"Live" Coral Princess, 32 Days, Oct 17th to Nov 17th, Singapore-Asia-Los Angeles (+Week in Singapore pre-cruise)

[suzyed]

11 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

We frequently leave home 10 to 14 days before boarding a ship.  About 95% of the time we receive our Medallions prior to leaving home.  If we don't get them in time, we'll get them at boarding.  No big deal...  🙂

We do the same.  My concern that they would be mailed to us and not get here before we leave.  In that case Princess would think we got ours and wouldn't have them waiting for us at the port.  
Anyway, they have been mailed finally and hopefully will get here in the next week.  All good!

[t&atravel]

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

So far, not allowed in cabins sailing from Australia and Quebec.

@PacnGoNow  Not true re Quebec.  I have a sailing booked from Quebec and it has the vaping allowed in the staterooms verbiage.  In the other thread I noticed people were posting language from their travel summary NOT the passage contract.

[Justpackingmybags]

Following - I’ve visited all the ports up to HongKong and love that part of the world.

[ssawjo]

Sounds like a wonderful cruise and trip.  We will be following along with you.

[PacnGoNow]

53 minutes ago, t&atravel said:

@PacnGoNow  Not true re Quebec.  I have a sailing booked from Quebec and it has the vaping allowed in the staterooms verbiage.  In the other thread I noticed people were posting language from their travel summary NOT the passage contract.

Off topic, sorry OP.  Looks like one was off travel summary, but now I give up.  Only Australia is different!

😳  SMH

[pa_snowbird]

3 hours ago, EDVM96 said:

I strongly recommend to visit the Makansutra Gluttons Bay hawker stalls in the late evening.

https://makansutra.com/eatery/gluttons-bay/

Incredible food, huge variety, reasonable prices.

 

Any comments on the Lau Pa Sat and Maxwell food center?
These hawker stalls are all open air right?  Is it too hot and humid to eat there.  Are there indoor food centers with A/C?

[c-boy]

🥰  love .. love ..love Black  Lane services 

[mtnesterz]

Wish you a safe trip and fun cruise. You will be leaving two days before Mrs. Mtnesterz who will be visiting family in S'pore. Also SIA and Business Class, so don't mess up the plane's cabin, OK? 😄  I cannot take 17 hours on a plane, even Business Class.

Before you go, nice idea to take a couple Covid test kits. If you don't have them, I was at Platt Library a week or so back and they had them for the asking.

You probably know, but be sure to do your Singapore Arrival Card three days before arrival.

Here is the link: https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard/

We all have different tastes, but if I could suggest something to do there that you can't do here, consider the Night Safari.

[LACruiser88]

27 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Before you go, nice idea to take a couple Covid test kits

We have several ready to pack. As well as Plaxlovid.  We have an extensive check list that we use to pack.  And, Debbie has clothes all over the place.  She promised that 50% are going back into the closet.  Btw, we are checking 4 large bags so she will have plenty of options (and shoes!).

 

27 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

You probably know, but be sure to do your Singapore Arrival Card three days before arrival.

Yes, we were aware.  We have the website bookmarked and will complete them before leaving home, thanks!  The Night Safari is on our to-do list.

 

 

 

Edited September 30 by LACruiser88

[LACruiser88]

We like to hit the ground running with local currency in our pockets.  We use the local cash for gratuities and for small purchases that do not take credit cards.

 

We were able to obtain currency for all the countries we are visiting except for Vietnam.  We will try to obtain some while in Singapore.

 

 

[LACruiser88]

35 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Also SIA and Business Class, so don't mess up the plane's cabin, OK? 😄 

We will try our hardest to leave the plane in the same condition as we find it!  🤣

[lambs2]

Curious to how other folks on this sailing are handling private tours to Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko (with time to walk to the Sengen pagoda for photos) on Nov 1.  Having to go through Japanese customs again that morning made us so nervous that we cancelled our Mount Fiji private tour because we had to meet the tour at 9am several blocks from the port entrance as we were taking a bus and then a train. IF anyone has a good suggestion other than the ship tour for two very active folks who love to walk, or has room on a private tour PLEASE let us know!!! 

