20/3/2016 - Malacca, but on board

20/3/2016  So today, after a very pleasing uninterrupted night time sleep :) we became more familiar with our new home. We stayed resolved to stay on board rather than have to queue for tenders over to Malacca, and I think we made the right choice. It is really hot, so slow-moving is where it's at.  It's also very peaceful on board as about 1000 people have made the decision to explore the land. We started with a late breakfast, 10 a.m is late for us.  I'm sure Khachik is eating for two, (ha!) that's easy to achieve.  Meal times don't really exist as there's a continuous flow of any kind of food and drink that takes your fancy. Breakfast supposedly ends at 11:30, and lunch begins at 12:00.  Lunch ends at 2:30 and afternoon tea begins at 3.  Afternoon tea ends at 5:30 and dinner begins at 6.  You can also always find a place to snack between meals too! like poolside snacks, and of course you can have room service if you choose not to venture out.

Our post-breakfast exercise was to try out the hot tub (me) and the gym (Khachik). The hot tub never disappoints, it is a good place for stretching. Afterwards I decided to try walking laps in the swimming pool (something recommended on the arthritis care website as a way of maintaining muscle strength when the joints are fecked).  This will probably become my alternative to deck walking, which I am glad to say removes some of my current frustration. It is also accompanied by a selection of easy listening old music from Dolly Parton to Diana Ross, to which I can silently reminisce, in the sun under  blue skies, ....sorry.

 


We have already accidentally bumped into and chatted to a very cheerful, savvy and eccentric serial cruiser called Ian, whom we met and quickly remembered from Arcadia last year, and another couple whose names we didn't find out (yet), even though we recognised them immediately from last years dance classes, and have often chatted together. They completed the world cruise last year and have done it all again this year. They look really well and happy.  They were telling us that the ship couldn't get into Shanghai, having been delayed I think because of bad weather and delayed so much that Taiwan was taken off the itinerary.  It made me realise how lucky we are to be on here, and on time.

Tonight we have exchanged our hugely sought after drinks vouchers from our loyalty tier for champagne (K) and elderflower presse (me)! Very enjoyable too, along with a second visit to the hot tub and a very interesting chat with a couple from Cardiff, one those chats where you cover a lot of ground in just a few minutes.  They are cruising from  Singapore like us but only to Cape Town and flying home. They look similar in age to us, and seem very active and leading full lives <3.

We also dined with another very friendly couple from near Northwich, Chris and Keith. Chris also enjoys watercolour painting, so we will probably meet again tomorrow when the art classes start.  The art teacher up to Cape Town is called Tony Westmore, I am really looking forward to learning with him.

From the word on the deck there was indeed some frustration from the excursioners when trying to get back on the ship's tenders, and it would appear that quite a number of passengers had never experienced the phenomenon of the open sewer  before today.

As we make our way to Sri Lanka we have three days at sea, the Indian Ocean, coming up.  In terms of keeping in touch, we have limited satellite wi-fi @ £15 per hour (!), so we will not be able to browse/respond to much. I will be typing up the blog off line and posting it up super-quick though, until we reach Columbo, hopefully we will find wi-fi there.

Bye for now! x

19/3/2016 On board Aurora

19/3/2016
IT'S HOT and steamy here, a few minutes and perspiration overtakes everything.  The smell of food reminds me a little bit of Thailand. Air conditioning in the hotel is on all the time and very effective, so the heat hits you when you walk out, like walking into a sauna!

Like clockwork, we were met by a very cheerful agent, and met some of our fellow travellers for the first time. We were then transferred to the port, directed to our ship, Aurora, and then to our cabin, B151 on deck 10 where we were happily reunited with our baggage.

I never fail to be amazed by smoothly running logistics. Straight through security, immigration, P&O's admin and cruise card issue.

Our first impression of the ship is very good indeed, clearly Aurora has recently had a facelift and everything is looking brand new and exceptionally clean. Carpets are all thick and soft.  We've cruised quite a lot in the last 12 months and have managed to accrue 1200 points each in the loyalty programme, aka the Peninsular Club. We are on the Mediterranean Tier.  What that means in the real world is that we have just earned ourselves a magnificent pair of P&O slippers,.... each!  Its hard to contain myself, but I will try to share the joy when I found them waiting on the bed, an enduring symbol of our cruising life, along with a voucher for a welcome drink of alcoholic champagne or non-alcoholic elderflower pop.



Today we've unpacked and appreciated all the storage space in the cabin, the balcony and the bathroom.  There's even a curtain splitting the room into bedroom and sitting room so it feels more like a suite than a cabin.  It feels quite luxurious. And then there's the safety briefing, alarm sound, muster points etc - we both fell asleep at our muster point with our life jackets on.  What's that about?

We've also started to explore the ship, found and examined the gym, the restaurants, the pools, the hot tubs and the spa.  We have been introduced to Galvin, our cabin attendant until Cape Town.  The big buffet lunches and five course evening dinners have started. I have to bear in mind that I am considerably less active than last year, and cannot eat nearly as much pudding and fudge!  Tomorrow in an effort to become slowly accustomed to what can be manic excursion behaviour we have decided to stay on the ship and mess about. Until we are completely over the jet lag we need to avoid stiff like that.

         






So, until tomorrow!

