Voyages to Antiquity Recent Cruisers

[librarian]

I read a review on cruise critic from a passenger on a recent cruise who said the air conditioning went out for their cruise and also the ship was emitting black smoke. I am curious if this has been fixed. About 32 days until my cruise and my third attempt to go to the middle East.

[patseacruiser]

Can not speak for the black smoke but am under the impression the AC is fixed.

[librarian]

Thanks for that info. I read the last 2 reviews which had been published very recently and they are very negative. One said it was a maiden voyage. I first thought they reviewed the wrong ship.

[CalmSea]

I read the reviews too. It is understandable that being a maiden voyage, timing may be wrong. Black smoke seems to be a problem from the very beginning. As far as I am concerned, the air-conditioning is the major issue. Without AC, life on board becomes a torture. I am glad to hear Pat's impression that the AC is fixed. However, I think the company should come out and make an announcement. Also, just providing free drinks is not much of a compensation for the miserable several days. A cruise ship is like any piece of equipment; unfortunately, it sometimes breaks. But, it is how a company deals with such situations that determines its long-term effect on the company's reputation and customers' loyalty.

[librarian]

This ship has been cruising for several years so I think the person who wrote the one negative review has to be wrong. How can you have a maiden voyage if the ship has been around for 5 years. Hope that is the case.

So far with a cancelled cruise which I had to reschedule last May the company handled it very well by giving me a big discount, upgrade and credit. Hopefully, my high opinion remains. I still think the person was talking about another ship as this could not be a maiden voyage.

[CalmSea]

I believe by "maiden voyage", it meant it is the first time that V2A is travelling to this part of the world. The reviewer mentioned about booking through AIH. I actually looked into it last year. The price quoted by AIH was higher than what one can get by booking directly with V2A. Not surprising, because I believe the universities involved get a cut too. I read from Ontariotrekker's comments elsewhere that AC was out for the last few days on this cruise, and I have been expecting to read some negative reviews. After reading these two negative reviews, I think they are quite fair, given the circumstance.

[cruisemom42]

This ship has been cruising for several years so I think the person who wrote the one negative review has to be wrong. How can you have a maiden voyage if the ship has been around for 5 years. Hope that is the case.

So far with a cancelled cruise which I had to reschedule last May the company handled it very well by giving me a big discount, upgrade and credit. Hopefully, my high opinion remains. I still think the person was talking about another ship as this could not be a maiden voyage.

 

As the other poster said, I think the reviewer was calling it a "maiden voyage" in that it was the first time V2A had done these ports/itineraries. Perhaps they were a little too ambitious in how much ground the tours could reasonably cover and also how the ship would fare in getting from port to port on time. She's not the speediest, though I enjoy being onboard.

 

I know from past experience that it can take a time or two to work out some of the kinks. Things that would appear to work on paper often do not work in real life when put to the test. V2A had a few of these issues when they first launched in the Med too, but they rectified the situation pretty quickly.

 

As to the A/C, I have no idea on that one. I agree it didn't sound too pleasant.

[bcscot]

I have just returned after being on board from Hong Kong to Bangkok. I will do a full review once I have recovered from the jet lag and have the time. The ship looked very old, sad and worn (I have sailed on a lot of old ships). The funnel belches out lumps of soot, the 'black bottom' being the symbol of a V2A passenger, especially after eating on the Terrace! They have to clean the decks and funnel regularly. Exposed furniture is permanently soot stained. I think that this ship's carbon footprint must resemble the Sasquatch. The decor is either old and dull or industrial looking.

We sailed between two typhoons, without any warning from the Captain. This ship is not good in high seas. People who never get seasick were feeling ill as she bobbed about like a cork on the swell. Then the AC broke. Again the Captain ignored it, then started lying to us inspite of knowing full well they they needed a replacement part. They kept telling us that it was being fixed and yes, couldn't you feel it getting better!!? The ship was full of University alumni and VERY experienced travellers, but they treated us like children. Even the free drinks were kept a secret. Offer the passengers free drinks to keep them happy, but do not tell them incase they actually take advantage of the offer! People only heard by word of mouth!

On a three week cruise across the equator in very hot and humid conditions, we have no AC for a week and only partial and intermittent AC for another week. It was fully functional by Singapore. Our inside cabin was like an oven. Someone registered 100 degrees F in their cabin. Sleep was fitful and uncomfortable. After waking up, feeling like I was suffocating, I resorted to sleeping on the deck for two nights till they moved us to a slightly larger cabin.

