner drink on their balcony and there is a 2 for 1 special each day from 5 - 7 and from 10 -11, plus 1 cocktail special per day at $6.50.

 

As far as cruise fare - doing this cruise is much less on a per day basis than a typical 7 -14 day cruise. Hard to compare due to the extras included but this cruise with all that was included had a cheapest cabin price of around $235 per day per person. Many other Oceania cruises are over 300, some over 400 for the lowest level and don't include as much.

 

It is a goal worth saving towards - a lot will change in the industry by the time you retire.

 

On these small ships there is 1 show per night - a very wide range of entertainers - By the time you retire these ships will be long gone but most Oceania fans would hope for similar size ships.

[Waynetor]

Another very hot and mostly sunny day.* Looking out when we got up there the Sun Princes anchored on the outside of the reefs off the beach* they had to tendered all the way into the terminal where we are docked.***

 

For the tour I arranged for this morning we used a wonderful gentleman named Komang Wardiapa.* He met us at the pier at Benoa and we were together from 8:30-1:30. He has a Toyota van.* We arranged ahead of time to see 2 main sights and would see after that what time would be available.* His English is very good, and we did a lot of laughing. He's very positive and I can't recommend him enough!* The 6 of us had a delightful day.

 

His contact information is here: Komang Wardiapa <komang@bali-go-round.com>

 

The 2 highlights of our small group tour that I arranged are the Bird and Reptile park plus the orchid garden* - if we have some time left we may fit in some extra sites to see. (we did not have any time left)

 

The Orchid garden was about 2 acres - we were guided through the garden and could ask all we wanted and go at the pace we wanted. The guide provided a very educational tour. The admission was about $7 US local currency but if paying in $US it was $10. Our guide payed the local price and added $7 to the tour price.

 

The Bird park is home to nearly 1,000 birds including 250 different species. We got go see 2 different shows. Most of the birds are in cages a bit smaller than our cabin but some were in large areas. Everywhere we looked, there was another fantastic photo opportunity. There were a couple places where they would put birds on your shoulders and take pictures that you could purchase later but you could also have someone take pictures using your own camera. I have been to similar places before and this ranks up there with some of the best. Next to bird park is a reptile park - some saltwater crocodiles, iguana, turtles, snakes, etc., nice but not the main feature.

 

When we arrived an Oceania bus was just getting there - they only had an hour as they had several places to try to get to. We were there for 2.5 hours and could have spent more. The price worked out to around $30US - payable in local currency on a credit card.

 

The best part for me was our guide pushed Freda's wheelchair so I got to enjoy it much more and took lots of photos. Komang charged each of the 6 of us $25 US for the transportation part of the tour.

 

For last years cruise we had arranged a similar tour with him but with different port times, it was to end with a nice dinner on the beach.

 

For some reason the beach area was not very busy today compared to yesterday - there seemed to be only a few jet-skiers and very few others doing activities on the water - I could clearly see the beach as we headed out and it seemed near deserted.

 

A few Indonesian cultural things we learned.* –Smiling and handshaking is customary, for both men and women on introduction and greeting.

Don't use your left hand to give or receive; it is considered ill-mannered.(Hard for us lefties to get used to).

Women are not allowed to enter temples during menstruation. (not sure how they would know – hopefully it is an honour base)

Don't point at anything with your foot as this is considered very rude.

Don't touch people's heads - this is very offensive to Hindus.

 

Today marks the inaugural voyage of Oceania newest ship – Sirena. Like the other ‘R’ class ships she is getting up there in age but has just now gone through a major upgrade since being purchased from Princess Cruise Line. This is the ship we previously sailed from Rome to Sydney on. Hope those passengers on board have a great voyage.

 

Tomorrow we will beat Komodo Island. I have an early group tour planned.

The price for this tour is $100US payable on the tour.

The price includes: ranger fee, government tax, English speaking guide, entrance fee in the park, boat charter to Pink Beach, snorkeling gear and lunch.

The tour will be 4 or 5 hours, 1.5 hour for trekking, 30 minutes sailing to Pink Beach and 2 hours for snorkeling. We plan to be on the first tender.

