This trip was a bit of an accident – I was looking around for a trip in the later part of the year but didn’t really have anywhere in mind. I was looking at both land trips and cruises, keeping my options open. I chanced upon this cruise on a discount site, saw it was on Azamara and couldn’t believe the price. I sent it to a friend to ask if she was interested and got a very quick positive response. The deal was so good that I actually thought flights to Singapore would be in addition but when I called up I was happy to learn that they were included. We quickly booked up and then shared the itinerary with another couple and they booked too. We would fly from LHR with Singapore Airlines and our friends were flying from MAN with Etihad.
We were flying from Heathrow Terminal 2 and I booked the newly opened Hilton Garden Inn for the night before. In fact, when I booked it it hadn’t even opened yet so I got a really good rate. The hotel is on-site and you can walk to T2 in 2mins and T3 in 10-15mins. I was dropped off by car and there was a bit of confusion with directions but we got there in the end. My friend got dropped off at the Central Bus Station and it was an easy walk from there too. Rooms were nice and I didn’t hear any airport noise. There is a restaurant at the hotel but it’s quite expensive so we elected to eat in the terminal at good old Wetherspoons. There is a really nice bar at the hotel with great views of the airport, great for plane spotting.
We walked to the terminal at 7am on the day of our flight and self check-in was easy, we were done and through security very quickly. We had a lovely breakfast and then there was time for a bit of shopping before our flight was ready for boarding. It was my first time with Singapore Airlines and I was pretty impressed. I had pre-booked exit row seats with loads of legroom – they were great. I’m not a fan of plane food but it was quite nice and in-between meal services there was plenty of snacks and drinks available. Plenty of films and tv programmes to keep me entertained. We arrived in Singapore 7am local time – I’d been here previously en route to Oz but only to change planes. I’ve read a lot about Changi airport but it really does have to be seen to be believed! It’s so big, with so many interesting things to see and do. We made our way to immigration (it’s a long walk!) and had to wait approx 30mins to be seen. After that baggage reclaim was close by and we were happy to see that our bags had made it.
Arrived at our hotel – the Grand Copthorne Waterfront – at 9am and were lucky enough to be able to check into our room straight away. This is a large hotel with lots of corporate events that overlooks the river. Shortly after we arrived our friends let us know that they were there too. After freshening up we spent the afternoon exploring the city. We went to Orchard Road and had lunch at a food court, marveling at some of the exotic foods on display.
Next up was Raffles for the obligatory Singapore Sling in the Long Bar (mine was the mocktail version as I don’t drink booze)
We then went back to the hotel and walked down by the river to Clarke Quay. It started out as a walk to keep us awake in order to stave off jetlag but turned into a really lovely evening. There were plenty of bars and restaurants to explore, we chose a lovely Italian place called Rosso Vino – highly recommend.
After a broken nights sleep (stupid jetlag got us anyway!) we decided to get on the ‘hop on hop off’ bus tour. We stayed on for one full loop and then got off at the Singapore Flyer (which is a large wheel, like the London Eye). We bought tickets and there was no queue to get on. Really great views of the city and the Formula 1 track and of ‘Gardens by the Bay’ plus of course the iconic hotel ‘Marina Bay Sands’ There was a fantastic gift shop at the flyer and we bought some great things to remind us of our Singapore visit.
We got back on the bus and this time got off at the Marina Bay Sands hotel and followed the signs to Gardens by the Bay. It’s a beautiful attraction in the day time but comes alive at night. We had an evening excursion planned here so got the bus back to the hotel to refresh and rewind.
Our excursion was included in our holiday and took us back to the Gardens and we went into the ‘Cloud Forest’ dome. It’s really special there with the worlds tallest man-made waterfall and lots of different plants. There is also a flower dome but we didn’t have time for that one. At 7:45 and 8:45 there is a spectacular light show at the Supertree Grove – absolutely stunning.
After that it was back to the hotel to pack and get ready for our next adventure – boarding Azamara Quest!
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel (which involved a robot making me an omelette!) our driver picked us up at 11:30 to take us to the ship. When we arrived it wasn’t busy at all. We gave our luggage to the porters and then filled out a quick medical form. No queue at check in and so we soon had our ship cards and were ready for boarding. A short walk took us along the walkway next to a CroisieMer ship. I’ve seen their river boats before but not seen an ocean ship of theirs before…. Wonder where it was going. Our cards were scanned and we were welcomed aboard, entering on deck 5. We left our carry on luggage with the team, which would be delivered straight to our cabin and set off to explore the Quest.
