Saga Ruby Captain's blog

After leaving Singapore we headed to the West following the busy shipping lanes into the Malacca Straits.

This morning we arrived at the Glenn Cruise Terminal and it’s another beautiful sunny morning, but by all account a complete contrast to the weather conditions of yesterday. The pilot told me that they had torrential rain all day and parts of the surrounding country side is knee deep in water! It looks fine from the bridge wing and hopefully today’s tour will not be affected.

Kuala Lumpur is known as the ‘Garden City of Lights”. K.L. as it’s more commonly known as is home to some of the world’s tallest buildings including the KL Tower with its revolving restaurant and the magnificent twin Petronas Towers that soar 88 storey’s high.

In Kuala Lumpur, the old and the new, the sacred and the secular stand side by side; futuristic skyscrapers, bustling markets, colonial buildings, busy streets and lively bars.

With the ship cleared in a timely manner ‘The highlights of Kuala Lumpur’ was the first tour away. This mainly panoramic sightseeing tour with photo stops at the King’s Palace, Istana Negara, followed by a visit to the National Monument before heading on to Independence Square to see the 328-foot flagpole marking the spot where Malaysia flag was hoisted on August 31, 1957.

The full day ‘The City of Gardens’ tour had excellent feedback from passengers, especially the nature lovers. The first stop was at the ‘Butterfly Park’ which houses over 6000 butterflies and also runs a nursery and breeding project. Next stop was at Lake Gardens, the city’s largest park which occupies 240 acres, then on to  K.L’s Bird Park which houses more than 5,000 birds representing over 50 species. Of these 5000 birds, 90 percent are indigenous and ten percent are imported from overseas.

The final stop was at the impressive Petronas Twin Towers for a photo stop and some free time where souvenirs were brought before heading back to Port Kelang. All onboard was at 7.30pm as we prepared to sail to our next port of call, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Singapore seems to be without doubt the busiest port in Asia, quite possibly the busiest port in the world. The pilot told me they handle around 200 ship movements between 7.00 am and 1.00pm every day. WoW, that’s some traffic and the majority are container ships. The cruise terminal was fully occupied so we were docked with 2 other cruise ships at one of the many container ship terminals, in itself it seemed the size of a small town.

There were even several sets of traffic lights at each crossroads as we passed through this vast dockland on the shuttle bus. There must have been close on a hundred thousand containers neatly stacked.  It took almost fifteen minutes for the bus to drive through the terminal and another fifteen to get into the city. It was interesting to see how much Singapore has changed over the many  years that I have been coming here.

The options of what to do in Singapore were seemingly endless. Singapore has so much to offer. One of our organized tours included embarking on a 30 minute ride on Asia’s most iconic architectural and engineering marvel- the Singapore Flyer- a giant observation wheel. Singapore’s answer to the London Eye.

Many passengers and crew visited China Town enjoying the adventure of their own independent sightseeing. They told me that they had visited amongst other places, Padang, City Hall,  Parliament House and the Financial district, And of course a visit to Singapore would not be complete without dropping in at the famous “Raffles Hotel” for a Singapore Sling and the most expensive peanuts in the world! Another must is a visit to Sentosa Island with it’s huge variety of attractions; Universal Studios, Singapore Zoo and Aquarium to name but a few.

Finally we let go our moorings at 6.00pm and sailed into the setting sun towards Port Klang where we arrive tomorrow morning. It has been another marvelous day!

This my 3rd visit to Ho Chi Minh City. I remember so vividly my first experience of the challenging navigation of the Saigon River from the entrance to our berth a total distance of 45 miles. Today was no different. Against an ebbing current we carefully meandered and weaved our way through the narrow buoyed channel, narrowly but safely, avoiding the muddy banks, barges and sundry craft working this very busy river. After four hours of focused minds we approached our berth at 11.00 am where we remained overnight. Since my last visit the skyline has changed dramatically. Impressive high rise buildings now over shadow the few remaining original downtown buildings such as the Municipal Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, a name still used by many locals, is the largest city in Vietnam. It contains a wealth of interesting museums and historical sites. Our comprehensive range of excursions allowed passengers to see the elegant colonial architecture and animated scenes during a rickshaw ride, explore Chinatown, or visit the remarkable Cu Chi Tunnels.

