SUN PRINCESS "DAY BY DAY" CRUISE REPORT..ASIA..21st MAY...

[Koolkrewser]

Welcome home May 6 Cruise and Good sailing May 21 Cruise.

 

In 21 Days time its our turn and for those on the next cruise this to wet the whistle!:D

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=AcZV1y76puE

 

Cheers

Boy you sure were quick getting that up on youtube. Enjoyed both your videos but the one I will most enjoy is of the Port of Freo from the SP with all of us leaving on the 11th. Can't wait

Regards

Jane

[S&D]

Woo hoo cruisers...wow what a fab ship, she is in glorious condition...we boarded about 5 pm - after waiting with the others in the cruise terminal.

 

We met up with the others from the roll call and had coffee etc, chatted and were seated in an area with a lot of chairs for everyone. Many people arrived by coach and taxis...Freo is a lovely spot. We were able to deposit our luggage and then we all went over to the shops with Shirl and Co.

 

There we had coffee/light lunch in the Coles complex..a great place to get those last minute things we all need ..LOL...along with the wine of course, we said we had 4 bottles and were waved aboard with no problem. Luckily we had the first number to be boarded. The staff were very helpful, we found it an easy procedure. Vera noticed there were many people disembarking and a HUGE line was waiting once again for taxis outside.. we will be asking if they are putting buses on to the airport at the end of the cruise.

 

Well...what a pleasant surprise...the cabin was actually bigger than we thought. They had made it up as 2 singles which gave us a giggle, but on further thought, we will actually leave it like that..as there is a lot of space in the cabin that way.

 

There is a HUGE lot of storage, the cases all fitted under the bed, loads of hangers and hanging space..many drawers, about 12 plus the wire ones in the robe, the bathroom is quite good for us 2...until we expand that is...in a week or so!!!:eek: Cabins in excellent condition...we are very happy..soft pillows and a nice bed.

 

The crew are magnificent....cannot do enough for us..

 

The whole ship is very beautiful, so highly maintained. The buffett is lovely..very open and airy, many many chairs and tables and the stations were quite well set up.

 

The windows are huge, affording wonderful views of the ocean, the Marquis dining room is lovely too....with nice glass partitions here and there to give a little privacy. .. we have had a couple of raspberry fizz already..so please excuse any mistakes..:D

 

Casual dining tonight as we did not get underway - sail - til about 9.30 pm...so they had 7 and 9 pm sittings. We had the steak, baked potatoes, veg - and the lovely fettucine to start. No dessert tonight..too full after the steak.

 

We are off for a dance or 3 before bed now...hope this starts the report off well for everyone...we have the platinum internet, so we can be on here every day.....

 

All for now...

S&D

[margord]

Hey S&D,

 

Sounds like you made the best out of a late boarding. Enjoy the cruise.

 

Marilee

[magilla]

S & D,

 

Glad to hear that the embarkation went smoothly.

 

We hope you enjoyed your first night dancing the night away. By the time you get this we will be half way through our WORKING day, and you are simply enjoying a relaxing, fun filled, day at sea. Looking at the bridge cam it looks like it is a little rough today. How is it??

 

Is there any explanation on why the ship was late getting in?? Did you get any OBC for the delay??

 

We are looking forward to you daily updates.

 

Enjoy your cruising

 

Dave and Maureen

[boeckli]

Thanks for your first onboard report, Sandra.

Just checked the webcam and the reports on the tracking website and it looks as though things have got off to a bit of a rough start (35-40 kn winds and 3.5-4 m waves) :eek: though I think it should get better as you get further north and away from the stormy cold front passing the south-west corner

[Koolkrewser]

Wonderful first at sea installment Sandra. Thanks so much & waiting with all the other avid CCers for the ensuing days to come;)

Regards

Jane

[S&D]

Well..another glorious sea day...we got off to a late start yesterday as you all know....several rumours floating as to why...but it seems to be fine at present..we are making good time now.

