Voyager of the Seas - May 2012 - Dubai to Singapore with the Taj Mahal - Photo Review

[fireflies]

Hey everyone. There was a hiccup with the formatting of my other thread so I'm just going to start over. Thanks to juniorsmom and avazah

 

Back from a memorable cruise and thought I'd share a few photos and thoughts with anyone interested in the aging but still hanging in there VOS or the funky ports of call on this cruise. This re-positioning cruise originated from New Orleans and made its way to Europe and then the Middle East and ended in Asia. Many guests were on from New Orleans to Singapore which spanned 42 days. We only sailed the Dubai to Singapore section which included stops in India (Goa and Kochi) and Malaysia (Penang and Kuala Lumpur). Visiting Dubai and the chance to see the Taj were big draws in choosing the cruise. I'll try to answer any questions.

 

We did some travelling around the region before the cruise and spent a couple of days in Dubai. Dubai was similar to what we imagined, scorching heat meets uber metropolis. One thing that was surprising was the reasonable prices for everyday items. Sure the Ferrais and LV bags are out of this world just like everywhere else but some things at the supermarkets and malls were pretty cheap.

 

To start with, a day at Dubai Mall. This is the one without the indoor ski resort but has the gigantic aquarium instead.

 

 

Was tempted to give this a whirl but they didn't have any samples.

 

 

 

 

 

Sharks and stingrays cirling inside the aquarium.

 

 

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Since you need a reservation of some type to go inside, we had afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab (the sail building)

 

 

 

It's in the Skyview Bar on the 27th floor.

 

To whet the appetite, fresh fruit and cream

 

Then a carving of beef.

 

 

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A highlight of the tea, the sandwich course.

 

 

Muffin, shortbread and crème brûlée.

 

 

Colorful sweets that we couldn't quite finish. There were chocolates afterwards but the fingers were tired from taking so many photographs.

 

 

The escalator down to the lobby.

 

 

[fireflies]

This was our third RC cruise but first one on a Voyager class ship. We were a bit concerned since it was an older ship but it has held up quite well. The public spaces were well maintained and our stateroom was in acceptable condition. However the interior decorating does make the ship feel dated. The artwork and many sculptures are impressive but hallway displays of Napoleanic motifs seem a bit musuem like. We did like the Dreamworks presence on the ship. The smaller crowds and older demographic (not too many families) made the experience a lot more intimate and manageable than on the bigger ships like Oasis.

 

 

Docked and waiting to depart Dubai.

 

 

The Burj Khalifa looming over the port and cruise ships.

 

 

The sail away party with some Dreamworks friends.

 

 

Royal Promenade main deck, deck 5

 

 

 

Cafe Promenade. Enjoyed the no sugar added cookies. Also have fresh fruit in the morning so you don't have to head up to Windjammer.

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The two-story library doubles as the Internet spot. We used it a couple of times, slow connection and at times frustating swiping your sail pass card like other ships.

 

The area of crossword, trivia and sudoku stacks.

 

 

Our stateroom was in good condition with a flat screen Samsung tv.

 

Some wear on the balcony

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We had breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer a couple of times. The same crowded between 9-10 am experience like on other RC ships. They did have a server manning the self serve drinks so you would just take your drink or ask want you wanted rather than make it yourself.

 

 

This was one of the best desserts we had, steamed coconut cake (like a bread pudding)

 

 

In the evening blue glow.

 

 

 

 

 

A dragon by the sushi section in the buffet.

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We liked going to La Boheme on deck 3 for breakfast. Much quieter for breakfast and you don't have to fight for a table as they seat you at a group table.

 

Eggs Benedict

 

French Toast

 

 

The Deck 4 restaurant doubles as the card room during the afternoon. Quite a few people played mahjong as well

 

 

Looking down on the self serve salad bar at lunch.

 

 

 

 

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The food for lunch was hit and miss (meatballs and spaghetti kind of a disaster) in MDR. The salad bar was not quite as expansive and the Brasserie had no self serve hot items like on Oasis.

 

From the make your own salad bar.

 

 

Turkey Burger.

 

 

Brazo de Mercedes - rolled meringue cake with custard. One of the best desserts.

 

Chocolate ganache tart

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After a couple of days at sea we arrived at the first port Goa in southern India. It's popular for beaches but we choose to skip it and the next port in Kochi since we wanted to see the Taj Mahal. It's been on our bucket so we thought it was worth it. The Taj is pretty far from Goa and required a flight from Goa airport to New Delhi. From New Delhi we hoped to take the late afternoon express train to Agra but our Spicejet flight was delayed so we missed the train and had to take a taxi to Agra. Driving in India is about as crazy as you would think. No real rules, vehicles squeezed into lanes and horns constantly blaring. If you're ever in Agra and can avoid it, don't taxi it.