Edited September 30 by lambs2

[EDVM96]

3 hours ago, pa_snowbird said:

Any comments on the Lau Pa Sat and Maxwell food center?

I've never been to one of those, sorry.

 

3 hours ago, pa_snowbird said:

These hawker stalls are all open air right?  Is it too hot and humid to eat there.  

Yes, it's open air. But in the late evening, it's ok with the heat - you can nicely sit outside.

Anyway, I stayed at the nearby Conrad Centennial, so I took the food to go and enjoyed it in the hotel room.

 

3 hours ago, pa_snowbird said:

Are there indoor food centers with A/C?

Yes, there is a large and nice food court at the 'Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands' mall for example. 

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294265-d2138910-r673948776-The_Shoppes_at_Marina_Bay_Sands-Singapore.html

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

8 hours ago, EDVM96 said:

 

Is this new with the required booking? In 2019 I could just walk-in for a nice Singapore Sling. 😎

 

And this is the infinity pool view from the observation area:

 

I had to smile when I saw your pics. Here are ours, from 2018. Almost identical. 
 

 

[Yehootu]

We leave LA at 0600 on the 9th flying to SFO, then on to Singapore. Early wake up, but we arrive in SIN at 6:45pm. We will be flying Business class, as a UAL retiree I get a great rate!

 We have "Welcome Pickups" meeting us to take us to the Holiday Inn City Centre Orchard Rd. They aren't much more than a taxi and after a 16hr flt, I like easy and convenient.

 I've been to Singapore several times, only on layovers, and usually stayed in the Orchard Rd area. I have a lot of IHG points and the hotel has an executive lounge so we chose that location.

 We usually just go with the flow and have the Zoo and night safari on our plans as well as eating our way around the city. I'm familiar with the MRT and have the Grab app downloaded and ready. We needed to go a week early so Suzanne could get every variety of shirts and souvenirs for the Grandkids.

 With the exception of Thailand and Vietnam, I've been to all the other port cities on layovers. Suzanne has been to Japan several times working. Once again we get to stop at home to get things done at our house. It's been awhile since we've been to Kauai so I've rented a car so we can go see my Uncle's old house in a subdivision he and my Father developed. A stop at Hamura Saimin will be a must before we get back onboard.

 Touring big cities doesn't appeal to us and we like to head out on our own to see local non touristy sites.

 We haven't been on the Coral, but have been on the Island twice both before and after refurb. We are booked in a fully covered mini. The one thing I'd Love to see Coral get in the drydock will be new mattresses and sofas. In the past I've had to order many Hamburgers from room service to get enough trays to "fix" my mattress. If pool towels become scarce, then I've gotten a broke down sofa in our cabin again and I've had to fix it.

 On sea days I'll be holding down a barstool and Suzanne will usually be on our balcony.

Looking forward to getting this adventure started. See you aboard!

Aloha.

[LACruiser88]

18 minutes ago, Yehootu said:

We needed to go a week early so Suzanne could get every variety of shirts and souvenirs for the Grandkids.

Same for Debbie, but with the addition of looking for items for her closet too!  😵‍💫

 

20 minutes ago, Yehootu said:

On sea days I'll be holding down a barstool and Suzanne will usually be on our balcony.

If the weather is good, I will be in my "Happy Place," the Sanctuary!  🤪

 

[NownZen]

6 hours ago, pa_snowbird said:

Any comments on the Lau Pa Sat and Maxwell food center?
These hawker stalls are all open air right?  Is it too hot and humid to eat there.  Are there indoor food centers with A/C?

Newton Circus was open air last time we were there. Maxwell food center is enclosed and we have not had an issue with temperature. Most of the others we have been to are at least in a building with fans. We tend to go to the local ones. Berseh is quite good.

[LACruiser88]

9 hours ago, Yehootu said:

have the Grab app downloaded and ready.

