Legend of the Seas – Phuket (Thailand)

‘Sabai’ is Thai for the state of being well / good / happy; and repeating the word intensifies the expression to describe a wellness beyond words, to mean “not a care in this world”… a state of super chill euphoria!

And that’s the degree of chill-out bliss I’ve come to associate with Phuket after my two previous trips there. But this time round, instead of chilling, I’ll be going on a sea cave canoe adventure. How exciting! The great thing about Phuket is that you can choose to just take it easy and relax, or kick off the sand for some serious aquatic adventures.

8 Dec 10 (Day 3). The cluttered coastline of Phuket's Patong Beach signalled the tourism peak for the island from December to February. We couldn't have been here at a better time.

After the eye-opening tour of KL the day before, it’s time to ditch my city garb for breezy beachwear on the third day of our Legend of the Seas Isles of Southeast Asia cruise. The balmy shores of Phuket, Thailand, was our final and last port-of-call before heading back to Singapore. I don’t wanna go home!

I find it incredibly exciting to be at a radically different place each day. It’s like waking up to a huge present to be unwrapped daily. What’s more, getting to these places by cruise means there’s never a down moment throughout the journey!

Sawasdee Kaa / Khrup! We're all ready to be tom yum-ed by the tropical flavours in one of Asia's best-loved beach paradise, Phuket!

There isn’t a deep port for Legend of the Seas to dock so the big ship was parked some distance away while passengers going for the various shore excursions were ferried to land by smaller boats. I think the ship-to-land transfer takes about 20 minutes and there’s no need for immigration clearance. This is also the best time to get a great shot of the entire Legend of the Seas ship.

Unlike our Port Klang arrival in the early morning at 7:00 am, we were docked off Phuket’s coastal waters at 1:00 pm, which gave us ample time to catch up on rest and have lunch before embarking on another full day of activities.

For Phuket, I’m signed up for the Sea Cave Canoe Adventure tour which costs US$139. It is a very popular shore excursion so do book early with the onboard shore excursion tour desk or you can book it online. The Sea Cave Canoe Adventure lasts from 1:30 pm to 8:30 pm (approx. 7 hours).

There are eight shore excursions offered onboard Legend of the Seas and there’s something to suit every preference be it a leisurely eat-shop-massage tours, cultural explorations of the temples in Phuket, or sea adventures to Phang Nga Bay and its surrounding islets.

As with the land tour in KL, we were issued with a group number and once on land, we just need to look for the respective guide holding our corresponding digits. It can be quite chaotic because there isn’t a proper holding area for administration so you basically have to look for your group number and stick close to the guide.

Again, I was almost left behind as I was taking pictures and slow to report to my group’s guide. Photography can be such a hazard! Thankfully I located them while they were making their way to the coach bus. It’ll be an hour’s drive to a small jetty where we’ll transfer to a boat and take another hour to reach our canoe site.

To get to the sea caves, we took a 1-hour coach ride from Patong Beach to a jetty and took a 1-hour boat ride to a cluster of islets for the canoe adventure.

Basically, our area of exploration will be around a group of islets located off Phang Nga Bay. There are around 120 islets of various sizes littered in that region of the Andaman Sea. According to the guide, we’ll visit three islands (Ko Panak, Ko Hong, and Ko Lawa Yai) and two caves (Ko Hong cave and bat cave).

However, the islands and caves we’ll ultimately end up visiting is dependent on the tide conditions on site. At times, the tide would be too high and floods the passages leading through the caves or there’s not enough water for paddling. What if we are inside the caves and the tide comes in or resides huh?

The hour-long boat ride was comfortable enough although I would think that those suffering from seasickness may want to medicate before boarding. Biscuits, fruits (tangerines, bananas and longans) and an assortment of drinks (mineral water, fizzy drinks and fresh coconut juice) were provided.

All food onboard is included on the tour package so there’s no need to pay anything extra except for tips if you like the services of the staff. Personally, I found the service to be really good and the staff friendly. Then again, it’s Thailand we’re talking about. They’re not called the land of smiles for nothing. So time to just sit back, sip a cold drink and feel the constant wind while the distant islands grow from hazy specks in the horizon to towering cliffs.

I haven't basked under the glazing heat of the burning star in a long time but this day, I'm determined to be a sun stalker!

Along the way, there’s lots of time to just let your mind unwind. It is one of those occasions where you don’t need to consciously tell your mind to quiet but it just does. Even with the hum of the boat’s engine and hoo-ing wind, you sort of stop hearing them as you project your vision far into the horizon, thoughts half-forming and released quickly to the scene before you.

I was half dreaming about what’s it like inside the secret lagoons I’m about to visit.

Our first stop is Ko Hong, which is shaped like a donut with a crust of limestone hills circling to form a recluse pool within. This unique feature of the island is also what got it its name. ‘Hong’ means ‘room’ in Thai. So Ko Hong literally means ‘room island’ to reflect the reclusive chamber it hides within.

Ko Hong is shaped like a donut. The inner lagoon is accessible by a few sea tunnels but most are usually flooded or too narrow for canoes to pass through except for the one openning that's commonly used.

