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**Solo to Singapore! Live From the Diamond- January 17, 2017**

TracieABD

By TracieABD,
in Princess Cruises

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Cruizerguy

Cruizerguy

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Hi Tracie,

 

We're really enjoying your review as my wife and I will be going on the Diamond Princess on February 8th, for the 15 night cruise.

 

We have a couple of questions for you:

 

1) How is the wifi on the ship?

 

2) How formal are the passengers dressing up for formal night?

 

Looking forward to continue reading your day by day reports.

 

Thanks & regards. Walter.

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emmak8

emmak8

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Tracie, I don't think you mentioned the heat in Singapore. It must have been very tolerable since you were able to clock 19 miles. I leave in a few days. So excited!! Our cruise Feb 3 on the Diamond 16 days does not stop in Bali.

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TracieABD "Live from...." Rare

TracieABD

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January 21, 2017

Sea Day #3

The Lost Day

 

Hi friends-

I did not post yesterday- because I was busy.... So that is a good thing. I woke early and walked a bit- then headed to breakfast. I think the seating staff have finally gotten the hint- and I got to sit alone- and read. Yesterday was blueberry pancake day- the pancakes were great. The syrup? Not so much. Luckily- I like my pancakes with just butter (and little to no syrup)- so the icky syrup had no impact on my overall meal enjoyment. After breakfast, I met with the band of hooligans for some trivia and we won! This is becoming a regular thing.

 

Lunch was the famous beef rouladen (hmmm... Maybe more of the famously bad rouladen). Seriously, it tastes ok. It is just not rouladen. No bacon, no pickle, no mustard. Also, no spätzle- and no rot kohl (red cabbage). They served bok choy instead. I know that it is an Asian-based cruise- but seriously, folks...

I decided to attend the art auction just for fun. I did not register for a number- but the room was packed. And they were selling art- Lots of it. I can see that Park West is in no danger of going bankrupt on this cruise. Holy giclee, bat friends!

 

Afternoon trivia was moved to 2:30- which was the best attended I have yet to witness. It was held in the Wheelhouse- and it was literally standing room only. Again, we won... I think our combo of players is working for us. There was a lot of arguing and hair splitting among the other teams- People, people, people... It is a game. You are playing for trinkets. Have fun!

 

I went to the Izumi onsen for about an hour and a half- and met the nicest 5 women. They are two mothers (sisters) and three adult daughters- and they are traveling together. I have to say- I rarely ever want what someone else has, but I did envy them a bit. What I found most wonderful is that all of them were reading. That would have been my mom and me... Two girls and their books.

 

It was time to ready for the Captain's Circle party- which I attended alone. My mom used to always say there was thing that happened to middle-aged women who were alone- they become a little bit invisible. Last night at the party, I got it- until a female officer spotted me- and then I wanted for nothing. That is one of the things I love about Princess- just when you need it- they are there to the rescue. I don't drink, I do not attend for the free booze- or the lukewarm canapes. I like to see who wins the MTP. Last night's MTP was 1400+ day and 93 cruises. Sign me up!

 

I went to dinner with my book- Mike and Ginger- my next door table mates were absent (I hope I didn't chase them off), so I did get a fair amount of reading done. The book is interesting- but a very heavy read- and their is an air of impending doom to the whole story. I am about halfway through now... To be continued. Also, the Maitre'd came to introduce himself. He is really nice- and wanted to make sure that I received the strawberries (thanks Neville and cuz...). He also wanted to know if I would like a bottle of wine- but I declined. I let him know that I have been well taken care of- and that I really want for nothing. I had the watermelon with marscapone, a salad, and the ravioli in walnut sauce. All of which I forgot to take pictures of. I had one of the best desserts ever- a banana tart with hazelnut streusel. I loved it! I guess I when on about it so much- that when I returned to my room- there were 3 slices sitting on the table. Well played, Princess. Well played.

 

I went to my first production show of the cruise. It was called Piano Man and it focused on the music of Billy Joel, Elton John, and Barry Manilow. I think the best arrangements were the Elton John songs. The dancers were really out of synch- but three of four of the singers were actually really great. The male lead (I think of Philippine descent) was actually the most engaging performer I have seen on any cruise- ever. He could sing, he could dance, he could act- triple threat!