19/3/2016 Embarkation Day

Well now, the day for embarkation has arrived, and 38 days at sea.  It all looks perfectly organised from here on.  We check out, say goodbye to our luggage and meet up with it again in our cabin later this afternoon.  The luggage tags are on, the transport is booked.  We just need to stuff what we can into the suitcases, including the winter coats, join the transport at midday and away.  I expect it will be a while before I can blog, as there's a safety talk and practice putting on life jackets and finding out where muster points are.  Not sure if there will be a piracy drill this year, but today would be a good time if there is.  So.bye Singapore, hello oceans. ;)

We're joining this years circumnavigation at Singapore, and if you would like to follow our journey back to Southampton you can click here

Afternoon Tea at Raffles Hotel

A very short walk from our hotel is a really grand looking Raffles Hotel, and inside Raffles is the oldee englishee Tiffin Room.  This is one of those places everyone who has been to Singapore mentions because of its spectacular afternoon tea, and the history of the hotel and its name.  Sir Stamford Raffles is an early founder of Singapore and there's a statue of him at his original landing site, and several buildings named after him

Before we left home the UK  I had booked on line and requested a dessert suitable for one type 2 diabetic diner. This seems to have caused quite a stir.  I just thought they'd provide a low sugar cake, or say there's a lot of savoury options and fresh fruit/ or some diabetic ice cream, but it was much more complicated.  First reply, we'll contact the chef and see what he can do.  Second reply, he can't accommodate your complex needs, do you still want to proceed?  (Yes, I said, we'll just choose low sugar.low saturated fat options)  Third reply - in that case you will have to sign the attached disclaimer before we will confirm your booking. (Sorry we can't print,I replied, but K will sign on arrival)  Fourth reply, your booking is now confirmed.

There was no further mention of this today, we found the Tiffin room and after a few minutes in a queue outside were allowed in at 3 on the dot, ushered to our table and treated like very special people

But just need to add that when the bill came one person's bill was reduced by S$23, I can only guess its because of K's type 2 diabetes, which as it happened was quite satisfactorily navigated with most of what was available.  No need for dinner tonight, by the way. One of us had a taste of everything!

Otherwise we have done nothing of the sightseeing we had envisaged, just got up, ate breakfast, had a nap, got up. went for afternoon tea, came back, went to the pool, lay in the sun, listened to the radio , did a crossword and then went to bed, that's where I am now. But the jet lag has gone :) And we are well and truly ready to sail away to Malacca tomorrow.

Long Haul Over, we're in Singapore

We fast-tracked our journey and cruise experience by flying to Singapore from Manchester, with an hour stop-over in Munich.

 This has its advantages and disadvantages.  Obviously we have arrived already, a huge advantage (the world cruisers have been cruising from Southampton for two months to get this far).  The down side is just the jet lag, feeling a bit discombobulated, and a little bit nauseous. It's a bit harsh.  Last years cruises involved  putting the clocks back or on one gentle  hour at  a time every few days.  This "clocks-on" is 8 in one day.   It's 11 p.m. and I have been asleep since 6, had enough sleep, wide awake now.  I have brought yogi tea, and a little yoga nidra on mp3, so the gentle approach is coming up next. . I'm not one for forcing myself to stay awake, although I try to go out when it's daytime to reset my clock.  I know it won't last long, I know from our Thai trips. It will pass over the next day or so.

I can recommend Singapore Airlines for its service, and what is described as Premium Economy - I thought it just meant extra leg space because it was such a good deal,  It was extra leg space, extra seat width, seat reclining worth doing, 35Kg luggage allowance to name just a few!  Oh yes, and fluids and snacks all the time and two gorgeous meals with plenty of choice for all tastes.

And this hotel, I can recommend this one too. Swissotel Stamford  We have a classic room on 16th floor, big, spacious and with gorgeous views day and night. The hotel seems to be in the middle of a mall called Raffles Boulevard, with potential for great shopping of all kinds.  However we only really had our eyes set on one thing - local food, and there it was.

Two nights here and then we embark.  So to make the most of our break here, tomorrow we have booked Afternoon Tea at Raffles, it comes highly recommended, along with a few other sightseeing treats and a visit to the botanical gardens.

A new adventure begins!

In just over 12 hours we will be setting off on our travels again!  Last year we completed a world cruise on the massive Arcadia.  In the final sector went to the middle east through the Suez canal, crossing the Mediterranean.

This year we decided to join P&O's Aurura world cruise in Singapore and complete the last 2 sectors, because instead of Suez we are going to sail from Singapore to Malacca, Malaysia, Columbo Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Namibia, Gambia, Cape Verde and the Canaries. All sounding exciting, and hot!



I couldn't let this great voyage go past without keeping a record again, and so here it begins.  The bags are packed, weighed, vaccines up to date, tickets, insurance, passports and currencies all accessible. A few land excursions are booked in advance.  Just a few annoying little things to pack and not forget at the last minute, like chargers and electronic devices.  Freezer empty, All perishable food used up.  Plants in sink. Pretty sure we've got everything!  Let's see.

Tomorrow we will be flying from Manchester to Singapore and spending a couple of days in Singapore before embarkation on 19th.

It might be a while before the next blog appears, so bye for now.

Might as well start with a pre-flight selfie, would be so rude not to!