VACATION: CRUISE TO SINGAPORE - SENTOSA ISLAND & UNIVERSAL STUDIO - PART 1

This trip was supposed to happen on 29 May 2010. The tour agency called me two week before 12 June 2010 to inform that they had to postpone it due to some technical problems. As mentioned before, Ednel and I had booked for this tour package during MATTA Fair earlier on. Disappointed by the delay, we decided not cancel it and agreed to a new date.

12 June 2010 (Saturday)

Ednel and I left from my house to Berjaya Time Square by taxi at 10.30am. We had our lunch at the Chicken Rice Shop and afterward went to our designated meeting point i.e. at Monorail Train Station nearby. Two buses were ready to take us to West Port Klang.

Berjaya Times Square, ready to rock...

In the bus, one the way to Klang Port

Miss Liew, our tour leader took our passports and did a briefing for our two day tour.

Ms Liew working her ass, she is a good tour leader..

Reached Cruise Terminal Hall. Once check in, we were given our pass card according to the type of room booked and ours was the balcony class.

Entering the terminal

Posing outside the terminal

Ms Liew did the check in for all guests....

Our pass card, a passport & charge card rolled into one

The terminal going into the star cruise

Entering the ship

Taking the lift to our cabin

Posing at the stairs

The long hallway..

Our room

Inside the ship, we went to our room. Even small, its comfy and we were right to choose this room albeit having to pay more for it. One of our friend insisted for us to take as many pictures as possible, so here goes.

Inside the room

Comfortable bed

Room with balcony

Relaxing outside

Bathroom
Free toiletries for one each

Shower on the right

Lavatory on the left

Towels at the door..cool huh?

Once settled we went out to explore the ship and first start will be Galaxy of the Star, a club house where balcony class guests were given complimentary drinks there. Guests were also entertained with games and were invited to dance with the ship's cruise members, most of them Filipinos.

Entering Galaxy of the Stars

Fruit punch for our complimentary welcome drinks

Posing inside the club

Another pic

The ship crews entertaining the guests

Later, we explored the rest of the ship. It have few paid restaurants ranging from indian, chinese, japanese and western cuisine. Whereas the allocated package deal guests will have the choices to dine in 3 places. Bella Vista is for western and chinese set cuisine or eastern food at the Mediterranean Terrace and Pavilion which offers a buffet. You can't switch places though because once you enter the restaurant, you have to swipe your pass card and any other additional swiping will be charged separately. There will be no cash dealing while you are in the ship. All business transactions here is via the pass card and before leaving the ship you need to settle your bills at the counter either by credit card or using only Singapore dollar.

The other places of attraction are as below. We entered into the casino just for a short while but we are forbidden to take any picture inside it. Beside the casino, there are also a spa, a hair salon, a gym, video arcade and cinema for children inside the ship.

The counter at the lobby in level 7

Lobby area

Another picture

One of many lifts to the highest level 13

One of the swimming pools - level 13 in the middle of the ship

Swimming pool at the back of the ship.

Posing...upper level

Still upper level of the deck...

Another picture

Another view from near the pool

Anyone for a round of mini golf?

ermm dunno what game was inside..

Helipad - at the back of the ship

He will choose this one if anything happen...

Relaxing.....

video arcade..

Inside of the ship

Another nice view...

Bulldozed into Lido Theater..during rehearsal... this place is prohibited actually hehe

Another view inside the theater..

The show we will watch tonite..

Come dinner time, we had decided to eat at the Bella Vista Restaurant at level 12, the only place that has western cuisine. Little that we know that entering the restaurant, you are required to dress according to the dress code i.e. no slippers or sandal without socks. We had to return to our cabin to change accordingly. It was a set menu and you need to choose your own appetizer, main course and dessert. Ah...I did not mentioned anywhere before when did the ship started sailing right? Actually it was 8.00pm during our dinner time. We heard a slow tremor coming from below us and a few minutes later, the ship eased from the terminal and started sailing. We kept eating and later moved to the upper deck.

Inside Bella Vista, waiting for our food to arrive

Another view inside Bella Vista..eating bread and soup for appetizer

My main course, dory fish with rice

Ed's main course, chicken breast

My dessert, some international cheese with biscuits

Ed's dessert, mango sherbet

We had decided to watch 'Rasputin' at Lido Theatre for its 9.30pm show. Its was actually a play of a loose story about the feared priest Rasputin of old Russia and it was performed with circus like activities with performers coming from as far as Russian, China, Belarus and other countries I can't remember. I found it quite entertaining albeit its limited stage size.

Posing before going to the show

Going to the theater

Inside the theater..

The show was about to start..

The performers for the show 'Rasputin'.

There was also another show after 'Rasputin' and it was called 'Casanova'. It was actually an adult show in which you have to pay S40 dollar to watch it. We decided to give it a miss. Hiks..

