Superstar Gemini

[BJC]

Hi Frank,

 

The Disco, which I believe is called Formula One, is in lower the side street heading down to Nathan Road, and was closed all the time we were there, don’t know if this is permanent or not, we asked out TA about 10 days out to request a room on the 10th floor or above, which we got, there was still a little traffic noise, but hey it’s Hong Kong.;)

 

There is a subway under Nathan Road just outside the Majestic which takes you to the Temple Street Markets two streets on from there, lots of eating places, and a 711 just about every corner for your convenience.

 

The Jordan St MRT is two blocks down from the Hotel, don’t try to travel between 8.30 and 10 am it is just packed solid, so go early or wait until mid morning.

 

Lots of good bargains to be had at the Temple Street Markets, got a very nice Jackie Chan style dress shirt, white with pearl silk embroidery and silver dragon, was the best dressed male on the Cruise and it cost about $15AU, a bargain!:p

 

The Cabins on Gemini are not big, but big enough as is the bathroom and shower recess, we had a room in a hotel in Rome that was smaller!:rolleyes:

 

They are clean but showing signs of age, the Gemini is in need of a solid refit at some time soon, new carpets, drapes and furniture will not go astray, but would not hold my breath.

 

Enough hanging space and a couple of draws each for the smalls, the rest you keep in your suitcase under the bed.

 

There is no fridge, but your cabin steward will bring you a bucket of ice as required, ours came at 4.30 every day so I popped the tonic water in to cool down and had ice for the G&T.;)

 

There is a tea and coffee making facility in your room, well there was in ours, an ocean view on deck 3, not that you need worry as the tea, coffee and Milo is available from the Mariners Buffet 24x7, I used to slip up there at about 6am and watch the sunrise with my cuppa, and take photos, which I sold to those that could not get up in time for the princely sum of a cocktail of the day!:D

 

Power is by English power outlet, Type G, so take an adaptor if you need to charge the camera batteries and the like, there were others for the kettle and hair dryer but these were like the Type F with a couple of, for want of a better term, keys that were built into the socket / plug so only corresponding ones would fit.

 

Any thing else you can think of just ask, or e-mail me.

 

Regrads, Bruce

[deck 9 001]

Hi Bruce, thanks for the update about the hot water kettle in the cabins. Glad that they put them back in. When the Gemini was sailing ex-Taiwan they removed the kettles, and for good reason.

 

Best,

Mike

[Riviera 30]

Hi All

Thanks FController, Did you find alcohol much cheaper or about the same price, did you research prices on the net prior or just took pot luck, how did you find check in times in both Aust and Singapore now, is 3 hours prior to flight adequete or longer required.

To Dickie Beach

Not long now, it will be interesting to see how your trip goes, we all hope it will bee smooth and problem free! What airport are you departing from? Is this your first on Gemini. Boeckli will be not far behind you then myself.

 

Cheers

 

Les

[laceytreigh]

Hi all,

 

Left Singapore last night and arrived home this morning. Very tired and a little bit off colour, but some vegemite toast seems to have fixed that!

 

We had the absolutely cheapest cabin onboard, inside, deck 3, and we had tea/coffee making too, so I'm fairly sure all cabins would have. Actually, compared to some cabins we saw, we did ok size and storage wise. Ours was a 4 berth cabin, so had double the wardrobes and some extra drawers, and by the time we found the webcam, we had an outside view as well!! We left it on overnight, so we knew when it was daytime. We also didn't bother with the shower curtain, the shower was tiny, just close the door and mop up when you're finished.

 

Our cabin steward kept our cabin in top condition for us, nothing was too much trouble, and he did an 'ice run' every afternoon, which kept our drinks lovely and cold. Trevor bought a 'beer bucket' which gave us an extra large bucket to have in our cabin. Add some water to make a slurry in the ice bucket and it works even better. And he was an absolute angel when I was sick.

 

We met up with Vera and her husband Ian on Saturday at Raffles for the obligatory Singapore Sling......... the one they make on the Gemini is every bit as good and $8.50 as opposed to $20 at Raffles, but I guess you pay for the location and 'authenticity'. But then when you pay $10 +++ for a glass of wine at the airport................ Gemini cocktail of the day is $7 and any COD can be bought for this price on any day, which is good to know if you find one you particularly like. We liked one called Sentosa Beach.