 

Weather is cloudy, getting warmer and calmer as we head north..quite calm tonight. The buffett is quite crowded at peak times, all this means is that we go a little earlier or later for lunch...a minor adjustment. Internet cafe has the most stations we have ever seen, and always deserted up here.

 

The food is good there, plenty of salads, rice dishes, roast beef, lots to keep the hunger at bay...yes - like we need more food of course...

 

Had dinner with the CC group tonight, great dinner and everyone seemed happy with the 3 tables we had.

 

Steak again for Dave and I, and soup, and salad...the desserts are glorious, we are trying not to have those every day though.

 

Formal night tomorrow night, which will be a nice dress up affair, we always enjoy that.

 

No OBC for the delayed start...which we did not expect anyway...we are just happy to be here. A beautiful ship, and highly maintained...always crews cleaning everywhere.

 

Met Dave and Maureens sister and brother in law, so that was nice too.

 

This is a much older age group, would say average age around 65 plus..makes us feel all young and sprightly now.....LOL......

 

Have not heard of any laundry brawls yet..but it's early days as we all know!!!

 

OK...all for now..will report after the formal night tomorrow.

 

 

Love to our girls.....XXXX

 

(Steve and Rob....you are going to LOVE Princess)!!!!!

 

S&D

S&D

[ellenh]

Hi Sandra & Dave,

 

How lucky for me I happened to find this thread. It will be fun to catch up on what you guys are doing and read the daily report on your cruise. Ken and I will be on the Sun Princess "Pearls of Tahiti" cruise in October (r/t Sydney) so I will be devouring every detail of that beautiful ship. I hope you enjoy every moment of your trip.

 

Thanks for feeding my cruise fantasies!

 

--Ellen in NYC

[S&D]

Hi Ellen...thanks for that...love to you both! xxxx

 

 

Well....another glorious day on the Sun princess...the sun is shining, the seas are calm and we got up early to walk around and have an early breakfast. Went out to the deck, and were greeted by a wonderful balmy warm day, so we are headed back up to the deck now..armed with towels, to lay by the pool and drift off...wow..are we in heaven or what!!

 

Such a lovely crew, so happy and accommodating, such a great cuise, we are so very relaxed.

 

Ship gets crowded in the atrium and buffett, other than that..there is plenty of room everywhere.

 

No chair hogs spotted yet by the pool or fighting in the laundry!!

 

Capt's cocktails and formal night tonight....then dancing as usual.

 

There are 2 bands alternating in the wheelhouse, the 3 pce are very very good, room to dance on the floor there..no problems. The disco is great. the cruise dj is playing according to the age group which is a good thing...mostly 60's to 80's music, the floor is packed and the joint is hopping, we are there til late. Very happy with the entertainment. Wonderful staff everywhere.

 

We won trivia twice so far, so that is always good fun..2 times a day in the Vista lounge.

 

Many people having lunch and breakfast in the dining rooms too this trip.

 

Decor is very tasteful, very well maintained, and a lovely cosy ship...she rides the waves with ease, even in the first rough day from Perth, quite a few were seasick apparently.

 

Hope you are all enjoying the trip.....lots more to come..questions welcome too!

 

will post tomorrow,,,

 

S&D

[cheerful]

Hi Sandra, Thanks for your wonderful blog, We have just disembarked from the first Asia SP cruise. It was our first cruise and it was brilliant.The thought of walking along the promenade deck on the balmy nights and the wonderful crew making you feel so special ,it brings a tear to my eyes as I think about how lucky we were to have such a lovely holiday. We too had great weather, calm seas and good company. We hope the rest of your time on board continues to be wonderful ,for us every day got better than the last.. We are sad it had to come to an end but now we will start looking for another future cruise,Happy Sailing ,regards, Cheerful

[Koolkrewser]

:DThank-you Sandra for the highlight of my day, catching up with your report from the SP. I bet I am one of a large contingent of avid readers who rush in to see if you have sent us an update to your wonderful trip. It sounds like you are already having a helluva good time:p

Regards

Jane

[NSWP]

Great posts S&D, glad you are enjoying the start of your cruise.

