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Day 2-3 – At Sea – Canaries Cruise Author: Offandaway Oct 28

Ah here I am writing this in the middle of the ocean on the balcony the temperature about 22 degrees C and oh my am I relaxed, this is what cruising is all about.

We’ve had the chance to tour round the ship and take in some of its sights, sounds and pleasures and its brilliant and yes very big, we are going to be fit going up and down all those stairs I can tell you.

The Room

Well the room is the biggest that we have had so far and as a result easily the best, even the balcony itself is bigger on this class of ship. Much of the actual cabin itself however is pretty much the same as the rest of the RCCL fleet, which is a good thing and a bad thing. You kinda hope they have changed a bit of the decor a bit more and used some different colours but it appears not, maybe in other classes of cabins they have but we haven’t had the chance to sample those yet.

You do get things like a bigger and better LCD TV that takes up a bit of space but then you loose out on a little bit of storage space as well. The bathroom is a bit bigger and the nice door on the shower is a welcome addition, gone is the clingy curtain we had on the Legend but that is a ship that’s more than 10 years its junior so we will forgive it for that.

The bed is still as comfy and wonderful as ever and the ability to get the temperature of room to what ever level you want means that sleep is often deeper and longer than I’d even get at home..MMmmmm ZZZZzzzz

The Ship

I’m not going to go into everything here there would be so much to write its untrue but with the aid of a few pictures I will give a nice little overview, I will put more into all the other posts to follow.

So a few vital statistics first, at 160,000 tonnes its the largest cruise ship in the world, that is before the Oasis class of ship comes out. It has 1,400 crew and normally has about 3600ish passengers as some cabins could have 2 or 4 or more people in.

It has got more facilities and things to do than you can shake a stick at, whether you want to chill out on deck and enjoy the sun or do some ice skating and plenty in-between you are unlikely to get bored.

The theatre can take well over 1,000 people in it as can the three floor dining room, bigger than single dining room in Vegas no less.

Days 2-3 at Sea

Well its been a little choppy going through the bay of Biscay mostly due to a swell from some of the strong winds off the coast but nothing bad and I’ve not seen anyone unwell and we certainly haven’t. Its been a little chilly as well so not many people are out on deck making everything else that little bit busier but nothing terrible.

The Windjammer does need a bit of careful time to ensure its not to busy when you go for lunch when at sea but we haven’t not been able to find a place to sit down within a few minutes.

Entertainment has been excellent, the ice shows aren’t for a few days as aren’t the full productions but the acts that have been on have certainly been entertaining and the cruise director one of the best we have had.

Lots more of the holidays to go, next stop Maderia.  

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Day 1 – Southampton / Check-in Author: Offandaway Oct 26

After a long drive down to Southampton but thankfully uneventful one we arrived mid morning, we were directed to drop off our bags near the ship that took only a few minutes, it will take you longer if you arrive at the peak times but regardless its painless experience.

Oh yes the ship, oh my does it look big its massive, it towers above you all 14 decks of it, this is going to be fun to find out what it has to offer.

Anyway we drove off to our none to cheap car parking space, I was expecting for £100 to have full valet parking, a wash and vacuum and for it to be heated and leather lined, but no it wasn’t but it was easy to get to and park up.

Getting into the terminal was easy and the process of getting through was trouble free, not a single queue at all, hand in the documents fill out a quick form and off up to the ship.

Once on the ship as the rooms weren’t open we went straight up to the windjammer. Its much the same as the Navigator in layout but a little bit bigger to cater for all the extra passengers. We had a quick bite to eat from waayyyy up high watching all the other passengers arrive and the windjammer start to get busier. We couldn’t go out on deck yet and it was hardly a toasty hot day as it was mid October after all.

I won’t go into much detail about the rest of the ship here or the room but needless to say both everything was excellent.

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An all new 11 night cruise to the Canaries Author: Offandaway Oct 26

So the summer for 2009 has gone and summer 2010 seems a very long way away, life and work have taken their toll so what better than another cruise.

Yes this time we are taking an 11 night cruise to the Canary Islands on the current largest Cruise Ship in the World the Independence Of the Seas and where are we going I hear you ask well we will be taking in the following locations.