A highlight for most was the Cu Chi tunnels where our passengers were taken into Cu Chi District famed for its intricate network of underground tunnels that hid and protected thousands of Vietnamese people during the wars against the French and American forces.

Many passengers and crew enjoyed the famous Ben Thanh market. It was quite a feat to get there having  to avoid the thousands of scooters and motorbikes which seem to be the main mode of transport in this vibrant city. Zebra crossings seemed to be for decoration only! It seems that the knack is to weave one’s way across, smiling at the oncoming traffic whilst hoping that they will carefully avoid one. I am very pleased to tell you that it worked and everyone came back unscathed and with bag upon bag of must have “treasures” from the market.

Some ventured ashore again in the evening but for those who stayed onboard we were delighted to welcome the musicians & dancers of The Phu Duong Dance Band. It was a wonderful show. Our passengers then took to outside the Lido area for our deck party for an evening of dancing  under the stars with music from the Saga Ruby Orchestra.

On our second day here we awoke to a very warm and sunny morning. Nearly 250 passengers took off early on our Mekong Delta Explorer organized tour. The reviews when they returned back was that the day was a great success as they explored one of the great rivers of the world.

Our evening’s show was a Cabaret Showtime introducing star vocalist Iris Williams with another romantic musical journey. Iris’ show wowed her audience again as she performed for us with her second show of this World cruise.

As predicted the weather did improve after leaving the Keelung. Certainly the temperature shot up but we moved very easily to the following near gale force wind. It would be very uncomfortable if we were heading in the opposite direction. We approached Hong Kong via the East Lama Channel on the west side of the Island and docked at the China Merchants Wharf at 8.30am where we will stay overnight.

Hong Kong, (Heng gong in Cantonese, meaning fragrant harbor) is a place with multiple personalities, as a result of being both Cantonese Chinese and under a long-time British influence. Today the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China’s increasingly affluent population.
 
Apart for the many organized tour the other place to visit is the famous Stanley Market; a hot spot for both passengers and crew. An array of souvenirs, clothes, silks and paintings to name but a few of the swag that was seen being bought back onboard. Someone once told me the Hong Kong is the only place in the world that one goes broke saving money! So true.
 
The Peak Tram was a must do in Hong Kong. Allegedly the peak is visited by millions of tourists and locals every year. I heard that a few of our passengers walked to the top!
 
Hong Kong has so much to see and our passengers by evening were talking about all the different sites they had been to, including crossing Victoria Harbour or up to Victoria Peak, 1,810 feet up.
 
In the eve of our overnight we were lucky enough to have a local show ‘Highlights of Hong Kong’ featuring music, dance, acrobatics and a kung fu show! The show was spectacular enjoyed by all and a deck party for dancing and enjoying the Hong Kong skyline.
 
Our second day started early with passengers taking to the organised tours to see Lantau Island and Hong Kong, highlights for those who had not yet had the chance to experience them. A chance to explore Kowloon today as well and the hotspots include the museum of history, Che Kung Temple, the Bird market, a Chinese-style garden and a favorite gathering place for songbirds owners who carry their beloved pets around in intricately carved cages.
 
For others it was another day of shopping,  sightseeing or generally making the most of the time we have here.
 
Sadly as our time here comes to a close we bid  a fond  farewell to Hong Kong for another year. Those enjoying the sail away sipped a glass of “Kowloon delight” with the Cruise Staff and The Tritones Trio playing us out to sea.
 
Next stop Ho Chi Minh City.
 
 

I really don't know what's happening to the weather. Yesterday at Hirara it was lovely and warm and we were sweltering in our “blue” uniforms. So we reverted back to our “tropical Whites” this morning only to find that the temperature had once again dropped considerably. It was quite chilly and rather dull as we made our approach to the entrance to Keelung harbour. There was a fresh breeze too so I used two tugs to assist with the docking manoeuvre which entailed turning the ship around in the congested harbour and move astern into the passenger terminal. We were all fast and the gangway positioned by 7.00am.

The majority of the passengers were on tour to Taipei today so we had a fairly empty ship and were able to conduct our weekly Crew Fire and Boat Drill. With the ship lying starboard (right) side to the quay all the port (left) side boats were lowered into the water and exercised.

