Kirkbyites cruise vacation
By Wan Chwee Seng
Steeped
in serene silence and safely ensconced within the comfort of a cruiser’s cabin,
I scanned the scene before me. It is six in the morning and my wife,
Siew Leng and our son, Andrew, were still in deep slumber. Below us, beyond the
balcony, the sea was a dark blue sheet
with ripples that glistened in the pre-dawn light.
My
initial apprehension of getting motion sickness was soon dispelled as the only
indication that we were on a moving ship was the slight ripple of water in the
glass on the bedside table.
“You
should consider doing the cruise organised by Emily Yap in Feb next year.
You’ll love it!” our friend, Mimi had messaged me earlier. My friends Lean Aing , Jessie and others provided further encourqagement.
I
was glad I had taken their kind advice, as I was beginning to enjoy the cruise.
As
the first rays of the morning sun lit up the eastern horizon, the distant
outline of hills and forests came into view.
 |
| The morning sun lit up the distant horizon |
 |
| A view of the sea from the cabin's balcony |
A voice over the intercom announced our arrival at Phuket and those who were going for the shore excursion were told to congregate at a designated place. Guests had the option of joining a package tour or to make their own arrangement with the staff at the information counter. Our group, comprising of Hong Chong, Chee Eng, Chin Chin, Yut Wah, Peng Yoong, Angeline , Siew Leng, Andrew and I opted for the latter as we could choose our itineraries.
A
tender boat took us across to Patong,s pier where our tour guide was already
waiting for us .
After a brief discussion we were guided to a ten-seater van and our English-speaking guide introduced himself.
He rambled off his Thai name and said , “ I think it is ‘too short’ for you all to remember, so you can just address me as Charlie’. Charlie told us his Thai name is relatively short compared to the Thai name for Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. According to Charlie the Guinness Book of World Records named Bangkok as the city with the longest name. Bangkok is a shortened version of the city’s ceremonial name:
 |
| On board a tender boat heading for Phuket |
 |
| A view of Phuket's shore line |
 |
| A walk along the jetty |
After a brief discussion we were guided to a ten-seater van and our English-speaking guide introduced himself.
 |
| Consulting our tour guide |
He rambled off his Thai name and said , “ I think it is ‘too short’ for you all to remember, so you can just address me as Charlie’. Charlie told us his Thai name is relatively short compared to the Thai name for Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. According to Charlie the Guinness Book of World Records named Bangkok as the city with the longest name. Bangkok is a shortened version of the city’s ceremonial name:
Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok
Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan
Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit
I
think we will just stick to ‘Charlie’ and ‘Bangkok’.
As the van hummed and weaved its way through the street of Patong , which was undergoing cable-laying
construction, Charlie drew our attention to the tangled mass of telegraph wires which had necessitated the construction of an underground cables..
Along the way Charlie gave us a brief history of Phuket and his commentary laced with local humour and witty remarks made the trip more interesting and enjoyable.
Besides his affable nature, Charlie went out of his way to assist us, and his kind deeds and caring concerns soon won a warm place in our hearts.
 |
| A tangled mass of telegraph wires |
Along the way Charlie gave us a brief history of Phuket and his commentary laced with local humour and witty remarks made the trip more interesting and enjoyable.
 |
| Charlie givng us a brief history of Phuket |
 |
| A view along the way |
Besides his affable nature, Charlie went out of his way to assist us, and his kind deeds and caring concerns soon won a warm place in our hearts.
When we thanked him for his assistance, he merely replied,
“One
day , I
too will grow old and I may need someone’s help.”
Our
first stop was at Wat Chalong, a buddhist temple dedicated to the temple’s
abbots Luang Pho Chaem (isi1827-1908) and Luang Pho Chuang
( 1875-1945). Luang Pho Chaem is reputed to be endowed with healing prowess and
many local Buddhists as well as Malaysian Buddhists go there to pray for good
health or seek a cure for their ailments.
 |
| At Wat Chalong |
Although the temple’s ground was dotted with shady trees they offered little respite from the oppressive heat of the midday sun. Perhaps, aware of the distance, the sweltering heat and the many steps that led to the temple,
Charlie told us , “
You can just pray from here for good health.”
