DAY 36 at sea 

The ship is still buzzing in conversation about Cochin. So many really enjoyed the city and its people.

The outside temperature is still very hot and humid and the seas continue to be smooth apart from the odd bump now and then as if we have just run over something on the road. We are current cruising around the bottom of Sri Lanka.

Everyone is enjoying the days at sea, especially after being ashore in such heat which is quite exhausting and we’ve had extreme heat since we began sailing through the Suez canal which seems like ages ago.

The ship is still undergoing refurbishment here and there. They are re-carpeting the cabins at 20 per day. The RCL brand shop has been closed for refurbishment since Barcelona which I think is pretty poor. Many like to purchase the Logo merchandise and not all the merchandise has  been on offer as it was on our first leg of the cruise from New Orleans to Barcelona when the shop was open. Many are not happy about this considering they managed to refurbish the Casino including adding new tables and slot machines in 7 days, yet it has taken 3 weeks so far to refurbish the shop and it’s still not finished.  Everyone understands maintenance has to occur during cruises but you would think the Management on board would ensure that the work is done in a timely and efficient manner so as not to affect the guests for too long. The word is the left hand doesn’t always know what the right hand is doing on here, and I must say those words are mild compared to what some are saying. The only thing that matters seems to be the Asia market.  We just hope the Asian market respect this wonderful refurbishment and trust it still looks as good as new when the ship arrives in Australia for its season. They have taken on many Asian crew  which is  good for the Asian market but sometimes proving very difficult for a ship with the majority being English speaking especially when Trivia is conducted in English by an Asian speaker who can’t be understood as their pronunciation is not good so it ends up with everyone asking for the words to be spelled out, and even that makes a bad situation worse.  I must point out our Progressive Trivia is taken by the Activities Manager who is English speaking and he is excellent and a lot of fun. 

The most laughable everyone will have seen on here is beautiful photographs taken by the ships photographers whilst we were at the Pyramids.  Printed at the bottom of each person’s photo, which is available for purchase is “The Pyramids of the DESSERT” not ’DESERT’ J. I hope they offered to reprint them for those who wanted to purchase them.

The introduction of the DreamWorks characters has been successful.  We are the first ship to have these characters, and I must say they’re very big but quite cute.  In the future for those travelling with families Royal Caribbean have introduced for the children and their parents breakfast with Shrek, Fiona, Puss in Boots and others in the main dining room a couple of times each cruise. The menu is specific to the characters and they are all there to entertain and be photographed during breakfast.

Gordon Whatman our Cruise Director has worked for 22 years for Royal Caribbean.  He has such charisma and a wonderful sense of humour, has everyone in fits of laughter everywhere he goes and he’s an ‘out there’ Cruise Director and can been seen all around the ship. He even has a ‘chat with the Cruise Director’ at 10.00am every morning in the Pig and Whistle which is very popular.

Early afternoon yesterday we had an airline get together.  A guy by the name of Blair put a little notice up on the board asking if there were any others who had worked or currently work for an airline and from that about 12 of us turned up for a chat. We had a couple of Qantas ex airport Managers, a retired American Airline Pilot, Ansett/TAA staff, Delta staff all retired and ourselves Air New Zealand. Tomorrow we are meeting for lunch in the dining room.

A tip for those booking on Deck 6, we are able to get an internet connection from our Cabin…yay. The Guest Relations staff who are all an excellent bunch  are very helpful with any internet problems or any other problems you may encounter on the ship. We’ve had no problems at all except for some internet issues which they have rectified for us promptly.

Tomorrow is at sea cruising toward Penang Malaysia.

DAY 35 in Cochin, India

We docked early at 7.00am at the cargo port. There is not a Passenger Terminal here.   Before disembarking we were all required to do a face to face with the Indian Immigration Officers who had boarded the ship. A Visa is required for everyone visiting India.  Once the formalities were completed we were able to disembark the ship.  We weren’t in a hurry so took our time and finally went ashore around 9.45am. Two of our barmen we’ve got to know well were with us and they spoke Hindi to a couple of people who advised us to get our TukTuk from outside the gates of the port as they’re much cheaper. He was right, it was heaps cheaper and we ended up with a wonderful 5 hour tour of Kochi (Cochin in English) for US$20.00 for the two of us. Our driver, Sanjesh was in his 40’s married with three children.  Were learnt that within the first 5 minutes. He had an arranged marriage and was introduced to his bride at the age of 19. We left it in his hands to show us around and I must say he showed us everything there is to see in Cochin. Being a Sunday it was very busy everywhere and the traffic was horrific with absolutely no road rules whatsoever.  I have never seen so many buses, cars, the odd truck and other TukTuks head on before!  Somehow at the last minute all turns out well and everyone squeezes into the narrow road.

