Review Dubai to Singapore Voyager Dec.2011

[blonay]

Just our second cruise..last one also with Regent..Lima to Buenos Aires 6 years ago.Chose this one as a change from our usual holiday visit to kids in Switzerland and London,relatively few sea days and region we had not visited.Left Los Angeles 5 days early to spend time with family in Dubai. And what a great start to our vacation at LAX..a free upgrade to business on Emirates!! Just shows what a nice smile will do for you!! The service and seats were wonderful..and a 16 hour flight was a breeze..we arrived fresh and ready to party!Spent 4 fabulous days in Dubai with our hosts.. both of whom had worked on Regent ships for several years before taking up exciting jobs on a couple of private yachts!We took advantage of Regents willingness to allow invited guests on board...just remember to apply a few weeks ahead.. And it was a fun for them to meet up with some of their old collegues..most of whom had been promoted . Regent clearly rewards staff who outperform in this way..so passengers comments on receiving superlative service both during as well as at the end of a cruise can make a difference to their careers.We had boarded a little later than most..around 4pm..everything went smoothly.Was really impressed at the check-in with the bevy of beautiful and handsome people behind the desks...only to learn later that they were the dancers and singers from the show troupe!! Still it made for a great first impression!Enjoyed the corridor meet and greet after sail away..nice way to check out possible dinner mates!!Will post again tomorrow with thoughts on our visit to Muscat and India.

[Travelcat2]

You apparently boarded the Voyager the same day we disembarked. How wonderful that you were able to spend time in Dubai and also invite former Regent employees onboard for a reunion. Wish we could have been there to see it.

We do make a point of mentioning specific crew members on our comment cards. Many crew members have been promoted since we first met them.

Looking forward to your next post:)

[blonay]

Incredible India was the banner on the dockside in Mumbai..how true.and what a contrast to the excesses and wealth on display in Dubai..much of its construction done with the labor of Indian hands.we got an early 7am roll call meeting with Indian custom officials who meticulously stamped every document we had provided per cruise..Regent handled the tedious procedure really well and by 8am all passengers had been processed and about 100 left for their 3day trip to the Taj.On return it seems it was a wonderful experience..so chapeau to Regent! Just as an aside ..at the next two ports in India Regent arranged for the same custom officials to stay on board so the process of leaving the ship each day was somewhat speeded up.Still lots of Paperwork..but much easier to leave and join the ship.During the voyage we took several of the ship organized tours but on this 2dYs in Mumbai had arranged a private guide to get a more one on one feel for the city.On the first day we spent 5hrs. Walking through the bazaars..organized chaos is perhaps an apt first impression.But the vitality and energy of the city streets ,it's hustling people stepping around the sacred cows lying in the middle of the road,the endless traffic edging its way around each other,the jostling around the food stands for the local snacks..all brought home the stark contrast with our own daily life.We bargained for silks,bought tigers eye and onyx beads for making our own bracelets back home,sampled fruits and vegetables in Crawford Market.We walked around the Jama Masjid Mosque,Zaveri !Chor and Mughal Bazaar and sampled chapatis which the vendor refused to allow us to pay for.The next day we visited Sassoon Fish docks..an incredible experience of noise,smells and hectic selling..then took in Victoria Terminus,Mumbadavi Temple,the Malabar Hill area Gandhi's home..he's one of my heros..along with Steve Jobs..go figure!!The Hanging Gardens were visited with our Farsi guide..who explained their relationship to the Towers of Silence nearby..didn't see any bones lying around however. Had lunch at a local fast food cafe which served wonderful Indian snacks..a local version of Tapas!Dobi Ghat to experience the incredible system of tracking individual laundry pieces..it seems that with more and more Indians moving into apartments with modern washing and drying machine facilities.then fewer people are using the service..but it still seemed very busy to us ..even on Xmas
Day.We know we only scratched the surface of this great city during our short stay.. But it has left us with the desire to go back one day to India and really explore this incredible country which is fast becoming such an important player in the Worlds economy and political landscape.Our next stop was Goa..we took a well organized ship tour to visit the Basilica of Bom Jesusan Se Cathedral.then onto the Shanta Durga Temple in Old Goa and finally a fun visit to a Spice Village..complete with dancers and a flower petal welcome. A interesting guide introduced us to several spice trees..a little touristy.. But then that's what we were!!In and out of the harbor we were accompanied by leaping dolphins which was fun.Next day we sailed into New Mangalore.A fresh and clean port ,friendly greeters..and a ships tour to Karkal to visit the Lord Gomateshwara statue..212 steps to get up to see him.which put off some of the passengers who couldn't make it up..even though the pre information indicated the difficulties. Met a group of schoolgirls on a day trip..and had a great chat with them. Then in to the spectacular Thousand Pillar Noonbidri Temple.Like several of the religious sites we visited we were requested to remove our footware to enter the temple.Most everyone respected the request of course..except for one couple who wore large black socks witha shower cap covering the socks!!Afterwards I imagined a Mangalorian going into this couples place of worship back in the states wearing a chapati and stuffed paratha on his feet as he walked down the aisle..and wondering how they may have reacted!! Ah well we may never know!Our last stop was in Cochin..we took a private tour out to the Allepey backwaters in Kerala..one of the highlights of our vacation.A90min drive from the harbour through the countryside before boarding our canoe..rather like a covered sampan .with stretch out loungers..for seven hours of blissful sailing through the backwaters..we got off the boat several times to walk through the villages and churches and schools..and had a wonderful meal of fish curry..chose our own fresh catch before preparation..complete with local curry...no knives and forks..just your fingers! later fried banana fritters and coffe break..the a fresh coconut refresher..before returning in the moonlight to Allepey.Back to th ship by nine..just in time for a nightcap. India left us with a really positive feeling..we are still assimilating the experience..but feel sure we will revisit. To be honest from talking with many of the other cruisers we may have been in the minority with our total enjoyment of this segment of the cruise..but if you are open to new experiences as so many cruisers seem to be..then Indai could prove to be one of your highlight memorie too. On to Sri Lanka tomorrow.