 

We decided to reconvene the band of hooligans for a round of "Where on the Diamond Princess" trivia. We lost to a group of kids- who may or may not have "corrected" their own paper- no worries. Somehow. Someway- a magnet magically dropped into my lap! Mama got her magnet. And on that note, I headed to bed. More in a bit! Thanks for following along! TL :):)

 

 

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QueenCharlotte

QueenCharlotte

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Love your posts Tracie. You're quite an adventurer! I can hear your lovely voice speaking the words you are writing and it's just wonderful! You have such a great way of drawing people into your stories and I love reading the reply posts too. Have fun sweet friend, I'll see you soon! By the way "all is well" here. Love you [emoji257]

 

 

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donswife Great Review Rare

donswife

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Tracie,

 

Your trip sounds like quite the emotional gamut, and you seem to be handling it all with grace, humor, and a strong sense of self. I was thinking of you and your shower curtain stories this morning, as we were staying in a delightful small inn on Lopez Island. The bathroom had a claw-foot tub...delightful for soaking, but for a shower with a complete surround of billowing vinyl shower curtains, not so much.

 

Happy sailing.

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TracieABD "Live from...." Rare

TracieABD

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January 22, 2017

Sea Day #4

Hi friends-

It is a bit of a good news and just a little not such great news kind of day- The good news is I woke to balloons on my door- Nice touch, Princess friends.The not such great news is we are in a very rainy, low pressure system and being a bit sensitive to barometric pressure- I have another bad headache. The good news is it is a sea day- so I can "lose the day". I would rather lose today- than risk losing tomorrow which is Kuala Lumpur. So I took the drugs- and am faring a bit better. I made it to morning trivia- and we did not win. I think we were third, which is fine- even though the prize was... You guessed it- magnets! I have my super special magnet- so I am all good. After trivia- I grabbed my morning coffee from the 5th floor place (who knows what it is called)- there is a new female barista from Thailand- and I love her. She made a perfect coffee- with a smile and a complete absence of attitude. I really hope she sticks around.

 

I went up to cancel the Sanctuary for the second day in a row- due to the rain. It turned out to be a bit of a fool's errand- as it was closed anyway. I then made my way to the buffet for a late breakfast. I knew that I needed to get some food in my stomach. I chose wisely- plain yogurt and a croissant. My stomach finally started to settle. I was approached by a very nice waiter- who spoke very fast, so I did not understand him the first time, but did come to learn that his name was Philio- and he is a friend of a friend of mine. He brought me to Savio- and other friend and I spent a minute or two chatting with them. It is always nice to know that you have friends on board- even if you have only just met. Thanks, K!

 

I did cancel my dinner at Sterling for the evening. I just cannot put that much food on my stomach. Also, tonight they have pumpkin crepes in the MDR- which sound much more palatable than a hunk of near raw red meat. Again, I will complement Princess on the creativity of their vegetarian offerings. While I am not a vegetarian- I often choose that option- as I know from experience- they are delicious. I am looking forward to my pumpkin crepes for dinner. It is also formal night. I have another sparkly something in the closet, so I will partake.

 

I rested in the room for about an hour and then headed down to the Pub Lunch. There has been some rumour around here that it discontinued- and I am inclined to believe that it may be phased out- this is our 4th sea day- and I think this was the first time it was offered. I am not really a fan- but based on the length of the line- I am in the minority. I headed to the MDR instead, was seated alone- until one of the hooligans found and joined me. It was nice to have lunch with a friend. I had the broth soup, a little of the four cheese rigatoni, and about 3 bites of pineapple orange ice cream. (And this is exactly why I am not eating at Sterling---) All told, I ate maybe 1/3 of the food served.

 

I am now back in the room- and the blog is current. Whew---

Just a few more observations (and forgive me for any redundancy-- we will blame it on the drugs...)

Deck 7 Aft, Promenade Deck- Smoking Area- There are reports that this area can be slick. If you have an unsteady gait, use a mobility walking device (cane, crutch, walker), you have to be very, very careful. The slipperiness is believed to be due to the oil on the bottom of the maintenance worker's shoes.

The TV in the Diamond is the same as the Royal and Regal. Large flatscreen that is programmable. There are a lot of movies available- and if you have another activity, you can pause your movie and come back to it later.

Sadly, there is no more Love Boat. Maybe because the 50th Anniversary of Princess is over... I miss the cast, crew, and special guest stars. This is why I have not given my daily recount of any of the episodes. I wish Princess would bring it back. I love the Love Boat- so cheesy. So fun.