While
Chee Eng, Chin Chin, Siew Leng and Andrew made their way to the Wats, I was
content to follow Charlie’s sagacious advice. I just sat there and prayed for
the health and safety of my family and friends and especially for those who could not join
the trip because of poor health.
Meanwhile other members of the group had made
their way to a nearby stall for a drink of fresh coconut water to quench
their parched throats and it was not long before we joined them for the
thirst-quenching drink.
 |
| Enjoying a drink of fresh coconut water |
Refreshed by the cool drink, we were ready for the short drive to a local cashew nut factory. A wide variety of cashew nuts to cater to the different taste buds were on display at the counter. Customers were allowed to try the different flavour; natural, honey-coated, wasabi flavoured, etc before making their purchase.
It
was lunch time when we left the factory and Charlie said he would take us to
the newly open Central Floresta Phuket for our lunch as the van could drop us
right at the main entrance of the mall. The moment we stepped into the Mall, we
were greeted by the sound of traditional Thai music .
Most of the restaurants were located on the ground floor and one of the most eye-catching features of the place was a man-made canal which was meant to depict the khlong and floating market in Bangkok. The canal was tastefully adorned with boats which were laden with baskets of succulent mangoes. Perhaps, it was meant to tempt the food connoisseurs to the nearby stall that sold the traditional Thai dessert of glutinous rice with mangoes and coconut milk.
 |
| The sound of Thai traditional music greeted us |
Most of the restaurants were located on the ground floor and one of the most eye-catching features of the place was a man-made canal which was meant to depict the khlong and floating market in Bangkok. The canal was tastefully adorned with boats which were laden with baskets of succulent mangoes. Perhaps, it was meant to tempt the food connoisseurs to the nearby stall that sold the traditional Thai dessert of glutinous rice with mangoes and coconut milk.
 |
| A massive sculpture towered over us |
After we had our fill of Thai food , we headed for Jungceylon mall in Patong, as Angeline wanted to try the Thai foot reflexology. We took a leisurely stroll around the mall and then parked ourselves on a circular bench in the mall’s courtyard.
 |
| Taking a leisurely stroll in the courtyard |
 |
| Floral decorations |
 |
| Taking in the sight and sound of the place |
Hoards of busy shoppers and sightseers were milling around the place. A group of youngsters were performing a hip-hop to the blare of music. We watched, fascinated, as the deft fingers of a balloon vendor magically transformed colourful balloons into various shapes.
 |
| A balloon vendor |
While others took in the sight and sound of the place, I took the opportunity to reflect on our cruise on board the Super Gemini.
The
morning of 24th February 2019 found thirty seven Kirbyites and a few family members
waiting in the vicinity of the Amcorp Mall to board the coach which would take
us to Port Klang.
Once our luggage were safely stored in the luggage compartment and our ever reliable Hong Chong had made a head counts we started for our destination.
 |
| Waiting to board the bus |
 |
| Boarding the bus to Port Klang |
Once our luggage were safely stored in the luggage compartment and our ever reliable Hong Chong had made a head counts we started for our destination.
On board the coach , Dato Kandan briefed us on the procedures for embarkation and we were all issued with lanyards with plastic card holders for us to store our Access Cards .
 |
| A quick briefing befrore embarkation |
 |
| Stdying the itinerary |
On arrival at the Port Klang jetty we had to wait for immigration and custom clearance before embarking. Luckily, there were ample seats outside the building for us to rest while waiting for the clearance process.
 |
| Waiting for immigration and custom clearance |
The immigration and custom clearance process went on smoothly and we soon found ourselves lugging our luggage along the long jetty that led to the ship.
The wooden benches placed at intervals along the jetty were a welcome sight and they provided me the opportunity to rest my weary legs and take a breather. Young, happy smiling faces greeted us as we made our way towards the ship and the moment we stepped on board there were more smiling faces to greet us. During the cruise we found out that the staff was friendly and ever ready to lend a helping hand.