 

Spoke to a family at Changi Airport who had just disembarked from the Gemini, so they would have been on the cruise immediately after ours, and all went well as far as the gastro bug went. They missed Krabi and had an extra day in Phuket due to a medical emergency, but not gastro related, so all you future Gemini cruisers, the worst seems to have passed.

 

Les, it took us every bit of an hour to get through the checkin process at Sydney Airport, very tiring and quite ridiculous IMO. Every Qantas flight checks in at the same place, one queue for everyone. Changi was much more streamlined, although we were there earlier, ahead of the crowd.

 

We didn't bother with DF, but Changi airport looked to be the best place on the way in.

 

Anyway, all in all, we had a lovely time, yes the gastro took the shine off, and yes, the decor is a little dated, but everything was clean and comfortable, and the attentive staff and yummy food get full marks from us.

 

Tracey.

[deck 9 001]

Hi Tracey, thanks for the informative and enlightening report. I am happy that you enjoyed your Gemini cruise overall. It's good to know that the staff/crew are still up their wonderful standards.

 

So, when's your next cruise?;)

 

Best,

Mike

[Riviera 30]

Hi Tracey

Welcome back, I'm glad you had a good time and didn't have any mishaps, We were thinking of the S/Sling at Raffles also, is the "location" really worth the $$$, In Phuket did Gemini tender or berth? If it did berth is it at Phuket Town or out. Did you go to Tioman Island at all and is it tender or berth? Sounds very reasonable prices on Gemini and we will be trying the COD also by the sounds of it. Were you happy with the onboard activities or did you think they were not suited for age groups inthe majority or lacking. I think we have a cabin on deck 3 or 4. It sounds like one has to be at the airport at least 3.5 hours before flight time, anyway better there than home.

 

cheers

 

Les

[DICKY BEACH]

Ok, I give in. What's a COD?

 

Frank

[deck 9 001]

Hi Frank, COD stands for Cocktail Of the Day.

 

Sometimes these abbreviations leaves me scratching my head also;)

 

Mike

[laceytreigh]

Hi Les,

 

We didn't go to Phuket or Tioman Island, our cruise went up the eastern Malay coast and across the South China Sea to HK, Borneo and back to Singapore.

 

The people we spoke to at the airport on Sunday had been to Tioman Is and said it was lovely but we didn't discuss docking or tenders.

 

The Sing Sling at Raffles was (another) splurge for us, the sort of thing we may never do again. We spent maybe one and a half hours at Raffles the day before just wandering around and going into the Raffles museum, which was very interesting. You can have 2 on the Gemini for the same price and get some change, it's a personal decision whether it's worth the cost to have one at Raffles.

 

We got to Sydney Airport a bit more than the 2 hours they tell you, our plane was also late arriving from Joberg and had to be restocked etc. If you can sit and happily people watch, or have a good book, 2 hours should be plenty. Take heed of the new regs for your toiletries, they will confiscate without hesitation if you don't comply, we saw it happen, and the dumb-a*** wasn't happy. Also note this applies to gels, pastes, liquids, and spray cans. Talc doesn't count, so don't put it in your clear bag.

 

Our next trip, is a land based to Phuket, hopefully next March. After that we will be checking out cruise itineraries again.

 

Anyway, I have to get back to the real world and go grocery shopping, we need something for dinner. All our frozen food is going in the bin due to 4 days without power here while we were away........... Oh to be back in the Ocean Palace...................... :o

 

Tracey.

[laceytreigh]

The onboard activities seem to have created some interesting discussion. To be absolutely honest, I can't remember what we did for the first week. I seem to remember a lot of sitting around relaxing, chatting with other pax and watching others getting seriously involved in the activites and being silly. It was far to hot to get too active!!

 

The fruit and veg carving was fascinating, they are real artists. I don't think I was ever torn between activities, there really wasn't a lot happening, but that suited us perfectly. Having done a P&O and going at everything full on, relaxing on the Gemini was just what we needed. Would even consider an Aussie Gemini cruise when they come down, but it's a bit soon for the bank to have recovered.

 

Tracey.

[kuldalai]

Tracey if your'e contemplating an Australian sojourn on SS GEMINI don't dally too long . The two (2) West Australian cruises out of Perth to Broome are said to have good as sold out. When I booked for 8 days out of Brisbane to Great Barrier Reef , (only two weeks after bookings opened) - had to settle for second choice of cabin type . Have paid 10 % deposit and bank balance has to recover sufficiently by late November to pay balance .

