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We took this cruise as an additional trip on our own once our daughter had settled into college. From the check in (easy, the terminal at one end of a shopping centre, our overnight hotel at the other) to the departure, we could not have been looked after better.
The ship is smaller than we have been on previously, the shops were fewer than we expected, but stocked what I needed (tissues, paracetemol etc.)
I had been ill with a cold, and once aboard I began to suffer with a chest infection. The medical team looked after me so well, and after four visits, with antibiotics and nebuliser treatments every day, I was well enough to enjoy my holiday. I would feel confident bringing someone with a serious condition on this cruise, the doctors and nurses are knowledgeable and the medical rooms well equipped. They wrote me a sick note for one of the excursions so that I got a refund, and although it was disappointing not to go ashore, it meant I was well enough to go to Ho Chi Minh city, as I have always wanted to see it.
The star of the cruise ship was Bobby, the cruise director. Not only did he compere the game shows and variety shows in an entertaining way, but he unobtrusively went around the ship making sure that it all ran well. Every now and then I spotted him clearing away bingo cards, checking on repairs, and once I saw him pick up the phone to report a door which had suffered in high winds. Previous cruise directors have been frustrated DJs/children's entertainers, I have never seen one who was so professional and who worked so hard.
We had heard that the ship was dirty - it was spotless, and I couldn't go past any of the decks without seeing someone cleaning and polishing. We had heard that the food was bad - it was delicious, both in the Romeo and Juliet restaurant and the Windjammer.
The majority of the passengers were charming and very civilised, there were no disputes over loungers etc. and on excursions we got to meet interesting people, as well as at our assigned table in the restaurant. The largest contingent on the ship was British, with I believe Australians the next largest.
The shows in the evening were quite good, although as we were on the late sitting for dinner, we were sometimes too tired to go to the show, which started at 10.15pm. However, we saw a violinist who had won New Faces in Australia years ago, the 3 Chinese tenors who performed at the Sydney Olympics, and the regular singers and dancers who were excellent.
There were lectures about the culture of each country we were visiting, plus China, from a professor. His English was not very good, he had prepared powerpoint slides with bullet points, and he just read from them. My husband went to them all because he felt sorry for him!
The disembarkation at Singapore was very well handled. We had booked a tour which ended up at the airport. We didn't see much of what had been advertised, but had a nice visit to the botanical gardens and saw the front of Raffles hotel and the Merlion. Our luggage went with us, so it was a good way to see the city without having to worry about the luggage.
Overall, a lovely, if slightly small ship, with excellent crew, who made this a most enjoyable experience.
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