We then had a stroll on the upper deck. Feeling hungry we ordered burgers and fries at Tarvena while watching football match. Once the match was over we ventured into the so called disco on level 12 but since not many people were in that place, they turned it as an open karoke lounge instead. To sing you need to buy drinks and being too exhausted to sing, we then retired to our room near 1.30am.

Am ready to go out..

View for the pool at nite

View from in front of the ship

Another view ...

Leaving South Port Klang..

The windy part of the ship...

At Taverna, watching WC, Argentina vs. Nigeria

In our cabin, there was a note from the ship management giving information of the day activities plus the embarkation procedure. Beside the notes, we can also get all the information by switching on one of the designated tv channel.

We woke up to watch the sun rise from our balcony. We had our buffet breakfast at the Mediterranean Terrace as the ship was moving slowly towards Singapore Harbor. The view near the harbor was magnificent.

Sunrise...

face undone....

Breakfast at Mediterranean Terrance

After breakfast, we went to the lobby counter to pay the bill for our late supper. We then get ready to check out. Balcony class guests were asked to go to the Galaxy of the Stars to collect our passport and to proceed to disembark from the ship.

Relaxing before checking out

The tug bot tugging the ship towards the tier

View nearing Singapore Harbor

Another liner docked next to our ship

Another view of the other ship

Waiting for our name to be called for our passport ...

Hey, you can't touch this...

Checking out...on the way to immigration, the crew singing farewell songs

Costa Romantica, next to star cruise Virgo

Settle with immigration, waiting for the rest of our group to assemble

Ermm nice advertisement...

Another view at the Singapore Cruise centre.

End of part 1. Part 2 will be the activities done in Sentosa Island.

7- 8 MAY 2010

I was on leave on Friday,8th May and I spent all those time servicing my car. Not me, the mechanic that is.... I noticed earlier that I had problem with its air-cond i.e. it did not function properly when used on a longer hours i.e during my long journey to JB the other day. I suspected a leakage or something and with no yearly service before this, I knew this was bound to happen. At the same time, I had the intention to change its timing belt and little that I knew, that were not the only things to be changed. To horrific to mention in details here but all in all I had to fork out a whopping RM2,712.00 (RM2,700 to be exact as the company generously discounted me RM12.00... hehe) . Haih... Well, I got to do what I got to do, as long as my car can function properly for the next one of two years, the chance for me to change to a new car will further remain a dream....

The next day....Ed came to my house and afterward we went to Mid Valley reaching there by 12.00pm. I left my car at the car wash centre there for them to wax and polish, signing up its 1 year package deal. We then bought tickets to watch Dairy Of A Wimpy Kid at GSC Signature, the Garden for a 4.30pm show. As it was still early, we went to a Maxis centre there. I had made a decision to saying good bye to my HTC which I AM NOT sorrily missed and welcome myself as an Iphone user. To buy a iPhone I didn't mind waiting until 2.30pm in which I had to come back later after doing its registration. There were 20 other persons wanting to buy the phone that day so I need to que for it. While waiting for it, we had our lunch at the newly opened Popeye's in Mid Valley Mega Mall next to the Garden.

Taking pictures at the Gardens..

Another picture..

Going to the Mid Valley Mall from Gardens

Later at Mid Valley Mega Mall I stopped by at a computer shop and bought me a GPS Navigator, a small Garmin Nuvi 205. We left the device to have its battery charged and then proceeded back to Gardens to collect my iPhone and went back to GSC Signature to watch our movie there. Watching movies here is so comfortable because not only the seats are plush and bigger but also limited and thereafter have the effect of the non existence of children crying. Well, for that you just need to pay double the price from the other ordinary cinemas. So what's the review about the movie? The movie was downright funny and touching at certain moments but most important it shows the reality of kids today wanting to be famous in school and will do anything to achieve it.

We then headed back to Mid Valley Mega Mall and had our coffee at Coffee Bean (mine was Ice Lemon Tea actually). Ed bought a book and a Mother's Day card for his mum in MPH. Later, I received a call from my sister that the family would like to celebrate her youngest son's birthday there and we decided to eat at Tony Roma for dinner.

Birthday boy..

We had to wait for more than 20 minutes before given a table.

All the rib-eyes...

My medium rare lamb chop..

Smiling after a full stomach..

Happy 17th birthday, Izuan... I had a small headache after all those foods afterward, hehe... Next Saturday will be the 40th day of the demised of our friend. There will be a big 'tahlil' for arwah and InsyAllah, Ed and I will be joining. As for now.... I am an officially and happily an iPhoners...

SIX PRINCIPLES OF LIFE ON MONEY

The cardinal rule
of the six principles of life on money

1. No point using limited life to chase unlimited money.

2. No point earning so much money you cannot live to spend it.

3. Money is not yours until you spend it.

4. When you are young, you use your health to chase you wealth;
when you are old, you use your wealth to buy back your health.

5. How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs

6. No point working so hard to provide for the people you have no time to spend with.

WHAT LIES BEHIND US AND WHAT LIES BEFORE US ARE TINY MATTERS,
COMPARED TO WHAT LIES WITHIN US.

