Review of cruise Cape Town to Singapore - Insignia Feb 9, 2016

Three years ago we were on an Oceania cruise from Istanbul to Cape Town. That was, by far, the longest cruise we'd taken, thirty days. I worried at the time that I would get cabin fever, stuck on a boat that long. The itinerary was across the Mediterranean and down the west coast of Africa, with stops in Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Namibia.  We loved it, and were sad t o leave the ship in Cape Town since it was next headed for Singapore. When last year's round-the-world cruise was advertised, we signed up fore the Cape Town to Singapore leg right away. When that leg was cancelled due to mechanical difficulties, we signed up for this year. 

The itinerary was very attractive, around the Cape of Good Hope and up the East coast of Africa to Mombasa, then across to India, then Burma (a new addition), then Maylaysia and Singapore.  Cochin, India was the only place I'd been before between Cape Town and Kuala Lumpur, and Burma was transitioning to an elected government. Burma was the highlight, but Zanzibar, Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Maldives were also new and interesting.  There were a few ports I didn't understand.  Richards Bay, South Africa, our fourth stop in South Africa, was a wasted day, with a free shuttle bus to a mall that could have been in New Jersey.  Mangalore, India was not a major attraction - compared to Mumbai, Goa, or Cochin. We went around Sri Lanka without stopping. Burma was a country just opening up to major tourism growth, with fascinating culture and stupendous sites. The people were excited about the transition and filled with hope.   Read more