We saw some homes of the very rich and some existences of the very poor, and there’s quite a few of the latter. Even visited a laundry operated by very poor people, it looked more like a cowshed with many stalls where men and women were hand washing, sheets, towels, clothes and tablecloths from hotels.  They get paid a pittance, something like 20c for one sheet. Then they also have to iron them as well with antique irons that weigh 7kgs but they iron perfectly. The clothesline where everything is hung out to dry would be an area as big as football field. They looked so hot standing there washing and ironing in the humid conditions with the temperature today reaching 39C. We continued our TukTuk tour visiting the Army and Navy Barracks, churches, museums, the famous traditional fishing nets, and stopping at various shops along the way. Our purchases were very cheap and there’s a huge choice of everything.

We were TukTuking along another narrow street when our driver suddenly turned down this little driveway only just the width of his TukTuk with the side mirrors turned in.  We began to wonder where he was taking us when suddenly here we are outside his house and there’s his wife, three children, 86 year old Father and his sister all there to greet us. Next thing they’re offering us Indian Coffee, Jack Fruit and a pastry thing, no idea what it was. Roy the brave, ate and drank what was on offer, I’m a bit dubious about eating in India so managed to gracefully decline. Their daughter aged 12 appeared with Indian make up for my eyes and before I knew it I looked like someone out of a Bollywood Movie. J They were very welcoming and interested to hear about our life compared to theirs. They didn’t have a computer; you have to be quite wealthy to be able to afford the internet in India. Made me remember or should I say cringe at all the calls I’ve answered at home from India talking to me about my computer!!! 

We took photos of this happy family as they proudly showed us their little home. Then it was time to go, so off we went in our little TukTuk once again.  This time to a little area called Jew town, an old town full of tiny little shops where Tailors are making their clothes to sell.  I bought a pair of white pants for only US$2.00 and Roy two shirts for US$18.00, shirts are more expensive because they have button holes we were told.

Our driver was prepared to stop wherever we wanted him too, and that included the times when I’d say “that shop looks interesting” and suddenly we would come to a screeching halt holding up all the other traffic so we could get out and look in that shop. J

Before arriving in Cochin we were pre-warned that it wasn’t a nice place by some who had visited before but I have to say we thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s full of character and history and the people waved and said hello everywhere we went.  Even the people on the zillions of motor scooters managed a wave and a hello whilst they dodged in and out of the traffic.  Somehow they can fit 4 to one scooter….easily!! No Helmets required here. In comparison it was so much cleaner than both Alexandria and Cairo.

As we re-boarded the ship at the end of our tour we felt very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit this most Southern city in India. 

As I sit out on the balcony typing this we are just about ready to sail and I can hear the chanting from the Mosques calling the Muslims to prayer at 6.00pm. In all the countries of the East we’ve visited on this voyage we’ve heard the chanting from the Mosques booming out at goodness knows what decibels. You could never ever say you didn’t go to prayer because you didn’t hear the call….lol

The predominant religion in Cochin is Catholic and the balance Muslim. Same goes for Goa as well. Whereas Egypt, Jordon and the United Arab Emirates are predominately Muslim.

What a great day exploring Kochi (Cochin) and well worth it too.

Tomorrow we are at sea en-route to Penang.

DAY 34 at sea

Must say after our day in Goa yesterday in the extreme heat it is nice to be back on our air-conditioned and extremely comfortable ‘home’.  We have a saying when we reboard the ship and ‘ding’ and Seapass cards through the machine….. ‘hello we’re home’ and the crew say ‘welcome home….the dinner is underway’…..lol.

We intend to have an easy day today.  I woke up this morning and didn’t have a voice…. You should see the smile of Roys face…..lol.  I’ve not got a sore throat or cold, just no voice.  We have our sports challenge happening later this morning, then this afternoon we have the ice show with some new acts, and, of course Trivia which is now at 4.30pm a perfect time of day to have a drink whilst at Trivia…..our team thinks it’s helping us with our answers. J

The 3D movies are now being held in La Scala theatre and apparently are a great success. We’ve not had a chance to go yet….not enough hours in our day.