1 - 2nd MAY 2010 - TRIP TO JB

Going to JB will mean that I will be visiting my dear cousins in which I am close with. Since Ednel was quite free to travel this week, I called them up and asked one of them to arrange for my accommodation in which I preferred near Danga Bay. My other cousin, Dila who is staying near the Mines decided to join us.

1 May 2010 (Saturday).

Ed came to my condo around 8.00 am., parked his car in my car parking lot and together we went to pick Dila at her house and was on our way to JB. Traffic was heavy, reason being it was Labour Day, a national holiday. Traffic heading into Melaka was worse, a bumper to bumper crawl few kilometers long. For lunch, we stopped at the R&R near Melaka.

We arrived at my cousins' house in Senai, ate again, leftDila there and by 2.30 pm, Ed and I went to M Suite Hotel (formerly known as Ming Court Hotel) near Danga Bay. A room was booked earlier by one of my cousin. The government rate for the hotel room was RM200 nett inclusive of breakfast for two. Even though this is an old hotel, it is clean, spacious, comfortable and facing the sea.

M Suite Hotel, Danga Bay, JB

In the room, pose baring ..well it was a four hour journey, I need my short rest

The entrance to this spacious room

The living room

Taking pictures around the hotel

Nice ambiance... resting area

The swimming pool, spa and a halal chinese restaurant are located next to the hotel block.

Another view from the pool

Afterward, we went to City Square, JB to buy movie tickets for Iron Man 2 at the Cathay Cinema for midnight show. From City Square we went to Danga Bay.

The playground in Danga Bay

Will take the train around Danga Bay later..

We had an opportunity to watch a show by SUKMA young athletes using their special bikes to give special acrobatic performances.

Dangerous manoeuvrings of the bikes...

Talented young boys of ours..

ermm... hopefully only sweat oozing for youknowhere...

We will see this boat sails across our hotel room tonite...

Picture near the marina..

Dream boat?

Nice weather..

Taken by a nice guy who did a barter trade..

Honoring the barter trade bargain...

I just love this picture...

Later, we went back to the hotel to refresh while waiting for my cousins to take us to dinner.

Watching the earlier said boat sailed from our hotel room.

My cousins brought us to a nice eating place called JB Catering. The buffet spread was aplenty including smoked lamb with many herbs in which I found very very tasty. A buffet cost RM18.00 nett per person only and they do serve ala carte menu too.

Nice open place ...

With my cousins, Kasmah (left), Dila, myself and Abdah..

Empty plates, full stomach...

This place is surrounded by a lake..

After dinner, my cousins left for home. We went back to City Square with full stomach and heavy lid eyes. I was surprised to find out that JB town area has ceased to become a busy town. By 11.00pm, it was deserted except for its shopping complexes and cinemas. The night life along the Lido area is no longer there...Melaka has now been the destination for vacation and it even attracts Singaporeans there. We reached City Square again by 11.00pm. Too early to do anything, we decided to take a short nap in the car.

Peek-a-boo....

The show was supposed to start at 12.15am but it was delayed for 20 minutes due to some technical problem. To make matter worse, as the people were entering into the cinema, without any advertisement or movie trailers, the movie started interrupting up to 5 full minutes of supposedly smooth and enjoyable movie. As for the movie itself, its nothing to shout about, although it was not as bad as Transformer 2 but the sick old feeling was there. Still, its not a bad movie either as the action flick with its state of the art CGI can still made you appreciate it...... Robert Downey Jr, still cannot be replaced with anyone as Mr Stark combined with more characters from SHEILD making an appearance. All in all, I gave this movie a 3.5 rating out of 5.

By the time we reached the hotel, it was already past 3.00am. At 10.00 am, we had breakfast at the hotel ultra modern Myra Bistro, the only place of the hotel in which I think was fully renovated. The foods was just ok for me and for such a big place, there is no egg station for making omelet.

Myra Bistro..

Mee goreng for breakfast...for starters that is..

Still hungry..., I like the fresh brewed coffee though...

reflection from the mirror...

We checked out from the hotel at 12.00pm and again went for a walk at a shopping complex in Danga Bay. The not yet open Tune Hotels is nearby knowing full well that Safuan was on his way on the same day and will be training the staffs for its opening soon. By 3.00pm we were already in Senai again and with Dila we were back on the highway to KL but stopping in Muar for a while. I dropped Dila at her mum's house before going to my house, ate an early dinner prepared by my dear mum. By 6.30pm, I picked Dila and we were back using the North South Highway again. The traffic were heavy and by the time we reached Senawang it was a bumper to bumper crawl. Upon Dila suggestion, we took the road to Senawang and exited to KL using the new LEKAS highway. We reached Dila house near 9.00pm and my house around 9.20pm. Ednel left soon after.

It was a tiring journey but again an enjoyable as usual.