[Memlin]

I am enjoying your review and appreciate you taking the time to write it. However, I am having a difficult time reading it because it is all one paragraph. I think if you could add some spaces or stops, it would be clearer and easier to read. Please don't take this as criticism. Sounds like your trip is wonderful! Enjoy!

[TedC]

I am enjoying your review and appreciate you taking the time to write it. However, I am having a difficult time reading it because it is all one paragraph. I think if you could add some spaces or stops, it would be clearer and easier to read. Please don't take this as criticism. Sounds like your trip is wonderful! Enjoy!

ditto

[les221b]

We had boarded a little later than most..around 4pm..everything went smoothly.Was really impressed at the check-in with the bevy of beautiful and handsome people behind the desks...only to learn later that they were the dancers and singers from the show troupe!! Still it made for a great first impression!

I'm still on the ship for my first trip with Regent, and will stay on until we reach Auckland in a few weeks. While there is much good to say about the cruise, the embarkation does not fall into this category.
A fairly large group of us were transported from our pre-boarding hotel and we arrived at the ship around 1 pm. Our check-in was the most chaotic, disorganized one I've encountered on any cruise line.
India requires additional signed cards for each port, so in addition to receiving our key card, we each had to sign a bunch of cards at sign-in. In total, this meant a lot of cards to be signed.
The embarkation process took place in the Constellation lounge. Instead of giving all of us the cards as we entered, and then seating us, calling us one at a time while the entire group signed their cards all at the same time, here's what happened.
We all stood in line. The first couple was called, they signed their cards while the rest of us stood in line. The next couple was then called and they signed their cards while the rest of us stood in line. The third couple was called and they signed their cards while..... well, you get the idea. My guess is that the last of our group was finally processed shortly before the 4 pm check-in mentioned by the prior commenter.
Definitely not a good first impression.

Les

[Mjflowers]

So nice to read a review, even without paragraphs. Some people. A very enlighting report. Not the usual complaints or problems. Glad you are having a wonderful time. I, for one, am looking forward to continued trip review.

[Hambagahle]

India runs on paper!! I think the Indian Civil Service (legacy of our colonial raj) is on a self-perpetuating kick!