As we were docked within walking distance of the shopping centre there was no need for a shuttle bus. However the biggest attraction today, certainly for the crew, was the free Wi-Fi in the passenger terminal. 

The night market was worth a visit and my wife and I did just that and saw a lot of the stalls being set up for the evening. It was lunch time and the local people were tucking into a variety of interesting looking dishes cooked by vendors at each side of the busy road. We looked but didn’t dare taste!

The all day tour buses began returning to the ship by 5.00pm and by 6.00pm everyone was back onboard and it was time for us to set sail once again.

We have a day at sea tomorrow and the weather forecast looks fairly good. It’ll be windy though but at least it will be pushing us from behind toward Hong Kong.

Everyone is looking forward to our visit to the Hong Kong. 
 

What a pleasant surprise and welcome change it was to be greeted by a pleasant increase in the outside temperature as we sailed into Hirara.
 
Hirara is situated on Miyako Island which is known for having some of Japan’s best beaches. The sub tropical climate provides mild weather all year round. An independent kingdom and tributary state to China for several centuries, the Ryukyu Islands came under control of Satsuma feudal system in the 17th century, and were made a Japanese prefecture in 1879.

The glass bottom boat tour took a scenic coach drive across Miyako Island to Ikema bridge for photos and then onto their boat for a trip out into the South Eastern China sea where there are 250 species of corals to be seen a trip enjoyed by all.
 
The highlight for the crew, myself included and a good few passengers, was to step of the Shuttle bus and find free Wi-Fi at the drop off point! Now you know what is important in life! What did we ever do before computers and Wi-Fi, how did we ever manage?
 
As we prepared to sail from this delightful little port, a local high school was kind enough to show us a local dance and play there bands on the quay side. A lovely farewell send off which the Japanese more than anyone do so well.
 
Our entertainment starts earlier today with an invitation to the Divertimento Piano trio who presents ‘Music for a Spring Evening’ (Very appropriate as it’s the first day of spring).
 
Our evening’s entertainment is the music and mayhem of the virtuoso of variety, Davie Howes. He began working in the cruise industry over 25 years ago and quickly became one of the most sought after headline acts on the high seas.

The show features his unique piano style, compromising a mixture of classical, jazz, latin and also rock. The show was a high energy musical variety show for which he received a lot of praise after his performance.
 
Onwards we go to Keelung next stop!

The International passenger terminal in the heart of Shanghai  is some 60 miles from the pilot station.
 
It was another early morning call for me again. As we made our final approach the radar screen was peppered with orange echoes of ships at anchor and the visibility was reducing quickly which added to the heightened vigilance as we weaved our way to the pilot boarding ground at 6:00am.

Once our pilot boarded we filed in line with a convoy of cargo ships anxiously making their way up the Yangtze River with their precious cargoes.  By 10:00am the river pilot was joined by the harbour pilot for the final 12 miles to the berth. After a challenging six hours of navigating the busy commercial waters of the Yangtze it was a great relief to secure the Saga Ruby alongside the futuristic designed passenger terminal.
 
Shanghai being the largest city by population of the People’s Republic in China is a popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund, City God Temple and Yuyuan Garden, as well as the extensive and growing Pudong skyline. It has been described as the “showpiece” of the booming economy of mainland China.
 
On the “Futuristic Shanghai” tour our passengers experienced the ultra modern side of Shanghai.  Passengers boarded the world’s fastest train, the Maglev, at the famous Longyanglu Train station, the train can reach up to 267 miles per hour. Later a visit to Jin Mao Tower, at 88 storey skyscraper was next on the itinerary to enjoy.
 
Our other tours shared a mixture of different sites including a visit to one of the country’s ancient water towns and Tainhou silk factory where some bought a selection of silk goods.  A site that impressed most was the Oriental Pearl TV tower, a 1.536-foot-high skyscraper the 3rd tallest TV and radio tower.
 
By early evening most were back onboard relaxing after a long day in Shanghai, as the light of the day disappeared Shanghai looked a completely different place as the impressive building we illuminated with colourful floodlights. The harbour was awash with many beautifully floodlit floating restaurants and motor yachts; the views captured on cameras and videos by onlookers who braved the chilly evening air.

