Hello, Hivers!! I am back with another travel story for y'all. I traveled on the Spectrum of the Seas a Royal Caribbean Cruise this time. Traveling with Royal Caribbean Cruise is always a delight, the cruising experience goes above and beyond the cruisers’ expectations. I have previously been on two other cruises by Royal Carribean-Mariner and Voyager of the Seas but Spectrum was a different level experience on its own. The 5 days 4 Nights Cruise covered three countries in its voyage-Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Day 1(SINGAPORE)
I started my journey from Marina Bay, Singapore-this was where the ship was docked. I had taken a flight from New Delhi the night before, and after a 6 Hour long flight, I reached my destination: Changi Airport. This was my 4th Visit to Singapore and the city was the same as I remembered it-beautiful and technologically super advance. The thing that fascinates me the most about Singapore is that you see a cultural and racial blend like nowhere you have ever seen. One can spot people from all corners of the world in Singapore quite easily, may it be Canada, the USA, Australia, India, or Chinese. I took a cab from the Airport and reached Marina Bay. I checked in and submitted my Passport and got my Sea Pass in return which acts as my identity proof and also my room key while I am onboard the ship. This card is also extremely important because, during the land excursions in different countries in the days to come, this card also acts as my identity onshore.
On the first day, I introduced myself to the ship and ventured across it aimlessly, trying to understand its layout and discover the hotspots for fun activities.
Day 2(MALAYSIA)
On Day 2 we reached the charming city of Penang in Malaysia. Penang is Malaysia's second-largest city and has the highest population density in Malaysia. Our first adventure in Penang was to the Penang Hill. Penang Hill was developed by the British colonial powers as the very first Hill Station in Malaysia in 1787.
Penang Hill Funicular Train was built using a Swiss-made system and features the steepest tunnel in Asia, it’s also the longest funicular ride in Asia. It really is a real tourist experience in itself. The train takes between 5 and 10 minutes to whiz from the Lower to the Upper Stations, going through Penang Hill's lush greenery.
The view from the top is like a scene straight out of a movie. It is a truly majestic view. From the most amazing perspective, you can see all of Penang from up here.
After enjoying the beautiful view we took a train back down and started our next adventure on the island- Coffee Tasting. Penang is said to have one of the best white coffees in all of Asia. The coffee place we went to, had several servers standing on counters in an assembly line-like system, where each one of them allowed all the visitors to the store to taste the many flavors of white coffee they offered. Personally, after tasting all the different types of coffees they had to offer, I liked coconut white coffee the best, it had a really earthy flavor to it.
After a little bit of shopping in the local markets of Penang, we came back to our ship and now experienced the different activities onboard.
Day 3(THAILAND)
On Day 3 we reached Phuket, the largest Island in Thailand. This was my first time ever in Thailand and believe me when I say this, Thailand is a vibe on its own. I loved how chill everything was in Thailand. One could easily spot groups of youngsters backpacking together in groups from all across the world- going to beaches, traveling on motorbikes, and going to ragers.
Our Ship was docked a little far off from the island, so passengers on the cruise who wanted to go on land excursions had to travel in these little ferries having a capacity of 200 passengers to reach the land.
We took a bus to a place in Phuket from where our actual adventure was to start. We reached a shore where our group's moterboats were parked to take us to the famous Thailand Island-James Bond Island
James Bond Island is a famous landmark in Phang Nga Bay. It first found its way onto the international tourist map through its starring role in the James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun.
Our Speed Boats took us** Island Cruising across Thailand**, covering three different islands.
my grandmother
my mom
Small shops and vendors selling souvenirs for tourists could be seen all across the island.
On our Next Island Stop, I got the opportunity to experience an adventure of a lifetime.
Canoeing in Thailand is something I never even thought of but here I was in the middle of a beautiful Island in Thailand Canoeing with this Thai guy as my guide.
After having a day full of thrill and adventure we returned to our ship with our heads filled with indelible new thrilling adventures and experiences we had just got to live.
Day 4(SEA DAY)
The highlight of one's cursing experience is always Sea Day. On this day we are literally in the middle of the sea, able to appreciate the happenings of the cruise truly because there are no offshore excursions to worry about. It's the day in your itinerary when you can have a truly relaxing cruising experience. Many people onboard choose not to go on land excursions and choose to stay on the ship and enjoy the various activities of the ship.
There are several Shows and Performances by famous artists with real skills and talent from all across the globe. They is a blast and really fun.
Day 5** (SINGAPORE)**
On the 5th and the final day we had to bid goodbye to this floating beauty which had been our home for the past four days. We had collected our passports the previous day from our respective decks and got off on Singapore. From there on we stared on the next adventure- Exploring Singapore-the tech city.