There is very little functional shelf space in the shower. If you bring your own shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, etc... Get it into as small bottle as possible. Also, trying to find a place to stash my Clarsonic face brush has been a daily game of Tetris. At least the shower curtain is still maintaining a respectful distance. Or maybe I am just not his type...

 

I think I will leave it here. There is trivia at 4:30, 7, 8, 9 pm so I have a big night planned! Maybe I will win a pen with the little floaty ship inside!

 

I hope you are having a wonderful day-

More later-

Tracie-Lynn :):)

 

 

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malkamio

malkamio

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My friend came back from a Diamond princess cruise, round trip Singapore, very disappointed. She claims that there were no nightly shows in the princess theater, entertainment was poor and the ship is in great need of refurbishing... what is your impression of the Diamond Princess?

 

 

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Cairn Mom

Cairn Mom

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The blog is wonderful as usual, but don't stress about it if you are unwell. I know I speak for everyone when I say this. Take care of yourself,and feel better soon. I thought I read that the Diamond is scheduled for dry dock soon. Is that true? Let me know when you are up to it.

 

 

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TracieABD "Live from...." Rare

TracieABD

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January 22, 2017

Sea Day! Again!

 

After lunch, I headed back to the room to relax a bit. I finished watching the cinematic masterpiece- Minions- and decided I needed to do something that would feed my brain a bit- so I went up to the Izumi to read and, well, relax. I am well into the book by now, and it is getting a little harder to put it down.

 

Finally, I showered and got a little ready- and it was off to trivia- which we lost- but had a great time. Even when we lose, we are always right in the pocket- so no matter. I am not sure what the prizes were, but no matter- as we did not receive them.

 

I rushed back upstairs to get ready for our final formal night. Fortunately, Ginger and Mike came back (see? I didn't chase them away after all). It was a pleasant dinner- but I again I forgot to take pictures. I had the rice paper wraps. They did a great job with getting the consistency of the rice paper correct- however- they cooked the "innards". Weird. I also had tomato bisque and a salad- and then the lovely pumpkin crepes. Finally for dessert there was a Norman Love pistachio dome- my second favorite. Oh, and let us not forget the cake- In spite of my pleas- the whole gaggle of waitstaff sang- they also inspired the entire rest of the section to sing- what a cacophony! But equally a joyful noise. It gave the day a special feel.

 

When I arrived at the room- there were again strawberries from Neville. These I shared with the "Band of Hooligans"- with whom I had 3 evening trivia dates for the evening. First, we played geography trivia in Club Fusion- In spite of a rocky start- we won. The prize was a bottle of sparkling wine- or fuzzy turpentine- as it were.

 

The next round was Name the Face in the Explorer's Lounge. Again- a win- and more "headache in a bottle". We gave that bottle to the second place team- as none of us really drink. (However, our trivia habit is becoming quite a thing).

 

The third and final trivia was some weird amalgamation of Jeopardy. We were in first place until the end when they took our money away- who knows- the prize was more fuzzy-in-a-bottle. I guess they have run out of prizes so they are down to bad alcoholic gifts. But, Ya'all know, we are not playing for the prizes-

 

After the trivia overload- I returned to the room to pack up for Kuala Lumpur- and that was it for the day. All-in-all, it was a fine birthday!

 

Thanks for helping me to celebrate!

 

Tracie-Lynn :):)

 

 

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metairiegal

metairiegal

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Glad you had a great birthday. I've been spending time getting caught up on your travels. I love your reports!

 

(I just found your thread today. But, it sounds like you have had yourself quite a trip!)

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TracieABD "Live from...." Rare

TracieABD

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January 23, 2017

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Hi friends-

 

Today was an epically great day- and it is not over yet. First and foremost- my headache is gone. I am so glad I did things the way I did, as I would have hated to have missed a minute of the day.