These things happen, especially in an old ship, but as a previous poster said, it is how the company handles the situation that either saves or aggravates the situation. V2A failed miserably. Their communication was very poor. They were not honest with us and did not keep us informed.

The crew were wonderful in terrible conditions. They must have been finding sleep impossible but still had to work very hard, sweat pouring off them. They even had to continue wearing their double layered formal attire in the evenings. We would have been happy with salads and sandwiches but no, the full menu was produced. The management seemed very hard on the crew, showing little understanding and respect. Working in the kitchens must have been hell! The food was good though. We almost always ate outside, aft of the Terrace. The dining room was too hot and often closed.

General organisation was poor, with a lot of miss information and conflicting information. One of the major disappointments was the quality of the tours. I decided on this cruise because I read that the tours were so good, We usually dislike ships' tours and these were no exception. They were often rushed, very repetitive, the guides often had such poor English that they could barely be understood and there were the usual quota of aggravating passengers (loud, late, lost, unable for the activity level, rude, selfish etc).

Sometimes there were just too many people in one place.

The cherry on the cake came on the last night and was almost laughable. We were invited to dine with the Hotel manager. We replied as requested but still received an afternoon phone call asking if we would be attending. In the evening, we excavated our unused semi formal attire and dressed up for our third venture down to the dining room. We arrived at the specified time and announced our presence, to be met by a blank stare from the Maitre'D, who led us to the empty table (no Hotel manager there to greet his guests). As we stood in the middle of the dining room, feeling quite conspicuous (everyone else was casually dressed), the name tags were examined at both hosted tables, but our names were nowhere to be seen! The Maitre'D then fled to the telephone, leaving us standing there like a couple of spare (well you get the idea!). After a while we slinked off to a corner, but still the M'D was anxiously talking on the phone. Feeling quite uncomfortable, I eventually said that if this was some sort of mix up, I would rather retire gracefully from the situation. We returned to our cabin, changed into casuals and went to the Terrace for our dinner, feeling less than pleased. The Maitre'D did attempt a weak apology and feeble explanation later. We passed the Hotel manager on the way off the ship next day but he said nothing. It was funny in a way, because it was so typical of their lack of organisation.

It wasn't all bad though. We saw a lot of places, enjoyed the crew and service in the Terrace. Eating outside as the world passes by, is nice. The food was good. The cabin stewards were good too. I also enjoyed some of the lectures.

Would we go with them again? NO WAY! Not because of the AC, but because of the way they handled the situation and because of the poor shore excursions, shabby ship, uncomfortable beds, thin walls (noisy neighbours), unpleasant management etc.

We were berthed next to the Swan Hellenic, Minerva in Saigon. She is beautiful, like a little Prinsendam. I would certainly like to sail on her. The Aegean Odyssey looked like an old rust bucket in comparison. If you have already booked with V2A, do not worry, the AC is working now (or was) and many people seem to have enjoyed the experience. Do not let me rain on your parade.

Oh, I forgot to mention the lifeboats. Ours was a small open, old fashioned type. Judging by the 'bum' marks on the seats, we would have been sitting on top of each other, so I am glad that we were not cast adrift on the South China Sea in that. The tenders did have covers, but on the two occasions that we needed to tender ashore, they had great difficulty in launching them (they gave up on the second occasion and used a shore tender instead).

It seems that once I got started, I did almost do a full review, but there is actually even more to say.

[Ontariotrekker]

I just rec. my rebate cheque + a certificate for a 25% discount off another cruise with V2A. I will be cruising with them again and appreciate that the company responded so quickly and efficently after the problem with the air-con.

 

Shar

[CalmSea]

bcscot,

 

Thanks for the confirmation that the AC is back working. I hope it will stay working when we embark at Singapore in March. I will have to find a creative way to handle the "black bottom" syndrome. Just read your slightly expanded review and looking forward to seeing your full review.

 

Ontariotrekker,

 

These compensations are more reasonable. I hope V2A will also learn from the problems of these "maiden" voyages and improve their future cruises to this part of the world.

[bcscot]

We have just received a refund amounting to a few hundred dollars each, plus a certificate for a 25% discount off 'brochure prices' for a future cruise, not counting tax, flights or other discounts. As we usually book our cruises with a discount greater than this, it is quite useless to us (even if we had been likely to use it). I suspect that the speed of response has more to do with damage limitation than good will!