First impressions were that it was very stylish and not overcrowded- both big ticks in my book. We sat and enjoyed a drink in the Den while we waited for the announcement that cabins were ready. Azamara includes most drinks with the cruise fare – including booze! There are some drinks that are chargeable but as I’m a non-drinker I didn’t have to pay for any. There was plenty of soft drinks, mocktails and juices to keep me happy. I signed up to the unlimited WiFi package which was easy to do. Rooms were ready at approx 1:30pm. We had a verandah cabin on deck 7 aft, our friends had an aft CC just a few doors down. Our cabin was on the small side but I’d been warned about this. The bathroom was better than I was expecting, with quite a bit of storage.
We spent the afternoon exploring all of the decks and trying to remember where everything was. We didn’t receive a map of the ship which I’ve always had on other lines – perhaps you can request one. Muster was at 4pm and our station was the main dining room. Everything was very well organised and it was relatively painless. Next we went up to deck 11 to grab a nice spot to watch sailaway from, with a lovely welcome message from Captain Magnus. After that it was back to the room to unpack. We had a quick dinner in the Windows buffet and were impressed by the attentiveness of the staff – really quick to offer drinks and also to clear away plates. We caught the main show in the lounge and then went up to The Living Room for drinks and dancing. Ok well I didn’t dance but other people did! All in all very pleased with our first day on board an Azamara ship.
1st November – relaxing at sea
Had a good nights sleep being rocked gently by the ship. Our group had agreed to meet for brekkie at 9am but the others all slept in so I was on my own. I went to the main Discoveries restaurant and had an enjoyable solo meal and then met the others when they elected to return to the land of the living. It was actually my first experience of main dining room for breakfast as I tend to stick to the buffet. It was good but took quite a long time. I did some laundry, pleased that the self-service laundry was free to use. It was so humid that it’s good to have plenty of things to change into. We soaked up the sun on deck 11 for a while – the loungers are so comfy and waiters come around regularly to offer drinks. A lovely slothy day – just what we needed after a busy time in Singapore. Lunch was at the patio grill which was the restaurant by the pool – great burgers and they also have a self-serve ice-cream station and lots of sweeties as toppings. Dinner was in Discoveries, the main dining room.
There was a belated Halloween party in the Living Room. Everyone really got into the ‘spirit’ of it and happily wore the provided silly hats and glasses & the music was spookily themed. There was an impressive buffet on offer too.
2nd November – Phuket
We docked shortly after 7am at the deep sea port in Phuket. Very much enjoyed the room service breakfast which arrived on time and hot. Met in the cabaret lounge at 8:15 for our Phang Nga Bay excursion. Our number was called and we were soon exiting the ship, it was a very short walk to the tour busses. Our guide, Pui was there to welcome us on board and gave us a small coloured fish attached to a ribbon to wear. This would let her know we were now part of her tour family for the day.
Traffic was bad and it took a good 90mins to get to our first stop, Suwan Kahuha, a cave temple dating back a couple of hundred years. Those wearing shorts were given a scarf to tie around the waist before entering the temple. Inside the temple was interesting with lots of buddhas to see. There was also a monk giving blessings though I did see him on a smart phone in between times. There were lots of monkeys to watch outside the temple, along with some food stalls and a small market.
Next stop was to the jetty where Pui gave out plastic ponchos before we got off the bus. She obviously knew something we didn’t as the heavens opened as we boarded the small boat and as it was open sided a few people were grateful for the ponchos. Though it was a little grey and misty, we sailed past some beautiful sights but the highlight was seeing Khao Ping Kan, made famous by the James Bond film ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’.
On the way back we stopped at the floating village of Ko Panyi for lunch at a place called Panyee Muteara Seafood. The buffet was nice with rice and vegetable dishes along with some chicken and seafood. After lunch we followed Pui across the boardwalks to visit a local school. It was Saturday but there were still lots of kids there doing their best to make some money for the school by selling trinkets. We were supposed to be visiting a cashew nut factory on the way back but traffic was bad again so we all agreed to go straight back to the ship to prepare for the Azamazing evening. We reached the ship at 5pm so had 2 hours to refresh and get ready.