Anyone who is booked, or thinking of booking will enjoy this ship for the huge variety of activities they offer.  I think that is the bonus of cruising on a ship and ‘huge’ as this ship is.

For those who may have booked a balcony on deck 6, which is where our cabin is on this leg, I will point out that the balcony has a solid steel facing with approximately a 300mm open space to the hand rail.  On our previous decks 8 and 9 they had a glass facing. However, we can still see the ocean when we are sitting up in bed and from the deck chairs on the balcony itself.

The show tonight was a Mentalist, something we’ve never seen before. He was bending spoons, reading volunteers minds, and other quite unusual stuff.  It was a first to have something like that on the ship apparently. Must say he was very good, clever, or quick, whichever way you want to look at it. Everyone enjoyed his show, and he received a standing ovation.

Tomorrow, Cochin, India and it’s still steamy hot.

DAY 33 in Goa, India

We docked in Goa just before 10.00am and it was lovely to look down at the wharf from our balcony to see the families of crew members who come from Goa excitedly waiting to see them. Goa and the families of the crew had never seen a ship as large as this arrive into their port.  It is the first time Voyager has visited this part of the world as well.

Having disembarked the ship it was time to try and find our driver for the day that had been arranged by Datta our table Waiter. Datta comes from Goa. We were in for such a surprise because as we walked around the corner of the buildings there was the guy holding a sign with our name on it and standing with him was the family of our Waiter; his parents, his wife, his sister and brother-in-law and their two gorgeous little girls.  It was so touching to see how excited they were not only to meet us but also to see Datta later in the day when he had some time off.  We have a lot of fun at the table with Datta and he had been telling them about us in his emails. They hadn’t seen him for 6 months.

Sunje was our driver for the day and in no time we were on our way to visit the area of Goa.  In India everyone speaks English well and it was nice to have Sunje give us a running commentary along the way.  The driving here is horrendous; we were all on the edge of our seats at the beginning as we weaved in and out of the traffic.  There doesn’t seem to be any road rules, or if there are no-one takes any notice of them.  We would be driving down a road with a single lane going one way and another single lane coming the other but there would be three lanes suddenly as there were cars dodging the cars but driving along the centre line of the road tooting their horns to let everyone know they’re coming through. Throughout the day we only had two misses, we nearly collected two people on a scooter who ended up having to swerve and almost ending up in a pile of watermelons that were for sale on the side of the road.  Oh and no-one wears helmets on their scooters and there’s thousands of scooters here. The second near miss was with a scooter going around a roundabout which was a single roundabout with about 5 ‘created’ lanes and everyone pushing others and tooting frantically to try and get off their exit.  The scooter and rider nearly ended up on the bonnet of the car.  In the end I decided it best just to look at the window on the side and not worry about what was happening out the front of the car.

Our first stop was to visit a lovely Hindu Temple which was quite ornate and decorated with fresh flowers.  It was prayer time when we arrived, the elderly locals wanted their photo taken with me and kept touching my hair…..probably because mine is so grey and they looked about 100 years old and they still had natural black hair with just a dusting of grey….lol.

Then it was off to a Spice Farm. By this time the temperature had hit 38C and the air-conditioning in the car couldn’t cope so our ‘air’ was all the windows down. We were welcomed to the Farm by having a red ‘dot’ placed in the middle of our forehead and a garland of flowers draped around our necks. A glass of hot Lemongrass tea was handed to everyone then our guide lead us off along the red dirt trail.  It was an interesting tour looking at Cardemon, vanilla, cashew nuts, beetle nuts and the spices that make up Garam Masala. Then it was time to enjoy lunch….for some… I wasn’t game to try it, but I’m pleased to say that the other five who did are all still alive and well tonight….. J

Next stop was the Basilica of Saint Francis Xaviar who’s body still lies there in an sealed glass coffin and amazingly he is preserved and more or less intact, not a skeleton after hundreds of years. A huge church with such a lot of history of Goa inside. Goa was in possession of the Portuguese for 450 years so the main religion here is Catholic, then Hindi, then Muslim. Goa’s main export is Iron Ore, and tourism is its second income as many from Europe, UK and Russia enjoy Goa as their holiday destination.