Tim, I also downloaded the app, since there is no Uber in Singapore.  Have you used it before?  Looks easy to use...

[leck57]

4 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

Tim, I also downloaded the app, since there is no Uber in Singapore.  Have you used it before?  Looks easy to use...

 

I use Uber all the time but even though it is not available in Singapore I just use taxis. They are cheap there, about the only thing that is!

[leck57]

On 10/1/2024 at 2:52 AM, pa_snowbird said:

Any comments on the Lau Pa Sat and Maxwell food center?
These hawker stalls are all open air right?  Is it too hot and humid to eat there.  Are there indoor food centers with A/C?

 

Lau Pa Sat hawker centre is one of our favourites. They have a specific area for satays, yum. We also go to Satay by the Bay which is the hawker centre within Gardens by the Bay. It isn't the best hawker centre compared to others but if you want to see the light show, it is easy to eat there and just wander over to the trees where the show is.

Edited October 1 by leck57

[shellbeachjim]

30 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

Tim, I also downloaded the app, since there is no Uber in Singapore.  Have you used it before?  Looks easy to use...

I tried using Grab last year in Singapore and couldn't get it set up. I'm a technical guy, but finally gave up in frustration.

[Yehootu]

2 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

Tim, I also downloaded the app, since there is no Uber in Singapore.  Have you used it before?  Looks easy to use...

 

2 hours ago, shellbeachjim said:

I tried using Grab last year in Singapore and couldn't get it set up. I'm a technical guy, but finally gave up in frustration.

I have it downloaded and set up. I haven't personally used it, but have a few friends that have used it. They started using it for food deliveries during layovers when Covid starting letting up and have been using it for rides. I've run a few test rides to see what fares would be. Have it on both our phones.Here's a quote from the airport to our hotel tonight.

[Yehootu]

2 hours ago, leck57 said:

Lau Pa Sat hawker centre is one of our favourites.

Stalls 7&8 have the best ratings for their satay.

[cheetosrevil]

IMO all "live from" threads should be pinned... easier to follow and defined for an audience.

 

They're interesting and have lots of information, but seems a concentrated area would be beneficial.

[Marshyone]

On 9/29/2024 at 1:56 PM, LACruiser88 said:

 

 

 

Here we go again!  The next few months will be crazy busy for us as we will only be home for two weeks from this trip before we embark on the Majestic Princess for a 51-day voyage from Los Angeles to Ft Lauderdale, via South America.  This will be the first time we will miss the holidays with our family and our 10-yr-old Granddaughter is not happy about it! 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, October 9th, we will be flying from our home airport of LAX to Singapore.  This will be our first time visiting Singapore and has been on our bucket list for quite some time.  The same can be said for all of the ports on this itinerary, with the exception of Hong Kong and Hawaii.

 

This will be the Coral Princess' first voyage after a 20-day dry dock in Singapore.  Hopefully, all of the updates will have been completed by the time we board.  In the past, we have been on ships right after a dry dock and some items were completed during that first voyage.  We have sailed on the Coral many times and were last onboard in 2018 (1st time was in 2004).

 

 

 

On this cruise we will be in a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite, mid-ship on Baja Deck, and will have the Plus Package.  We made a decent upgrade bid for a Vista Suite, but have not heard anything as of yet.  Suites have shown as sold out for quite some time now, so we are not expecting the bid to be successful.  Btw, the entire cruise has shown sold out since mid-August.

 

 

The ports on this voyage consist of two in Thailand, two in Vietnam, Taipei, Hong Kong, two in Japan, and two in Hawaii.

 

We booked our Singapore Airlines 17+ hour, non-stop Business Class (BC) flight via our Platinum Amex International Airlines Program.  The price was $800 less than using EZair and $600 less than directly with the airline.  We were also able to apply Amex points towards the booking.  This is the first time in years that we have found an international air fare lower than EZair for BC.  We have also booked our "Blacklane" driver for the ride from the airport to the hotel.

