rafinmd is on the way to the QV World Cruise

[rafinmd]

The weather for my morning walk was pleasant making it good to walk before the day heats up. We arrived in Cochin about 8AM. The first European settlers were the Portuguese around the time of Columbus, and the area was later occupied by the Dutch and then the British. The area consists of 3 islands, the middle man-made around the time of WWII, connected by bridges. We docked on the middle island, which is entirely a commercial area. Cochin is among the best harbors in the south of India, and is a major naval base. In his morning show, CD Alastair Greener noted that India has 550 million voters.

 

My tour "Fort Cochin Walking Tour", left about 10AM, and by then the weather had gotten very hot and humid, and most of the busses in Cochin, including ours, were not air conditioned. Our guide, Cadesius told us on our way to the tour start that Cochin is about 50% christian, very unusual. Fort Cochin has been a major trading and fishing port over the years, our walking tour started by the water with a demonstration of Chinese fishing nets. The nets are shaped like a tennis racket about 10 meters square with a 15-meter handle and are built with a pivot where the net meets the handle. They are lowered into the water at high tide, and after a period they haul the handle down by ropes, lifting the net out of the water to gather the fish. They are seasonally successful, and also seem to get some play as a tourist attraction. On out tour we visited 2 cathedrals. The majority of the Cochin christian population is Roman Catholic and Santa Cruz is the Roman Catholic cathedral. It is an interesting building with elements of both traditional design and some features reminiscent of a mosque. St Francis was originally build as a Roman Catholic church, but was converted to Anglican when the British took over the area. The Bishop's House had a small museum devoted to the Catholic churches of the area. The streets of Fort Cochin were an eclectic mix of Dutch, Portuguese, and British architecture. Our final stop of the walking tour was a local hotel which was a bit small and not terribly attractive, but we enjoyed refreshments, beverages, and especially soaked up the air conditioning.

 

We returned to the ship in the early afternoon, but the heat was so oppressive few people left the ship the rest of the day. There was a late afternoon local talent show by Kathakali and Mohiniattam of local dancing and dramatic culture, and the evening entertainment was West End singer and commedian Mike Doyle.

 

Today's parting shot, from the Quote Quest series, is originally by British Actress Dame Ellen Tery: "Eulogy is nice, but one does not learn anything from it".

 

Roy

[dancer11]

Your posts, with personal observations about the ship, are particularly interesting to me as we have cruised on Crystal 7 times, but have signed up for the world cruise 2011 on QM2. We were on QM2 in Caribbean in January 2009. Although I think the service and food on Crystal are superior, I do like the public rooms of the QM2 better. We love to dance, and that orchestra and dance floor are a big attraction. Of course, the difference in price was huge.

So I will keep reading your posts with great interest. :o

[rafinmd]

Dancer11, is that the full world cruise? What a wonderful experience. While Crystal often has some quite nice values, their full World Cruise is way out of my price range, and I'm not quite ready for almost 4 months away from home.

 

The weather was excellent for my morning walk, and Captain Rynd took advantage of an opportunity to get out and walk a mile or so at the same time, but there was one sad note to the walk. As I reported from my second morning on the Crystal Symphony, there was a beautiful full moon as I started my walk. While it was a bit subdued in clouds today, there is another full moon today, meaning I've already enjoyed a full month of this, but it's soon coming to an end.

 

There were 2 presentations today in the Cunard insights series. Diplomat Joseph Snyder gave a talk on "Bombay: Maximum City" covering the history and culture of Mumbai, followed by Dr. Joseph Alverez on "The Art and Science of Negotiation", followed at 12:15 by a backstage tour of the Royal Court Theater. CD Greener did say that the Royal Court Theater on the Queen Elizabeth will be the same design but decorated differently.

 

In the afternoon we had a classical concert in the Queens Room featuring a piano and cello duo of William Burroughs and Neil Georgeson. The evening entertainment was a juggling performance by Luke Burrage. His final routine was a real riot as he juggled 3 knives from a platform balanced on a cylinder on top of his small chest. He used 3 audience volunteers to hold the knives and steady him as he mounted his precarious perch, but the ascent was still very awkward.