 

RC offered this overland excursion for $1,900 per person based on a double booking I think. Doing it independently was more challenging (we had to make some arrangements in advance with RC) but also much more affordable.

 

Welcome to the former 'jewel in the crown' of the British Empire, India!

 

Our bit of heaven from the 40 degree heat in Agra was the Radisson. It is about a 5 minute walk to the tourist gate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Security guards getting ready to work.

 

 

[joand452]

Fabulous photos! Can't wait to see more!

[fireflies]

To see the Taj Mahal firsthand was an incredible experience. We'd seen many pictures before but it was different than we imagined. There were intricate marble carvings, different shades of gray and brown in the marble and stone work in the flower work in the mausoleum.

 

Passing through the Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza)—gateway to the Taj Mahal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the wall details as people prepare to enter the mausoleum.

 

 

Arabic inscriptions in black marble are used to decorate the main mausoleum.

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The locals do not wear shoes inside but for other visitors a plastic shoe covering is the norm.

 

 

 

 

 

We left Agra in the evening taking the express train back to Delhi. There was some serious pushing going on at the station.

 

 

First class cabin view. Comparable to trains in Europe. Around three fourths of the passengers were foreign tourists.

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From Delhi we stayed at an airport hotel since we had an early morning flight to Kochi. After landing in Kochi we took a prepaid taxi cab to Port Kochi to get back on the cruise. The drive was super calm compared to Delhi. The driver wasn't quite sure where to go but when we saw some tourists in tuk tuks we knew we were close.

 

 

The brightly colored truck is a garbage truck. Each truck is uniquely named and decorated.

 

This wasn't a normal port for RC and it definitively showed. Their organization was lacking and the re-boarding process left a lot to be desired. We arrived back at Kochi just after they had arrived only to be faced with a barrage of delays. There was a IT coding error and we weren't recognized as guests even though they had preparing new sail away cards for all guests who went to the Taj Mahal. We had to wait for new cards to be re-issued. The Security team was more aware and professional than Guest Serivces. Anyways, we eventually made to back on board the ship.

 

The que of Indian tuk tuks at the pickup/drop off point for cruise passengers.

 

 

Back on board the Voyager from the Schooner Bar.

 

The Champagne Bar.

 

 

 

 

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La Scala, the main theatre on board the ship.

 

 

 

 

A musical performance.

 

 

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The ice skating show - Ice Odyssey. An international lineup of skaters. The total ice surface is quite small so it makes maneuvering that much more difficult. We skated during a free time session and noticed that the surface was really uneven compared to usual ice rinks.

 

 

 

 

The featured performer was an acrobat from Montreal.

 

 

Some love for the lighting equipment operators.

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The newly revamped casino and slot machines never seemed to be very busy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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One of the jewelry offerings on the main promenade.

 

 

Art auction preparations.

 

 

 

 

Around VOS.

 

 

 

 

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Boleros on the 14th deck is a nice place to relax during the day. Reading books, watching tv shows on a laptop or ipad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a view of the mid day pool partyers.

 

 

 

 

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The sports deck home to a basketball court, inline skating course, mini golf (bit underwhelming as mini golf courses go) and the medium sized rock climbing wall. Not very busy when we were there.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Topo Gigio]

How cool. I just booked this particular cruise this morning for next year May on the Mariner of the Seas.

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The adults only pool area, Solarium. Around mid day it was usually filled up with sun seekers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a pool shot but here's the men's waterfall urinal wall that I read about on these boards.

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Good old Johnny Rockets, one of the two pay for dining places on the ship.

 

 

 

One piled high with even an egg! Much better than the buffet and dining room burgers.

 

The service staff does a cool dance every once in a while. Good fun to check out other people dancing.

 

 

 

 

[mdxter]

Hello, i know that it is the person behind the camera that makes a picture but what kind of camera are you using? The pictures are vibrant and vivid!

 

Enjoying your picture review immensly. BTW i am from New Orleans and i wished i was on this cruise. Unfortunately there is this work thing is always getting in the way of fun. :)

[fireflies]

Back to some ports, here is Penang. A very convenient port in the heart of the city, easy to walk out and get around. An island of contrasts and cultures, parts of the capital city Georgetown have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

 

 

We'd been to Penang a few years back so we opted for a leisurely paced private tour. We left it up to our guide and his first stop was this interesting museum that has been painstakingly restored to its prior glory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A peek down into the courtyard.

 

 

A snack to wrap up the visit, Chendol a southeast asian concoction of coconut milk, rice jelly, red beans and shaved ice.

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The next stop was Khoo Kongsi temple complex. It's a Chinese clanhouse and represents the family’s social and spiritual commitments. Told that parts of the complex were used in the film "Anna and the King" starring Jodie Foster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The intricate wall drawing depicting warrior gods transformed into animal counterparts.

 

 

The Khoo lineage.