The group against a backdrop of Hong Kong skyscrapers— Robert Wren Teo (Mt. Apo), Remar Calungsod (PanAsia World Holidays), Eng Yao Tan (Frontier Travel), Cassandra Poculan of Sunstar Cebu, the writer, Gerlie Palarao (Baron Travel Corp.), Richelle Cobar (FCM Travel Solutions), Jonalyn Gamboa (Royal Caribbean), Jiemson Demoral (First United Travel), Deborah Lynn Uyboco (Allied Travel), Yvonne Siasar (Leisure Travel)
Voyager of the Seas currently departs from Hong Kong—a major port with skyscraper-studded skyline.
The Peak is among the most visited attraction along with Ocean Park and Disneyland. Hong Kong is also known to be the shopping capital of Asia for anyone who has a desire for designer goods at bargain prices.
There are great buys at every turn from cheap bazaars to high-end antique streets for souvenirs or pasalubongs. You might want to bring a spare luggage for that.
Hong Kong may not be the main destination but it’s always worth a side trip.
She then sails to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam. Each has a schedule you can pick from May to October this year. Ours were the ports of Nha Trang, and Da Nang in Vietnam.
The Po Nagar Cham Towers, standing on granite knoll, was a place for worship by Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists as early as 2nd century AD. The Forbidden City inside the Citadel, which is standing above a moat,is a walled fortress for the royal family.
The XQ Historical Village is a place for impressive hand embroidered works so intricate that they appear to be paintings. All of these contributed to the enrichment of Vietnam’s cultural treasures.
Voyager of the Seas had been first deployed in Shanghai in 2012 and has been cruising in Asia since then. Her home base is in Australia and New Zealand and visits Asia during summer season.
Beginning this month (October) to April 2017, her route starts from Sydney, Australia to New Zealand.
A daily compass cruise delivered to every stateroom lines up all the entertainment highlights of the day, which also includes a weather report and special offers.
There was the morning dance class, the fun game shows at the Star Lounge, The DreamWorksExperience and photo opportunities with every kid’s favorite characters from Madagascar, Shrek, and more.
Wi-Fi was costly on board but, on the hindsight, would you really spend extra to just sit and face your phone when so much was happening around? I’m speaking for the daughter who had her 83-year-old father in a wheelchair join the trivia night, and the rest of us folks there regardless of age and nationality.
I got myself a souvenir pen for nailing the trivia on the world’s first satellite launched into space: Sputnik. I credit it to my reading of Haruki Murakami’s “Sputnik Sweetheart.”
Royal Promenade at the Voyager of the Seas
What complemented the total package of a cruise experience is the unparalleled service of its staff and Voyager of the Seas has an exceptional bunch afloat. The crew members I met were accommodating and painstakingly nice I had the urge to give them a hug. My room steward Mohsein was awesome. Other than keeping my room squeaky clean, he became my walking calendar reminder.
He seemed to quickly grasp my glaring ineptitude in remembering things. He never failed to greet me a lovely morning and end it with a reminder of what I need to know for the day, like getting my passport at this time or preparing my luggage for check out before this time. Fe, our Filipino waiter at Sapphire dining, had no problem taking special orders and multiple entrees.
She always gave me two extra scoops of ice cream in my desserts. She knew ice cream was my non-negotiable—and rice. She had some readied when I want one to go with my dish.
A cruise line cannot monitor the attitude of its 1,000 crews so it’s amazing how every crew member I knew or bumped into was most cordial and personable. These people were so good at what they do and delivered the WOW during the entire cruise vacation.
Voyager of the Seas is one of the most stable ships to sail across the waters carrying a total of over four thousand guests and crews. A typical day at sea was as though we were not at sea at all.
The writer
at the XQ Historical Village in Dalat
Vietnam.
Few can deny her luxurious ambiance from bow to stern, and she barely shuddered against the current from the outside.
As Captain Sverre Ryan and his bridge team presented themselves during the Captain’s Night at Royal Promenade— with the guests waving and smiling from ear to ear, and the children walking like they have a spring in their step—I know we had the same thing going on. This cruise experience has sailed straight into the mind and there it will be etched as the best voyage one could ever have.
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Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Ovation of the Seas, sails from Bejing China to Japan and Korea until October. For inquiries or reservations, contact your preferred travel agent or ARPAN AIR INC. at tel. no. 632 8922701-03 or email at [email protected]