Once we had checked into our rooms and before
the ship departed for Phuket, all the guests had to attend a muster drill, a
mandatory emergency exercise to familiarize guests where to assemble in the unlikely
event of an emergency and to provide
information on how to don a life jacket.
 |
| Getting ready for the muster drill |
 |
| At our muster station C2 |
Once the ship left the port, it was time to indulge in our favourite activities and enjoy the facilities that are available on board.
Guests
would not go hungry on board the ship , as breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and
supper are included in the package and they can choose from a selection of
dining venues which serve global culinary delights.
At night guests can head for the Stardust lounge where they can sit back, relax and enjoy a live show or make their way to the nearby Resort and try their luck. For the health conscious and exercise-oriented individuals they can go for a swim or go for a stroll or jog along the ship’s jogging track. Andrew recalled how he had asked the direction to the jogging track from one of the ship’s staff. The guy beamed him a smile and politely pointed to the deck located outside the door. The expected jogging track was nowhere to be seen. However, the view of the open sea and the caressed of the sea breeze compensated for the shortcomings.
At night guests can head for the Stardust lounge where they can sit back, relax and enjoy a live show or make their way to the nearby Resort and try their luck. For the health conscious and exercise-oriented individuals they can go for a swim or go for a stroll or jog along the ship’s jogging track. Andrew recalled how he had asked the direction to the jogging track from one of the ship’s staff. The guy beamed him a smile and politely pointed to the deck located outside the door. The expected jogging track was nowhere to be seen. However, the view of the open sea and the caressed of the sea breeze compensated for the shortcomings.
 |
| A view of the ship's deck |
 |
| Enjoying the sea view |
With so many activities to keep us occupied, we only went back to our cabins to catch on our beauty sleeps or for a brief rest.
Dawn, the next day , found us approaching the island of Phuket and as soon as the ship docked, we were ready for a tour of the island. Dusk had set in when we finished our sight seeing and now as we sat on a bench at Jungceylon and waited for Angeline to finish her foot massage, dusk had slipped into night. I remember someone had asked our guide if we would be on time to catch the last boat to the ship. Charlie replied with a smile,
“No
problem. If you are late you can swim to Langkawi. Stay the night there and the
next morning swim to Penang”.
We
all returned safely to the ship and in time for our dinner.
As soon as the ship left Phuket and set sailed for Penang we were ready to resume our favourite nocturnal activities. The next morning at breakfast we were greeted by a buzz of lively chatters as our friends at a table shared their night experiences.
 |
| A glimpse of the Gemini from the tender boat |
 |
| In time for our dinner |
As soon as the ship left Phuket and set sailed for Penang we were ready to resume our favourite nocturnal activities. The next morning at breakfast we were greeted by a buzz of lively chatters as our friends at a table shared their night experiences.
“
I was on a winning streak until that old lady disturbed me”.
“I
stayed until two in the morning to recoup my loss”.
I am sure there will be something on the cruise which we will remember and cherish: the excitement of watching a video slot machine
spewing virtual coins; watching spell-bound at the dazzling illusions of a
magic show; enjoying a relaxing massage to sooth and rejuvenate our aching muscles;
savouring the scrumptious fares at the different dining venues; or just relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze at the pool side.
Besides enjoying the facilities on board the ship, what I will treasure most about the cruise is the opportunity to meet new friends and strengthen the bond of existing friends and acquaintances.
Besides enjoying the facilities on board the ship, what I will treasure most about the cruise is the opportunity to meet new friends and strengthen the bond of existing friends and acquaintances.
Hopefully, the
short cruise is not the end but the beginning of a much longer cruise.
Below is a short video of the cruise
Writer's Notes.
My sincere thanks to Emily Yap, Dato Kandan, Chong Hong Chong, Siti Rohani and others for organizing the memorable cruise.
Thanks also to Hong Chong, Mrs Jagjeet and Joanne for sharing the photos. To all Kirkby cruisers and families , a big thank you for your wonderful company.
Below is a short video of the cruise
Writer's Notes.
My sincere thanks to Emily Yap, Dato Kandan, Chong Hong Chong, Siti Rohani and others for organizing the memorable cruise.
Thanks also to Hong Chong, Mrs Jagjeet and Joanne for sharing the photos. To all Kirkby cruisers and families , a big thank you for your wonderful company.