Our last stop for the day was in the town of Panaji for a little retail therapy. Everything is very cheap here, they do take US dollars in some places but we found we got the better prices because we had Indian Rupee.

As we arrived back at the port the family were all there, this time with Datta as he was saying goodbye to them. As were many of the other crew with their families….quite sad to see them say goodbye to their wifes and children, some born whilst they’re have been away.  However we could easily see that the income they earn working on a ship is far greater than what they would be earning working and living in India. The families stayed on the wharf to the very end, waving as we sailed away with the hot setting behind us.

Tomorrow is a resting day at Sea.

DAY 32 at sea

After such a full on day in lovely Dubai we had a late start to the day.  Fortunately breakfast is on until around 11.00am so having had a late breakfast we skipped lunch….which is probably a good thing as we’ve been eating so much.  As there are many new guests who boarded in Dubai we seem to have spent the rest of the day chatting here and there. As always there’s always time for a drink and a chat at the Pig and Whistle.  There are people from many different countries on board, more than 700 from the UK; just over 600 from the USA and 580 from Australia and the balance of the 2800 guests are from many other countries. You would never know there were even that many on board as people seem to disappear to the various places on the ship, and you wonder where they all are as you walk about.

We have a new team for our Trivia, not that it means we’re going to win, we’re there to have fun, and Chris the Activities Manager who takes it is a great guy and likes to throw in some odd ball questions just to make it harder for everyone.

Last night was our first Formal night and once again everyone looked very stylish and dressed well.  After dinner it was off to watch the Karaoke in Cleopatra’s Theatre. Roy and I don’t sing, except in the shower….lol. Must say there are a lot of excellent singers on this leg of the cruise, some I would say may have been professional singers, and they were very entertaining. Then, as always, there are the ones that sing because their wife or husband tells them they’re the best singer in the world…… they should be like us and only sing in the shower. J

We are still in the Arabian Sea, there was a little bit of movement but it was gone in an hour.

There are smiles all round from the crew who come from Goa as they have been given time off to visit their families whilst we are in port.  We’ve given our Waiter a Kangaroo and Koala to give to his children who are 7 and 4. He will also bring them to the ship to say goodbye and for them to see the ship, they’ve never seen where he works. Unfortunately they’re not allowed to bring them on board for a look.  It makes you realise how hard it must be for them to be away from their families for 7 to 8 months at a time, so our visit to Goa is a bonus for them. They tell us that working in this job gives their wife and children a good life and that’s very important to them as many don’t have that in India. I must say they all do a great job on here and are always so happy and friendly to all the guests and that must be hard sometimes with some of the guests they must encounter. It reminds me of my years with the airline and dealing with the public…… must start writing that book. ;)

Chilling out…. at sea tomorrow. 

DAY 32 at sea

After such a full on day in lovely Dubai we had a late start to the day.  Fortunately breakfast is on until around 11.00am so having had a late breakfast we skipped lunch….which is probably a good thing as we’ve been eating so much.  As there are many new guests who boarded in Dubai we seem to have spent the rest of the day chatting here and there. As always there’s always time for a drink and a chat at the Pig and Whistle.  There are people from many different countries on board, more than 700 from the UK; just over 600 from the USA and 580 from Australia and the balance of the 2800 guests are from many other countries. You would never know there were even that many on board as people seem to disappear to the various places on the ship, and you wonder where they all are as you walk about.

We have a new team for our Trivia, not that it means we’re going to win, we’re there to have fun, and Chris the Activities Manager who takes it is a great guy and likes to throw in some odd ball questions just to make it harder for everyone.

Last night was our first Formal night and once again everyone looked very stylish and dressed well.  After dinner it was off to watch the Karaoke in Cleopatra’s Theatre. Roy and I don’t sing, except in the shower….lol. Must say there are a lot of excellent singers on this leg of the cruise, some I would say may have been professional singers, and they were very entertaining. Then, as always, there are the ones that sing because their wife or husband tells them they’re the best singer in the world…… they should be like us and only sing in the shower. J

We are still in the Arabian Sea, there was a little bit of movement but it was gone in an hour.