What interesting reviews. And I also share the wish that "Blonay" split up the paragraphs. I had a hard time finding where I was on the review!!

And Blonay -- you mention relatives in CH. Are they in Blonay? I know it well as I live in Martigny not that far away!!

[blonay]

What a difference a day makes!!
Arrived in Colombo to a warm welcome and no need for paperwork!
Several excursions were on offer and we had chosen the tea plantation visit.
It was a 2 hr drive..but through lots of interesting villages and countryside.
This was a great photo op. trip.
We entered the Ingiriya estate and first stopped for an up- close demonstration of rubber tree cultivation and tapping..then on to the tea fields..again with bright sari dressed ladies collecting the leaves.
We could get right in amongst them..they let us experience ourselves the picking process and we now appreciate their skills.
Then on to a visit to the processing plant.. fully operational and extremely interesting.
Finally demonstrations of tea tasting..before we all went to the owners bungalow for afternoon tea and cake in the garden!.

The Captains wife was in our group that day.. a lovely Italian lady who joined her husband for this holiday cruise..a great representative for Regent. More about the ship,crew,food,,Christmas and New Year celebrations on board etc. on a later post.

Then on to Galle..badly hit by the tsunami in 94..You Tube it for frightening footage.
We took the local shuttle by ourselves to visit the impressive Dutch heritage buildings and the World Heritage site of the Fort. Impresssive.

Stopped for coffee in town and saw several Bob Marley posters on the wall. Chatting with the owner he turned out to me a major fan..just like me.In fact BM was my next door neighbor in Hope Rd. Jamaica for a couple of years! We had a great time listening to some reggae..and no charge for the coffee!

We then walked through the bustling back streets of the town before heading for the waterfront.

We had here one of our best experiences. Over 60 men were helping to pull in pulling in a fishing net..took over 45 mins. and then about 15 mins. to sell the catch.

There is a lot of rebuilding along the waterfront, but still some clear evidence of the tsunami's power.One of our best days

Our last stop in Sri Lanka was Trincomalee..only recently opened up to visitors following the civil war. We took a short 3hr. tour to the Konesvaram Temple..lots of interesting villages and sights on the way..but got the impression this part of Sri Lanka is just on the road to recovery and reintegration after 30 years of strife

A couple of sea days brought us to Phuket.

Again a tsunami hit town...amazing just what destruction was achieved over such a wide area of the region.
My wife took a trip to ride an elephant and visit a cashew factory..i opted for a day of snorkeling on a speed boat.
A fabulous day visiting several islands ..all with spectacular views.The snorkeling experience was wonderful..I have done lots of it in The Caribbean and Latin America..this was certainly up there with the best of them.
Just a suggestion though. The speedboat was certainly speedy and bounced heavily into the waves. Unless you are active and fit don't try this trip!

Well I hope you can all read this ..I switched away from my iPad just for you!!

Will post some thoughts on the on-board experience shortly..as well as our 3day excursion to Cambodia which was offered as an inclusive part of the package if pre Dubai skipped.

[RachelG]

Much easier to read--thanks. And thanks for posting about these very interesting ports.

[Gilly]

Having visited several of these ports on Voyager last year, it's great to see that Regent have taken action to address some of the immigration issues in India, where a good deal of patience is required at times.

I'm enjoying revisiting some of our favourite places and am delighted to read reports of entering into the spirit of the region, Blonay, something I feel is essential to get the most from visits to these exciting - but very different - ports.

We're now within sight of our embarkation - we board Voyager in Sydney in just over a month. I shall be following your reports with great interest, needless to say!

[kihei228]

Thanks so much for your trip report, Blonay. We are on the same cruise with Gilly, and hearing about your visits to some of the same ports are great.
IPads are tough to write with but you're doing a wonderful job.:)

[blonay]

A couple of posts on the ship experience.

First caveat..only our second cruise and first on Voyager ..so remember comments are written through the eyes of someone to whom cruising and Regent don't play a major role in their lives !!

We hope it helps other newbies however.

Secondly,all comments are made against the expectations we had prior to the cruise.. and obviously everyone has different expectations!

The whole vacation exceeded those expectations.