 

I woke around 6;30 and dressed then headed down to the MDR for fruit. They took one look at me led me to a table alone! I did not have to ask- score one point for a wonderful day! (I did watch a woman have a fairly amusing meltdown over the quality of the espresso in the MDR vs. the Lobby Bar-- always a little drama).I had the fruit and then made my way to the 5th deck lobby bar for coffee- and they took one look at me and said, "mix the milk and espresso then add ice". That would be two points:)

 

I waited in the Atrium area for Charles, Patricia, and Jay to join me for our private tour to Kuala Lumpur. We are docked in Port Kelang which is about an hour away from KL. Once we were all present and accounted for, we decided to go to the "secret" disembarkation gangway- the two gangways on Deck 5 mid and fore both had very long lines- but Charles scouted out the Deck 7 gangway- and after waiting about 20 minutes for the ship to clear immigration- we were among the very first off the ship. Our guide was right there waiting for us- and off we went.

 

I would like to warn anyone who plans to roll privately in Port Kelang- the traffic to and from Kuala Lumpur can be very congested- so it is wise to leave lots of time. It took us just over an hour to get close to KL. Our first stop was at the Current Royal Palace to watch the changing of the guard. This involved rotating the the guards on horses. It was a brief but elegant ceremony. What I found most interesting is that people could enter the little guard houses and take their picture with the guards- in spite of the chromed-out M-16 by each soldier's side, they seemed very approachable.

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The next stop was to see the Batu Caves. One of the best advantages to booking privately is that often you stay well ahead of the ship's tours. The caves host the tallest Hindu statue of this god (starts with an M) which was a gift from India. The caves have several different shrines. I guess one of the most notable aspects is the 272 steps leading in the cave. There are more steps once you are inside. There are also monkeys- which are both fascinating and terrifying- all at the same time. Lots of the mommy monkeys had their babies- and they were rather adapt at avoiding a photograph.

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Once we ventured down- we found a man at the bottom who was asking young tourist men who were on the way up the stairs to carry a case of water up with them. I was surprised at the number of people who took a case. I am not sure if it was an inability to say no or machismo- but the "guardian of the water" got lots of assistance in the form of free labor to schlep those cases to the top of the stairs.

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After spending around an hour at the caves- we reboarded the van to drive into downtown Kuala Lumpur- the financial district- to be specific- to see the Petronius Towers. While the Sky Bridge is closed on Mondays- we did get photos from the base. I have seen lots of tall buildings in my day, but I don't think I have ever seen two more stunningly beautiful recent structures. There are no photographs that can do justice to what they look like when you are standing in front of them. For their size, both in height and mass, there is something very delicate and intricate in their design. It is very hard to explain- but if I were a resident of KL, I would be very, very proud to have these twins as the centerpiece of my city. Each time I saw them, from which ever vantage point, I was struck with their graceful beauty. I tried to take pictures- but there is no way can do them justice in words or pictures. I hope that each of you will have the opportunity to see them one day- then you will get it. I guess if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be awestruck.

654bf971fa53d7ec8483cf2ba946ef12.jpg

 

We stopped to take photos from another angle- and then headed to have lunch where the locals eat. I really like to eat where the locals eat- though the experience in Bali may have been just a wee bit too local. The place our guide selected in KL was perfect. There was a lot of Indian choices and some Indonesian choices and I am certain there were Malay choices as well. I am not sure as it took us a minute or two to decipher the menu. Fortunately, a very nice young man with an iPad cam around and helped us to order. Patricia, Charles, and Jay all order some type of chicken biryanis- I just ordered a plain biryani. And we all ordered garlic naan- which came Thali style with tarka dal, sambar, and mint chutney. Even with drinks (mango lassi and coconut water) all of this food came to a whopping 75 ringgits which is equivalent to around $14 US- that was for all four of us! This place is huge- but there is no mystery on why it is crowded. It was great- with the best garlic naan EVER!

c0fbf33bbe3e55643bc5b4e7f0a50325.jpg

 

Our final stop was to go to the top of the KL Tower. The cost for the deluxe package (all the way to the top and the Sky Boxes- was 105 ringgit- or about $20 US. So worth it- I was initially a bit disappointed about the Petronius Towers being closed on Mondays, but I realized if I am up in the towers, I cannot see the towers. Going to the top of the KL Tower allowed a whole new view of the lovely Petronius Towers. Also, you could go out in a glass cube and see above and below you. It was a fun way to spend an hour or so.

 

 

Once we all returned to the van- we began the long drive back to port. Lots of traffic and some pretty significant rain... I am so glad we decided to come back a bit early- as it took longer than expected.

 

I think I will cut here- and post more later.

 

I hope you are still hanging in with me!

 

Tracie-Lynn

 

 

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