Southampton

2.5 Days at sea

Maderia

Tenerife

Gran Canaria

Lanzarote

Day at Sea

Lisbon

Vigo

Say at Sea

and back to good old blighty to Southampton

I will post a bit on each location, so photos of the Independence of the Seas and where we go and some cruising tips for the ports of call.

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Far East Cruise Tips and Links to locations. Author: Offandaway Apr 06

Well its been a few months since we got back but the memories are as fresh as ever. For those about to embark on this trip you will have a fantastic time. The ship is great and the locations varied and most stunning. I’ve put this last page together to help people navigate the site a bit easier. As some of the blog was done whilst on board and the rest afterwards the dates and flow now don’t work so well. Anyway enjoy the read and if you have any questions post away.

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Itinerary / Links to pages

Getting there from the UK and Singapore Hotel

Singapore

Bangkok – Thailand

Sihanoukville – Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Vietnam

Nha Trang – Vietnam

Hue (Danang) – Vietnam

Sanya – China

Hong Kong – China

Xiamen – China

Shanghai – China

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What about Money?

So then what money do you need? Your going to what 5 different countries and even more destinations but what currency do you need for each location?

Singapore – Get some Singapore dollars, on our cruise it was our first destination and we arrived late so not the best time to go wondering for cash machines so get some Dollars before you go it this is your starting point. We got £60 equivalent at most of that went of the very expensive Singapore slings.

Bangkok – Get some US dollars in fact get plenty as you will see later. We never got told any prices in anything other than dollars especially from all the street sellers.

Vietnam - Again get some US Dollars as you can’t get the Dong outside of the country people rarely seem to use it. We were able to buy things in US dollars at reasonable rates with little problem.

Hong Kong - Yep get some Hong Kong dollars here, we got a few before we arrived and got more out of the machines with only a small charge. We did HK on our own and had a meal and spent approx. £150 but transport is very very cheap so this is only if you are eating and buying things.

China - You need some RMB (Renimbi) for the other Chinese locations you don’t need any for Hong Kong get HKD. We used a fair amount in Shanghai but virtually nothing in Xiamen and Sanya.

But where should I buy?

As for where to buy, well the cheapest places to get things are Bangkok and Vietnam by a long way. So if you are starting in Shanghai wait until you get to them. Hong Kong Night markets are the exception though but barter very hard. We got 2 100% silk scalves for $180HKD but they start at $180 and $120 each, so walk away and come back and the price will leap down, some great bargains to be had.

Need to get some washing done?

The ship will give you a bag towards then end of the first week to get some washing done, there are no other washing facilities onboard. Its not expensive and people that used the service were impressed.

I need some help getting around!!

Well the best books we have been able to find for this type of holiday is those below. They feature a popout map at the front and back of the book that has more than enough detail to get about with. In all three locations these are all we used to get about with, they are small enough to put in your pocket but have all the information for the day or two that you are there. I really can’t recommend them enough and if you click the links below and but they from amazon they are less than £5 each, oh and you help the site.

Last but by no means least VISAS

Firstly don’t forget to get your Chinese VISA. Almost 100 people didn’t get one on our ship and almost had the cruised ruined. You need a double entry VISA, some say a multi but nobody with a double had problems.

For the other location you are given all the forms and instructions you need on the ship. They charge these direct to your seapass account on board so you don’t need to get any other VISA’s before you board.

Oh and one last thing if you are IRISH you do need a visa for Hong Kong, a few people got tripped up by this. And lastly check that the country you are coming from is allowed to get into China. Believe it or not 3 couples weren’t allowed to board the cruise in Singapore on our cruise because they were from countries not allowed into China, you have been warned.

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The first taste of ‘real’ mainland China, Xiamen Author: Offandaway Apr 05

Having had a few very busy days in Hong Kong we didn’t fancy doing a tour in Xiamen or anything fancy so we just left the ship without doing much organisation to be honest. Getting through immigration took an absolute age so be prepared for a good long wait or leave it a while whilst everyone going on a tour has gone through.

After we eventually got through we went to get on the shuttle but but there was an almighty queue, it seems everyone else on the ship was doing the same as us and just having a light day. What we should have done was pre-pay for the shuttle because if you do that you get on the coach first, lesson learnt I guess.

The shuttle wasn’t expensive but then the journey wasn’t long either, the option of a taxi which were plentiful could have been a better alternative.