 

My parting shot today is from the Quote Quest series, this one from Lord Mountbatten: "In my experience, I have always found that you cannot have an efficient ship unless you have a happy ship, and you cannot have a happy ship unless you have an efficient ship".

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

My morning walk was a bit different today since tidal considerations required a 3AM arrival in Mumbai, and we were tied up when I awoke. Mumbai (Bombay) was originally 7 islands which have been filled in together to form a peninsula. The population of Mumbai is about 20 million, and it is the financial capital, although not the political capital, of India.

 

CD Alastair Greener reported on the morning show that QM2 will be serving as a floating hotel at the 2012 Olympics in London, and that the ship's funnels would be painted a shade of orange that supposedly matched Cunard's original colors. I understand that on April 1 of previous years, he has come up with some other interesting stories.

 

My tour today was called "The Buddhist Trail", although it was a bit more of a heritage area than an actual trail. The site is north of the city and the pier is on the south side, so we were a couple of hours in the heavy traffic. We passed some very elegant buildings including especially the Victoria Terminus rail station, some fairly nice housing buildings, and a lot of slums. Traffic was quite bad, apparently worse than normal. Mumbai is working on a subway system but it isn't ready yet, although about 9 million people commute daily on suburban rail lines. The streets are a very chaotic mix of bicycles, motorcycles, TucTucs (motorcycle-based taxis), taxis, cars, trucks, and busses, with a lot of horn usage, and apparently local drivers appreciate others using the horn as they approach.

 

The Kanheri Buddhist Caves date back from about 100BC through 1100AD, and there are over 100 caves in the complex. They are not true caves, although some probably started out as such and were enlarged to many times their original size. Most are fairly simple structures that served as dwellings for monks, but the first ones we encountered were massive temples with a huge Buddha inside and many elaborate carvings. They are set on a hill at elevations ranging from 385 to 675 feet, and there is a sort of "trail" running from one cave to the next, but the attraction is the cave/excavations rather than the trail. The site reminded me a lot of Petra on a smaller scale. It is not a WOW! like Petra, but I thought it was a legitimate Wow. I thought it was by far the best excursion of the voyage.

 

The evening entertainment was a variety show combining the last 2 nights acts, singer/comedian Mike Doyle and juggler Luke Burrage. We also gained a half hour as we get start the transition to Muscat time.

 

Today's parting shot comes from the Quote Quest series, this one by Oscar Wilde: "Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them more".

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

There was a strong wind today for the morning walk, and Captain Rynd was out walking for a couple of miles also. Reverend Don Mason led a Good Friday service with Communion in the morning in the Queens Room, while a Catholic Mass was held in the Royal Court Theater. A Sabbath Eve service was held in the early evening.

 

The Cunard Insights program for this segment ended in strong fashion. Diplomat Joseph Snyder spoke on "The Gulf: A Political Crossroads". One of his chief points is that the Persian Gulf has historically been a barrier to cultural exchange rather than the unifier that usually happens with a waterway. Dr. James Alverez presented "Case Name: Telegraph - An Iraqi Kidnap Story", a recent case study on how he uses the principles of persuasion and negotiation he described in his first two talks to bring about a successful rescue. The final lecture of the voyage was by Historian Jonathan Fenby "Alliance: How Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin won one war and began another", describing the way 3 very different people who really didn't like each other very much brought WWII to a successful conclusion.

 

The afternoon was time for the passenger talent show with 6 acts, 3 singers, a lady doing a song in sign language, a harmonica, and one comedian. This was followed by the boat race in the Pavilion Pool.

 

The Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers made one of their few appearances of the voyage with "A Stroke of Genius", interpreting major works of art in music and dance, although the connection to works of art was a bit tenuous. A world voyage presents an entertainment as there are people on board an extended time who do not want to see the same shows over and over, while others get only a fleeting look at the cast. This is really the only full production number featuring the group as a unit. Dance Passion featured the dancers with only a bit part for the singers with just a few numbers where they stood were back among the orchestra, while the singers had their day in the sun in the Queens Room. The Simon and Garfunkel tribute did have the cast as a cohesive unit, but it was only a short program. The full cast working together in a complete program was wonderful.