Intersection between what is most likely Ko Hong (left) and Ko Panak (right). I can't quite recall because we passed by quite a lot of islet ranges to the point I can't tell where one ends and the other starts.

Apparently, there’s another much bigger, developed and inhabited island called Koh Hong nearer to the shores of Phuket. It’s easy to get these two islands confused. This Ko Hong is much smaller and uninhabited.

Limestone islets are made of dense layers of calcium bicarbonate compacted together and rose out of the sea due to colliding tectonic plates movements. And depending on the other types of minerals trapped with them, these sea hills may be streaked or coloured a rusty red, grey or black.

All eyes on a whole new world inside Ko Hong. It seemed impossible but the stillness here managed to be of sharp contrast to the calm seas outside.

Our sea canoes were really just inflatable kayaks that looked like three bananas stapled together at the ends. I liked the fact that they’re open-faced so there’s no restriction in movements but sitting on them require skill.

Because there’s no backing like the traditional fibreglass-hulled canoe, I had to constantly straighten my back and hold my core muscles to keep balance and sit upright. A great workout for the abs! But at times, I just gave up holding that stance and just lie all the way down and just admire the passing scenery.

Initially I thought we had to paddle our own canoes but thankfully not. Each canoe comes with a ‘boatman’ and can sit two. I was fortunate to have the canoe all to myself since I was on the tour alone. This allowed me to move around to take videos and photos of the whole experience. And it’s good that they came with a paddling guide too because the wooden paddles were really heavy!

Breaking the silhouette. I'm addicted to photographing the sun that day...

We spent about 10 minutes at Ko Hong’s inner lagoon to enjoy the otherwordly silence and take photos of rock formations that resembled a sitting buddha and the head of a dog. Waterproof bags were issued onboard the boat for us to bring our cameras onto the canoes.

I was tempted to jump into the jade green lagoon waters a couple of times to have a feel of what’s it like but decided not to for fear that my Nikon D90, Canon Ixus 980IS and LG Optimus One decide to join me too. Always try to trap some air in the waterproof bag before sealing it so that if it drops into the water, it’ll float.

As we were leaving Ko Hong, my attention was pointed to this huge boulder that really resembled the head of a piranha or some fierce, prehistoric fish. This gallery of nature is astonishingly stocked with prolific promontories, beautiful cascading cliffs and artful stones. What an eyeful! I felt so small and in constant awe coming sooooo close to the power of Gaia.

Nature imitating nature... Watch out for that monster fish! It is exhilarating to encounter such bizarre likeness of beings especially when they are handcrafted by nature herself.

And that was only our first stop. Next up, we’re going to explore the bat cave and its internal lagoon. I wonder if it’ll be just as breathtaking… To get to it, we had to board our boat again and take a 30 minutes ride there. We’d actually passed by the bat cave earlier before reaching Ko Hong so we were back-tracing.

This is the entrance to the bat cave. Facing the solitude of the sea for the most part of our journey, it's easy to forget that we weren't the only ones exploring the Phang Nga Bay islets.

On hindsight, tunneling through the bat cave was breathtaking alright. It made me breathless because it stank. I thought the smell was only characteristic of bat dwellings on land where their droppings are trapped on cave grounds but since the sea bats have a natural flushing pool below them, the cave shouldn’t smell. But the air was pretty foul.

Not only that, it was pitch dark inside and for a moment I felt panicky not knowing when the darkness was going to end. We were given torches but the black was so dense, I could only see the small halo projected onto the cave’s ceiling in trying to spot the bats.

The interior of the cave is like a gallery for mangroves. Here you can find the twisted roots of the swamp-dwelling plants forming massive organic sculptures.

As for the bats, well, they kinda blended with the wall so I didn’t find looking at them to be of particular interest and it’s somewhat eerie when your torch catches their eyes and they glowed. It’s as if there’s something sinister above staring at you. Oh, and always keep your mouth closed when looking up unless you want your kisses to smell like the cave.

The best part about this tour was seeing light again. Although the total darkness took some mental adjustments, it was a pretty short paddle through the grotto to reach the internal estuary. It must’ve been low tide during our visit because the water was murky and muddy.

Scenery-wise, the place had a sea-jungle feel with mangroves spearing out of the water amongst a surrounding wall of greens. Eons ago, these islets together with Phuket and Krabi were supposedly traversable by foot but the land was eventually drowned out, creating these sea hills and mountains instead. Their connected past must explain why this species of monkey was found on this island that seem to spring out of nowhere in the middle of the ocean.

Saw this poor monkey with only one arm. Too bad I don't have any bananas to offer it but thankfully someone else did. You can bring bananas and fruits along to feed the island monkeys. There're quite a lot of them.

Following the canoe around the bat cave, we came back onboard and lunch was waiting for us. Well, they call it lunch but having it at around 4:00 pm, it’s more like a very early dinner. Food is served late so have a full meal before coming on this tour. So, what’s for our lunchner?

I love, love, llllloooooovvvvvveeeee Thai food. I don't remember ever having had a bad meal in Thailand and I'm the kind who loves it just as much at the streetside foodstalls as it is in the restaurants. Carrying on the tradition of tasty food, the yum yums onboard didn't disappoint either.