 

GEMINI is a great little shipwith a sensational crew - whilst some expect JC for the price of a Saint - we were more than satisfied as were majority of pax. Have booked an Australian Itinerary and as soon as Star release new program we will be back up to HK in late May 2008 to do the 11 nights (second leg) from HK back to Singapore .

[BJC]

Hi Kuldalai,

Your analogy over the prices, though interesting, I must disagree with, I’ve just checked our costing for the 11 night Mediterranean Cruise out of Rome last year on Celebrity Galaxy and it was only $160AU more than the Gemini Cruise, for the same level of stateroom, well in fact it was a full square window on deck 5 on Galaxy, rather than two round portholes on deck 3 on Gemini.

Also the flights on Emirates, Perth Rome and return, were all but the same Qantas Perth to HK and back from Singapore, the only difference in the total costs was the stop over in Rome and trip to Florence before and after the cruise.

So you don’t necessarily get what you pay for, in fact if you line up Star with any of the Major Cruise Lines, I will not say competitors as such, as very few have in the past worried about competing in the Asia market, that is why Star can say they are the “Leading Cruise Line in Asia-Pacific”, however on a cost per day and overall quality, star rating, level, they don’t do all that well.

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not Gemini nor Star bashing, I have no barrow to push, I only present the facts as I see them, hopefully in an objective way so that people can take them or leave them, anyway hope you all have a wonderful time when Gemini comes down under, and on next years Asian Odyssey.

Regards, Bruce

[Westaussie]

Hello from somewhere at sea between Koh Samui and HCMC.

 

Tracey it was great meeting you in Singapore - yes the SSlings are pricey but lovely place and company so well worth it!

 

So far everything has been perfect. Yes, cabins are not large but they're spotless and I was surprised to see coffee/tea this time.

 

I guess with a shorter cruise average age may be lower as not so many people can take three weeks. We have met up with so many people from Perth. Also a delightful French/German couple who live in Switzerland.

 

So far, from a friend of ours who works on the ship, we're told there have been no further cases of any viruses - so it was a shame for those of you whose cruise was spoilt getting sick and I hope you're well and truly over it.

 

My only complaint is lack of computers, only two and it looks like I'm hogging one but it took 27 mins to read/answer two emails -

 

Frank, I think you said you were booked in at the York. It's been refurbished and we had a lovely new room. I still think it's in a very good position. So fire away with questions but I'll answer after I return to Perth next week!

 

Vera

[Riviera 30]

Hi Vera

Glad to hear that you are OK and you are enjoying the trip. With only 2 computers it must be hard to get on. I am going to take my laptop with me. Do they have the facility for me to go wireless connection on the ship or will I have to try and find it ashore. Does your mobile phone work by any chance.

Are they having dancing lessons on the ship. If so what are they.

Thanks a lot Vera

 

Cheers

 

Les

[hbellman]

Hi,

I am booked to go on the gemini in October, but I am now considering whether to swap to the virgo.

We are mid 40's, and like to have something to do most of the time.

but not fond of bingo or dancing, are there a lot of other activities onboard and a mixture of ages. or can someone recommend the maybe more suitable :confused: cruise

 

HELP

 

thankyou

 

hazel

[Riviera 30]

Hi Hazel

I haven't been on a cruise before and I am sailing just before you on the Gemini. I chose the Gemini mainly because of the actual itinerery and the fact that it started in Singapore. After already paying the initial deposit I started to try to find information on the Gemini. Maybe I should have researched first but I didn't. What I did find very quickly was travel stories and experiences from previous travelers who had nothing but praise for the Gemini, amongst of which was Derrin Hinch. I figured if he had only praise to offer then it must be good and this reinforced my decision and made me feel at ease. I then found the Cruise Critic thread to which we are now on and once again up till the last cruise only praise and compliments have been forwarded on. Bad luck can happen anywhere and this time it was on Gemini ( another ship in Norway has the virus now) and luckily its over. I think that I will not be disappointed with the food and I do have the choice of a buffet or A La Carte, the activities are what you make of them, whether you like to dance or not we all do when we go out and enjoy ourselves, My Partner and I are 50/51, but we go out with a wide range of people from 30 - 60 and can fit in in any group, You can have fun with any age group as long as you have the desire to enjoy life, I have met couples in their late 20's who were so "old and boring" and didn't know how to enjoy the moment. I'm sure as I am that you will find many people who are only too willing to participate with you and your partner and have a good time. I personally do not think that the Virgo would offer anything radically different activity wise considering that many people have indicated that the Virgo is more for the Asian gambling Casino market so I do not see the advantage other than a more opulent ship.