The answer to the 'black bottom' problem, was two napkins; one for the chair and the other for the lap!

Speaking of bottoms, another problem that we found was that most of the chairs around the ship were rather uncomfortable. Now, one man's comfy seat is another's purgatory, but my wife and I are opposites in size, so one or other of us will usually find a chair to be OK, but neither of us thought much of these. My wife loves to sit and read a book, but could find nowhere inside the ship to sit ( she preferred to sit on her bed). Sitting outside in the tropics had problems too. It was too hot in the sun and too hot in the shade so only the chairs in the shade, with a breeze, were suitable for most people and so these were hard to come by.

One of the lecturers (a shipping expert) said that the bridge was 'very well run' and I do not doubt that the captain was an excellent seaman. It is true that we did not miss any ports (only one change), in an area known for missed ports due to weather (other lines were missing ports, we were informed). He did, however, have a lot to learn about public relations. The captains on other ships we have sailed on, have gone to great lengths to keep passengers informed about decisions and events. Even when he did speak, his poor English and strong Greek accent made him very difficult to understand. He also tended to make announcements during mealtimes when it was impossible to hear due to the noise in the dining area. I think that if they keep passengers informed (well, intelligent ones anyway), they are more likely to get trust and cooperation in return. This fellow became miss-trusted by many of the passengers.

The young lady in charge of the shore excursions seemed very pleasant and efficient but she handed over to a young Greek man who did not seem up to the job. One of the assistants was also a cheeky young upstart of a girl, who was somewhat inappropriate and disrespectful at times. On the whole, the shore excursions embodied all that we do not like about cruise ship excursions, which was a great disappointment.

Looking back at the reviews for this cruise line, more people seem to have enjoyed them than not, so I hope that those who have already booked, find the experience to their taste, but I am sure that we will not be repeat passengers. I do like the concept though and would like to try Swan Hellenic. Maybe we will just never enjoy group tours. This line, however, just left a bad taste in our mouths ( and a black bottom!).

[librarian]

After the problems with Carnival this weekend and hearing of air conditioning here I almost dread this cruise. I keep thinking what if --- happens especially since this is a one and only ship with no other ship to come to its aid. Glad they gave discounts for another cruise. That is what they did for me when they cancelled ours. Black bottoms- I was on the Marco Polo twice and had that problem also. That has made me never take tan or while pants with me. Communicatons- once we cruised on MSC and that was a ship of miscommunication or lack of communication totally also. I blamed that on being an Italian liner. I loved that cruise and food though.

Thanks again for the info. Still packing here but also getting more worried. I did do Swan one time. It was okay. We did Polar Star for an expediton ship. That was an adventure. Unfortunately that is now in a scrap yard.

[cruisemom42]

Looking back at the reviews for this cruise line, more people seem to have enjoyed them than not, so I hope that those who have already booked, find the experience to their taste, but I am sure that we will not be repeat passengers. I do like the concept though and would like to try Swan Hellenic. Maybe we will just never enjoy group tours. This line, however, just left a bad taste in our mouths ( and a black bottom!).

 

 

If you didn't like the excursions on V2A, the ones on Swan Hellenic are much the same (at least in my experience in the Med). Some things on Swan were slightly better (e.g., the food, the lecturers), but the tours weren't one of them. The cabins were also much the same and other than the MDR and the main lounge on Minerva, I didn't find the ship's decor significantly nicer.

 

Of course, I am wondering if perhaps arranging for suitable tours in the Asia ports for the first time may have led to a less than optimum tour experience?

 

Although I'm not a huge fan of the normal ship "bus" tours, at least on V2A cruises and Swan Hellenic cruises they do not stop at the horrible mandatory shopping places that many other cruises shuttle you to -- the cameo factory, rug factory, papyrus factory, silk factory, perfume factory, etc.

[Ontariotrekker]

Some further thougts re the last 2 postings here.

 

I'm a big girl and I found plenty of cozy spots onboard to read.. either in the main lounge on one of the pink couches or on deck on one of the hidden loungers on Deck 7.

 

I had no issues with any of the shore excursion team and found Ion very much up to the tasks at hand. I suspect I know who you mean by a cheeky young upstart and found her charming and, when confronted by an angry pax and forced to defend a decision that she clearly had no part in making, she was polite and responded in a respectful manner. This was unlike the pax who was screaming at her so loudly and agressively that some of us thought we'd have to step in.