On each cruise, Azamara puts on an evening of free local entertainment as part of their Cultural Immersion programme. Our Azamazing evening was being held at Siam Niramit which is a centre of cultural performance about 30 minutes from the ship. It was very well organised, we disembarked floor by floor to get onto the waiting buses. On arrival, it was an assault on the senses with local dancers, musicians and performers all clamouring to welcome us. There were stalls for us to try local foods and drinks, a Thai boxing demonstration and various people showcasing local crafts. We then went into the theatre and were welcomed by our cruise director Ernest and new Captain Filipos. Magnus had been called back to Miami urgently so Filipos was the designated driver for the rest of the cruise. He then flew home back to his holiday and Magnus was back in charge for the next cruise. The Siam Niramit show really was azamazing with colourful dancing and great music. There was time to check out the stalls again before getting the bus back to the ship. We arrived back at 10:30pm to heavy rain. Even with the ship’s umbrellas we still got soaked in the queue to get back on board but we had a giggle too.
3rd November – Phuket
Getting the hang of ordering room service breakfast now… it’s really lovely to be able to have it out on the balcony before an early tour in your dressing gown! Today’s trip was ‘Phuket Highlights’. We had the same guide as yesterday, Pui, and she even looked pleased to see us. This was a short trip around the island and the first stop was Promthep Cape, Phuket’s most southern hill, where we stopped to enjoy the views. We also saw a display of model elephants but never really got to the bottom of why they were there.
Next was a visit to the Phuket Seashell museum which didn’t thrill me to be honest but I had a lovely time chatting to one of the ship’s photographers, Alejandro who is from Peru. Fascinating to hear tales of where he has travelled and we compared notes on our Antarctica experiences.
Wat Chalong, the island’s most sacred temple was up next. Stunning architecture and we enjoyed watching local people set off fire crackers in memory of loved ones or to give thanks to the gods that have helped them. There were some nice stalls near to the temple with very reasonable prices.
The itinerary then promised ‘some free time shopping at the gift shop’. The ‘gift shop’ turned out to be a huge posh mall where you were accosted by sales assistants who followed you round the shop. First was the jewellery section ($$$) then gifts and beauty. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and we were glad to get back onto the bus. Pui dropped us back at the ship at 12:30 where we went up to eat at the Patio Grill. We set sail shortly after 2pm and the afternoon was spent lazing on deck 11, with the odd game of shuffleboard thrown in. Also did some laundry and had dinner in the main dining room.
4th November – Sea Day
A nice relaxing day. Sun in the morning and then the rain came. We were on up deck 11 sunbathing and thought it would be a short sharp shower so stayed out there. Turns out we were very wrong! It absolutely bucketed down but we were determined to sit it out. We started singing songs about rain and had a wonderful time up there on our own. I’m sure if anyone had seen us belting out ‘raindrops keep falling on my head’ they would think we’d gone mad but we had a great time. Eventually we accepted that the storm wasn’t going to pass and squelched our way back indoors, much to the amusement of fellow passengers.
Dinner was in Discoveries with our favourite server Marinella and then we stayed for the show in the cabaret lounge.
5th November – Yangon, Myanmar
Up early and out onto the balcony to watch the sail in to Yangon. Well I say Yangon but the port is actually in Thilawa, which is about 14 miles from the centre of the city. Lots of fishermen in small boats waving and shouting to us as we passed by. A lot of people left the ship to stay on land as we were here for 2 nights but we did excursions and came back to the ship each night. Yangon only gets a few cruise ship visits each year. Tourism is really in it’s infancy still here, after all it hasn’t been open for visitors for very long.
We were welcomed into port by music and dancers and then set off for our ‘Highlights of Yangon’ tour with guide Daniel. The traffic here is so bad and the roads really aren’t able to cope yet. We were a convoy of 5 buses and even with a traffic police escort it took 105 minutes to travel into the city. The scenery was fabulous with rice fields, farms and small dwellings to watch as we passed by. Daniel was very informative and funny too and told us a lot about life in Myanmar now and in days gone by. Prior to 2014 he said a SIM card for a mobile phone could cost $2,000 so completely unobtainable for the average person. In 2014 the prices were reduced to just $2 so now almost everyone has access to calls and of course the internet. A lot of houses here (48%) do not have electricity, the people lead a very traditional agricultural life still. Daniel also explained their traditional dress to us, demonstrating how to tie the cloth longhi that most people still wear here. Religion is a big part of everyday life with the majority being Buddhists – the people are very welcoming and peaceful.