 

On my last sea day on this great ship with at least 39 countries represented from just the passengers, for my parting shot I'll mention 2 comments from today's programs. In his Good Friday sermon Pastor Don Mason told the story of an organist giving a concert on a classic pipe organ, one with a manual bellows to supply the air. He announced "For my first selection, I'll play a piece by Mozart". When he touched the keyboard nothing happened. He repeated the process 2 more times with the same results. Finally, a small voice from the machinery room came out, "Until you say we, there will be no music". Jonathan Fenby spoke of how 3 very different men, who did not necessarily get along together, changed the course of history in WWII. When we work together we can make beautiful music on change the world in many wonderful ways.

 

Roy

[dancer11]

We are doing the 2011 world cruise, but shortened it to depart from Ft Lauderdale and leave the ship in England to fly home. Still it's over 90 days. A celebration of our 40 year marriage and a test of same in a small cabin with balcony for that period.

Do they have exercise classes on schedule, other than the walking group?

At the end of your second cruise you earn free internet time, so will they recognize this as we complete a segment of world cruise?

I hand't thought heat would be oppressive--just one of the great things I've learned reading your report.

[rafinmd]

I tried to answer your questions in the quote but am having a bit of trouble getting the message accepted:

 

We are doing the 2011 world cruise, but shortened it to depart from Ft Lauderdale and leave the ship in England to fly home. Still it's over 90 days. A celebration of our 40 year marriage and a test of same in a small cabin with balcony for that period.

Do they have exercise classes on schedule, other than the walking group?

 

I'll check the Daily Programme more after I get home, but I believe one of the walkers was doing aerobics right after the walk. I'll post more later.

 

At the end of your second cruise you earn free internet time, so will they recognize this as we complete a segment of world cruise?

 

I'm pretty sure that's correct. As I recall my World Club Gold reception invitation said included "for those just promoted to Gold Status" which indicates you are correct. I've packed away my World Club Brochure, so I'll have to check that later also. By the way, you get 2 free hours but if you buy more you get the discount price on the package you buy minus the full price for 2 hours (curently $50).

 

I hand't thought heat would be oppressive--just one of the great things I've learned reading your report.

[rafinmd]

We are now North of the Tropic of Cancer and my morning walk was pleasantly cool. In a bit of a welcome surprise, Muscat had been advertised as a tender port, but we docked instead. My trip to Sydney was all places I had been before, while up to now my Cunard segment has been all new places. I have been to Muscat and Dubai previously, on the Silver Whisper. Ironically the Silver Whisper is on the adjoining dock today. I think of the two, I prefer the ship I have booked this time.

 

Oman is a Sultanate, ruled by a Sultan which is an Islamic variety of monarch. The current Sultan has been ruling for about 40 years and has greatly modernized the country. My tour in Muscat was "Mystical Dhow Cruise". Dhow is a generic term for ships of the Arabian Sea with several varieties in use. Ours was probably 70 feet long (20 meters) and had a capacity of 40 people. They have traditionally been sailing ships but ours was totally motorized. The view of the harbor was good but the main attraction turned out to be a large school of dolphin swimming within 100 feet of our vessel. We returned to the ship early in the afternoon, and few people ventured out since the midday shop closing continued until nearly our 4:30PM departure.

 

The evening entertainment was pianist Mac Frampton, quite a showman who performed a wide variety of lively music from classical to rock to his own compositions.

 

Today's parting shot has it's origins in the Britannia Dining Room. I have 2 tablemates who admittedly are fans of Oceania Cruises. They don't like dressing up for dinner, and it seems to them that Cunard can do nothing right. The first night they complained constantly, and they did have some legitimate concerns, but when they were quickly corrected the complaints became a constant "well, they should have done it the other way from the start". I hate to say this, but I was not disappointed that they rarely showed up for dinner. This negativity was the last thing I needed while making the adjustment from spectacular service on Crystal to excellent/superb service from Cunard. If you have spectacular service, revel in the ecstasy. Given superb service savor the splendor. If the service is excellent cherish the glory. If it is good love the experience. If less than good, I think I agree with Capnpugwash that a poor day at sailing beats a good day ashore, but have limited experience to make that comparison. I think I first heard this from Harry Morgan as Col. Potter on MASH, but it could easily have been Casey Stengell: "If you aren't where you are, you're nowhere".