My opinion anyway Hazel, if we were on the same cruise I am sure we could do plenty of things other than Bingo.

 

Cheers

 

Les

[kuldalai]

Hazel,

 

Don't worry whatever age group you are providing your'e not anti-social you will find plenty to do . The days of deck quoits and bingo only are long gone.

I would'nt change ship as activities on board both vessels are similar, GEMINI is a nicer smaller boat with an absolutely sensational crew that make sure you have a great time . If you e-mail me at kuldalai@pipeline.com.au I will e-mail you a sample days on-board activities . So stay with SS GEMINI , don't worry just relax, roll with the punches and have a great time. I'm 61 and we had a ball, found it hard to fit everything in on board - in fact going back next year we loved SS GEMINI and its fantastic crew so much .

[laceytreigh]

Hi Vera,

 

Glad to hear things are going well for you and Ian. Trevor and I enjoyed our time with you very much. Linda was very pleased to meet you too and will definitely check out the tailor you recommended to her.

 

Have fun in HCMC, take care if you need to cross the street!! LOL. Will be very interested to hear about Tioman Island too.

 

Tracey.

[hbellman]

Hi Les,

what day do you cruise, we are actually booked for the 30th September.

[Riviera 30]

Hi Hazel

We board on the 16th Sept and disembark on the 30th Sept. Looks like we will miss you by 3 hours! Pity, would have been good to have you on board for the cruise, but I am sure we both will have great trips. Have you been looking at doing any shorex yet and have you found any info on any of the ports and sights. I have been on the net every day looking.

 

Cheers

 

Les

[scorpio17]

Just wondering if its ok to drink the water on board the ship or should we stick to bottled water all the time?

[Riviera 30]

Hi all

Does anyone know if they have wireless internet on the Gemini or if you can plug your own laptop into a connection on the ship. Also do mobile phones have coverage on the ship.

 

Cheers

 

Les

[laceytreigh]

Hi,

 

Scorpio17, the water on board Gemini is perfectly safe to drink. At first, we boiled and cooled it, but then we just drank it. Your cabin steward will bring you bottled water every day, one bottle each, make sure you save a couple of empties so you have extra to take ashore with you, or you can buy another bottle from the bar, $1. We always had 2 full bottles with us on shore days.

 

Les, I don't know about a wireless connection, we couldn't find an unsecured one. There are 2 computers in the library with painfully slow internet connection, at 33c per min. Plenty of people seemed to have mobile phone coverage. I didn't hook up with global roaming, so not first hand experience there. Have you looked at tripadvisor.com ? There is plenty of info on that site, just click on the links to take you to the relevant towns.

 

Tracey.

[kuldalai]

Sea water is de-salinated by three on board plants ; but Bottled Drinking Water is provided in all Staterooms daily . Internet access on SS GEMINI is via two (2) pay as you use terminals in the library on deck 7. Mobile phone coverage is when you are close enough to shore then if you have Overseas roaming then you will get signal and normal service . You can call from phone in your state room to anywhere in world . Australia is area code 61 then your Australian STD code - BUT drop the leading O (viz: Victoria 03 becomes just 3 ) then your normal Aus number . People at home can ring you on board via ships switchboard SS GEMINI phone number from Aus is 0011 873 335 213 311 .

[BJC]

Hi all,

We had to phone home in Perth from HK, and at sea, and in Ha Long Bay, using the ships satellite phone, because we did not bring our mobile phone as we didn’t have global roaming, anyway there are two on the port side of Customer service area.

You just ask them at the desk, fill in a form, and they ring for you, just pick up the phone when they buzz you, and I think the most we paid was $3AU for a 4 minute call, they charge it out at about $1 Singapore per minute, probably ended up being cheaper than a Mobile call!

By the way don’t drink the water on board, as the Cocktail of the Day in a big highball glass, and unlike the Yanks with no ice, at $7 Singapore is the best thing to drink, and different one every day, so play safe it’s either that or the Bucket Of Beer special, can’t recall what that cost but cheap as chips, so no need to drink the water!;)

Regards, Bruce