 

Cynthia - sadly we did have a fair few shopping stops - jewelry factory which I viewed as a good, clean bathroom stop and in Bali a slilver place and a woodcarvers which, although I did not buy anything found interesting none the less.

 

We had several local market stops too which were a real cultural eye-opener for many people. Nothing quite like freshly plucked chickens covered in flies to put you off fowl for awhile but many pax had no idea that's how the locals bought their food.

 

Shar

[bcscot]

With all due respect, Shar, I think that you left the ship in Bali. After this, there were several problems involving shore excursions. The information and organisation were often found to be lacking.

We did indeed have regular visits to crafts and sales establishments as well, even at the expense of other places. In Bangkok we were lured to an optional store which was billed as a government run store with silk, crafts and souvenirs at competitive prices, only to find that it was a major jewellery manufacture and sales business with film, high prices etc, just like in Hong Kong. I am not saying that any of this is unusual, quite the opposite. This was indeed, the usual type of cruise line excursion and not anything more intellectual or superior in quality, as I had hoped. The one thing that did enhance the shore excursions though, was the lecture programme, many of these (but not all), being of interest, both generally and in relation to the port calls. The problem here of course was that the lecture room was frequently too hot or too mobile!

The thing that you did miss though Shar, was Arthur Black, who came on in Bali and entertained us one evening with an hour of Arthur Black, live! If you are not Canadian, do not bother to ask!! ;)

[Ontariotrekker]

I did indeed leave the ship in Bali and that's why I only addressed the issues that we would have had in common - shorex team and the seating availablilty.

 

I 'm a Canadian ( ergo my handle ) and do know of Arthur Black and glad he was so enjoyable.

[cruisemom42]

We did indeed have regular visits to crafts and sales establishments as well, even at the expense of other places. In Bangkok we were lured to an optional store which was billed as a government run store with silk, crafts and souvenirs at competitive prices, only to find that it was a major jewellery manufacture and sales business with film, high prices etc, just like in Hong Kong. I am not saying that any of this is unusual, quite the opposite. This was indeed, the usual type of cruise line excursion and not anything more intellectual or superior in quality, as I had hoped. The one thing that did enhance the shore excursions though, was the lecture programme, many of these (but not all), being of interest, both generally and in relation to the port calls. The problem here of course was that the lecture room was frequently too hot or too mobile!

 

I'm sorry to hear about the shore excursions. It hasn't been the case on my two previous (Med) cruises. I hope it was just an aberration in the Orient, as I'll be onboard Aegean Odyssey in April (Athens to Venice).

[rugbypopsie]

Feeling quite sad reading such a negative review. I dont doubt for a moment that the breakdown of the airconditioning was very unpleasant and the shore tours seem to have been a little disorganised. I can only go by what I found on our Sept last year cruise from Instanbul to Venice.. The hotels were lovely and since we upgraded to a balcony at the last minute we were not in the top one..so it must have been outstanding. All the tours were efficiently run and it was very nice to have plenty of room on the tour buses instead of being stuffed in like sardines. The poster called the ship "shabby" really I had another look through photos...she was not at all shabby in my opinion. Yes there is a slight soot problem..but nothing like what as described. Some staining on the seats in the terrace area that's about it. The food generally excellent, fresh and appetising I could always find something I liked. They were extremely generous with the wine at dinner...and the staff were all friendly, happy and obliging. Sorry to sound like a cheer leader but that is honestly what I found..and I have done enough cruising to know the difference...and yes we are booked for next year. We loved every minute.

 

Sue

 

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[bcscot]

It is indeed a strange thing, Sue. I often marvel at how two, often experienced and knowledgeable people, can have such diverging opinions on the same thing, be it a cruise, restaurant, hotel, film, show etc. I suppose we humans are just strange and unpredictable beings! Tastes vary so much.

These back to backs were our 29th and 30th cruises, on 24 ships and 8 lines. I have a soft spot for the old ships, so we have sailed on many and have overlooked a lot of problems. My heart still sank when I saw the Aegean Odyssey in Hong Kong. I thought that the impression would change when we got on board, but it did not. The Minerva positively radiated next to her in Saigon.