We expected a cabin which was clean,spacious and welcoming after a day exploring,which was quiet and well maintained , with a balcony adequate to enjoy sea days and sunsets with a glass of wine .

We got all of that.

We were in the cheap seats on deck 6 ,mid ship,port side. Fantastic value..not sure what advantage a higher deck would have offered at increased cost,but we put the savings to a couple of private guide tours.Let us know if we missed out on something here!

We expected great food in a great ambience.We got all of that and more.

We ate in Signatures and Prime 3 times each, with the rest split between Compass and La Veranda..the latter nice and casual in the evening with the Italian theme.

Service was first class every evening .. we are late dinners..usually between 8 and 8.30.

We tried the menu de degustacion in both Compass and Signatures a couple of times as it was clearly well balanced by the chef and matched the wines.

Speaking of the poured wines..with one exception ..a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which was quickly substituted..they were all excellent.

A terrific range of origin ,varietal and vintage not repeated on any of the 19 nights we dined.

They were served at the correct temperature and a nice explanation given by the sommelier.
Modern wine making and bottling techniques over the last 15 years or so seem to result in a more consistent quality even with difficult vintages..and the Regent choices were no exception.

I would guess that 99% of the passengers aboard would have been unable to pick out consistently and under blind conditions a First Growth Bordeaux from the Australian Cabernet we were served one evening...and I of course include myself .. so we just sat back and enjoyed the wine every evening!!

Our favorite restaurant was Signatures..just a really nice ambience with finely proportioned food .As for the controversial cloches..hey we were on vacation..it was all done in fun..un,deux, trois..voila..we all joined in the reveal in unison..it was very tongue in cheek..so relax and don't be afraid to let yourself join in the moment! Life's too short to be grumpy!! We promise not to point and giggle at you!


We ate in Prime 7 on a couple of occasions with a gentleman who had spent his whole life in the meat packing industry.. don't think he was a Mafia Don!! He swore the restaurant served only top quality cuts..especially the filet mignon..I myself am not a big meat eater.. but following his choices I had very enjoyable meals.

Loved Abigail's maitre'ding and her service team in La Veranda..after so much rich food it makes for a nice change of pace to have a fresh plate of anti pasta at the self service bar followed by a good bowl of spaghetti.

Breakfast we split between the coffee corner and La Veranda.It's always a little rushed in the morning.. most people had different agendas to meet..so our attitude was grab a fresh fruit starter, order our egg dish at the same time..and by the time we had our first cup of coffee the special order was brought to the table.


Compass Rose was always busy..even at 8PM..we always let the maitre' d seat us..that way we got to enjoy a range of servers but also helped the system of seating where it seemed certain stations come on a little earlier than others..and of course finish earlier ..that way the staff get a little bit of a break..considering they started at 7 Am or earlier in the morning!

Asking for a specific area of the dining room may sometimes interrupt that system..though they would be much too polite to say so!!

We received the nicest compliment from one of the servers in Signatures on our final evening..when she told us.."I have enjoyed serving you so much this voyage..you are so much fun" Hope this doesn't sound too self serving.. but it was a reminder to us that being civil,relaxed and positive around everyone providing a service isn't an extra charge on your Regent bill.

Will follow up tomorrow with some more of our expectations.

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Bloynay,

Wonderful detailed Voayger on board post, thanks very much for sharing. We concur with your choice of cabin, location..mid ship deck six is best location (for us) on the Voyager. For example during past WC's, this deck had the most planks on their doors from previous WCr's reinforcing your conclusion of deck six mid ship location--"Fantastic Value." Applaud your approach to dining in the Compass Rose and enjoyed hearing again, Abigail is running an extraordinary dining venue in LV. Please, continue to enjoy your Voyager cruise.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Love your reports, and what a great attitude you have!

And Voyager is my favorite ship. Ah, Abigail!

[blonay]

Expectations for activities on board.

We like to keep fit..3 or 4 times weekly hour workout at home..so enjoyed the gym facilities almost to myself each day.. clearly not a gym rat crowd at Regent!