We had quite a spread with chicken cubes stir-fried with cashew nut in spicy sauce, deep-fried fish and vegetable fritters, prawns, whole fish, fried rice, stir-fry mixed vegetable and the white version of tom yum soup.

While we were having lunch, the boat drove us to the nearby Ko Lawa Yai. The boat was anchored some distance to shore so that we could leap right off the deck and swim or paddle the floating bananas to shore. This time we do our own paddling.

I wanted to see Ko Lawa Yai so I borrowed one of the canoes. Man, these things are heavy! And the paddle carved from a single wooden block might as well have acted as a dumbell in the gym. I’ve never felt more strenuous paddling that short distance to shore and I’m an ex-dragonboater! The lactic build-up in my shoulders were so extreme using that paddle, I had to rest mid-way and I would like to emphasize again that the boat to shore distance was very short. At most only about 150m.

Ko Lawa Yai is rather desserted with just one main dwelling in sight. If you enjoy watching grass grow, you will like this place.

On shore, there’s really nothing much to see. I don’t think the island gets many visitors. The beach was nothing to shout about as the surrounding water was brackish without any signs of marine life. The only indication that it is clean was by comparison to the black drift twig flakes floating the length of the shoreline. It’s that kind where once you take a dip, they’ll cling on to your body like loose tea leaves in a cup.

Just me and the sea. How strangely the mix of fear in not knowing what lies beneath the waters and awe of the scene before me brings about a deep sense of calm.

So I shelved the idea of swimming in it and decided to paddle around a bit more. It was a very different feeling paddling here as compared to Singapore because back home, everywhere we paddle, we’re not far from civilisation.

Here, there were no breakwaters, no skyscrapers, no giant ferries wheel, no expressways… just me, my canoe and the stretch of ocean and islands before me. I felt powerless yet very much in control.

By the time we were heading back to Phuket, the sun I was stalking was beginning to assemble his bodyguard of stars with their moon commander preparing a roll call. Our boat was headed in the direction of the sunset and so I chased it some more down its golden path with some parting shots…

I didn't get their names, but this newlywed Singaporean couple were on their honeymoon. When I was about to take their shot, the husband gave his wife a spontaneous kiss! Aww... so sweet! May their marriage be a smooth long sail into the sunset.

Not just the sights, but the people who made this a memorable excursion... Kup khoon khrup to the crew onboard, my canoe guide, and Stephanie and Suzanna form Singapore!

What a beautiful end to a wonderful day of memorable adventures at the sea caves! I'll definitely come back for more in the very near future. In fact, I'm coming to Phuket again from 17 - 21 Feb 2011... Woohoo!

Thank you Royal Caribbean and Omy.sg for the opportunity to sit here and admire this picturesque sunset.

With this account of my amazing experience to explore the oceanic of nature, I’ve come to the end of my blog series on my 5D4N adventure onboard Legend of the Seas, Isles of Southeast Asia cruise. I hope you’ve enjoyed the many chapters that showed you what’s it like and what you can expect from a luxury cruise holiday.

Although I’ve not been on other cruises to compare, I would say that nobody could have done it better than Royal Caribbean. The service is just superb and the ship is simply beautiful.

I would like to specially thank Nicole, Phyllis and Stanley from Royal Caribbean International for picking me to be one of the lucky 10 to experience this cruise; Alvin, Weiding and Jack from Omy.sg for capturing our highs during the trip; and all my new blogger friends who added the spice onboard – Calvin Timothy Leong, Catherine Ling, Cherie Lee, Christine Ng, Estelle Kiora, Eunice Khong, Fong Yee Leong, Philip Lim (Keropokman), and Phan Mui Yee.

THANK YOU ALL for making this such an unforgettable and enduring adventure for me! For more photos from the trip, please click here.

Legend of the Seas – Gourmet Pageant

When I started creating this entry about all the activities one can do onboard Legend of the Seas, I wanted to talk about the eating, sports, shopping, entertainment and partying. But when I finished compiling all the dining photos and talking points, I realised the topic on food alone could fill an encyclopedia. If I added on the other parts, this entry could cure insomnia.

Not that those experiences are not exciting, but all at one go may cause sensory indigestion. Talking about indigestion, I had my first one in years onboard the ship. A good friend of mine nicknamed me “The Vacuum Cleaner”. I contest that title because no doubt I eat a lot and I usually finish up everything left on the table because I hate to waste food, but I don’t eat trash.

The problem while on Legend of the Seas is that honestly, the food is pretty darn good. And it is served all day long. All you can eat. Anytime. And that’s what I did. Vacuum cleaner mode on full power. You can imagine my impending peril. By the fourth day, I got indigestion. My gastric juices were all topsy-turvy and my stomach did the camel. But instead of water, it stored all the food I ate the previous day and refused to stool. I had to sayang (pat lovingly) it and say, “It’s okay, I know the food is good, but don’t hold on to it, let them go!”