We visited the Shewedagon Pagoda which is the most visited tourist attraction in Yangon. We took off our shoes and if knees or shoulders were on show, people were given a longhi to wear. The pagoda is absolutely stunning – bright gold shining in the sunshine – 60 tonnes of it were used to build it apparently. A lot of local people were praying at the pagoda. They worship the god of the day of the week on which they were born. There are 8 gods as Wednesday is split into morning and afternoon for some reason. We had free time here to take photos and I really enjoyed people watching, though it was extremely hot and humid. Everyone was wearing their Sunday best clothes and there were some gorgeous children in the cutest of outfits. It was a really peaceful place considering the huge crowds.
Our next stop was the Chaukhtatgyi Buddha temple. It houses a 66m long reclining Buddha which is beautiful. Our bus had a slight issue gaining access but this was remedied by one of the security guards cutting one of the telephone cables that was blocking our way! Everywhere that we went the traffic police ensured that we were given priority. There were some stalls nearby selling keepsakes and they took payment in USD. We weren’t sure whether haggling was expected here but prices seemed reasonable. Our final stop was for a lookout point to see the Royal Barge. It wasn’t easy to get a good picture here though.
This was meant to be a 5 hour excursion but the terrible traffic meant we weren’t back on the ship until 3:45pm so in reality it took 7hr 15mins. There were times we didn’t move for up to 10mins at a time, we were surrounded by tankers.
6th November – Yangon
Enjoyed a lazy day around the ship. Weather wasn’t great due to a tropical storm over the Andaman Islands. The ship did not take on any water in Myanmar as it is not potable, therefore water was being saved as much as possible and the guest laundry was temporarily closed. Shame they can’t use rain water!
We had an excursion at 4pm – Shewedagon by night. Traffic was slightly better and we arrived into the city by 5:15pm. Sunset is around half 5 so there was a really lovely dusk light when we got there. The temple at night is a totally different atmosphere compared to during the day. A lot more chilled out and cool – still lots of local people but a lot less tourists. Everything was beautifully lit, though some of the buddhas were lit up with disco lighting which seemed a bit strange. We were given a candle on a long stick and given plenty of time to pay our respects to the area of the temple dedicated to the day we were born. Traditionally you thank the god by pouring water from a small metal cup over the statue – you do this once for each year of your age and then once for luck. For some people, that was a lot of water! A few people didn’t know which day they were born on so google came in handy for that. Next we lit the candles and used them to light others, leaving our lights burning as we left. There were lots of families in attendance and also a lot of monks in their traditional robes and nuns in pink robes. We spent some time in the small gift shop before making our way back to the ship.
7th November – Yangon
Rain rain rain. And a bit more rain. Our tour today was ‘Island Pagoda Discovery’. Our first stop was Thanlyin, about 30 mins drive from the ship. There we were met by some local merchants in their horse carts and there was chance to go for a short ride on them. It didn’t look a great prospect in the rain and the animals didn’t look very happy so we gave that one a miss. We had free time to look at the market which was fascinating, so many unusual sights and smells to see. There was a large fruit & vegetable market with weird and wonderful produce. Many stalls selling household goods, clothes and we even found some fairly decent fake handbags! Fellow travellers said they had seen chickens having their heads chopped off but thankfully we didn’t see that. I wish it had been better weather and that we’d had longer to look around.
Next up was Kyaik-Khauk pagoda. Unfortunately there was a power cut here meaning the escalators and lifts could not be used. The guides led us up the marble stairs but they were treacherous due to the rain. Several people took a tumble, including one chap who cut his shin quite badly. At this point a lot of people thought it wasn’t safe to continue but the guides insisted the show must go on and took us to the next stop which was Kyauk Tan, a floating temple in the middle of the river. Only 3 people from our bus elected to go over to the island as the rain was still torrential. The rest waited on the bus for an hour. While we waited the guide brought fresh coconuts and some local fruits for us to try.
Finally we had a guided walk around a local village which seemed pretty deserted. Everyone returned to the ship pretty grumpy and soaking wet. I know there’s nothing we can do about the weather but the tour operators should have the authority to amend itineraries if required. We should never have tried to climb the stairs at the first temple – white marble floor + rain + bare feet was madness.