Canyon Ranch facilities used twice by wife..outrageous pricing..making use of captive audience.. so good for them. We had full body massages at one eighth the price on shore in Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

Casino was full of cigarette smoke..so quickly left.

Ditto with the Voyager Lounge on the left hand side by the skippers box....just breathable on the side near the dance floor.

Didn't need to use Internet facilities as had own iPad which worked fine most of the time. We hit Silver level during the voyage so internet was free..saved a couple of hundred bucks..a good deal.

Laundry usually available..dry cleaning and pressing service used a couple of times..very happy with it.

Don't play trivia..so visit to Horizon Lounge for tea was infrequent..but when we did go scones and clotted cream were great

Cruise Consultant was over worked..he was also a talker rather than listener. We made an appointment for half hour which he cut to an interrupted 15 mins due to backlog of people continuously opening the door....so we left no wiser than when we entered and with one of our few negative feelings about Regent.Their loss!!

Attended a few lectures..one of them Roger Lamb had such a dry monotonous delivery that anything enlightening he may have offered was lost..the other, Dr. Elovitz was much more animated and entertaining with his material..and we learned a lot from his presentations.

The singers/dancers were very good..though we usually arrived half way through after our later dining schedule.Ditto for the comedian,illusionist and violinist..all rounded off the evening in a nice though not spectacular way.

Had the impression well over 75% of the cruisers were in bed by 10PM latest


Reception and Destination service desks were efficient when needed.

One comment..funny how the "officers" who walked around in their white shirts and epaulettes ..excluding the captain..rarely looked at you or smiled in passing..just the opposite from the room,cleaning and wait service staff we encountered.Remember Regent..it all starts at the top..maybe run the same course for these management administrators that their own employees get in the art of customer service.

I guess before boarding we had certain expectations on our fellow passengers.. a holiday time cruise with an eclectic mix of ages and backgrounds who were out to enjoy every minute of their cruise in a fun and civilized manner.. and maybe meet up for dinner occasionally with like minded souls!

This is where some readers may take umbrage..but again I am writing my honest reactions to all aspects of our cruise!!

We knew this was a fully booked event...we had been offered upgrades to a PH if we had switched at the last minute to the same cruise in reverse in March.., so were pleased to see a few families with children..ranging from 2 yrs in a stroller to 15 and 16 yr. olds...but only about 12 in total. This cruise was not kid oriented..even though Santa Claus paid a visit!

Several Friends of Dorothy were clearly having a great time.. though Bill's friends seemed conspicuously absent!! Social Travellers...I assume those were the single cruisers..seemed to meet regularly in the Voyager lounge before and after dinner and looked a fun group.


We didn't quite expect to see the walking heart attack scenario we encountered on our first day around the pool area.

Obesity percentile in the USA is 30%..this looked more like 50%...maybe explained the empty Gym..and the overflowing plates being carried to the table at lunch time!

This may also have had a strong link to the loudspeaker announcements of at least 5 "Code Blues" announced during the cruise..or then maybe not..but the ships staff always reacted swiftly and professionally to each emergency .They certainly got lots of practice.

Maybe its the same scenario on other cruise ships.. but it just seemed to me that the above average age and weight of our passenger list may have played a role.

Hopefully they all recovered and continued to enjoy the cruise.

Funny how even amongst 700 passengers over a short period of 19 days you tend to gravitate to others whose company you enjoy. We met 3 separate couples..all delightful and from very different cultures and backgrounds ..who we dined with a few times. I'm sure there were many more whose company we would have enjoyed.

There were however just a couple of instances of meeting/observing that we would not have enjoyed.

One was a gentleman who at the Seven Seas Reception spent 15 minutes complaining to us just how the service at Regent had declined and that this was the very first time on this voyage he had finally been served prawns!

He also confided that he always called the engineering department at the beginning of each cruise so that they would come to his cabin and adjust the pressure of his shower to give a stronger stream!! Imagine if we all did that and the extra amount of water used!

We'd just come off a whole day walking the streets of Mumbai..so his priorities in life didn't quite seem to fit in with our mind set and we quickly walked away!!