I agree with you about the hotels. In a way, it was part of V2A's downfall. We had a superior room in the Hong Kong Langham Hotel and I think that it is the finest hotel room in which I have ever stayed. Transferring to the ship was somewhat of a come down! Many others said the same, at Hong Kong and Bali. The Hilton in Bangkok was not so nice. I am not alone in thinking that Hilton hotels are over rated. It was a nice enough hotel, but we had AC problems, smells in the first room and things missing that should have been there. Others had problems too. It was OK, but nowhere near the standard of the Langham.

I have already agreed about the food and waiters. The bar staff were great too and very generous with the wine. We got on very well with the waiters and stewards. They did not complain but it was obvious to see that there was a deal of tension with the management, which created a certain atmosphere. They had also been through hell, with the AC broken.

Having slept out on the after deck one night, we realised how bad the soot problem was, as there were lumps of soot (I kid you not), all over the exposed deck in the morning. My wife says that the soot had oil in it and she has not been able to get some of the stains out of clothing.

Part of the problem with the shore excursions was that we do not like group tours (our problem and not their's) but we had hoped that these would be better than average. They were not all bad and some were fairly good, but they were certainly no better than other cruise lines' excursions.

As I said before, the major problem came with the way that the management handled all the problems. A smart line will get the passengers on side and will find them to be more tolerant. This lot just kept aggravating everything.

Yours was a different experience and hopefully you will have another positive experience with them in the future.

I have benefited greatly from the information and advice that I have received on this forum, so I am sharing my thoughts, feelings and experiences with the other forum members. It is good that I can do this without censorship and that others can disagree with me. People can come to their own conclusions. I too have greatly enjoyed cruises that others have not. We all have our own sensitivities and tolerances to different things. Vive la difference, I say. :)

It certainly was not all bad and there were things to enjoy. It was an experience and will keep us furnished with adventures to tell, for years to come! It just left me feeling more negative that positive.

[rugbypopsie]

Isn't it nice to be able to discuss the pros and cons without the infantile flaming and name calling that sometimes spoils any intelligent discussion around the boards. I don't doubt for a moment that your report is accurate as I know someone also on your cruise who also feels that for your cruise your observations were not exaggerated. My friends who travelled with me felt that V to A compared favourably with their experiences on Minerva and a number of other small ship cruises so I guess it comes down to things can change from cruise to cruise. Certainly apart from the mechanical problems there are lessons to be learnt by V to A regarding organisation. V to A have responded in the past to constructive criticism and obviously I hope that this will be the case once more. That in no way alleviates your disappointment in your cruise. Based on my positive experience I am prepared to give them another go and I hope any problems with the itinerary to India and Egypt are worked on this years cruise.

 

Sue

[librarian]

I have been on Minerva and I hope this experience will be as good as that one. Even though we had some room issues and billing issues which were not handled well. I also felt rather shabby for the distance as the clientele dressed up more and my limit on luggage did not allow for certain clothes and my husband did not really like the food. He does not like sauces. Usually I arrange shore excursions through private sources. On Oceania there were a group of about 6-10 depending on the location who went together in Vietnam, Korea, China, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia. I enjoy those private experiences. I had previously booked a trip on Discovery for the almost same locations as we will be traveling in a month with VOA. I had started booking private or semi private experiences for that trip and then we had to cancel due to a sickness and eventual death in family. All I am going to say is wow to the prices of those semi private excursions even with another 4 people with us. My trip would have been extremely pricey. I guess I will have to settle for what I get on this ship. Overall this is running much cheaper and I have a balcony compared to an inside on Discovery.

I am not certain what to expect but I hope it is safe. What with Carnival mishap and then the location we are going.

I know there will be snafus as I have never been on a cruise yet even QE which did not have something go wrong. It certainly is good to hear other people's perspectives on ships.

[rugbypopsie]

Regarding clothing...leave the tiara at home...the passengers are quite casual. The terrace dining is very popular (soot issues aside) so clothing is relaxed even in the dining room. Far more relaxed than on a regular cruise. The other main difference is that V to A is a destination ship so don't expect heaps of activities. Pretty much apart from the port lectures you are your own entertainment. There music and dancing in the main lounge. The other passengers were a nice mix, obviously some are scholarly but the atmosphere was friendly and chatty with all the passengers generally experienced travellers looking for something out of the ordinary. A large proportion of the passengers on my sailing were repeat V to A travellers so they were obviously happy with the product.