Apparently, I was talking to a mule because I continued to feel bloated in the last two days. I couldn’t eat anymore. It was a torture. There was all this great looking food lying around, spreading themselves… the hot savouries playfully veiled by sexy steam, the pastries dressed in light, fetish-inducing translucent sauces, some of the food were so fresh, they postured stark naked… seducing my mouth. Yet my appetite chose to be celibate.

I suspect it was due to my gorging on gourmet cheeses the night before. There were so many, so tasty, the amount I had might have just drained a cow dry. Moral of the story? Too much of a moo-ood thing is baa-ad. Gosh… I’m speaking like a cow and sheep. I think all that beef and lamb is still in me. “It’s okay, I know the food is good, but don’t hold on to it, let them go!”

Having read my ordeal, let this post be a warning. Beware of the seductive food that’ll bring about a high on the taste at the three food outlets of Legend of the Seas – Windjammer Cafe, Romeo & Juliet Dining Room, and Pizza & Burger Bar. Like delicious sirens, they will lure you to become gastronomically promiscuous.

Windjammer Cafe – All Day Long Buffet

Located on Deck 9, Windjammer Cafe is open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. There’s no dresscode and you can stroll in for a meal anytime. I have a theory why this restaurant is called Windjammer. You’ll be eating so much, get heavy and the wind can no longer sway you with its force. You jam the wind. Go in as kite, come out as windjammer.

Initially, I thought ship food would be like airline food… defrosted, pre-heated, wrapped in aluminim foil and taste like doing housework with your tongue. But far from it. The food is prepared fresh onboard and the most amazing thing is that the spread changes 4 times a day, everyday!

It’s a different set of food for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner; you can sample the world all in one place… Italian, American, Mediteranean, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese… they are bound to turn your belly into a globe.

My favourite at Windjammer Cafe is this Vietnamese Pork dish. The unexpectedly juicy and tender meat was drizzled with a brown sauce that has an aromatic smoked garlic flavour. Yumz!

Dessert lovers are headed for a sugar rush here. I don't have a sweet tooth but even I relented to these irresistible temptations.

Food blogger Catherine told me the black stuff on the sandwiches are poppy seeds, but the sandwich chef claimed they are mustard seeds. But whichever plant the seeds belong to, this sandwich sure blooms in the mouth.

The best thing to do at Windjammer Cafe is to grab a seat by the window and enjoy your meal while looking out into the horizon. I could never seem to get a window seat but that could be because I’m there during the peak dining period. All the food is included in the fare except for wines and beers. A 250ml bottle of white or red costs US$5.00.

Romeo & Juliet Dining Room – Fine Wine & Dine

Located on Deck 4 and 5, this lavishly decorated restaurant is open daily according to a schedule. Refer to the daily Cruise Compass publication for the meals that R&J would be serving. But dinner is always served here and there’re two seating times – 5:45 pm and 8:00 pm. The seating time is printed on the SeaPass Card along with the assigned table number.

R&J favours the smart-casual dresscode and on the night of the Captain’s Welcome Ball, formal wear is required. While packing for this trip, all of us were unsure how formal we need to get. The advice was gowns for ladies and suits or tuxedos for men. Aiyoh, very mah fun (troublesome) leh, still must pack suit.

Here's an example of what we and some of the guests wore to give you an idea on what to bring for formal attire.

But the experience was worth it. We all felt so glamed up sipping champagne (in my case, gulping down the bubbly wine) under the the twinkle of chandeliers. Our Captain’s Welcome Ball happened on the second night at Anchors Aweigh Lounge and dinner was served at R&J thereafter. Oh, one pointer though… there’s no iron onboard so press your gowns and suits before boarding. Or hang them in the bathroom the moment you get on. When you take a hot shower, the steam and moisture will work to soften the creases.

Again, the 3-course menu changes every night the wow-factor here is that if you don’t like what you ordered, you can order another. Regardless of whether it is the appetisers, main courses or desserts, you can keep ordering till you get bored of hearing your own voice. There are two words to describe a dining philosophy like this… SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

However, there’s more to R&J than the satisfaction of taste. Eating here goes beyond fine wine and dine. It is the pleasure of being cradled by the nape of pampering. The serivce is just so… so… please accept my inability to describe it be the best compliment to its excellence.

Each table has one or two dedicated waiters depending on group size. We’re at Table 47 served by Dong Biao and Antonio who didn’t just serve us dinner, but humour and a level of attention most personal. While Antonio joked with us and posed for a photo with Catherine holding the table vase, Cherie was surprised beyond words by Dong Biao who brought her a cup of honey water because she told him that she was having a sore throat during dinner the night before.

I should’ve told Dong Biao I’m broke. I wonder if he’ll serve me a plate of cash… LOL.

The added fun of having a sit-down dinner at R&J was of course the company of my newfound friends. It’s funny how I’ve never met all of them (except for Catherine who I met during our Singapore Blog Awards Hong Kong trip), but we didn’t feel like strangers. I guess blogging broke down our barriers.

