The day I received an email from the Cruise's PIC about the details of the meet-up and stuff. Most importantly, please remember to bring your passport!
TWENTY-SIXTH OF APRIL
I only packed my bags the night before. Actually not really packing also. More like take all the things that my eyes see since I was really tired. It's always better to bring more than bring not enough clothes. Lesson learnt in Hatyai. Heh.
It was only in the morning when I got ready for church that the travel-feel kicked in and I was on fire again. It has been quite a busy week, hence me not feeling like I wanna leave Penang. Phlegm not all gone some more.
Mom dropped me at the Swettenham Pier at 1pm and it's all on my own then. I had no idea whatsoever how she (the PIC/Inviter) looks like and there were thousands of people trying to check -in/register/board the cruise. I stood at a corner, waiting and looked for other travel agents, as if I knew any of them.
Anyone who looked like they are on their own should be in the same team with me, right? WRONG. Everyone came with a partner at least. Holiday Tours was the only agency that send one person. Heh.
Let's see how the process goes from arriving at Swettenham Pier to getting into the cruise. Follow me please :)
When you go up the escalator after entering the majestic-looking building, you will see this, and many many people.
Then, suddenly these dancers will come out and dance to really nice songs, and after a while they WILL try to pull a few of you guys to go in and join them. Very engaging.
Details on my Cruise Card:
- Assembly Station: A1 (this is solely for emergency purposes as when you need to leave the ship and where to meet etc which I will further mention later on so read on!)
- Stateroom No: 3005 A Deck 3 (my room number at level=deck 3)
- Cabin Type: CC (Oceanview Stateroom with Window)
- Cruise Date: 26-29 April 2015
This is an international trip so yes, need passport and need to go through immigration like this.
Then, you just follow the signage and walk toward the big boat. It feels so amazing already when this lady passes everyone a warm towel to 'clean' yourself.
Another station before you may board Libra. This is where they will collect all your passports and keep it with them throughout the entire journey. With that being said, you don't need your passport when you reach Phuket and Krabi. Just keep your Cruise Card safe at all times.
The cruise card is very important because it is also your credit card. So easy because you don't have to carry any cash with you (except when you wanna gamble in the casino) and you don't have to carry your passport with you when you leave the ship.
It's like your IC in the cruise. VERY IMPORTANT. Keep it safe with you at all times!
Yay! Finally onto the aircond-not-working-punya-portable-hallway.
Seriously a huge baby.
Then, you will be greeted again after going through a quick-bag-check-through at the entrance. All you got to do here is pass them your Cruise Card and you're good to go.
It is going to be a challenge (a fun one!) to locate your room on the first try. The ship so huge, you need to know whether yours is located in the front, middle or back.
Room sweet room :)
After I found out that I was going for this trip alone, I prayed for a room all to myself. Not that I was being selfish okay. It's just that usually for Fam Trip, agents get their own room and knowing the size of the rooms in cruises like this, I obviously would love more space for myself.
So, when I got to know that I did have a room all to myself, I was so happy that I decided to post a photo on Instagram. Any reason is a good reason to update Instagram. Hah.
After settling down, it was time to meet up with all the agents invited to this trip and that was when a couple (no, they're not together. Heh) approached our host and mentioned that they were given the same room and they're not together romantically. How awkward heh.
They're from Ipoh so maybe immediately people thought they're a thing.
I was standing nearby and I heard their conversations. At once, I offered my room to the girl. My reason of doing so? Simple.
I looked at everyone and realized that they all have their own group of comfort people, except me. I was all alone. So sad. I did made a few friends from other agents, but somehow just cannot click. Maybe it's age difference? Oh well.
So, I ended up sharing a room with Ice and the guy, Zeff was just next to our room. AND WE ARE ROUGHLY AROUND THE SAME AGE! Best part everr. Heh.
I spent the entire trip with these two angels and loved every moment that we had.
One thing that is unique about our friendship is our style of communication. They're from Ipoh so obviously their first language is Cantonese/Mandarin and no hokkien.
We decided as a team that both of them will always speak in their comfort language and I will with mine, which is obviously English. That way, we all learn from each other. Surprisingly enough, I understood every single thing that they say the whole entire time. Okay maybe not entire thing. I'd say about 96%.
So proud of us okay. It was actually really fun to have that kind of agreed 'rule'. People around us will probably think that it's super weird for these three humans to speak in different language all the time. Heh.
