At 7AM this morning, MV Sapphire Princess of Princess Cruises docked at the Marina Cruise Centre in Singapore.
I'm a cruise virgin no more. Haha!
If I were to summarise the trip, it was good food, good rest, and more good food. It was also somewhat nice to be disconnected for a few days. The only time I turned on my data roaming was in Port Kelang, Malaysia. That was only for a few minutes though. I sent some photos to Tey. I also posted one photo of me, Rich and Mon at Khoo Kongsi in Penang.
It was not easy for me to put away my phone. I guess the main reason is because I did not leave anyone behind in Singapore these past few days. Also, it was because I can actually survive a few days without my phone. Seriously. Haha.
Going back to the cruise trip, it was really quite enjoyable.
There wasn't time to be bored onboard the ship because there was some activity happening somewhere. If there was no activity interesting enough, we spent time either at the Fitness Center, the Adults Only Pool, or at the room. Richie and Mon got a mini-suite, which I thought was quite spacious. The toilet and bath was just right. Richie and Mon shared a Queen bed, while I stayed on a sofa bed. The small room had two TVs, which allowed us to watch the same show at the same time or different shows. Hehe! We also had our own balcony, which we didn't get to use too much.
Aside from relaxing, each meal was just wow! For breakfast and lunch, we ate at the Horizon Court. I think this was the Anytime Dining section of the ship. For dinner, we had our own table at the International Cafe. I particularly liked the dinner because it was sit-down. In addition to that, the quality of the food was different. Whereas breakkie and meal were at a buffet restau, dinner was like having it at a somewhat fine dining restau. It was certainly a good way to end the day.
The cruise made two port stops - Penang and Port Kelang. Unfortunately, we only spent a few hours in Penang. Wanting to make the most out of the few hours, we joined an organised tour that took us to the Thai and Burmese temples, the Khoo Kongsi, and the Peranakan Mansion. A few hours were certainly not enough for Penang. If I do go back, I def want to take some time to visit the ancestral houses and the clan houses. Oh, I also want to visit certain museums and of course, try out a number of Penang dishes.
One of the things that I also wanted to do in Penang was to send postcards. I wasn't sure if I would have time to do it because we were part of an organised tour. Thankfully, there was a souvenir shop just outside of Khoo Kongsi. I was able to get the postcards and stamps from the shop. I also asked if they can mail the postcard for me. For a few ringgit more, the Auntie agreed to post the cards for me. Hmm, the test now is whether she will really send it. Haha! So, while the group checked out some areas of Khoo Kongsi, I sat at a nearby shophouse and furiously wrote to five people. Haha!
At Port Kelang, we just stayed onboard the ship. It was actually quite nice. I managed to squeeze in an hour of gym time and a few hours of lounging. The rest of the day were spent relaxing and watching movies at the room.
Nice experience, actually.
When Richie asked if I sould do it again, I said I would but not anytime soon. The reason was I want to use my legs and feet first and walk as much as I can before the gout/arthritis gets the better of me. Hehe!
What a nice ending to 2016! Thank you, Richie and Mon! :)