The other incident occurred at Compass Rose when a "lady" at the table next to us insisted on calling over the maitr'd and requesting a personal visit from the chef to her table..where she then proceeded to criticize them in a very loud voice as to the quality of the Red Thai Curry which she had been served.. that "she knew all about Thai Curry" and 'This was not it".

Her fellow diners didn't seem at all embarrassed by her uncouthness..but yet again it did leave me wondering at the shallowness of some peoples lives..particularly when so many people at the port at which we were docked would have felt it was their birthday just to get a spoonful of her discarded meal.

Don't mean to sermonize.. but many of the extreme contrary experiences of the shore visits we had on this cruise tended to highlight the ridiculousness of her sad performance.

Anyway to salve my own conscience, as the chef left her tirade, I quietly asked him over and congratulated him on the great meal provided by him and his staff..he smiled knowingly and went back to work!

Will finish off in a couple of days with our disembarking in Singapore and great trip to Cambodia.

[alidor]

We are doing this cruise in reverse in March and I've been following your posts. Some of my fears are being confirmed by some of your posts but we are doing the cruise because we think the itinerary is great (have never been to any of these ports except Singapore) and, for us, the timing is good. We are not that sedentary (though must admit nature is taking it's toll!) and looking forward to the tours but also walking around on our own and doing our own thing. We love to take off on our own and explore areas by ourselves.

I could see that a lot of people go to bed early. I guess that's expected because it is pretty port intensive most of the time.

Anyway, thanks for your reviews and your insight.

[Threechicks]

Blonay - Good report.
All cruise ships of all lines have overweight passengers who fill their plates to overflowing and return for more. It is frightening.
I think I know the Cruise Consultant you mentioned. He is very charming and likeable but hopeless as far as booking is concerned. The quickest way to book while on board is to e-mail your travel agent, remind him or her that you are on board and want all the associated perks, and then tell her or him what cruise you want. If your e-mail is picked up right away the booking might take all of 15 minutes. While on board I waited for a week with no results and then booked immediately after returning home. I received all the discounts/bonuses that would have been available on board.

[alidor]

As for the more than average overweight people - the first time my son-in-law went on a cruise (happened to be Celebrity), he referred to the buffet line as "masses of a....!" The last word rhymes with masses - thought that was pretty descriptive!

[kihei228]

Enjoying your review, and like your descriptive style. We will be doing the post cruise trip to Angkor Wat, too. Did you fly to Siem Reap from Singapore? Hope to avoid the capital. We are scheduled to stay at Le Meridien. :)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Funny, many of the obese pax on my Rio-FLL Voyager cruise in 2010 were Brits.

And let's face it, many of us here are somewhat overweight. Different than being obese

[blonay]

Will respond just once..as I seem to have caused umbrage which was not intended.

Obese = well above ones normal weight..ie. approx. 20% over their ideal..which takes into account the persons height,age,sex and build...more precisely a BMI of 30 i.e.. about 30lbs. overweight.

30% of Americans fall into that category..as do 30%+ of Brits, French, German etc. etc. etc.

Many non Americans are also fat..or as you put it somewhat overweight... its all in the way you wish to describe it I guess.

Of course, very muscular people may have a high BMI without undue health risks..but I didn't see many muscular people on the cruise!!

Absolutely no aspirations against my beloved fellow Americans was intended.. its just that on this cruise it was a predominantly American passenger list.

Will continue with the cruise post tomorrow.

[blonay]

We arrived at the cargo area of Singapore for disembarkation and the visit to Angkor Wat. Several hundred others left the ship at the same time.
The procedure therefore was relatively long..we were one of the last groups to leave at 9.30..having left the cabin at 8AM..but we hung around with coffee and croissants so no big deal.
Estimate about 60 or so took the trip to Cambodia.

We were divided into four travel groups..each with a guide from Singapore who accompanied us to Cambodia..where a local guide took over the tours..with the Singapore person tagging along as liaison. It worked well..all the paper work for entry to and from Singapore and Cambodia was smoothly handled..Singapore is a stickler over non allowable items in hand luggage however..so be warned!

A few days into the cruise we had been called by the travel desk to advise us that our return to LA had been delayed by one day due to changes in flight plans from Cambodia..it was annoying. It would have been easy to do so.. but we decided not to let it spoil our cruise by spending the rest of the time arguing or worrying about it.