We were due to set sail from Yangon at 10pm but first of all there was some fun to be had – White Night! This is another Azamara speciality where they throw a massive party on deck for one night on each cruise and everyone wears white. They put on a big buffet and some of the Officers serve the food. We were so lucky to get a break in the rain which meant the event was able to go ahead as planned outside on deck 9. We decided to eat first in Discoveries and then join the party. The restaurant was lovely and quiet so we had enough time to chat to our favourite server, Marinelle and her assistant Dudi.
We joined the party and had great fun. Cruise Director Ernest and his team were working so hard singing and dancing, making sure that everyone was having a ball. The ship’s band, Smooth Sensations were playing and they were fabulous too. It was a wonderful party and when it finished at 10pm everyone moved to the Living Room to keep dancing until the wee small hours.
8th & 9th November – at sea
2 lovely sea days to catch up on some much needed sleep. The weather was still changeable and was a mix of sun & showers. Some people commented that there weren’t many activities planned on sea days around the ship. I liked the fact that loud music wasn’t blasting all the time but there wasn’t a lot you could do if it was raining. I tended to sit in the Living Room snuggled in a blanket reading my book and watching the world go by. I also liked visiting the frozen yogurt station to grab a pot of the sweets they had laid out as toppings…. best gummi bears ever!
10th November – Penang, Malaysia
We had booked the ‘Grand Tour of Penang’ and our first stop was the Kek Lok Si temple, the largest Chinese temple in south east Asia. There were quite a few steps to climb but it was worth it. The temple was lovely, with a really tranquil feel.
Next up was the Thai Buddhist temple. Behind the reclining Buddha there are slots were you can inter the ashes of loved ones. Our local guide actually introduced us to his late Grandparents!
Then we visited the Burmese Buddhist temple just across the road. There were also plenty of stalls here for picking up more souvenirs. Prices were reasonable and both Ringgits and US$ were widely accepted.
We then had lunch provided in a local hotel, in the ballroom no less. The buffet was extensive with both local and western dishes along with sushi, fruit and desserts.
After lunch our next stop was Entopia, a butterfly garden. It was really well laid out with some great wildlife – not just butterflies. There were all sorts of creepy crawlies to watch including some absolutely mahoosive spiders that I would not like to meet on a dark night. We only had an hour here but thoroughly enjoyed it.
Overall we had a really great day in Penang, wish we could have stayed longer to explore. I’ll just have to add it to my list of places to go back to. Our guide, Vincent was really friendly and helpful.
I think this was the night that we saw Cruise Director Ernest’s stage show. He is a great entertainer, a bit cheesy, but can really belt out a tune. The song choices were not all to my taste but he did a great job. He even went as far as roller skating to ‘Starlight Express’ having been a long-standing cast member. Amusing moment when during his Tom Jones routine a member of his team threw a large pair of men’s underpants at him!
11th November – Port Klang, Malaysia
Our last port was Port Klang, which is about 90 mins from the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. I’d been here a few times before on business and also prior to a Borneo trip. Our first stop was the new King’s Palace – we were only given a few minutes to take photos through the gate.
Next was Independence Square, where the Malaysian flag was first raised in 1957. It was interesting to see the blends of architecture here.
We then stopped at the iconic Petronas twin towers for a photo stop. Unfortunately we arrived on Monday, the only day of the week where you can’t go up the towers!
Finally we went to a craft centre and had far too much time here. I think we picked the wrong tour here to be honest, it was still enjoyable and the guide, Ali, was great but I’d rather have seen more of the city.
Back on the ship it was the worst part of the cruise – packing to go home. Luggage had to be outside our doors by 10pm so had to remember to leave out something to wear the next day!
12th November – Singapore – UK
Most flights to the UK from Singapore leave late afternoon/evening and arrive the following day. I chose a lunchtime flight that got back the same day, in order to save a day of annual leave from work. Of course there was a risk that the ship would arrive late into Singapore or be caught up by customs and we would miss the flight but all went smoothly and we arrived at the airport and checked in in plenty of time. We had time to look in the shops and also to visit the butterfly garden before proceeding to the gate. The flight was less than half full and we had the extra legroom seats again so it was a comfortable ride home. Landed back at Heathrow at 6.30pm and then it was back to the real world.
Jennywhereintheworld 