Then again, blogging has developed a nasty habit in us. The thing about having a meal with bloggers is that we taste the food with our cameras first. We must appear so comical to Antonio and Dong Biao. Each time they put a plate on the table, we zoom onto it like piranhas with cameras and we won’t eat until everybody has taken a good shot. Then again, you can’t blame us, the food on Legend of the Seas are all supermodels in the culinary world.

Pizza & Burger Bar – Quick Snack On-the-Go

Located on Deck 9 within the Solarium, the Pizza & Burger Bar is open till 2:00 am and serves hotdog as well (I think frankfurter is better description because these things are quite huge). I didn’t try the food here so I have no comments. Besides, I’m already constantly stuffed at Windjammer Cafe and Romeo & Juliet Dining Room.

Midnight hungry go where? Just drop by the Pizza and Burger Bar on Deck 9 anytime for a quick snack till 2 am or order 24-hour room service.

After the gastronomic ride across all three main food joints, let’s dive underbelly to where it all happens. The 10 of us went on a Kitchen Tour on the fourth day and although it was complimentary for us, guests can take the visit too by purchasing the Savor cookbook (US$26.90) which has a collection of onboard recipes. Our tour was hosted by the Executive Chef, Suresh Balal. I overheard someone commenting that the master chef is quite a dish himself.

During the tour, we got an inside look at the huge kitchen which spans two floors and divided into various sections such as hot foods, cold dishes, bakery and desserts. There are a total of 120 kitchen staff onboard to prepare a mind-boggling 12,000 meals every day! Woah! Guess I’m not the only one who’s overeating.

If only the camera can 'eat' the scene and recharge its battery. I ate soooo much onboard, I got indigestion on the last day. The ship is to blame for serving LOTS of sumptuous food so it is not my fault that I overate.

My favourite part of the tour was the area where all the day’s menu is lined up for tasting by the chefs. If a dish passes the taste test, it becomes a standard to be served. If not, adjustments are made at this stage before being subjected to taste test again.

Presentation is also a big deal and the display dishes serve as examples for replicable quality. Like beauty queens on a pedestal, the food of Legend of the Seas has to go through a gruelling process to ensure high standards in both aesthetics and substance. No wonder my mouth and stomach were so seduced!

Beautiful, grogeous meals. It's a pageantry of food onboard the Legend of the Seas where beauty and quality take centrestage.

Legend of the Seas – All About the Ship

Your personalised SeaPass Card is all you need for expenditures onboard, and to get on and off the Legend of the Seas.

6 Dec 2010 (Monday) – Time to raise the sails of adventure! Our cruise was set to depart Singapore at 5pm but most of us checked-in at 10.30am. As the cruise was fully booked, we want to avoid the long queue closer to departure time. If you don’t check-in earlier, you’ll have to be there at least 1.5 hours before the scheduled departure.

The cruise can take slightly over 2,000 passengers so you can imagine the hold up if everybody boarded at the same time. If you’re booked on the Legend of the Seas Isles of Southeast Asia cruise, my advice is to check-in early. You get a headstart onboard and begin your vacation before everyone else!

Use the Online Check-in function at Royal Caribbean’s website before your trip to quicken the registration process on departure day itself. But you have to check-in online at least 3 days before your cruise. I tried to check in 2 days before the departure and “the computer says… No.” (If you’ve watched the Little Britain series, you’ll get the drift about this catchphrase from one of its characters, Carol Beer. She’s the epitome of bad service! Google her.)

Boarding is at the Singapore Cruise Center (SCC) at Harbourfront. After you’ve checked in, you’ll be issued with a SeaPass Card. It is the all-access card that opens your room door, pays for expenses onboard, and allows you to get on and off the ship for land tours so you don’t have to bring your passport along. Your photo is taken the first instance you board the ship and stored in the card for security and identification.

The warmth of the Royal Caribbean’s check-in counter staff would make you feel like your mood has taken a refreshing vacation already, but I can’t say the same for the SCC staff coordinators at the immigration clearance. Whenever I hear people complain that Singaporeans are rude and give bad service, I would don my boxing gloves to spar with my encounters of excellent services.

But with the SCC, I had to take my gloves off, and eat them. I almost wanted to call the Singapore Department of Natural History… because I thought the ill-mannered buffoon was an extinct species. I didn’t know they were employed by the SCC to terrorise tourists. Thankfully the smiles of Royal Caribbean staff made me a new pair of mittens and heat up the euphoria of a holiday again. I can spar once more. This time with a stronger punch!

Ship Facts : Maiden voyage - 16 May 1995, Cruising speed - 24 knots, 11 passenger decks and elevators, 2,076 total guests, 726 international crew, 2 bow thrusters, 2 stabilisers.

The title of this chapter is called “Flesh of the Titan” because Legend of the Seas is the biggest ship I’ve ever seen and been on. Moreover, the following segments will attempt to flesh out the environment and physical details of the cruiseliner and give a closer look compared to my earlier preview tour. It is all about the physical aspects of Legends of the Seas such as the onboard look-and-feel, Ocean View Stateroom review, and the possibility of getting seasick.

Plus I’m not very imaginative and ripped off my chapter’s title from the movie, Clash of the Titans. The show features quite a lot of sea, has massivebiggiganticnormoushuge experiences, and numerous adventurous quests. That pretty much draws a parallel and sums up my Legend of the Seas adventure. Except that this is not make-believe.