 

Roy

[imacruizer]

Roy, I continue to enjoy your reports. Thanks for taking the time to give us such detailed information about all the activities on the ship. You parting shot today is excellent advice for all cruisers.

 

Beth

[slgjhg]

Roy,

 

My husband and I joined the QV in Sydney and disembarked in Singapore. We were the "Bridge Directors" on board, and a dear friend of ours was flown to Hawaii to board the Symphony on an emergency basis, as the passengers were in revolt. What was most interesting to me about your reports was that there was no mention of either of these events on either of your postings. It's quite simple, Bridge (the card game) is not on your radar nor a part of your world. I knew all the names, Alister, Amanda, etc., but our cycles were clearly very different. The lectures you attended daily, we watched in our room while preparing to teach (trying to catch up, and keep current). Following dinner (late seating) we attended the Royal Court or not. Sometimes, sea days in particular, we were too tired to do anything other than retire to rest for the next sea day. (Those are our "work days"). The card room is on deck 3 right above Todd English, which we enjoyed three times on this voyage. On our "segment", I taught up to 50 students on all "at sea days" and my husband taught around 60. Somewhat unfortunate and rewarding for us was that although I was supposed to teach for one hour, I had such an enthusiastic group they usually wanted to stay until noon. My husband's students were equally energetic and normally stayed until 11:30AM. Many of our "people" are still on board and several will disembark in SH and board the Queen Mary to return to New York.

 

So we lived parallel lives as I'm sure you do now with the current "Bridge Director", if your path crosses with any of these folks, please tell them Jay and Shannon send there best. At least two of the fourteen pairs who attended our afternoon duplicate game sailed with us in South America, at this same time last year. It's a small world, isn't it. Enjoy the wrap up of your voyage, and again, I've enjoyed reading your "other perspective'.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[rafinmd]

It was a very pleasant day for my morning walk, followed by an Easter service in the Royal Court Theater. The Promenade deck is starting to show visible signs of harenning measures to prepare for passage through waters with a history of piracy. More measures will be taken after the ship leaves Dubai. At the end of the service we were just making our way sideways into the pier with 2 Costa ships behind us and the QE2 immediately in front of us. It still looks very stately despite the sad touches of no Cunard name on the side and Port Vila replacing Southampton on the stern. The gate blocking access to the ship was about 100 meters away from the stern.

 

The United Arab Emirates is a union of 7 individual states, each ruled by an Emir. It was formerly a British Protectorate, with the states getting their independence about 1979 and forming a union a year later. It has a population of 4.8 million, 4 million "locals", foreigners admitted for permanent residence and 800,000 citizens.

 

My tour was "Sharjah's East Coast". Sharjah is one of the 7 Emirates comprising the UAE. It is about a half hour drive from the port and is developing, but not as rapidly as Dubai. It has some tourist trade but much less than the surrounding emirates as it is totally dry. We visited the Arabian Wildlife Center, and I was surprised at the variety of wildlife that can live in a mostly desert area. There are of course fish in the seas and various reptiles, amphibians, and birds near the Wadi's (Oasises), but also quite a variety of mammals. We also stopped at the Maritime museum, with exhibits on the hard life of oyster harvesters and models of a wide variety of dhows.

 

Many of the people were off the ship pursuing activities in Dubai, while the entertainment for those who stayed behind enjoyed a repeat performance by the piano/cello duo William Burroughs and Neil Georgeson. I had just enough time to get to the performance after putting out my luggage.

 

Today's parting shot comes again from the quote quest series: "I owe all my success in life to always being a quarter of an hour before my time", attributed to Horatio Nelson.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

A very long day began with a very early departure from the ship. There was no delay as I walked off the ship just after 5 for a 5:30 bus to the airport. We did have a 20-minute wait for stragglers but arrived at the terminal just after 6 and checked in very quickly for my 9:25am BA flight. It is 7 1/2 hours to Heathrow and another 8 1/2 to Baltimore. I had a lucky surprise when I passed the boarding gate in Heathrow and the agent told me my boarding pass was invalid and replaced it with one for business class. It was almost exactly 24 hours from disembarking Queen Victoria until arriving home.