 

QUESTION: Are there mostly Aussies on board SP this trip?

QUESTION: Pax numbers available? or in your view, ship chockas?

 

 

Cheers..Les:cool:

[margord]

S&D

 

Sounds like you are having a nice time. When do you hit your first port of call?

 

Marilee

[newyork40]

 

Dear Sandra,

 

My best wishes for a fantastic cruise (sounds like it is already!), such a shame I couldn't make it to The Royal to meet you!.

 

Regards,

 

Trish:)

[arxcards]

Hi Sandra and Dave,

 

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time!

Great to see that you are thoroughly immersed in your cruise! ;)

[Kinkacruiser]

Hi Sandra and Dave,

Your pleasure bubbles over..so happy for you both. Interesting that there's a big contingent of 65+ (similar to our NZ cruise this year). One bonus then will be that the gym, dance floors and Riveria deck will be roomy.

Love the reports..thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

Anna

[S&D]

Hi everyone...

 

Another sea day today, temps getting warmer now..mid 20's and sunny. Had a nice dinner again last night..we have a lot of steak, very tender, and cooked to perfection too.

 

We have the 3 tables on rotation for the CC group..seems to be working out fine now. Tonight we may however - go to the Pizzeria/pasta place and have a table for 2 as there is a good band in the wheelhouse and we don't want to miss their music....good floor in there too.

 

Have met lots of great people as usual, a very friendly bunch!

 

We meant to say earlier that the security just waved us aboard with our bottles of wine, some people took way more than us...no problems, we can also take it to the dining room $15 for corkage they told us last night. We can then have a good south aussie sparkling rose with a meal.

 

We are now docking in Vung Tau..not a tender, and also one other port we have heard the same...so that will be a bonus, as there are a lot of people in wheelchairs and some quite elderly passengers aboard...that will make things easier for them.

 

Formal night was great, everyone dressed up, the captains cocktail party was good, he is funny, great sense of humour . I had 3 rum punch's and a fizz before dinner, so was quite merry for the evening I can tell you!!

 

Off to brekky now...then a nice sun lounge in a quiet corner..then trivia..we have wone twice, drawn twice.....keeps our grey matter ticking over:D

 

We are loving this ship..a very dedicated staff, and a great atmosphere too.

Until tomorrow...

 

S&D:)

[Lizard©]

Sounds like your having a great time, and the weather is warming up for you. LOL it's going to be 20C here in Adelaide for the weekend, better than the cold and wet of last weekend.

Keep on havinga great time, love reading your daily updates :)

Lynda

[scottex]

Hi S&D, My daughter found your posts for me - we are going on SP to Auckland 14th July for my 70th birthday. I have two good friends on board your cruise, who would be tickled pink if you could track them down and tell them Evelyn says "Hi" and hopes they are having a great time!!

Their names are Sheila and Joyce from Adelaide and they are on Baja deck, I think B506 or 505. Your daily posts of your trip are great, and it sounds like you are enjoying every moment!!

A big thank you if you could manage this for me!!

[boeckli]

Thanks for your daily updates, S&D - makes the waiting for our turn on June 11 a little easier :)

Who is the captain (and do you have any idea if he will still be onboard for the next cruise) ?

[NARELLE]

Hi Sandra and Dave,

 

glad you are having a good time but then you always do. Wish I was there with you and your travel log is making me remember the good times we had coming out from Seattle on the Sun it seems that it was a life time ago but only last September. I knew you would enjoy the Wheelhouse for the dancing. The Pizzeria is to die for. Kim and I quite often just went there for dinner instead of restuarant as they had the better Chicken Caesar salad and the lasagna was to die for.

Say hello to Ros and Peter for us and will watch enthusiastically for your daily log as I am not allowed back to work all going well till 9th June now

love narelle and kim

[S&D]

Hi narelle...you would love this ship...a fun bunch and lovely crew....yes..we had the pizzeria tonight, and lasagne.....wonderful food in there with no cover charge! Wish you were both here....XXXXX

 

Evelyn...will try to say hello to your friends for you!