One of the most magical view is to watch the stern and open deck light up against a backdrop of magnificent dusk blue hues.

When I told my friends I’m going on a cruise holiday with Royal Caibbean, I got two kinds of reactions – those who have been and still raving about the experience, and those who have not been and remain skeptical that being stuck on a ship can be fun. Before this cruise, I belonged to the latter. After this trip, well, the amount I’m blogging about the experience speaks for itself!

Beautiful day and night, I pretty much ran amok shooting the great looking interior and seascape on the open decks.

Here’s a listing of all the ship’s facilities so you know what to expect and prepare for them. In upcoming chapters, I’ll talk more about the activities I managed to cover in these places.

Dining : Romeo and Juliet Dining Room, Windjammer Cafe, Pizza and Burger Bar

Chill Out : That’s Entertainment Theater Lounge, Anchors Aweigh Lounge, Viking Crown Lounge/Nightclub, Schooner Bar, Champagne Terrace, Champagne Bar

Adults : Casino Royale, Card Room, Conference Room

Kids and Youths : Adventure Ocean Youth Area, Optix Teen Center, Video Arcade

Fitness : Day Spa and Fitness Center (gym), Solarium, Jogging Track, 2 Pools, 4 Whirlpools, Rock-climbing Wall, 9-hole Miniature Golf

Others : Library, Beauty Salon, Boutique Shops, Art and Photo Gallery, Medical Center

Attendance for the muster session is COMPULSORY. The number for the muster station is printed on the SeaPass Card. My station was 14. In Cantonese it sounds like 'sup say', which means 'surely die'. *CHOI!*

Before the ship leaves the port, all passengers MUST attend the muster session, which is a safety drill to know what to do in case of emergency. Just like the pre-flight safety demonstration onboard the planes. The muster time is 5.30pm and there are annoucements and staff to guide guests to their respective stations. Attendance is recorded so there’s no skipping it. After the short session, it’s anchors aweigh!

One of the first things that struck me about Legend of the Seas is the abundance of art onboard. The interior of the ship is one huge canvas where oil paintings, installation art, sculptures of various materials (metal, glass, resin, porcelain, etc) and ship furnishings gather to take guests to a different world.

The rich, mahogany-wooded and mostly neoclassical European decor accentuated with gold fixtures and trimmings made me feel as if I’m living in some tastefully opulent château. What an instant status upgrade! So glam and atas (high-society)!

Paintings, sculptures, installations and figurines both realistic and abstract decorate the whole of Legends of the Seas. Walking from deck to deck is like visiting an art gallery or museum.

The taste in decor reflected the heritage of the ship’s birthplace – St. Nazaire, France. With Paris being regarded as one of the top art capitals in the world, it’s no wonder there’s LOTS of hull culture.

I thought one interesting thing parents could do with kids is to have an art hunt challenge onboard. Set a time and each go around the ship to identify the names of paintings or sculptures and make a list. Most of the pieces come with a title and name of artist. The family member with the longest list wins and it could be an interesting way to get kids interested in arts and culture.

The art of Knowledge... This theatrical pair of jesters welcome passengers to the library but are themselves a focal point for closer study. But don't take the fools lightly for they have played pivotal roles in literature and history. I identify with them. I'm a modern clown.

The Legend of the Seas offers many different room types to cater to different budgets and group size. We were hosted in the twin-sharing Ocean View Stateroom. I found out from other passengers staying in the same room type that if we were to pay for it, it would cost S$700+ per person. The fare includes 4 nights’ room stay, all meals, onboard entertainment and usage of facilities.

This is my roommate, Philip Lim. He is the biggest enigma in Singapore's blogosphere who's been posting under the pseudonym 'Keropokman' for years but few knew what he looks like. Until now. His rationale is that keropok (crackers) when exposed will lose it's crispiness and become soft. Guess I just turned him really Limp with this exposé then.

Previously, I thought cabin rooms on cruises are no bigger than a swallow’s nest and since I experienced claustrophobia before, I was both delighted and apprehensive about being one of the selected bloggers to experience Legend of the Seas. So you can imagine my relieve when I found the room to be spacious and comfortable. In fact, the moment I came aboard, I had clean forgotten about my unfounded fear of tight spaces.

I share Christine's concern of claustrophobia before coming onboard because I used to suffer from it. I even turned back a fully boarded Cathay Pacific flight while it was taxiing 7 years ago because I had a panic attack. No idea why I developed it but I saw a shrink for a year. Now I'm fine but the idea of enclosed spaces still irks me at times.

The best thing about a cruise is that your room is always near. You can pop in anytime to enjoy some personal respite or get out of sweaty gym garb, refresh, and be ready for a formal dinner all within minutes.

I love the convenience although I’m hardly in the room much because there’s always something to do and see onboard. Except for the second last day when I was mostly room-ridden due to an upset tummy. More on the cause of my stomach woes later.

