A great time in Singapore and SE Asia

By jacketwatch

• March 21, 2016

• SE ASIA

We spent 5 days in Singapore before our cruise and I must say its so beautiful there. Warm, yes and very expensive to live but its so clean, has very low crime, unemployment is <2%, has easy and cheap public transportation and most of all has very friendly people. We stayed at the Pan Pacific hotel near the marina.https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-resorts/singapore/marina.html?&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=US%20-%206746,%20Pan%20Pacific%20Singapore%20-%20Brand%20English&utm_term=pan%20pacific%20singaporeutm_content=Exact&mkwid=sHSzBTN7b&pcrid={creative}&pkw=pan%20pacific%20singapore&pmt=e. Thereis also one on Orchard Road which every designer and luxury watch company you can think of. . We visited the flower dome at gardens by the Bay. Its amazing.http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en.html.

No trip to Singapore would be complete without a visit to its iconic Merlion symbol. http://www.newasia-singapore.com/places_to_go/landmarks_and_memorials/merlion_park_200705306.html

We had a wonderful dinner at this restaurant on the 57th floor of the famous Marina Sands Bay hotel and the views of Singapore at night are amazing.

http://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/celebrity-chefs/sky-on-57.html

We also went to Little India, Chinatown and met some friends I have there so all in all we had a wonderful time before our cruise began.

Embarkation was pretty easy and we ere in our cabin about 15 mins, after we got called from the allocation area.

The food was very good for me. My wife requested Indian food and I must say they did a great job to provide this for her every night. It was always something different and this is remarkable as there were few Indians on this cruise so bravo to them for this effort.

The entertainment was good. There own performing troupe did a very nice job. I will give the nod however to NCL and RCI (Oasis) for doing more.

The service is where to me Princess shines and once again (this was our 6th cruise with them) they performed to the level we have expected. No glitches, always very professional.

This ships about 12 yrs.old and we first sailed her in 2005 and at the time I thought it was a wonder. Since then of course newer and more modern ships like the oasis and Getaway have emerged so the Sapphire can't compare in this regard to all the bells and whistles. However for what it is it is excellent. besides this was a cruise for the ports.

The stops included Brunei, Nah Trang and HCMC Vietnam, Sihanoukville Cambodia, and Bangkok and Koh Samui Thailand. All had something to offer but for us the best was HCMC or Saigon as some still call it. We had a private guide here and a full day in a mini-van with a total of 11 ships passengers cost us only $110.00 and included lunch and Vietnamese iced coffee at a 5 * hotel downtown. Vietnam is amazing and still easy on the $$ so I would recommend going there. I would like to see Hanoi too and as this is north the weather is cooler. HCMC was in the 90's.

Disembarkation was a breeze. As we are Platinum now which included 250 free minutes on the internet, we assembled with few others in the Wheelhouse bar which also had coffee and pastries. When we were called to leave, about 20 mins. after arriving we took and escalator down to the terminal and in front of us were our bags. Bingo! anti wasn't crowded at all. We left easily and this was the best disembarkation we have ever had.

Our flight left that night at 2300 so I arranged for a hotel for the day for us, The M hotel Singapore. Now this hotel was about $100.00 less per day than the Pan Pacific and did not have as lavish a buffet breakfast but it was still very good and the room was as big and every bit as nice. its also in a nice area and within walking distance to Chinatown. We decided to stroll there and as it was very warm, around 95F I soon realized I needed another shirt. for the trip home. Well its hard to get one my size, not that I am that big but sizes there run very small. I finally went to a store called OG, sort of like Macys and still had a hard time finding one. The the manager intervened and the next thing you know she has two girls running to several parts of the store bringing shirts that did fit!! Hurray. . However what I remember most is how we were so were treated. Singaporeans have a culture which extends courtesy to their guests. I would love to return one day. The cruise was great but never have we enjoyed and embarkation port more than Singapore.

Any questions pleas ask.