 

We were only taken to one "Tourist trap" the turkish carpet spot in Instanbul, my advice skip it unless you really are in the market for a carpet and spend the time in the Grand Bazaar instead far more interesting to me....

 

Sue

 

[CalmSea]

In about 3 weeks, we will be embarking the V2A in Singapore. It will be our first cruise on V2A, and we will come with an open mind. What Sue described as life on board is what we have expected from reading the reviews. As for the shore tours, the reviews prior to 2013 had led us to expect well above average tours. The recent reviews have lowered our expectations about the tours, which actually may be good, because we will less likely be disappointed. As for fellow passengers, V2A is also marketed by several scholarly travel groups. The Hong Kong to Bali cruise was fully booked thanks to AHI and Roadscholars (I think). The upcoming April cruise from Istanbul to Athen is also fully booked with the help of Roadscholars. The Smithsonian has been marketing several of the V2A summer cruises as "value cruises". These group passengers may have a different expectation from the repeated customers. For V2A, I hope they maintain a high load factor to keep them in business. However, as a passenger, I do wish that the ship is not full (better chance of finding a deck chair at a favorite spot). Whatever the case, we are looking forward to seeing parts of the world that we have heard a lot about but have never seen before.

[rugbypopsie]

The Roads Scholars on my cruise had their own leader/lecturer who also put on a lecture for the rest of us. Tours...what impressed me apart from the lack of crowding on the buses, was that in certain places we were treated to unique experiences...i.e. in Venice St. Marks was opened just for us in the evening...magical, no crowds, no pushing and shoving. In another port the guide noticed an archeological dig in progress at the site of Nicopolis..so the buses stopped and the onsite archeologist took us around the site..so special and unexpected, in another port the antiquities museum was usually shut on the day we visited but V to A arranged for it to be opened just for us. Pool chairs were also never an issue, this is not the "tanned till you're turtle crowd"..but I don't know what the sun deck will look like after the new cabins go in. I think probably on the new itineraries they were working with new companies so things did not go as smoothly as they should have. I normally would book private tours other than ships tours but of course they are all included with VtoA..however I found them very satisfactory..still I don't need to see another icon/mosque/monastery for some time... on the other hand I hate being herded into tourist traps so appreciated that there was very little of that...lol

 

Have a great cruise can't wait to hear from you when you get back. Hope you don't mind me being so chatty...I love the anticipation and lead up to my cruises..but feel free to tell me to shut up..I'll be out of here on Sunday..off cruising.:)

 

Sue

 

[bcscot]

We enjoyed Singapore, except for the heat and humidity. We decided to miss the ship's morning tour and do our own sightseeing for the day. We were not impressed with the shore excursion department, who were unable to confirm whether the MRT (metro) left from the dock or not, inspite of the ship having been there before. We went on line and asked Mr Google, who confirmed that the dock was situated at a large shopping mall with an MRT station.

We were ready to leave the ship early, but were dismayed to see the sign saying that all aboard was at 5PM, two hours before we were scheduled to leave! We asked three different people about this and were told by all that this was correct because we may leave early(although the ship's excursion was not due to get back till 6.30 PM). We rushed through our day, cutting some things short, to be back by 5PM, just in case. When we got back, it was to see that the all aboard time had been changed to 6PM! We felt angry at being cheated out of a valuable hour of our time in Singapore.

Anyway, once we left the ship, we had a great sense of freedom, having skipped school for the day! No bus tours for us today. We found the MRT station in the very large shopping mall and found it cheaper to buy tickets for each journey as we went, rather than the tourist day pass, which only pays after quite a few journeys. It was a good way to get around the city. We walked around several areas and ate at one of the 'hawker centres'.

The best thing that we did, after a tip off from one of the lecturers, was to visit the 57th floor bar at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel for a drink. There is an MRT station at the hotel complex. It is a huge complex with hotel, shops, casino, restaurants, theatres etc, in three tower blocks. Across the top is a giant platform with water park (infinity pool at 57 floors up!), restaurant, bar etc. The general public can go to the roof top bar for a drink. It is expensive but the view is wonderful. After the drink, the staff allowed us to walk around outside to take photos and enjoy the view.

This was cheaper than going on the big wheel (Singapore Flyer), had a better view as it was higher and sitting for a drink was a welcome break from sightseeing in the heat. I would recommend it.