However, there’s one thing that took some getting used to in the room. Bottled water is not complimentary like land hotels and is chargeable. It costs US$4.55 for a 1 litre bottle of Evian drinking water! But there is a travel kettle in the room and water points can be found at the dining areas and sun deck of the ship (Deck 9).

We are surrounded by water everywhere yet it is the most prized commodity. It is a good idea to bring bottled water onboard although I didn’t do that. And not once did I go thirsty. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion are also not provided so remember to bring your own. If you forgot your toiletries, no worries, you can always purchase them from the gift shop onboard.

This is Lulus, my room's housekeeper. He does more than just make up the room but he makes up my day with an ever cheery smile and warm greeting every time I see him.

What I love most about the room is my cabin steward, Lulus. You’ve seen the wreck Philip and I leave our room in and each time we come back, everything is back in order with a towel pet waiting on each of our bed.

What’s impressive is that I think the rooms on Legend of the Seas get made up several times a day. It seems like each time we got out and came back in, the room is in order. And to top it off, Lulus is one of the warmest staff I’ve came across in my many years of travels. The other crew onboard are friendly too but there’s something different about Lulus. There’s a certain sparkle in his voice when he greets or talks to you. A fire that can only be fuelled by sincerity.

Another main concern that either makes or breaks a cruise holiday is the propensity to turn green and throw up overboard. I don’t have motion sickness and I’m not keen to develop seasickness from this trip. If you’re wondering just how stable is Legend of the Seas, watch the video at the end of this post. I’ve devised an experiment to pitch the ship’s balance against mine… when I’m sober!

Inside Legend of the Seas' nerve center during the Bridge Tour. I am Captain Poserwannabe. Dare to take my ride?

To help us understand the ship better, the 10 of us were given a Bridge Tour where we got to visit the ship’s control room and meet Captain Sverre Ryan and Fei Liu. I was surprised at the stark contrast in appearance of the navigation centre to the rest of the ship. Here, it’s the case of the Monday blues everyday!

But I guess you don’t need an elaborate interior when nature provides all the decorations through the picture windows. Too bad the day of our visit was overcast. I can foresee how beautiful a sunrise or sunset in the horizon must look with such an unobstructed panoramic view.

During the tour, we saw the monitoring system that keeps the ship in balance by storing and releasing water in response to changing weight distribution. We also asked the captain if he’s ever sailed into a terrible storm or has Legend of the Seas met with any emergencies before. His answer is a series of firm and sure “No”s. Well, that’s good enough for me to know we’re in safe hands.

But I’m not too sure if the ship is safe from me… heh heh heh…

There's no quack about the serious equipments and navigation technology here. Looks like Donald is shocked that I'm in control. I wonder what will happen if I turn the steer... hmm.

Legend of the Seas – Isles of Southeast Asia

It has been 11 days since I’m back from the cruise and I haven’t posted a single blog entry about the trip yet. The reason? I don’t know where to begin. Normally, it doesn’t take me so long to create a post but with this trip, I’m just too overwhelmed by the onslaught of new experiences that my fingers got short-circuited.

But after spending much time looking through my photos and videos, I’ve finally managed to organise my thoughts and I’m finally ready to share in detail all my adventures and tales onboard the Legend of the Seas’ Isles of Southeast Asia 5D4N cruise. There was LOTS I did, LOTS I-SEA (see)!

The chapters of my cruise adventure will write themselves over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for travel tips and useful information for a holiday onboard Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas...

So in the following one month, I will unfold for you a sea-faring legend of epic proportions. It is going to be epic not just because the cruiseliner was big, but because of the larger-than-life encounters I had. I came face-to-face with some of nature’s most majestic handicrafts, discovered that a cruise holiday is anything but boring, and experienced a level of service so personal, it seemed surreal.

Onboard LOTS, the permutations for fun are endless and the anecdotes of amusements many. Since what you can do on the decks are not so much limited by time but energy, my posts will not be a day-by-day account of what happened during the trip but presented as chapters about the things you can expect from Royal Caribbean’s multiple award-winning standard in creating unforgettable cruise memories.

The Isles of Southeast Asia used to be a key trade route between Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the surrounding countries in the early years of the region's maritime history. Common cargoes in those days included ceramics, tin, fish and local produce.

Our journey took us from Singapore to Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur) in Malaysia and to Thailand’s defacto destination for a beach holiday, Phuket. This historic route was once an arterial passage where early Chinese junks and sail ships plied for trade.

It took the olden seafarers weeks to reach the distant ports with much perils (archaelogical finds in the coastal waters of the route uncovered nurmerous ships who met their watery graves), but with our modern-day LOTS, we could shuttle between this ancient route in a matter of days with time to spare for shore explorations at the ports of call.

I’ve been to KL countless times and vacationed at Phuket in 2006 and 2007. I thought I know these destinations well enough but the shore trips offered by LOTS showed me there’s so much more to see and appreciate. In the ensuing chapters, I will not only bring you into the heart of the ship, but will share with you the interesting facts I learnt during the docked explorations as well. Are you ready to set sail with me?