 

My final parting shot comes from the QV Quote Quest series, originally by William Gladstone: "We look forward to the time when the power of love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace".

 

Roy

[dancer11]

It has been a delight to follow your travels and your impressions, I hope to someday meet you on a cruise. You seem the type of person who deserves to be bumped to business class. You no doubt were dressed the part.

[rafinmd]

Shannon, it's amazing that both of these ships offer so much in the way of activities that we could both be fully occupied all day and never run into each other, although I think we actually only had 1 sea day together. I suspect that a passenger revolt among bridge players probably does not attract a lot of attention with a wider audience. I did note after you mentioned it that Reflections (Crystal's equivalent of Daily Programme since I'm currently on the Cunard board) that there was one bridge instructor before Hawaii and 2 after.

 

dancer11, the World Club hosts are also the voyage sales consultants, and they are very busy the final days of a cruise, so I didn't get to talk to them. The World Club brochure specifically states that on world voyages days are recalculated at the end of each segment; I would think they also do this for number of voyages but they don't explicitly state that. Since your first segment is 16 days, I assume your Caribbean cruise was at least 4 so you should be in good shape either way after your first segment.

 

Most sea days seem to have several exercise classes. For April 2 they had Circuit and Stretch and Mobility for free, along with (nominal fee attached) Spinning, Boxercise and Pilates. For March 28 there were 2 free Aerobics sessions, Stretch and Mobility, and (fee attached) Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, and Push and lift. There are classes on port days, but at a reduced schedule. The Spa also runs a number of seminars. If I'd known I was getting bumped up to business class I'd have worn my jacket instead of a vest, but the crew hung it up as I boarded so it probably doesn't make much difference.

 

Beth, thank you for your kind comments.

[dancer11]

I feel like I could leave today, I am so ready for my next cruise. But it won't be until end of summer

Thank you for looking up the information I wanted.

When is your next cruise?

[rafinmd]

I just thought I'd share a couple of pictures.

[rafinmd]

I feel like I could leave today, I am so ready for my next cruise. But it won't be until end of summer

Thank you for looking up the information I wanted.

When is your next cruise?

 

It was my pleasure. With regard to future plans, I'm going back to my small ship roots for the summer, then another crazy combination in the fall:

 

ACCL Niagara Prince, Nashville to Chicago, May 9-21

 

ACCL Grande Caribe, Rhode Island to Quebec, July 16-31

 

Cruise West, Spirit of Columbia, Alaska, September 3-13

 

Crystal Symphony, Athens to Rome, 10/19-10/31

Wind Surf, Rome to Barcelona, 10/31-11/7

QM2, Southampton-Cherbourg-New York, 11/8-16

 

Have a great time on the QM2 world cruise. You'll love it.

[Oahucruiser]

How quiet, forlorn and lonely she looks after so many happy years of pleasing thousands of passengers.

[slgjhg]

Greetings rafinmd,

 

I believe my husband and I will be boarding the Queen Elizabeth on November 8th in Southampton as well.

 

Really enjoyed your postings on both lines.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[RUZen]

Your journal is most enjoyable. My husband and I completed our first cruise on the QV 2008 Maiden World Cruise. We loved every minute of it with the exception of my food poisoning being misdiagnosed as the noro virus(Bad lobster & stay away from shrimp sitting out from 11am to 3pm and not on ice) without any tests being made. Being doctors we were not impressed with the medical officer who jumped to a diagnosis without any exam or testing. Enuf of that. I am pleased to see that Alistair Greener is still on the QV. He was excellent and we've since seen him on public TV.

On March 25th we were cruising the Bay of Bengal headed for Cochin the next day. We loved Port Kelang and KL. To think that the Petronas Twin Towers exist in a city which is the only city in the world with a million year old primary forest . One thing we loved and appreciated on the QV was the lectures. Happy Cruising.

[rafinmd]

Greetings rafinmd,

 

I believe my husband and I will be boarding the Queen Elizabeth on November 8th in Southampton as well.