The room.
Toilet. As you can see, it's really small and max I think two persons inside.
Welcome onboard SuperStar Libra message from the Captain.
So, we boarded the cruise ship at about 1:30pm. The ship will only start sailing at 5pm. After the agents' talk, some people walked around the ship and some went for afternoon snacks in their restaurants. No, no one will go to casino yet because the ship is not on international waters yet. Heh.
There are 5 restaurants on the ship. 3 of them are FOC, actually more like you already paid for it. The other 2 restaurants are ala-carte restaurants so that means there will be charges.
The other 3 restaurants; FOUR SEASONS (western cuisine), OCEAN PALACE (chinese cuisine), MARINERS BUFFET (pork and lard free international cuisine), you can eat all you want. ALL YOU WANT NO KIDDING.
I went back room and rested a while, till at about 4:45pm, the ship made an announcement and we're all required to bring the life-jacket (in the room) and find our Assembly Station (written on the Cruise Card). This is a mandatory safety drill for all travelers, then again not everyone is going to care so yeah.
We grabbed ours and headed to Deck 5 and finds our Assembly Leader.
I've never seen/tried on such life-jacket before. Very unique though a bit complicated to wear. If really anything happens, I probably will just hold it tight or wrap around my arms since got no time to unbuckle all and wear then buckle again. Heh.
First group selfie :)
The emergency boat that can transport at least 150 people.
And the ship sails.
Dark clouds stayed behind on the island.
Can never never get a nice-hair-shot up here. Always windy.
The Welcome Aboard 'Songkran Theme' Sail Away Party.
Not in the mood to get wet so I shall be watching from above :)
After all that, it was time to fill our hungry tummy. Since we can eat-till-we-dropvomit, we decided to eat at all 3 restaurants. Mad right? But we did it, seriously.
The food was amazing. REALLY NON-STOP EATING OKAY.
At Mariners Buffet.
At Ocean Palace.
At Four Seasons. Here, you can see that I couldn't swallow no more beef, lamb or salmon.
After dinner, we walked around since we've still got a bit of time left before their show begins.
Oh yes. I forgot to mention that there are plenty of things to do on the ship. Once you board the ship and right before you go straight to your cabin, head towards their receptionist and get a copy of this.
This is the schedule for all the happenings and events that you may want to join in, which you will see later on this blog. I didn't join all the activities though I tried to. Heh.
Remember that this Navigator has schedules for only 2 days, so on the third day, you may go to the receptionist again and take the new Navigator.
Just before we got up and leave the top deck.
The Fabulous Chan Show. (yes, she-male kind of show)
Jackpot Bingo with Jackpot prize of RM28, 888. If all your numbers are called in a single green box before they call the 41st number, then you hit the jackpot. Obviously, we didn't get it. If not, you sure see in my FB and Instagram already, but it was fun. Heh.
Eat again. Supper time. Told you it's EAT NON-STOP up here.
TWENTY-SEVENTH OF APRIL
Rise and shine! Today, we will NOT have breakfast at all three restaurants. Heh. Dim sum it is.
While waiting for the ship to arrive at Phuket's Jetty place, we decided to join the Hot Cooking Class: Tom Yum.
Waiting to meet the rest of the agents before we head out to Phuket.
The cruise has two ways of sending people out to Phuket and Krabi. One is the cruise is directly next to the jetty and the other one is the cruise is 'parked' in the sea somewhere and we take a smaller boat to the jetty.
This two options are arranged every half a year. They change every 6 months. So, sometimes you may straight just walk out of the ship and you're at Phuket already, which was our case. So convenient.
Very important to note the time to get back to the ship. The ship waits for no one.
No need take smaller boats, syiok.
The other travel agents from Penang and Ipoh.
First stop at Phuket: Cashew Nut Factory.
Such a repetitive job for such a young girl.
Cashew nut still in the shell.
So, cashew nut is actually the cashew seed of the cashew apple grown in a cashew tree. You can see the cashew nut in the shell on top of the cashew apple. Just pluck it out and there you have it, and yes, the fruit can be eaten.
After that, we went to several 7-11 shops to get a sim card for calls and internet, only to find out that in order for tourist to be able to use 1, we will need to register and do a lot of work so in the end no one got any.
Next, we stopped at a bee farm. No, I did not see no honey bees at all. All I see was honey made food products.
Real honey has no expiry dates.