 

Well..we passed Xmas island at tea time tonight, about sunset....and the old weather has turned very warm and humid...oh boy..I love it. We sat out on the sun loungers for a good part of the day....and nodded off a few times, the next time we looked it was lunchtime....then another trivia...then another snooze...and lo and behold....it was time to eat dinner again!! OMG...we will be a pair of barrels...LOL

 

Wonderful pastry cooks on here, Dave had the homemade steak pies...really lovely! We danced a lot tonight..salsa in the nightclub, and a few in the wheelhouse...we are having a ball.

 

The internet cafe is nearly always deserted, wish I could say the same for the laundry...I am preparing to do battle there tomorrow!!!...LOL

 

We see quite a lot of the CC group, and I must say that Jeff, Annette, Steve and Dot are very lovely people, we hope we get to spend a bit of time with them during the cruise.

 

Robyn and Frank are having a great time too, and Shirley and Co....well...we are having a lot of fun with them!!

 

Fabulous band..Nexus onboard....wonderful music, dancing our little butts off!!!!

 

What can we say...we would sail this ship again anytime, and we probably will book again soon for 2010...we are happy with the inside cabin...but we miss the fresh air, so will go a balcony next time....

 

Until next time.....

 

(love to Son and Tan if you are reading this) XXXXXX

 

S&D:)

[margord]

Hi narelle...you would love this ship...a fun bunch and lovely crew....yes..we had the pizzeria tonight, and lasagne.....wonderful food in there with no cover charge! Wish you were both here....XXXXX

 

Evelyn...will try to say hello to your friends for you!

 

Well..we passed Xmas island at tea time tonight, about sunset....and the old weather has turned very warm and humid...oh boy..I love it. We sat out on the sun loungers for a good part of the day....and nodded off a few times, the next time we looked it was lunchtime....then another trivia...then another snooze...and lo and behold....it was time to eat dinner again!! OMG...we will be a pair of barrels...LOL

 

Wonderful pastry cooks on here, Dave had the homemade steak pies...really lovely! We danced a lot tonight..salsa in the nightclub, and a few in the wheelhouse...we are having a ball.

 

The internet cafe is nearly always deserted, wish I could say the same for the laundry...I am preparing to do battle there tomorrow!!!...LOL

 

We see quite a lot of the CC group, and I must say that Jeff, Annette, Steve and Dot are very lovely people, we hope we get to spend a bit of time with them during the cruise.

 

Robyn and Frank are having a great time too, and Shirley and Co....well...we are having a lot of fun with them!!

 

Fabulous band..Nexus onboard....wonderful music, dancing our little butts off!!!!

 

What can we say...we would sail this ship again anytime, and we probably will book again soon for 2010...we are happy with the inside cabin...but we miss the fresh air, so will go a balcony next time....

 

Until next time.....

 

(love to Son and Tan if you are reading this) XXXXXX

 

S&D:)

 

Wow Christmas Island. That sounds so exoctic to me. Have you ever been there?

 

Marilee

[sachiboo]

Keep the report coming, thoroughly enjoying reading it. I have a question regarding SP first port stop at Vung Tau. Any passengers opting to take the hydrofoil to HCMC(Saigon) or mostly the bus? The port is quite away from the city itself, I'm just wondering the quickest way to get to Saigon.

 

I'm certainly very envious of your daily report.

 

Margaret

[Cinnabel]

Hi Sandra & Dave,

 

Glad you are enjoying every moment on the SP. It sounds idyllic sailing into exotic waters with the warmth. Your daily reports bring back the memories of our April cruise into Aussie warm waters (Qld).

 

It gets very addictive reading your reports. I have to log on each day just to see if you have posted yet.

 

Can you tell us a little more about the duo and trio making music in the Atrium and Wheelhouse bar. We used to love to sit and listen in the evenings.

 

Have you attended any of the production shows yet?

 

Looking forward to your next post!!!!