 

Really enjoyed your postings on both lines.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

 

Shannon,

 

I'm sorry we'll be so close but not on the same ship. While you're boarding the QE I'll be getting on QM2 in Southampton. I won't get to the QE until January.

 

Enjoy your Mediterranean cruise.

 

Roy

[alibabacruisers]

Greetings rafinmd,

 

I believe my husband and I will be boarding the Queen Elizabeth on November 8th in Southampton as well.

 

Really enjoyed your postings on both lines.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

 

rafinmd...I loved reading your blog and found it very informative and interesting. Thank you very much!

 

Shannon...have you joined the roll call for this cruise (8Nov on QE)? My husband and I will be there and I cannot contain my excitement! I am also glad we are departing from Southampton as the QE, QM2 and IOTS will all be in port on 8 Nov...can't wait to see them all...

 

Barbara

[rafinmd]

I have seen a lot of discussion, particularly on the Crystal Forum on questions of price and value. I have come to the conclusion that with the possible exception of some lines that do the same itinerary every few days year round, each cruise and each person’s situation is different and it’s just about impossible to make a general statement, and I’ll make a few observations based on my recent experience.

 

I just completed 2 cruises, 17 nights on the Crystal Symphony and 15 on the Queen Victoria. I paid about 30% more for the QV than for the Symphony, or almost 50% more per day. This is far more than I would have expected even considering that World Cruises carry a premium fare. With it’s superior service does this make Crystal a better value than Cunard? Not so fast. I also looked at the corresponding segment of the 2011 Crystal World Cruise, 14 days from Singapore to Mumbai. The price of those 14 days came to 93% of the TOTAL I paid for my 2 cruises combined. I consider it a fortunate accident that I ended up enjoying 17 days of incomparable Crystal Service and 15 days of excellent Cunard Service and great ports for not much more than 14 days next year.

 

They do not fully match, but I compared 2 segments of the 2011 Crystal and Cunard World Cruises. The segment I took this year will be 14 days Singapore to Mumbai on Crystal and 12 days Singapore to Dubai on Queen Elizabeth. Crystal’s price is over double Cunard’s and 80% higher on a daily basis.

 

I am booked on Crystal’s 12-day segment from Papete to Auckland. QE’s segment runs 23 days from Los Angeles to Sydney for only 7% more than I am paying, making Crystal’s daily rate about 80% higher than Cunard’s. The difference is less for me because a Crystal promotion for the World Cruise segment gives me a $900 discount on a future cruise I had already planned on taking; it is still more expensive but a cost I am willing to incur for Crystal’s superb service.

 

I think my bottom line is that there can be no general rule on value, each cruise and each cruiser’s situation is different. Even these observations are based on my status as a solo cruiser who chooses the most basic room to be on a better ship, other peoples results for the same voyage would probably be different. No cruise is really a “value” if it does not come up to the cruiser’s expectations.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

My reviews on the ships are now published on the member ratings section. There will probably not be much new for people who have followed the blog but they’re there anyway:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=65831.

 

Something went wrong when I was entering the view and either the section on ports didn’t come up or I missed it but my missing reviews on the ports of call are:

 

Singapore: The Queen Victoria is too big for the passenger terminal, so we were docked in the container port with a shuttle provided. I was on the "Signature Heritage" tour. Our guide Alvin took us first to the National Arboretum. Singapore is the 2nd most densely populated country in the world, so the few natural areas remaining are deeply cherished, including lightning rods on a number of the trees.

 

When Singapore was founded there were a number of areas set aside to keep various ethnic groups segregated. We visited several of these including Little India with a number of small shops in quaint buildings, a small museum showing some of the history and culture of Singapore, and the Buddha's Tooth Temple.

 

The vibrant waterfront has some interesting buildings. The performing arts center, a rather strange building resembling a large turtle shell, is as unique if not as attractive as the Sydney Opera House. Just across the water, a spectacular new casino complex is under construction. The casino itself looks huge, even from a mile or so away, but right alongside is a hotel composed of 3 massive towers resembling inverted y's. These are nearing completion and on top there is a huge deck spanning the tops of all 3 towers and extending out probably 150 feet in either direction from the ends.

