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Monday, October 8, 2012

Babies at sea cruise.



Every day, we see the huge Star Cruise ships coming into the harbor from our apartment in Singapore. It would have been such a shame not to take the opportunity to get on board one of these cruise chips to see it up close and personal. So, this past weekend, AJ, Linna, and I got on board a Superstar Virgo "Babies at Sea" cruise on the South China Sea!


Our "Babies at Sea" gift waiting for us in our cabin.
Linna grew a strong liking to Jonathan (one of the staff members).
She seriously wouldn't come back to Mama!

Linna found the snacks in our cabin.

Neither AJ, Linna or I have ever been on a cruise before, so this was a real treat. We just went for three days and two nights, which is the perfect amount of time on a ship with a baby. We stayed in a cabin with a balcony, and when we checked into our room, we had a bag of baby goodies and snacks waiting for us on the bed! There were Huggies swim diapers, Tommy Tippee bowls and spoons, clothing, coupons... too much to name it all! They also set up a crib in our cabin for Linna to sleep in. It was a little beat up, but I forgot to request one when I booked our cruise, so we'll take what we can get. Living quarters on cruises are definitely small, but I've heard it's like this on all cruises.


On our cabin's balcony.



The view from our balcony was amazing. We haven't had a chance to see Singapore from this view yet, so that was an experience all in itself. The balcony in our cabin was also a nice place for AJ and I to go, when we laid Linna down for bedtime, and needed to be "out of the room" so she could fall asleep:)

Kid's swim area.

Linna watching as the staff uncorks our bottle of wine.
Parents of the year!



Since the cruise was all-inclusive, we had up to six meals a day, so we never went hungry. Granted, we only went to the restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the options were pretty good. They served Chinese, Indian, American, etc. dishes, so it was nice to "explore" different options. The cruise also offered a few different restaurants which we would have had to pay for, and even though we had $100 in "credit" on our cabin cards (came with our cruise package), we used that money for things like pop, alcohol, and snacks (we bought a food/drink package at the cruise's theater show on Saturday night). On the night we boarded the ship, there was a BBQ for everyone on board, with live music around the pool. Linna really enjoyed eating her dinner and dancing the night away!


Safe to say that Linna loved the food!


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Sleeping, even with so much excitement on board.
 
We loved the main pool area, which had a really big water slide. There was also a pool area for the kids, which many of the older kids took advantage of! AJ took advantage of the gym on the ship, while Linna and I laid out by the pool. They had beach towels for passengers to use, and we had no problem finding a lounge chair to sprawl out on.

Main pool area.
 
Kid's buffet.
 
SO many people stopped to take photos of Linna on this cruise, and even if they didn't have a camera, they stopped to say "hello". Linna loves waving "hello" to people, so all of the attention was probably a big treat for her.

Arcade with Papa.




The ship also had a casino, which I visited and lost $20 at (although I was up $40 at one point). They also have a night club, child care services, a theater, and so much more! Since we were on a "baby cruise", there were baby classes, activities, and special meals for the kiddos. AJ went to one of the "baby" workshops on Saturday while Linna and I took a nap, and he couldn't stop sharing all of the info he learned with us:) Also, the staff on board was so accommodating to the children. I can't tell you how many of the crew and staff members stopped to say hi and talk to Linna on the ship. They were all so nice, especially during "Linna melt downs", as they were able to divert her attention to something more positive.

Delicious food.



We also took Linna to the "Somewhere In Time" show at 9 p.m. on Saturday night, since she decided to take a late-afternoon nap. She was GLUED to the show from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., and was pointing to all the pretty, colorful, and bright costumes! She listened to all of the singers and loved watching all of the dancing! AJ and I were pretty mesmerized by all the acrobatics, stunts, and talent this show had to offer in just an one-hour time. Best of all, if was FREE with our cruise package! This might have been my favorite memory of the weekend.

This man let Linna wear his hat. He was from India.

Loved the staff!

Just being able to take in the sea views and peacefulness of the waters was reason enough to be on this cruise ship! We saw so many islands, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Since we are within walking distance to the Harbour Front Cruise Terminal, it really would have been a shame for us not to take the opportunity to get on board, and we are SO excited that we did!

*** If you're ever on board a Star Cruise ship, take it from the Saighs and don't be afraid to ask people to put out their cigarettes in an  "enclosed" place (as it is against the rules - there are public smoking areas on board the ship). Also don't be afraid to point people out for "cutting in line" and asking these people to move aside. At first, I thought this was just an "accepted" occurrence in Asia, but as I watched more and more people become frustrated, I decided to speak up. I may have been the "bitch" on the ship, but other people's actions made is difficult for others to enjoy their cruise experience. These occurrences aside, we had an amazing time!



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