The evening show proudly presented, Dulcimer Virtuoso Pingxin Xu on xylophone. His great virtuosity and musicianship has earned him critical acclaim from the audience, media and music professionals alike. His repertoire includes a wide variety of music styles from European and American popular, ragtime and jazz to classical and Chinese numbers, a real delight to have with us on this segment of the World Cruise.

Whilst everyone was enjoying the Show we were busy getting ready to sail from Shanghai at 11:00pm. Another six hours out to the mouth of the river where we say goodbye to our pilots. At least the fog has vanished which will made it a lot easier to navigate, there's another long night ahead as we continue our journey around the world!

Tianjin Xingang is the actual name of the port for Beijing. It’s a very busy commercial and progressive port. After a lengthy and rather challenging run in from the pilot station we berthed at the magnificent passenger terminal at 7.00 am.

It’s a cold crisp morning for docking  the ship at Tianjin Xingang this morning. Would we had to salt the wooden decks as there was a thin layer of frost making it a little slippery for the early morning walkers.

Beijing, means literally the “northern capital”. Over the past 3,000 years, the city has taken on numerous other names including Ji, Yanjing, Dadu (Daidu), Khanbaliq (cambaluc) and Beiping. The city was named Beiping, meaning “Northern peace” by the Yongle Emperor before the communist party of China made the city the capital of the newly founded people’s Republic of China; the city’s name again reverted to Beijing.

There was a lot of excitement around the ship as we arrived in China; many of our passengers were walking around the ship with small suitcases as they  prepared to do the “Best of Beijing Overnight tour”. The tour consists of visiting the Great Wall of China alongside visiting Tiananmen Square plus an exotic Chinese dining experience before retiring to their hotel for the night.

Some of our remaining passengers took a full day tour to Beijing and the Forbidden City, seeing a classical Chinese architecture. A trip to a local restaurant for a Chinese lunch before their visit to Tiananmen Square, the sites seen on the tour were enjoyed thoroughly throughout.

Today’s visit would not have been the same without the crew tour to the Great Wall of China. It was the talk of the lower decks and places on the bus were at a premium and for those who went they regarded the experience as the one of the highlights of this World Cruise so far. Mind, there were a lot feeling calf muscle aches after their strenuous and ambitious walk to the top of the wall!

Back onboard the waiters and galley staff worked hard in preparing the evenings ‘Oriental Spectacular’ in the Ballroom decked out with Chinese lanterns and our waiters and waitresses dressed in Chinese outfits giving a real feel to the evening. 

The highlight for most was the Chinese Lion dance through the Ballroom, spectacularly done by four of our waiters from the dining room team. Dinner was accompanied by The Divertimento Piano trio with an eclectic selection of music, followed by our very own Tritones Trio and the Saga Ruby Orchestra for dancing and enjoyment of easy listening for the remainder of the evening.

The second day at Tianjin Xingang, started cold and foggy. In fact I was informed by our agent that due to the fog the port was closed until further notice. Interesting!

The majority of our passengers who remained onboard enjoyed just relaxing in their “private yacht” or went on tour to Tianjin.

The tour passed through scenic countryside towards the city of Tianjin to visit Ancient Cultural Street which is famous for its special architectural styles and various folk crafts and Tianjin’s very own snacks. A visit to Jing Garden, the former residence of the last Emperor of China as history goes the garden was built in 1921. Emperor Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City and moved to Jing Garden in 1929.

I mentioned earlier that the port had officially been closed in the morning but fortunately for us the visibility improved marginally and we were allowed to sail at 3.00pm.
 
 

Today we arrived in Jeju Island, South Korea and a crisp but sunny morning greeted us.

It is my first visit to Jeju so I was not familiar with the port. Quite surprising the port has no compulsory pilotage which makes it one of the very few places in the world that does not have a local pilot.  However, the port did have one tug which was compulsory! Fortunately the weather was perfect I was able to dock the Saga Ruby unassisted in the newly constructed harbour.

Jeju, once named ‘Jeju-do’ is full of scenic beaches, waterfalls, cliffs and caves. The climate is sub-tropical, warmer than the rest of Korea making it an ideal tourist destination. Although today wasn’t exactly sunbathing conditions with the temperature hovering around the 5C mark!