The town itself wasn’t that big in Chinese terms and there wasn’t really much to it. You can walk down the main street and take a trip on the boat to the island off the coast but that wasn’t very cheap from what I remember. Its more interesting to walk down the side streets to get a better idea of what live is like than just look at the big shops.

Walking round China makes you realise how much you rely on signs to understand what the shops are selling and what is where. Just seeing Chinese symbols doesn’t help much figuring out what shops are selling most of the time you can figure it out but really at times you can’t.

Xiamen as a place is pretty primitive but certainly more developed compared to the likes of Vietnam, but its still streets behind any town in the UK which are like palaces in comparison. Going on a holiday liek this makes you understand what you have and how good the place is that you live, but seeing completely different places and cultures is a brilliant way to see the world and understand the pressures and challenges that other countries have.

As for things like money well we didn’t spend any but getting some RMB before you get there would be the best bet, the map you get off the ship is good enough to get by with oh and a good scene of direction doesn’t hurt.

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Hong Kong in full on a cruise, fabulous Author: Offandaway Feb 25

Now I know I’ve already written a little bit about Hong Kong but there is so much to do see and experience I’m going to re-visit it.

Firstly on the way into the Hong Kong get yourself out of your cabin, put your glass down, in fact stop everything and get yourself onto the top deck of the ship and take in the view. Few places are exciting to travel into on a ship, the buildings the boats around all makes it very special. If you want a tip get to the front or stand on the left / Port side of the ship to get the best views on the way in.

Some of the shots of our arrival departure can be seen below.

The first thing that’s great about getting in on a ship or at least on the Legend is the location. Its right in the middle of things and as central as you could possibly get. You can be over on Hong Kong island in 15 minutes on the ferry or in the heart of Kowlook after a small walk. See the picture below to see what I mean.

The Ship stops next to a shopping centre that you have to walk through to get to anywhere, so if you have a few HKD left after the couple of days you can quickly spend them before you leave if you want to.

If you want to go across to the main island its 1.70HKD that’s about £016p so it’s a bargain. When you get across to the main island you can actually walk a fair distance on the walkways through buildings without yet stepping foot on the actual island itself. We walked to the Bank of China the building with all the triangle shapes in it. If you ask you can go up the elevator to the 43rd floor for a great view over some of the city for free. We then walked onto the tram to take you up to the top of the island for the glorious views over the city. This really is worth doing and make sure you get the sky pass that allows you to get out on top of the building, its not very expensive at all but its good.

We had lunch up there with Dim Sum etc. which was very nice indeed but wasn’t cheap, but oh my was the view down into the city incredible and made the mean so special, highly recommended.

When we got back down we walked upwards to the gardens and zoo that’s nice and tranquil and a change from the hustle and bustle of the centre. We then went on to Soho / Noho / Boho to see the elvators that take people up and down the island in the morning and afternoon and take in all the markets, sights sounds and smells along the way. This is a fair old walk so you might want to get a taxi for some of this which are very cheap and effective so don’t walk just for the hell of it.

On returning to the boat and another lovely mean we set off to the night markets in Temple Street. What ever you do DON’T do the tour for $30 it’s a total waste of money. Its about £4 / $8 to get to there in a taxi but again we choose to walk and look at some of the shops on the way that were all still open.

The market was manic and sold all sorts of things but bargain HARD. We got a couple of 100% silk scarves for $180HKD but the price started $180/120HKD each so walk away and come back if things aren’t moving as they will on your return.

The end of day one we had seen plenty and were very tired but it was a wonderful place.

Hong Kong Day 2

Off to Stanley market, its about £30 round trip but we shared. However make sure they don’t rip you off, on the way they charged an extra $35HKD when it should have been an extra $5HKD very naughty. Stanley market was ok but for us the night market was better and had a greater variety of items to see and buy. The place was nice and the beach was good and in February the weather was good and temp a reasonable 26degs.
When we got back into the city we walked round all the fancy shops and made our way back to the boat via a few other sites.

All in all it was a fabulous couple of days and we had plenty more we wanted to see. The star ferry is cheap and get yourself onto the top for a little extra and its more fun. The taxis aren’t expensive and we withdrew all the money we needed from the cash machines. Oh and if a deal on some electrical gear appears to be too good to be true it probably is so walk away.