 

 

 

In Singapore, we will be spending the week at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Orchard District.  The Amex Fine Hotels and Resort Program offered a deal that was too good to pass up!  We recently stayed at the Sydney Four Seasons and had an amazing experience.  They excel in providing outstanding service and accommodations.

 

 

We will have several friends cruising with us on this voyage including Debbie's sister and her husband (from Palm Desert).  We also have several friends among the onboard crew.

 

We have received many travel tips as to what to see and do in Singapore from friends that are extremely familiar with the city/country.  I don't think we will be able to see all of the places on our list, but we will give it a shot!

 

We rarely ever book Princess excursions, but because most of these ports are new to us we have booked several transportation only excursions to the city centers, where we will DIY.  In Hong Kong, we booked the HoHo bus.  We enjoy DIY in ports and exploring whatever strikes us as interesting at the time.

 

There has been some confusion on the Roll Call for this cruise as to the requirement of a visa for Vietnam.  We have been assured by Princess that this visa will be provided onboard and the visa fee charged to our stateroom account.  They have not provided the exact cost of the visa, but in the past it has been $50 USD.

 

Feel free to ask questions and I will try my best to provide answers.  I will usually post the "Princess Event Listings" (aka: The Patter) and dinner menus daily.  I'm curious to see if they have the new and improved "Patter" or the Princess Event Listings format?

 

 

 

To our fellow passengers, I encourage you to add your experiences and answer questions on this blog as we all have different perspectives and experiences.  Because we no longer attend shows, games, or lectures, we will count on our fellow passengers to provide information on those events.  We will report on live music, food, and the ship's wine selections!  

 

 

 

Cheers, Debbie & Rafael

 

 

 

 

 

 

The below map is still incorrectly showing us stopping in Lahaina, that has been changed to Kauai.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date	Port	Arrive	Depart
Thu, Oct 17	Singapore		04:00 pm
Fri, Oct 18	At Sea
Sat, Oct 19	Ko Samui, Thailand	07:00 am	04:00 pm
Sun, Oct 20	Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand	07:00 am	07:00 pm
Mon, Oct 21	At Sea
Tue, Oct 22	Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam	07:00 am	06:00 pm
Wed, Oct 23	Nha Trang, Vietnam	08:00 am	05:00 pm
Thu, Oct 24	At Sea
Fri, Oct 25	Hong Kong	09:00 am	11:00 pm
Sat, Oct 26	At Sea
Sun, Oct 27	Taipei (Keelung)	08:00 am	06:00 pm
Mon, Oct 28	At Sea
Tue, Oct 29	At Sea
Wed, Oct 30	Osaka (for Kyoto), Japan	07:00 am	10:00 pm
Thu, Oct 31	At Sea
Fri, Nov 1	Tokyo, Japan	08:00 am	10:00 pm
Sat, Nov 2	At Sea
Sun, Nov 3	At Sea
Mon, Nov 4	At Sea
Tue, Nov 5	Cross International Date Line	12:00 pm	01:00 pm
Tue, Nov 5	At Sea
Wed, Nov 6	At Sea
Thu, Nov 7	At Sea
Fri, Nov 8	At Sea
Sat, Nov 9	At Sea
Sun, Nov 10	Honolulu, Hawaii	06:00 am	11:00 pm
Mon, Nov 11	Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hawaii	08:00 am	05:00 pm
Tue, Nov 12	At Sea
Wed, Nov 13	At Sea
Thu, Nov 14	At Sea
Fri, Nov 15	At Sea
Sat, Nov 16	At Sea
Sun, Nov 17 2024	Los Angeles, California	07:00 am

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL TRIP.  SOUNDS AWESOME.  STAYING LOCAL THIS YEAR.

DID CELEBRITY BEYOND IN APRIL FOR 11 DAYS.  BOOKED AGAIN IN DECEMBER FOR 10 DAYS CELEBRATING A BIG BIRTHDAY WITH A FRIEND I MET 6 YEARS AGO ON A CRUISE.  BEST REGARDS TO YOU BOTH.  SHOP WELL DEBBIE!