The first tour to leave the ship was ‘Spirited Jeju’ where our passengers were first taken up to the Temple of Yakacheonsa which is claimed to be the biggest in Asia and boasts 18,000 Buddha statues in the main hall. A visit to the O’Sulloc Green Tea museum was next for our passengers where they were able to see a gallery display of tea sets and other paraphernalia and of course the chance to purchase different types of tea, tea-related foods and sample green tea ice cream....which received a number of good reviews.

The next tour was ‘Highlights of Jeju’, an insight into Jeju’s fascinating traditions and history. A small walk where passengers were able to view a number of scenic viewpoints with photo opportunities before finishing off with the chance to explore the largest known lava tube in the world.

A panoramic tour of Jeju Island was the last to leave the ship. The tour included a number of stops including one at Sangumbuir Crater before heading up to Seongeup Village where they have thatched-roof lava wall homes. Another stop at the Phoenix Island Resort where our passengers enjoyed refreshments while learning about the history and traditions of Jeju.

Our tours were all back in time to enjoy a leisurely afternoon onboard or there was the chance to take the shuttle bus out to the ‘old’ centre to look around and enjoy more sites.

Main showtime was provided by Martin Daniels, a comedy entertainer who kept everyone glued to their seat amongst some good laughs to end the evening.

A relaxing day at sea tomorrow awaits us full of lectures and games and all types of activities to keep everyone busy.

I look forward to a day at sea as we sail from Jeju Island towards China.

It’s hard to believe that it was 12 months ago yesterday that Japan experienced that massive, devastating earthquake and tsunami that had such a catastrophic effect on the country and its people. The Port of Nagasaki was very peaceful today as we sailed into its natural deep water harbour surrounded by beautiful mountains. This port is now one of Japan’s most popular destinations for both tourists and cruise ships.

We tied up close to the Matsugae International Passenger Ship Wharf.  From there it was an easy stroll into the main city with plenty of transportation on hand, but as we had a complimentary shuttle bus many passengers used this service.
Everyone was very pleased to be quietly alongside after the rather bumpy ride we had experienced from Manila. The dramatic drop in the outside temperature to a mere 4*C with a bitterly cold wind from Siberia was a little bracing to say the least. However, out of the wind the sunshine was very pleasant indeed.

The most popular tour today was to the Peace Memorial Park which is only a few minute’s walk from the epicenter of the atomic bomb blast of August 9th 1945. The park was created to represent the wish of the World Peace and as a vow that such a tragic war would never be repeated.

Shortly before we sailed the Deputy Mayor and other local dignitaries plus a troupe of traditional dancers came aboard and with passengers gathered in the Grand Ballroom extended his thanks for our visit today.  We publically exchanged pleasantries and handed each other our commemorative plaques.  Meanwhile three young ladies from the local dance school preformed a sequence of traditional dances to conclude the ceremony.

Once again It was time to cast off and head for Jeju Island – South Korea.

The evening entertainment started with our special Gin cocktail night, where our passengers were able to enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the company of the Gail Davies Production Company, our singers and dancers onboard.

Our regular evening quiz was with Kayleigh of the Cruise Staff this evening, bringing another team there victory in general knowledge. In the Ballroom as an opening act, Roanna and Goran, our onboard dance instructors gave another delightful performance to be followed by a night with Sam Hall, Author and correspondent. 
 

The long awaited arrival to their home land by our very excited crew was slightly dampened by the later than scheduled arrival. The temperature was soaring around the mid nineties as we approached our berth a little after 11.30 am. Outside the terminal gates,  line after line of family visitors were patiently waiting to see their beloveds that work onboard the Saga Ruby.

Once secured and our 2 gangways in place the carnival began. As the tour passengers passenger’s went down one gangway the crew and family visitor’s cued up to come onboard the other access.   It worked reasonably well and the camera’s were working overtime as everyone wanted pictures taken as they came onboard. It was one of the rare times that we call at the Philippines and one we shall all remember for a long, long time. There were a lot Kleenex tissues and handkerchiefs used as the emotions overflowed.