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The Hot Springs of Sanya Author: Offandaway Feb 25

We arrived at Sanya to an overcast sky but it was warm about 25degs. Sanya is a small city (its rapidly expanding) on the Island of Hainan south of China.

We have booked an excursion to the Hot Springs, by now we have seen enough schools, towns of life within the Far East for the time being so we though a little bit of extra fun doing some quality relaxation would be in order.

Getting through the terminal was fairly quick and efficient but the buses were a bit of a problem. Oh my were they small, for a tall westerner these really aren’t big enough at all and several people complained about it. We set off through the city out the other side and off to the hot springs. Apparently the city was nothing even as recent as 10 years ago, the expansion has been rapid to say the least, there are plenty of tall flats and by the looks of things this isn’t about to slow down. As we travel out of the city you see more engineering work this time in the form of a new train line that they are building for the island. The roads however aren’t that great and are fairly bumpy, surprising for such a recently constructed road.

Anyone onto the Hot Springs and as we were one of the last coaches to arrive they didn’t have a enough locker keys for everyone so many couples had to share, not great but we coped. We haven’t got any pictures of the springs really as we didn’t take a camera in. But if we had you would have seen my feet getting nibbled at by 20+ fish, a strange but ultimately rewarding experience as your feet come out super smooth, if you go you have to try it.

The rest of the pools were mostly the same but some stood out, how does a coffee pool sound or rose petals, that one smelt nice and seemed very decadent. The herb pool was weird and many were just very very hot so be careful they felt like they could scald. But one most certainly doesn’t as its chilled and was fffffffreeezzing but we still went it in.

On the way back we had 30/40 minutes time in a part of the city to have our first experience of China. As it was the last day of the Chinese New Year lots of fire crackers were going off that certainly livened the place up. The shops were strange to say the least with very little we wanted to buy but some people picked a few things up.

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One last flight and the holiday is over Author: Offandaway Feb 15

Well so far so good with Emirates on the return journey all is on time, I hope I’m not speaking to soon. Back to the holiday, Shanghai was erm interesting, we got to see a fair bit on foot but it is a very large city so I’d recommend taking a tour or using the very cheap taxi’s. A note on the tour some people got to the airport at 2pm but it you didn’t go on the tour you didn’t leave Shanghai until 8pm from the hotel so you get a fair bit of time to tour round.

The trip up the river and under the bridge was great, I will upload some photos over the next few days but to say that we finished the cruise in a central location is an understatement it was exactly opposite the iconic Pearl building in the very centre of the city, perfect finish to a fantastic holiday. Shanghai itself was very busy with loads of people milling around and shopping, it was like being in the sales trying to get round and all the streets in the centre were very busy and conjested.

The hotel was good and we had a nice view from the 18th floor of the Equitoral hotel, great to have a room to relax in and sort things out post cruise. We went for a nice long work to the Yu Yuan a garden in the middle of a very busy shopping come market area near to the river, its well worth a visit and is actually vote No. 2 best attraction. But its not easy to find even when you get there but pursevere and you will find it. I will list the maps we used later some invaluable to get around and know the tips for each place. Thats if for now, will update the rest of the places in the coming days after some much needed sleep. If anyone has any questions then please leave comments / questions and I will do my best to help out, if you are reading this and are about to go on the cruise you will love it.

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The last day at sea Author: Offandaway Feb 13

The voyage around the far east is coming to an end and its been great, far beyond our expectations. The entertainment could have been a little better or should I say there could have been a few more options but then it is a smaller ship and we really didn’t come for what was going on around the ship. When I get back I will put more photos up and update the site with the Hot springs in Sanya and more on Hong Kong oh and Xiamen, it will be worth the wait because both were great, I certainly never thought I’d be having my feet nibbled by fish and sitting in pools with coconut and rose petals but it was certainly fun. Next stop Shanghai and we have no idea what that is going to be like, big and different I guess.

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Far East Cruise Gallery pictures Author: Offandaway Feb 12

I’ve managed to get on some nice free wifi courtesy of the cruise terminal that’s next to us in Xiamen so I’ve had a bit of time to sort it out. Enjoy but I’ve not had time to put many more up yet on the more recent locations, more to follow so check back soon. Far East Holiday Gallery

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