Ms Amsterdam World Cruise - Hong Kong to Singapore

Mon 11 March 2013

I woke up at 7 am as we were entering Hong Kong harbour on a very foggy/smoggy day and the tall skyscrapers would appear and disappear like huge ghosts through the pollution. I had my brekkie out on the balcony of my cabin and listened to the commentary as we approached our dock.

As I have a bit of a cold I decided to take it easy so I only left the ship for a few hours in the afternoon to use the free internet in the terminal. It was good to make some calls and update the blog.

I had room service dinner and then went out to the aft deck to see the night light show at 8pm, well with all the smog it was a bit of a fizzer. I was well rugged up and the boys got me a chair and served me coffee so I was front row.

I called in to Larry’s bar  and he made me 2 hot toddies before I went off for an early night. I was in bed by 9.30pm.

Tuesday 12 March 2013

I awoke feeling much better as the cold seems to be lifting. The ship is full now for this segment from Hong Kong to Cape Town so there are heaps of new folk on board. I will see my friends in the office in the next few days to get the break down of the nationalities.

It is still very smoggy but not as thick as yesterday. I went up to have brekkie with Judi to find she also has come down with a cold. She plans to have a restful day and nurse her cold

 I met up with Larry, Alan and Riddell and we caught the Star ferry over to Hong Kong Central (Wan Chai) for a look around then we came back and found a beaut ‘Singapore Chinese’ restaurant where we had a late lunch. 

The food was excellent and I tried the local Chinese beer which was great.

When I got back on the ship I had a Bloody Mary and after all that exercise and food a well deserved nanna nap.

I didn’t make it to early happy hour because of my sleep so I met up with Judi at Larry’s bar at 7 pm and we went to the Lido for a light dinner. Judi was still feeling poorly with her cold so she retired early.

 I ended up having a bit of a light night doing a pub crawl. I was in bed by 11.30 pm. I turned down offers to go out on the town with the boys when they finished work as I had a big day.

 Wed 13 March 2013

I had a beaut sleep in and didn’t wake up until 8.10 am and felt much better as if the cold had lifted a lot so I hope I am nearly over it.

I went off to do some free internet mid morning but unfortunately the free wifi server was down so I went for a walk around the nearby area. I returned to the ship for a Bloody Mary and late lunch with Dick and Dianne in the Lido.

As I plan to come up to Hong Kong with a good mate for a few days in July for my birthday, I have left the bulk of the sightseeing until then.

It was a shame the thick smog rolled in for our departure which reduced visibility to only a few hundred metres. The work on the new cruise ship terminal could be made out and it is located on the site of the old Hong Kong airport. Many of us reflected on the hair raising flights through the skyscrapers to land on this old site.

I went to dinner in the dining room for the first time in a while and we had a beaut time as I was the only male there with four ladies.

I had a night cap with Susan one of our table mates up in the Crows Nest. We had to put back the time before going to bed as we head into a new time zone.

Thursday 14 March 2013

I awoke to a clear calm morning at 6 am after a good nights sleep as we cruise towards Viet Nam. After brekkie I went to the talk on Singapore in the theatre. I had a late lunch after the usual Bloody Marys and then came up to the cabin to have beers with Pete on the balcony.

The Signature travel group which my US Travel agent is a member invited me to a cocktail party in the Crows Nest which was very nice prior to dinner. Dinner was an Oriental Formal theme and may I say the ladies went to a lot of trouble to dress up. I wore my $10 Bali Batik shirt with a gold bow tie and my Tux, which seemed to be acceptable by ladies at our table. It was a fun dinner and the dining room was transformed into a fantastic Chinese restaurant.

I went up to the Crows Nest with Susan for a night cap and was in bed by 11 pm.

Friday 15 March 2013

We were already in the port of Nha Trang Vietnam when I woke up at 7am. When I went out on the balcony it was already very warm and humid so I quickly got ready to meet Judi for Brekkie. I then went into town on the shuttle and I was surprised by the amount of building construction that was going on and the new buildings that had gone up since I was last here 3 years ago.

On returning to the port I visited the markets on the pier. Wow, were there some bargains to be made. I now own a very fashionable Gucci watch, a Chinese silk bathrobe and of course t shirts and caps.

The evening sail away was splendid with the views as I enjoyed happy hour in the Crows Nest. Dinner was a fun time as I am the only bloke at the table while Charlie is on a four day excursion to China.  After dinner I joined Susan and a few others in the Ocean Bar for a few night caps. I am pleased to say my cold has just about gone and I enjoyed the late night.

Saturday 16 March 2013

I was woken by the boys wanting to make up my cabin for the day and the time was 8.15 am, so I quickly got dressed and went up to the Lido for brekkie. Judi had already been and gone. I had my meal with Joan and Dianne and then came back to the cabin for a shower shave etc.

It is a beautiful sunny calm day so I got a bit of sun sitting out on the veranda.

I caught up with Dick for pre lunch drinks and then had a beaut stir fry with Susanne out by the Lido pool.

After the early happy hour at the Crows Nest I got into my St Pats gear for some photos with some of the officers and crew.

I went to Larry’s bar for a pre dinner drink then went to dinner with only 3 of the ladies so our table was only half full.

I called it a night after dinner and was in bed before 10pm.

Sunday 17 March 2013

Happy St Pat’s Day.

I went up to brekkie wearing my Irish footy jersey and joined Judi and was most surprised to see so many other guests wearing green. The Lido was decked out with green decorations and the waiters were wearing green vests.

There was a bit of an Irish show in the theatre with Bruce the Goose (the Cruise Director) running it but I can only take the Goose in small doses, so I only stayed for 15 minutes.

I caught up with friends at the Lido for a drink before lunch. After lunch I went with a few of the boys into the terminal mall looking for internet. As it was a Sunday the free wifi places were so crowded we were not able to get connected.

In the evening I did the St Pat’s bar crawl on the ship, OMG, what fun we had and we finished up in the Crows Nest about 1 am.