Whilst the crew and families enjoyed exploring the ship most passengers were off on the various organized tours. The most popular being the tour of Manila by Jeepney. A Jeepney is a symbol of Philippine culture and the most popular means of public transport. They were originally made from US Military jeeps left over from WWII and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating!

Later in the day we were expecting a small group of children from Bantay Bata to visit the ship. They had a 3 hour journey from the district of Bulacan. Established in May 2003  the Bantay Bata Children’s Village serves as a shelter for children rescued by Bantay Bata, whether needing short, medium or long term care and rehabilitation as a result of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment by their parents or guardians. Bantay Bata is our nominated World Cruise Charity this year and so it was good to see and meet the child and support works.

Berthed on the opposite side of the jetty to us and doing equally good work in bringing knowledge, help and hope to the community was the Operation Mobilization ship ”Logos Hope”.  It was good to meet the Captain and his wife and learn about the work that the organization is doing throughout the world.

Once again and all too soon it was time for me to make a broadcast and ask the families, friends and general visitors to leave the ship. More Kleenex tissues and handkerchief as they said their emotional farewells.

In the tranquility of the moonlit night we slipped out of Manila and headed North for Japan.

Nagasaki next port.

I bring you greetings from the passengers and crew of the Saga Ruby en-route to Manila  on Wednesday the 7th March.

The weather today is sunny, with clear skies and a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius/ 84 degrees Fahrenheit, we have calm seas and a light  North Easterly breeze. The barometer pressure is 1007.6 mbs and it looks set to be another very pleasant day at sea.

As I write we are currently sailing past the Filipino island of Panay and are on course for our arrival in Manila tomorrow, I thought I would tell you a little bit about the Philippines.

The Philippines consist of more than 7000 mountainous, volcanic islands, 1000 of which are inhabited. The Mindanao and Luzon islands, where Manila is located, constitute more than 66% of land area.

When coming into port, we always fly a courtesy flag of the country we are visiting. On Friday when we sail into Manila we will fly the National flag of the Philippines.  The Filipino flag was adopted in 1946, when the country won its independence from the USA.

There are eight rays coming out of a sun, which is to represent the eight provinces that led the revolt against the Spanish rule in 1898. There are three small stars, each of which represent one of the three main island groups.

On this sea passage we have encountered a vast number of fishing craft of all shapes and sizes. The water has been so calm that we have almost been able to see fish being caught  by the unusual but effective method of the local fishermen. They employ a method I’ve not seem before of using  what can only be described as a long cylinder or floating platform.

The cylinder or platform, I have been informed by my Filipino quartermasters on the bridge is in fact, large anchored buoys, which, below the surface have coconut leaves attached to the anchor cable.

The fish swim for the coconut leaves to get shelter and then the fisherman dive into the water with nets and surround the fish, which have sought shelter under the coconut, leaves and catch large amounts of sheltering fish, before sailing back the mainland.

Such a pity we didn’t have the time to stop and barter for some local fresh fish!

Here we are with another spell of relaxing sea days, so as promised here are a few words from Deck Cadet Joe Bowry.

Like my fellow Deck Cadet, Josh, I too have been fortunate enough to experience different types of ship and areas of the shipping industry, ranging from general cargo ships; carrying wood from the Baltic to various ports in Europe, to Tall Ships where I was lucky enough to sail in the Mediterranean Sea for a couple of months and to date sailing on a Class 1 passenger vessel, partaking on a World Cruise.

Since embarking in Southampton I have worked on deck and stood watches, including the 12 – 4 watch, 4 – 8 watch and the 8 – 12 watch. On each watch I have been able to practice the skills that I have learnt at University, including Astro-navigation, Ship Stability, Rules of the Road and Bridge Management, just to name a few. My most satisfying achievement whilst on watch was being able to determine the ships position by completing a 5 star fix.

One of the many benefits of being a ship with plenty of English officers, is that they are passionate about passing on their knowledge of the sea and the job to the up and coming officers. Particularly, the deck cadets onboard are extremely lucky to have quality tuition on every Sunday morning, which enables us to prepare ourselves for our Oral Examinations with the Maritime and Coastguard agency early next year.

