Phuket to Singapore

[Moggymad]

I will be travelling with my daughter from Phuket to Singapore (7 nights) in just over two weeks.  
I wonder if any of you could help with a couple of questions?  
This will be the first time on a clipper and in this part of the world, although I was born in Singapore.  Some of the locations are a little remote and for obvious reasons we would need currency. Can you get currency on board?  If not how much would be recommended to take of which currency?  I understand we would need Thai Baht and Malaysian ringgit.  
With regard to evening dining on the boat what is the etiquette in relation to seating?  Do you get designated a table or do you just sit down where you like?   Does everyone turn up for one sitting?

Any tips of what to do on any of the ports of call would be appreciated - it would be especially interesting to hear from someone who has done this itinerary - thank you in anticipation!

[PurleyKing]

It's more than 10 years since I did the Singapore / Phuket route, so I won't comment on shore excursions.

 

Our experience was that we needed very little local currency - enough for a few cold drinks, perhaps a souvenir and perhaps a beach-bar lunch. And a tip for the tour guide if you take a ship-organised tour.

 

Evening meals are open seating. You can sit where, and with whom, you wish. There tends to be a large scale movement to the restaurant from the bar at 7.30 pm when the bell rings but a number of people choose to eat later. The head waiter will help you find a table with others if there are just the two of you. Note that the tables on Star Clipper are all for 6 or 8 people (if I remember correctly).

[hobbsie65]

On 1/25/2020 at 3:04 PM, Moggymad said:

I will be travelling with my daughter from Phuket to Singapore (7 nights) in just over two weeks.  
I wonder if any of you could help with a couple of questions?  
This will be the first time on a clipper and in this part of the world, although I was born in Singapore.  Some of the locations are a little remote and for obvious reasons we would need currency. Can you get currency on board?  If not how much would be recommended to take of which currency?  I understand we would need Thai Baht and Malaysian ringgit.  
With regard to evening dining on the boat what is the etiquette in relation to seating?  Do you get designated a table or do you just sit down where you like?   Does everyone turn up for one sitting?

Any tips of what to do on any of the ports of call would be appreciated - it would be especially interesting to hear from someone who has done this itinerary - thank you in anticipation!

We wait for the dinner 'stampede' to go first so have another drink at the bar - it is rather nice as normally you have it to yourselves. We try to get a table for 2 by going in a bit later unless we meet some nice people we want to share with. We have mostly had dinner with really nice people although a couple times we were sat with people who we would not chose to so that's why we try to chose our own dinner guests 🙂 

 

[Moggymad]

Thank you - dinner arrangements can always be a bit difficult if you wish to sit on your own.  We once went on a cruise where we were seated with no-one who could speak English! Put us off for life!  Having said that it is always nice to mix with fellow passengers.  I think we will take a little of each currency and ‘wing it’ - thank you for taking the time to reply.

[hobbsie65]

10 hours ago, Moggymad said:

Thank you - dinner arrangements can always be a bit difficult if you wish to sit on your own.  We once went on a cruise where we were seated with no-one who could speak English! Put us off for life!  Having said that it is always nice to mix with fellow passengers.  I think we will take a little of each currency and ‘wing it’ - thank you for taking the time to reply.

Don't worry they will sit you with your native speakers - we have sat with both Aussies & Americans who were really nice. 99% of guests on board were lovely - we find many are well travelled & lot's in the travel industry which normally makes interesting conversations especially as I have worked in the industry for many years. We are on the Flyer in the Caribbean at the same time as you so we are also looking forward to our cruise - enjoy