Regent had clearly miscalculated the limited number of direct flights to and from Siem Reap and the number of passengers it had committed to..as we later discovered several other passengers had the same problem.

So, our total return journey was longer and delayed.. but we took a couple of sleeping pills and an iPod to ease the pain... because as it turned out the trip to Cambodia was outstanding!

We took a tour bus..about 16 per bus.. of the highlights of Singapore and a walk around China Town before boarding our late afternoon flight.


Our group's flight was direct to Siem Reap on Silk airlines.. a 2 and half hour flight.arriving 5PM for cocktails and dinner.
However on return it was via. Danang in Vietnam and took six hours... arriving Singapore at 11 PM

The other group unfortunately flew via Bangkok..with a 6 hour lay over..arrived at midnight on the first day..and had the same route on return! Poor them!

The Hotel Meridien is one of over 200 hotels in this small town..which was a dusty undeveloped place just 15 years ago..and over run by the Khymer Rouge.

Amazing the changes.

The hotel was first class in every respect.. great food,nice rooms..one evening a local dance troop just for our group..and very efficient and friendly service.

Just an aside on logistics.

Upon leaving the Voyager,everyone had left their main luggage at the dockside for transport to the Suisse Hotel in downtown Singapore for eventual pick up after Cambodia..we all took a couple of lightweight carry or throw ons to Siem Reap..sufficient for our needs.The system worked well..everyone had a personal room provided at the Suisse..in our case it was only for 4 hours before returning to the airport.. but great for a shower and repacking before the trip to LA.

I could write for hours about our visit to Cambodia..but will just mention the highlights.

Again we had opted for a private guide for 2 days..but talking with our fellow travelers the Regent tours were excellent.

We opted for our own itinerary because we wanted to avoid the crowds as much as possible .. Siem Reap is a very very busy town..and visit places off the more tourist track..and stop wherever the moment took us.

The highlights were getting up at 4.30 AM to visit Angkor Wat's sunrise, roadside stops for local snacks,walking around a rarely visited fishing village which is inhabited by Cambodians..not Vietnamese as is the case with another more better known fishing village.

The other highlight was a trip out to Being Mealea..a bit of a drive out..but well worth it..it is covered in trees and vines and is what Angkor Wat must have looked like at its earliest discovery.

To get there you have to pay a private toll on the road..it seems this toll booth is set up and owned by a member of the ruling party..the joke is ..you also have to pay again on your return back from the temple..double dipping at its best.

The corruption was also exemplified as I was standing by the entry to the temple waiting for my wife and guide to make a roadside purchase, .. a policeman sidled up to me and asked me if I wanted to buy his badge for $50!!

We were blessed with an excellent guide..a past and present history buff of his country..his father had been killed by the Khymer Rouge in front of him..he himself had bullet holes in his elbow from the same incident. He had been raised by Buddhist monks from the age of 13.. his mother had run way into the jungle with his sister after the incident.The final evening he invited us to his home(hut) in the countryside..it was a 45 min tuk tuk ride, followed by a 10 min. walk through the rice paddies to a small clearing with a coconut tree and chickens and a table prepared by his wife full of simple but delicious rice and curry dishes. An unforgettable experience from a lovely man and his family.

He shared with us his own Buddhist philosophy he had learned from the monks..Charity,Sympathy,Compassion and Equinimity..easy to say..perhaps difficult for many of us to do!!

So.. the vacation with Regent finished on this wonderful high note..again an evening in stark contrast to the many enjoyable evenings we had spent on board the Voyager..but then this whole trip had been like that!

[kihei228]

Blonay,
You are a wealth of information and I thank you! I wouldn't have known we would be leaving our luggage in Singapore before venturing on to Siem Reap. Hope we get the direct flight.:D
We would be very interested in the name of the guide in Siem Reap. Could you email me please? It's Lhbkihei@aol.com
Thanks so much,
Laurie

[alidor]

Question - did you take any malaria medication for this trip? We are on the reverse trip in March and the role call is very dead but there was a post from a person who said they and a doctor's friend are taking the trip and they are going to take malaria medication.