Normally you can’t tender ashore unless on a tour. We had to provide our name and cabin number to the guide ahead of time. The tour guide will give the list to an O staff who is on land the day of the tour, to let them know, that we are going on a tour and have a park ranger assigned. This should avoid any trouble.

 

For today here are a couple quotes from Oprah Winfrey –

“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude."

[2552phxcrzr]

Looks like you had a very enjoyable two days in Bali -- it is one of the ports we've yet to visit, so we are looking forward to exploring with the driver/guide we hired.

 

I am especially looking forward to your Komodo report details as I hope to be able to organize a small group tour next year.

 

Happy sailing.

[Floridiana]

I am also curious about the Komodo report. I booked a cruise for 2017 with Komodo island on the itinerary. To be exact because of Komodo island on the itinerary.

[Waynetor]

Komodo is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia.* Komodo is particularly notable as the natural habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth.* Komodo Island has a surface area of 390sq km (151sq mi) and a permanent population of around 3,000.* The inhabitants of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island.* It is part of a volcanic arc of islands that from an east-west point are about the middle of Indonesia but are the most southern island group in Indonesia.* This area is the only part of Asia south of the equator.

 

The whole island is part of Komodo National Park. The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, a species of monitor lizard, it can reach a length of 3m (10 ft), with males weighing around 90kg (200lb), and live for over 50 years.* Later the park was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and later as Man and Biosphere Reserve.* While seeing the dragons is the major draw both snorkeling and scuba diving are popular.*

 

The island contains about 250 plant species ranging from small bushes to large trees that provide shade.* The park also includes water buffalo, deer, wild boar, civets and 22 bird species.

 

The island is volcanic and includes tropical jungles, open savannah, and mangrove forest.* With these varied conditions there is a wide range of local flora with over 250 plant species ranging from small bushes to very large trees.* Over 70 bird species have been recorded here.*The waters around the island contain over 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of reef-building coral.* Manta rays, dolphins, sharks, whales and sea turtles can be found in the park's coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds and semi-enclosed bays.

 

Komodo contains a beach with pink sand, one of only 7 in the world.* The sand appears pink because it is a mixture of white sand and red sand, formed from pieces of Foraminifera.

[Waynetor]

The sail into Komodo Island this morning was so beautiful.* The scenery which included views of several islands was simply amazing. We were not up in time to enjoy all of the approach to Komodo very much but by leaving at 3pm we got to enjoy views of some of the surrounding mountainous islands.* Where the ship anchored we had long islands on both sides.* When leaving we had over a hour of the same - from then until dark we continued to pass small groups of islands.* As we got more out to open sea the sea side of the islands had steep cliffs.**Most of the islands appeared very dry with only small numbers of trees.* The area around where the tenders come ashore was much greener for some reason.

 

In order to do a private tour here we needed to provide the tour operator our names as registered with Oceania and our cabin numbers.* The operator would then coordinate with Oceania that their group has a guide arranged ahead of time.* It has been mentioned multiple times in the past few days that no one can go ashore without being part of a pre-arranged group.* Our private group managed to get on the 1st tender along with 2 of Oceania tour groups for the 10 minute or less ride.* I believe we were the only such group on the ship.*

 

The weather was mostly sunny, very hot and little breeze in the park.

 

On shore we met our days tour guide plus the guides for the walking tour on the island.* The park guides are from the same group that does the O tours and spoke excellent English.* There was a group leader and two other people to assist.* Each of the people assigned to our group had special long sticks that are used to keep the dragons away.* The guide provided a good deal of information about the Island, the foliage, the wildlife including the dragons and a variety of other relavent information.* In the park you must stay on the clearly marked trails.* Almost right away we saw a large black pig - it was the only one we would see today.* The guides gave us some info on the dragons as we went along.* To start we followed one of the O groups and another was right behind us - they each had around 20 people in them.*

 

It did not take too long to see our first dragon which the guide said was a mature female.* It came out of the woods, walked past us ignoring us completely and once passed us, it got on the path and walked directly towards the group behind us.*

 

