Go on a Cruise

Going on a cruise didn't used to appeal to me so much, because I imagined it would be super-expensive, boring and filled with pensioners and honeymooners. As a solo traveler, it wasn't the best holiday option for me. But now that I was inching towards old age myself, and that I had someone to go with, I was all for it.

The price of a cruise ticket depends on the destination and the type of cabin you choose. Generally, the farther the destination is, the bigger and more luxurious the ship, and of course, the more expensive. In the Star Cruise fleet, there are Superstar Gemini, Superstar Virgo and Superstar Libra--Superstar Libra being the cheapest. Naturally, that was the one we chose. My partner's nephew worked at a travel agency and helped us book the ticket. We had chosen the cheapest cabin on the cheapest ship. It was RM2400 for the both of us. I'm not sure if he had given us any family discount.

When the big day came, we drove to Boustead Cruise Center in Pulau Indah, Klang. It was not very far from my hometown but I never knew of its existence before. We checked in with our passports and boarding passes, much like getting on a plane, and then waited till it was time to board. The ship looked majestic when seen from land. I couldn't believe that I was going to be on it. Each passenger was given a card that was going to be used as an access card to the cabins and as a credit card for all the activities and goods sold onboard that were not included in the package.

As soon as we got on the ship, we were greeted by the crew members who checked us in by swiping our cards. From there, we went straight to our cabin on Deck 6 to leave our bags. The cabin was just big enough for two single beds with a narrow aisle in the middle, and a bathroom. Though small, it was comfortable and had a place for everything, including hooks to hang our clothes, a foldable shelf attached to the wall above our beds where we could put our stuff, and a small flat-screen TV. On the wall between our beds, there was a fake porthole that was actually just a round mirror to make us feel better about our windowless chamber.

Satisfied with our cabin, we went to check out the rest of the ship. There were eight decks that were accessible by guests. There were two rooftop bars, a gym, a jogging track, a basketball court, a swimming pool, a spa, a casino, a discotheque, a karaoke hall, shops, and more restaurants than I could remember.

Each day, the housekeeping crew would leave an itinerary in our room, listing all the activities we could participate in, shows to watch and dining options for the day.

It was at least another hour before the ship would sail, so we took the time to have our very first meal onboard. We chose the Italian restaurant on Deck 4, which would soon become our favorite restaurant on the ship because I think it was the only one where we could sit down and be served a proper multi-course dinner, instead of having to get up and walk the excruciating 3 meters to the buffet table. If we were going to spoil ourselves, we were going to do it right and spoil ourselves all the way.

Our first dinner onboard.

The kind of food served at the Italian restaurant

Everybody had to gather at designated areas for the safety drill. We were taught how to put on the life vest and what to do in the event of an emergency. We were shown where the life rafts and the emergency exits were. The life vest was a lot bulkier than the usual one we use for snorkeling.

It was during this safety demonstration that we realized the ship had started to sail. I thought there would be more fanfare--people throwing confetti or breaking champagne bottles or something like that, and we could all wave at the people on land. Oh well, maybe only in the movies.

After the drill, we heard the faint sounds of people singing and dancing. We followed the sound and it took us to the top deck. Hallelujah, there was a sailaway party after all! Guests were invited to dance along while being sprayed by a water hose.

After the party, the show continued with more singing and live music. And the barbecue buffet started.

The first night on the ship went smoothly for us. I was a little worried because I was prone to seasickness and motion sickness. I even brought seasickness pills, just in case, but it turned out I hadn't needed them at all. As we lay down on our beds at night, there was just a soft hum of the engine and the slightest vibration to remind us that we were at sea.

During the day, we were entertained with all the activities onboard. But sometimes we still chose to pick a quiet spot somewhere to read books. There was this open space on the top deck, next to the gym, that was rarely visited by the guests, because who would go to the gym on a holiday, right? Only psychopaths like me would. That became our favorite hiding spot.

We reached our first stop the next afternoon, which was Phuket. Those who wanted to go on a guided half-day tour around Phuket could register their names the day before. Initially, we thought that the ship was going to dock somewhere near Patong Beach where I always went each time I visited Phuket. So I decided to forgo the tour and explore on our own since I already knew my way around.

Unfortunately, we found out that we were stopping at Phuket Port instead. It was on the other side of the island. Because we hadn't booked the tour, the only other option for us to get to Patong Beach was by cab that would cost at least 1000 baht one-way. And that was just a ridiculous price. Thailand was not supposed to be expensive. We might as well save the money and use it to buy flight tickets to Phuket in the future. So what we did instead were walk around Panwa beach, drink Thai iced tea, eat fried chicken, shop at 7-Eleven and get ourselves a massage.

Our second stop was Penang on the next day. Again, we were allowed a few hours to roam the city. This time, the ship docked at Swettenham Pier, which we were both familiar with. It was within walking distance to Georgetown, the main tourism hub. We went to have our fill of Penang food and took pictures at the old buildings (although we had both been there several times before).

On our excursion in Penang

The next day, we reached Port Klang, and it was back to reality. I really wished our cruise experience wasn't over so soon. Although I'm normally not a fan of laid-back trips where you don't have to do anything because everything has been pre-arranged for you, I guess a little pampering once in a while wouldn't hurt. My only complaint was that there was no free wifi. Also, alcohol was not included in the package. It wasn't too expensive to buy, but man, what a paradise it would have been if it was offered free flow!

For those who want to try going on a cruise, my advice is to make sure you go with someone whom you can really get along with, because being stuck in close quarters with the same person for 4 days can really get to you. If you want to go solo, it is possible, but you might have to pay for the whole cabin yourself. It can get a little lonely because everybody else is in pairs or large groups...unless, of course, solitude is what you're after. 😉