Is this maybe too much?

Would be interested if you or anyone else who may be looking has a comment about this.

[blonay]

No medication..just a strong mosquito repellant which we used very occasionally in the backwaters/countryside.

[alidor]

That's what I'm thinking. That and long pants and long sleeves when we do the backwaters in Kerala and the longer tour we signed up for in Sri Lanka. We are not very concerned about most trips but after reading some posts, I wondered. Mentioned it to a doctor I see who did some work in Kenya (I know - far away from India and under whole other circumstances) and he said it only takes one bite...

Not me a little freaked out - not much - but a little!

[cinder10]

We are on the March 12 sailing as well. We are also doing the Ankor Wat pre cruise and 2 extra days in Singapore. It sounds like it will be a wonderful group. This is our 8th Regent Cruise, although we have thoroughly enjoyed Silversea, and Seabourn once. Can't wait!

[alidor]

We are from the Chicago area as well - in Burr Ridge.

[EAGLESLOVER]

Thank you for your VERY honest review.

[dAquitaine26gd]

Will respond just once..as I seem to have caused umbrage which was not intended.

Obese = well above ones normal weight..ie. approx. 20% over their ideal..which takes into account the persons height,age,sex and build...more precisely a BMI of 30 i.e.. about 30lbs. overweight.

30% of Americans fall into that category..as do 30%+ of Brits, French, German etc. etc. etc.

Many non Americans are also fat..or as you put it somewhat overweight... its all in the way you wish to describe it I guess.

Of course, very muscular people may have a high BMI without undue health risks..but I didn't see many muscular people on the cruise!!

Absolutely no aspirations against my beloved fellow Americans was intended.. its just that on this cruise it was a predominantly American passenger list.

Will continue with the cruise post tomorrow.



I had to go see if I just FELT overweight or I really was...

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

[blonay]

I'm 35th percentile..26bmi...how did you others do..go on you know you checked it!!!

[Dreps]

Enjoyed your review very much. We will be taking a similar cruise in April 2013 in the opposite direction. You mentioned that one of the highlights of your cruise was the private tour you took in Cochin. I'd very much appreciate it if you could you provide information either here or to me directly on the details of that tour. In general, did you just do research on the Web to decide where you wanted to take private ours vs. Regent excursions? Thanks. (dreps@comcast.net)

[blonay]

Yes. Just researched places I felt we would benefit from a private tour..hence Mumbai,Siem Reap and Cochin. For more info. You could go to tripadvisor and search Blonay..scroll down to bottom of page and click on Tripadvisor member resiults for Blonay..you will see my reports there. Enjoy your cruise.

[mbzbear]

We are on the March 12 sailing as well. We are also doing the Ankor Wat pre cruise and 2 extra days in Singapore. It sounds like it will be a wonderful group. This is our 8th Regent Cruise, although we have thoroughly enjoyed Silversea, and Seabourn once. Can't wait!
We are not flying into Singapore. We arebooking Regent air from Lax to Ba ngkok then onto Cambodia. Will stay overnight in Bangkok. We leave our cruise luggage in Bangkok and only take a small carryon to Cambodia. Received our Regent docs but no information whatsoever from Bangkok to Siemreap and back to Singapore. Anybody else booked from the west coast? Uwe and Ingr from Pismo Beach

[mbzbear]

We are doing this cruise in reverse in March and I've been following your posts. Some of my fears are being confirmed by some of your posts but we are doing the cruise because we think the itinerary is great (have never been to any of these ports except Singapore) and, for us, the timing is good. We are not that sedentary (though must admit nature is taking it's toll!) and looking forward to the tours but also walking around on our own and doing our own thing. We love to take off on our own and explore areas by ourselves.

I could see that a lot of people go to bed early. I guess that's expected because it is pretty port intensive most of the time.

Anyway, thanks for your reviews and your insight.
Our thread on the March 12 Voyager cruise is quite non existing. Can't figure out why? It is an amazing itinerary with Cambodia included. Our dream excursion . Alidor you go on to Athens. Look forward to meeting you on the Voyager. Possibly with another meet and greet. Uwe and Inge