There are smiles all round from the crew who come from Goa as they have been given time off to visit their families whilst we are in port.  We’ve given our Waiter a Kangaroo and Koala to give to his children who are 7 and 4. He will also bring them to the ship to say goodbye and for them to see the ship, they’ve never seen where he works. Unfortunately they’re not allowed to bring them on board for a look.  It makes you realise how hard it must be for them to be away from their families for 7 to 8 months at a time, so our visit to Goa is a bonus for them. They tell us that working in this job gives their wife and children a good life and that’s very important to them as many don’t have that in India. I must say they all do a great job on here and are always so happy and friendly to all the guests and that must be hard sometimes with some of the guests they must encounter. It reminds me of my years with the airline and dealing with the public…… must start writing that book. ;)

Chilling out…. at sea tomorrow. Temperature for tomorrow, 38C.

DAY 31 in Dubai

We docked in Dubai at 6.00am where the temperature was already around 30C By the time we got off the ship at 9.00am it was 45C, it’s quite a dry heat and just feels like you’re standing with the oven door open.  The cab driver was saying in June and July it frequently hits 55C….  October to January are the coolest months of the year here. Cabs are very cheap and plentiful. Our first stop was the Gold Souks as we were told they open from 10.00am to 1.00pm then close for the afternoon and open again from 4.00pm to 11.00pm. The souks are only a short distance from the cruise terminal so we were there just before they opened.  I can now understand what everyone raves about when talking about the gold in Dubai.  I have never seen so many elaborate pieces of 22ct gold in my life. Also stunning diamonds set beautifully in rings, bracelets and necklaces. I love jewellery and was disappointed not to be able to stay longer as there was so much more to see.  However, we had to move along so we jumped in a cab and went to the Khalifa tower. OMG what a fabulous looking building that is, quite unbelievable. I left the others and went to the Dubai Mall which is right next to Khalifa whilst they took the pressurized elevator to the 124^th floor.  You’d never catch me doing that. ;) Anyway they returned not long after as it was fully booked.  Apparently the best way is to book your elevator trip to the 124^th floor online before your arrival in Dubai.  It’s also cheaper that way, only UAE100.00 whereas if you buy it in Dubai you pay UAE300.00, UAE100.00 equals approximately US$30.00.

The shops in the Malls are amazing; they certainly have a lot of style here. The Dubai Mall has a full size skating rink as well as every shop you can imagine.  I was surprised to see a Waitrose Supermarket there also. Waitrose is from the UK for those who may not know.

From the Dubai Mall we caught another taxi who offered to take us on a two and half hour tour for US$110.00 which was excellent between the six of us. So off we went out to the Burj, Atlantis, and other stunning Arabian hotels.  Then it was off to the famous island called ‘The Palms’. It even has its own Monorail. Each road is called Frond A, Frond B etc. The Sheik of Dubai gifted a huge mansion on The Palms to Michael Schumacher the Formula One driver. We wonder what he had done to deserve that, but it was a monster of a house and looked very opulent. The Sheik has three sisters and he built them enormous houses looking over the ocean on the road out toward The Palms. Oh to have him for a brother. J Glenn, wouldn’t you like to be a Sheik of somewhere?  If you were, just remember who’s your sister….lol.

Then it was time to visit the Mall of the Emirates and the famous Ski slope.  Unbelievable to think we walked in from 45C heat into snow, chairlifts and toboggans.  Another amazing Mall, they certainly know how to do things right in Dubai.

We all loved the city and would return in heartbeat, next time for a longer stay. It’s easy to understand why so many move to Dubai to work for a year but stay for decades. Although it appears from what we hear that it’s not as lucrative to work here as it has been previously. However it’s clean, no graffiti anywhere, has style, amazing restaurants and is friendly. The high rise buildings compliment every Architect.  It’s hard to imagine that 14 years ago Dubai was just a little city of the Middle East with nothing but oil.  Now it’s a tourist destination of the world and I’m sure it will continue to be even when they run out of oil, which they say isl in the not too distant future?  Also petrol is only 50c a litre and there’s no tax on the purchase of cars so there are ‘designer’ cars everywhere.

Captain Charles has taken over the helm. He also has a good sense of humour.  He’s announced this evening that when he finds the keys he’ll get the ship started and we’ll be on our way to India.

Gordon, our new Cruise Director, has been with Royal Caribbean for 22 years and sounds very professional and speaks well and has a good sense of humour which goes down well with everyone.

Tomorrow day 1 of 2 days at Sea en-route to Goa, India.