Shortly after that we spotted a deer under some trees and not to long after another deer.* Although we were only around 10m (33ft) away from the deer they paid little attention to us.* Our guide had us go up a mountain that would offer great views of the islands and Insignia. *This path was not as well prepared as the path generally used for ship tours.* It was a bit of a challenge but we all made it without any issue.* Right by the top was another dragon - this time a male, it was positioned under a tree in the shade but on a flat, raised* rock that was in a position that allowed pictures to easily be taken from what appeared to be ground level - 1 at a time we all got behind the dragon about 4m (12ft) and down on our knees made it look like we were petting the dragon.* Made for a great photo.* Besides the promised great views, only about 30m (100ft) from the dragon was a deer, 1 of the dragons main foods, but the deer did not seem to care about the dragon or us for we all got photos once again.** *

 

We made our way down the hill on an easier path and eventually met up with several O tour groups that were viewing an area with a dried up man-made pond where 4 full size dragons were dozing in the shade - also saw a much smaller one scampering through the brush nearby.* We were fortunate the path all the way was dry - it is mostly hard packed soil with some gravel but the terain is unevan in places.* Closed toe shoes would be best but I managed with sandals as they would be better for the boat part of the tour.* I had heard of the need for insect repellent but no one on our group reported seeing any bugs.

 

From there it was back to the tender area - lots of vendors set up there.

 

After saying our thanks to the park guides, we boarded our boat for the ride to the snorkeling area - it was very nice that they had kept our bags for us so we did not have to lug them around through the park.* On the ride out we passed dolphins a couple times.* The boat had snorkel gear for everyone.* Where we stopped, there was a couple other boats with small groups that had come from other parts of Indonesian.*

 

We were warned to stay in a certain area as the current outside that could be quite strong - turned out it was strong even in the area we swam in - in the end a few of us (including me) needed some kind of help getting back to the boat.* The coral we saw was not the big branch types or fans types but many types in a mound type of shape.* Most of the fish were small tropical varieties - one person saw a squid.* The big event was someone dropping her camera into water about 8m (18ft) deep as she got back on the ship - it took about 20 minutes to retrieve it but it worked out thanks to the help of 2 young locals on another boat.* Then we had a wonderful local lunch on board before heading back - not a lot of room to prepare the food on the ship but they did a great job, except ran out of beer.* Once back to the dock I saw 3 more deer nearby but no dragons. All the O tours had finished and the vendors were starting to pack up* - the biggest items they sold were various types and sizes of carved dragons, postcards, jewelry* and T-shirts (warning - their sizes don't match North Amerian definition - try items on) but there were other items also. Indonesian currency is called the Rupiah (Rp).* We were being quoted US prices.* Credit cards are not accepted in Komodo.

Security in the park is taken seriously - I'm told 1 lady as soon as she got through the gate started wandering off despite being told not to - her tour ended before starting as she was escorted right back to the tender.

 

The O tour had been sold out for some time - I heard of 2 people that tried to get tickets too late - 1 did get them due to a cancellation - O price $149us just for the park walk.**

 

We were also notified that should anyone have any cuts or open wounds that they should not venture ashore as the dragons have a strong sense of smell of blood and can be attracted to the source.* We were told one O group the ladies - all whose birthday #60 had come and gone, were asked if on their menstral cycle - they got a good laugh,* I did not hear our group asked but the ladies in our group were just a bit younger - not sure what happens if the answer is yes.

 

Our excellent tour was booked through GOTOKOMODOTOURS - operator Hendrick Abur - http://www.gotokomodo.com*

 

Today, there are only an estimated 3,000 – 5,000 live Komodo dragons and their existence hangs in balance.* The male dragons can weigh over 135kg (300lb) and measure up to 3.3m (11ft). These primordial creatures with rough reptilian skin have saw like teeth and they can snap a goat in half - they eat most of the bones in the process.

 

Although they can be traced back millions of years ago to Australia, they now only survive on 4 islands in this area.