Currently I am on day work, helping the deck watch carry out their daily maintenance program between 0800 – 1200, and then assisting the Boats officer with the maintenance of the Lifeboats and tenders from 1300 – 1500 and finishing off the day by helping the deck carpenter from 1500 – 1700 with his duties, which consists of a lot of Sanding and Varnishing!

The advantage of day work is being able to socialize in the evening, which is one of the perks of the job, especially with so many great performances from the onboard cast and guest entertainers. Moreover I have been lucky to be invited onto the Captain table 3 times now, which makes a nice change from the Officer Mess menu!

Alongside my training I have had the opportunity to take part in some amazing activities in my spare time, including going snorkeling in a reef in Bora Bora, surrounded by tropical fish and stingrays and also overcoming my fears and taking part in a Bungee jump in Auckland.

Currently, we are two days away from arriving in the Philippines, which for me is both exciting and humbling. Exciting because it is the half way mark of the world cruise and humbling because it will be the first time the crew will have seen their families in months, which for many will be the hugely appreciated.

I look forward to completing the rest of the voyage with all of the new friends I have made onboard and having the opportunity to explore the world with them. I’m very much looking forward to visiting more of Asia and revisiting Malta in April – which is my favorite port of call to date.

So from me, it is a real privilege and pleasure to share my experience of my time onboard the Saga Ruby.

The port town of Bitung with its fine natural harbour protected by the adjacent island of Lembeh is the centre for shipbuilding and maintenance as well as commercial fishing.
The town itself has a quaint provincial charm and is distinguished by its 12m replica of the Eiffel Tower at one of the roundabout intersections leading into town. Apparently the unusual monument was built by a previous mayor who had studied in Paris in his earlier years, and was built as a testament of his love for the "City of Lights".
 
After 3 relaxing days at sea everyone was looking forward to our inaugural call to Bitung.
 
The approach to our berth was quite spectacular with the backdrop of volcanic mountains overlooking the city. As we approached our berth we could see and clearly hear the welcoming party of singers and dancers in traditional dress. Shortly after our arrival, my wife and I were escorted by Mr. Benny Lontoh, Head of Tourism, to meet and be welcomed by the mayor of Bitung.
As is the norm for inaugural visits there is an exchange of gifts, or in our case the ship’s plaque, with the local dignitaries.
Passengers leaving on the morning tours were also given a royal welcome and a carnival atmosphere continued throughout our stay.

The crew and passengers made maximum use of the free Wi-Fi at the terminal which was an unexpected bonus.
Quite surprisingly we were only the 4th Cruise ship to visit this delightful port so far this year. I for one was very impressed with the port and would love to come back again.
Well, all too soon it was time to say farewell to the charming people of Bitung.
 
For 3 days prior to our arrival, local school children had been attaching colourful bows to a long length of string. The colourful line was laid out along the quayside with one end fastened to the ship’s upper deck. As we pulled away from the quay so the string gradually extended until it finally reached its bitter end and fell into our wake, signaling that our stay was over for this call.  A very symbolic and moving end of a very memorable visit to Bitung
 
Next stop Manila!

As we have quite a few days at sea between each port on this segment of the Word Cruise, I thought it would be interesting for you to hear how our Deck Cadets are enjoying their World Cruise experience.
 
This first one is by Josh Ward, I hope you enjoy it...
 
As a Deck Cadet I have been fortunate enough to experience many different types of ship and areas of the shipping industry, however to have been lucky enough to be selected to work onboard the Saga Ruby for the duration of the world cruise is a fantastic privilege for any cadet and is a personal dream of mine to sail the world. Since embarking in Southampton I have worked both on deck and stood watches, learning a variety of skills from the officers onboard all of whom have been very keen to aid me in my learning process. As well as my training, I have had the opportunity to take part in some amazing activities in my spare time, including going snorkeling in a reef in Bora Bora, surrounded by tropical fish and stingrays and also overcoming my fears and taking part in a bungee jump in Auckland. As we are now half-way through the world cruise I feel that there are still plenty of other experiences that I am yet to have and plenty more opportunities to cover various aspects in my training folio. This trip in particular has opened my eyes to the joys of working on a passenger ship and I hope that in a short amount of time you may see me working as a qualified officer in this sector of the industry.
 
The next submission will be after our call at Bitung.

Bye for now,