We went to ports in Indonesia that we've never been to before and loved each one. We saw komodo dragons on Komodo Island, saw how 3rd world countries are growing and improving. The crew were the happiest of any group we've ever experienced on a ship.
HAL set up a meet and greet for our cruise critic roll call so we could put a face to a name.
The Volendam singers and dancers are great, as they are on each HAL cruise, but the add on entertainment was quite average.
Cabin entryway is cramped with no room for us to pass each other between the bed and the wall. There is just one useable outlet in the cabin - bring your extension cord! There is lots of storage space for folded clothing but the hanging area of the closets is very small.
We used the local subway and bus systems with an all day pass purchased in the train station. Very user friendly. We ate at the local food markets at food venders with A or B sanitary ratings and had great food cheaply! We stayed overnight so got to enjoy the light show in the harbor after nightfall. Great city!
We were in a private van with six guests total and saw many happy buddhas!
Another six guests in a private taxi. We left the ship at 7:30 a.m. and returned at 9:30 p.m. We loved the boat ride to the King's Barges and saw the sights from the river. Visited Grand Palace - a must see, and had Pad Thai for lunch and dinner!
A tuk tuk took us on a one hour tour from center city and returned us to the ship. Quite an experience!
Priviate Authentic Asia tour with 16 of us sailing on Ha Long Bay in a junk with stops at a beach and two caves. Awesome day.