 

The dragons spend much of the day lying around warming themselves in the sun.* They can easily blend in well with the environment.* Although they can have a lazy appearance the can briefly reach speeds up to 20km/h (13mph)

 

While previously we had seen Komodo dragons in a few zoos, like our safaris in Africa, seeing them live is a completely different experience but it still seemed that too much effort has been done to make this a tourist trap.* It seems everyone goes along the same path, around the same man made watering hole. The dragons seemed very well fed and lazy.* You don’t get to see the type of activity seen on some TV documentaries.* I guess for safety sake some non natural controls have been put in place.* I have seen Komodo Island tours called a “zoo without bars” which may seem a bit harsh but in some ways not far from the truth.

 

Komodo Village is a small native village. All houses are built on stilts to avoid unwelcome visitors at night.* Althoug there is a beach around the pier area, it is not accessible - they do not allow anyone wondering around unaccompanied.

 

Our tour was great and a very good deal - everyone on our group was very happy - even those on the O tours seemed happy with their experience. * Komodo Island is a perfect example of why Oceania has a reputation of having the most over-priced excursions in the cruise industry.* Other cruise lines I checked charge in the area of $100 for tour using the same park ranger guides while Oceania charges $149 while adding zero extra value other than free bottled water. For example Princess for a 2.5 hr dragons tour the price was $99Aud or they offered a 4hr dragon and snorkelling tour for $109.* I was told the guides get $6 and the park entrance fee is about the same so in comparison the concession stands at major league sporting events look like bargains.

[Waynetor]

Overnight we sailed through the Savu Sea, passed the last of the Indonesian islands at breakfast time and during the day we are cruising through the Timor Sea.* Another beautiful day - mostly sunny, high around 30C mid 80'sF and very calm seas.

 

This morning we had a 1 hour time change ahead so now 13 ahead of home.*

 

Also this morning we had a face-to face immigration with Australian officials that had boarded in Bali - this saves everyone time once we get to Australian ports - very nice to have it this way.* They did it by deck number.* With the line up, the process took under 15 minutes.

 

It has been awhile, but a few days ago out by the Terrace Grill they had a special BBQ offering Pork and Beef ribs with corn on the cob. Today it was a German theme with Knockwurst, Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Roast pork and German salads - generally nice but the few people I talked felt the meat was dry.

 

As we were wrapping up our mini golf today a large pod of dolphins, including some young ones were off the side of the ship.* The water was so clear you could see them approaching the surface - many came almost completely out of the water.*

 

We have been warned a few times in the last couple days about taking food off the ship in Australia and were told there will be more reminders not to take anything off - the ban includes other items such as plants and any soil - today all the containers with shrubs on the pool deck were moved indoors as part of this ban.

 

Back when we were in Hong Kong, a local reporter came on the ship as part of an article he was doing on the expanding cruise market for the Asian countries. He interviewed some Insignia officials and passengers - one of them just received a copy of the published article.* The link is: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1937138/hong-kong-centre-luxary-cruise-industrys-rapid-asian

 

To this point of this voyage we have discovered new places, learned about other cultures, tried different foods from the places we have visited.* As we say good-bye to Asia, we are now entering a new phase of this voyage.* For the most part the remaining ports are in mainly English speaking countries and we will have been to the majority of them.* Despite being return visits there will still be new sights to see and enjoy.

 

Everyone we spoke with enjoyed their time on Komodo Island and most everyone had a story to tell about their experiences with the dragons and what they had seen firsthand.

 

Today’s thought for the day - Whenever you go on a trip to visit foreign lands or distant places, remember that they are all someone's home and backyard.- Vera Nazarian

[2552phxcrzr]

Wayne, thanks for the details on your private tour. I will now move forward with booking our own group for a similar excursion.

 

Happy travels.

[Floridiana]

Komodo islands sounds very interesting. I remember my shock when I saw an ordinary monitor lizard coming out of a pond in Thailand.

 

The link to the article did not work for me. I found it here:

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1937138/hong-kong-centre-luxury-cruise-industrys-rapid-asian

[2552phxcrzr]

Wayne, I have a note from something I read somewhere that there is an extra charge for cameras and video cameras. I don't remember the source, but since you didn't mention it, I am assuming this no longer applies (or is wrapped into the excursion fee).