Bee pollen very good for health but so the geli the taste.
Then, the tour guide took us into a more kampung area for elephant rides. It was about 800 baht (if I remembered correctly) so most of us decided not to get on it. So expensive leh. Also since I'm going to Thailang in September and most likely go on an elephant ride, I thought why not wait for my first experience with the lover.
Too free so take photo of this.
Our last stop was Jungceylon Shopping Mall. We were given a few hours to do everything we want. We walked so much that night you have no idea. Partly because we needed to find the others and directions given was.. well, not to say incorrect.
They said turn right at Starbucks and go all the way straight.
We did.
The problem was we didn't know there was two starbucks. One in the front of the mall and the other one was at the back.
AND WE WALKED SO MUCH AFTER OUR LEG MASSAGE SOME MORE. Hah.
Back to the ship at 11pm. I was ready to collapse on my bed.
My #ootdonlywhenitravel that day. So oily and sweaty.
One of the best sleep ever I tell you. It was not enough but really good one. We woke up early today because we will leave the ship at 9am. We only have till 7pm to explore Krabi so we didn't go too far.
It took longer time for us to leave the ship as this time we needed to be transported to Krabi land via a speedboat. From where we were standing, the sea looked super choppy and I foresee myself contributing food to the ocean.
300 people on board.
Best way to feel okay with the whole-sea-sickness is looking out and breathing the fresh air.
Ice: Let's take another selfie smile like Sarah. Must show off the teeth okay.
Oh hello there land o land.
I'm guessing that during the peak tourist-season, this place is packed with humans!
We took the Krabi Attractions tour from the cruise. RM73 per adult.
Places we went:
- Tiger Cave Temple, also known as Wat Tham Sua.
- Khao Khanap Nam (photo taking only). That's where we took photo with the two hills and a giant crab.
- "Jee Or" OTOP. Shopping for local products like krabi cake and deep fried bamboo caterpillars (which I obviously bought!)
- Ao Nang Beach. Free time till its time to go home!
Go in, snap and leave. This crab is so famous that you will never be able to get a personal shot with them crabs alone. Look at my fellow companions, taking photo with this delicious thing.
All the travel agents unite.
RM20 for this box.
Seafood tomyam at Aonang Beach. So blehh.
This one bestt. Only 40 baht.
The famous Ao Nang Beach is beautiful! Oh please. It was muddy, water was super black and dirty-like. Boats everywhere. No way to snorkel in here. No trees for shaded areas also. Hmm.
Never, never try to take too many shots of this kind because coconut ice cream obviously melted and coconut meat also became warm. Heh.
By evening, we all boarded the boat back to the ship to prepare for our gala dinner at night. Every last night on cruise sure have gala dinner. You can choose to have it at either one of the restaurants.
Gala dinner night means you will be served with fine dining foods and its experiences. So, means all must dress up. There's two time slot for the dinner since its imposibble to accommodate all the passengers at one seating.
One at 6:45pm and the other at 9pm.
We took the later one since we just came back from Krabi. Got some time to rest.
Since dinner was later, we decided to soak in the jacuzzi on the top deck.
Oh dear eyebrows, where art thou?
#ootdonlywhenitravel for the swim.
The snake season begins :)
Appetizer: Seafood Parade
Ceviche of tiger prawn, pan seared scallop and Norwegian smoked salmon fillet on parade with salsa verde confit, accompanied with Italian Foccacia Toast and finished with basil pea puree.
Soup: Chicken Consomme with Wanton Dumpling
Clear bouillon of chicken with wanton dumpling.
Main Course: Elegant Seafood Trio
Grilled Cod fillet, seafood thermidor and seared scallops with Bearer Blanc.
Dessert: Rich Dark Chocolate Almond Hollander
Chocolate almond hollander served with Portugese egg tart and kiwi sauce.
Loved the Gala Show! So extravaganza and jaw-dropping moments.
TWENTY-NINTH OF APRIL
Rise and shine early today! Before we went for breakfast, we decided to go collect our passports back and make any payments before when it gets later when everyone is finally awake and the queue is going to take forever.
Final meal on board shall be dim sum at Ocean Palace. Chinese people being chinese.
I spent the last few hours on the top deck, enjoying all the sea breeze I could before it's back to work. I slept for a while too. So amazing the feeling. It brings me back to the time when I was in Bali. Perfect, just perfect.