As you probably know from my previous entry, I’m not travelling alone but with nine pedigree bloggers picked from an earlier preview excursion onboard LOTS. Having spent the few days with them, I have a feeling readers would be in for a real treat with plenty of eye candies, sharp wit, spot-on observations and no-holds-barred reviews!

You can visit our combined blog about the cruise experience at http://blog.omy.sg/royal-caribbean. Do vote for your favourite blogger and stand to win S$3,700 in prizes!

Fellowship of bloggers with the ship's towering captains! This was a virgin cruise ride for many of us and we got to sample almost all the facilities & activities on the ship. Even with the ten of us combined, we didn't manage to cover everything because we were spoilt for choices.

From the above photo (left to right), with me on this trip are Fong Yee Leong (Yiliang), Calvin Timothy Leong, Phan Mui Yee, Eunice Khong, Estelle Kiora Cheng, Cherie Lee, Christine Ng, Catherine Ling, yours truly, and Philip Lim (aka Keropokman).

You can click on their names to view their personal blog but let me warn you, they are very addictive! Their blogs are not just entertaining with great percepts, but are very informative over a wide range of topics from food, travel, lifestyle and modelling. Anytime you need a pick-me-up during the day, pop by their blogs and have fun!

If you would like to know more about them, you can visit Catherine’s very succinct and accurate descriptions here. She didn’t talk about herself in the post so I shall say that Catherine is one of those rare breed of wordsmiths whose words exudes warmth and great creativity. She’s also ever humble and an award-winning food blogger.

Different as the 10 of us are, each with unique abilities and views, we have a common quest… a mission to find our bliss (or lack of) onboard Legend of the Seas.

No doubt that this trip was born out of the generosity of the good people at Royal Caribbean, but we weren’t given any special treatments or privileges that any fare-paying passenger cannot enjoy. All the things we had or participated in are available to every guest.

The quest is to get into every pothole and cranny to find out how and why Legend of the Seas makes for an unforgettable cruise adventure.

Like I mentioned earlier, I will be sharing with you the different aspects of the cruise and land tours in later posts so for now, I shall leave you with a glimpse of what to expect in upcoming chapters. I will be talking more about the cruiseliner and its stability, a showcase of the culinary delights, a sneak preview of the amazing ‘live’ shows, the activities, the crew, the services, the land tours in KL and Phuket… Are you catching your breath yet? I am! There’re just so many things to talk about.

We may be couped up in a ship all day, but yet, there’s no greater freedom one could ask for to enjoy an amazing vacation. Food, shopping, entertainment, sports, casino, clubbing… everything is in one place, within easy reach. It’s a floating oasis! Needlessly to say, I was on cloud nine those few days. I had a great cruise experience.

I survived paradise.

Whether it is an all-you-can-eat buffet, fine wine & dine, or a quick snack, this is the one place where gluttony is not a sin. Rather, it would be a sin not to eat!

I may not be a food blogger, but I have got greedy eyes and Giorgio Armani tastebuds.

Need a companion in bed? How about a towel pet? Look out for a chapter dedicated fully in teaching you how to make this adorable dog and many other towel animals!

It's never a dull night with world-class entertainment, musicals and a pool party! I'll be sharing more about the entertainment onboard in a later chapter.

Rock climbing, waltz & line dancing lessons, cake making challenge, Bingo, lucky draw... the activities are endless. I wish there was three of me so that I could do everything!

What does Kuala Lumpur mean? What are some of the unique sights? Is there more to KL than just great shopping and food?

Join me on an exploration of the Hindu sacred mountain shrine at Batu Caves, learn more about Malaysia's history and an insider look into the factory of one of its national treasures, Royal Selangor Pewter.

I've been to Thailand's famous island paradise, Phuket, twice and had totally enjoyed myself. I wonder what more can the land tour offered by LOTS do to top my previous thrills.

Chilling by Phuket's beaches with ice cold beer... we'll have none of that. Join me instead for an awe-inspiring sea canoe adventure to explore the sea caves near Bhanga Bay! I even met a 'sea monster'! Watch for this exciting chapter!

Royal Caribbean – Legend of the Seas

I’ve been selected to go on a 5D4N Isles of Southeast Asia cruise onboard the Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas! A whale hug for the organisers and Omy.sg for giving me this opportunity to experience a nautical holiday and keep good records of it this time as I couldn’t remember the last time I was on a cruise. That was my one and only encounter, but unfortunately, my recall of it is like footprints at the beach, the tide of age came and washed it clean.

So thank goodness for this trip! This time round, I will record as much as possible and share with you my voyage. In less than 24 hours, all 10 of us who have been thanking our lucky stars and kissing lady luck will set sail… Eunice, Catherine, Christine, Estelle, Mui Yee, Cherie, Philip, Yee Leong, Calvin, and myself. Do follow our adventures at the combined blog site : http://blog.omy.sg/royal-caribbean.

I’m really looking forward to this cruise because after the half-day preview tour on 22 Nov 10, I can imagine the luxurious time I’ll be spending onboard. You can click here to see why I’m excited about spending more time on Legend of the Seas. There’re just LOTS of things to do! And here are just some plans I have to make the best out of this magnificent cruiseliner during our trip from 6 – 10 Dec 2010…