 

Kuala Lampur: We were again docked at a container port at Port Kelang. By the time we left the ship it was hot and so humid the feeling of stepping on shore was somewhere between entering fog and stepping into a steam bath. Our guide Julie Chang met us for the 45 minute drive into Kuala Lampur (KL) and our "Colorful Kuala Lampur" tour. On the way to our first stop, the botanical garden, we passed the Royal Palace. Malaysia has a number of states, with 9 under the leadership of Sultans. These 9 take turns in a 5-year rotation at being the monarch of the country.

 

At the national botanical garden we toured first the Orchard Garden, then went on to the Hibiscus Garden. This was a very elaborate garden since the hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia. It was a very short ride to the butterfly garden. I wasn't particularly impressed with the butterflies but the setting was beautiful and there were several unusual turtles; a long neck variety with a neck as long as it's shell, and several soft shell varieties. Kuala Lampur’s twin towers are extremely impressive stainless steel and glass structures, about 80 stories tall with a scenic sky bridge between the two on the 41st and 42nd floors. It would have been a very scenic spot, but tickets to go there are very popular and usually sold out by 9AM.

 

Phuket: This was an anchoring port and our tenders docked pretty much at ground zero for the December 2004 Tsunami. The island has been fully restored after that disaster. Phuket is an island, the largest in Thailand, almost directly across the peninsula from Ko Samui, about 250 miles away by land. The island is about 50 km North to South and 20 km across, and is connected to the mainland by a causeway at the North end. My "Authentic Phuket" tour crossed a steep mountain pass to Phuket Town, one of the old settlements on the island. We explored the local market and continued on to one of the oldest houses on the island, originally built 100 years ago by people in the tin mining business, which was the original livelihood on the island. It is of Sino-Portuguese design, and is in the 6th generation of the original family, and a pair of Buddhist temples.

 

Cochin: Cochin is among the best harbors in the south of India, and is a major naval base. My "Fort Cochin Walking Tour", left about 10AM, and by then the weather had gotten very hot and humid, and most of the busses in Cochin, including ours, were not air conditioned. Cochin is about 50% Christian, very unusual for India. Fort Cochin has been a major trading and fishing port over the years, our walking tour started by the water with a demonstration of Chinese fishing nets. We visited 2 Cathedrals, one Anglican and the other Roman Catholic. The streets of Fort Cochin were an eclectic mix of Dutch, Portuguese, and British architecture.

 

Mumbai: Mumbai (Bombay) was originally 7 islands which have been filled in together to form a peninsula. The population of Mumbai is about 20 million, and it is the financial capital, although not the political capital, of India.

 

My tour was called "The Buddhist Trail", although it was a bit more of a heritage area than an actual trail. The site is north of the city and the pier is on the south side, so we were a couple of hours in the heavy traffic. We passed some very elegant buildings including especially the Victoria Terminus rail station, some fairly nice housing buildings, and a lot of slums.

 

The Kanheri Buddhist Caves date back from about 100BC through 1100AD, and there are over 100 caves in the complex. They are not true caves, although some probably started out as such and were enlarged to many times their original size. Most are fairly simple structures that served as dwellings for monks, but the first ones we encountered were massive temples with a huge Buddha inside and many elaborate carvings. They are set on a hill at elevations ranging from 385 to 675 feet, and there is a sort of "trail" running from one cave to the next, but the attraction is the cave/excavations rather than the trail. The site reminded me a lot of Petra on a smaller scale. It is not a WOW! like Petra, but I thought it was a legitimate Wow and the best excursion of the voyage.

 

Muscat: Oman is a Sultanate, ruled by a Sultan which is an Islamic variety of monarch. The current Sultan has been ruling for about 40 years and has greatly modernized the country. My tour in Muscat was "Mystical Dhow Cruise". Dhow is a generic term for ships of the Arabian Sea with several varieties in use. Ours was probably 70 feet long (20 meters) and had a capacity of 40 people. They have traditionally been sailing ships but ours was totally motorized. The view of the harbor was good but the main attraction turned out to be a large school of dolphin swimming within 100 feet of our vessel. Muscat appears to do the equivalent of a siesta in the early afternoon, so given the choice of a morning or afternoon tour, the afternoon tour would be better for people who also want to explore the markets on their own.