CRUISE HOLIDAY : AN INDULGENCE OF THE SENSES

My 1st cruise - and I was amazed by the level of indulgences the world had to offer. Each day was a different experience. For 9 days the passengers were feted, pampered, and indulged in every sense of the word. Every day was - 'How shall we amuse ourselves?'  Day one started with photo taking upon boarding the ship and we were then invited for a buffet lunch. On the first day, everyone seemed to take more they can eat!! One morning, we were seated next to a lady in her sixties. She had a whole array of food in front of her - a bowl of cereal, a bowl of yorgurt, a huge plate of fruits, 2 eggs, 2 bagels, a plate of assorted meats- sausages, chicken ham, salami, a plate of smoked salmon, a glass of prune juice and a glass of orange juice. As I sat there observing her, I wondered how she would be able to eat them all - but she did!! anyway, during our conversation with her, we got the impression that she was related to some underworld characters. She was from Sibu.

Then we took a tour of the ship - the facilities on board. There was the shopping arcade - and whenever there was a sales, the ladies (especially the Koreans and Chinese) went berserk! They grabbed the goods as if the items were free. One lady grabbed 20 bags at a go - leaving none for me.

Of course there were many swimming pools, jacuzzi pools and sunning decks. I noticed that the Caucasians monopolised the pools in the daytime. They wallowed in the sun - like lizards, sunning themselves.The Asians, shunning the sun, only came to the pools in the evenings. That's a cultural difference. The casinos were frequented by Asians. You could see some of them practically glued to their tables.

Dinner was a different menu every night - with such impeccable service that outdid any 5 star restaurant ( that put Pan Pacific Sutera to shame). In the late evening we would head to our favourite cafe for coffee and cookies.

The dessert was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. On the final night, all the 270 waiters serenaded the guests!

On board the ship was an artistic experience too as there were a few artists who painted and showcased their paintings. There were art auctions.

The state-of-art La Scala Theater hosted many live shows . Music recitals, pop concerts, Broadway musicals, magic and juggling acts enraptured the audience. And of course there were many programmes for the children.

Apart from indulging the sense, I also enjoyed people watching and observing their antics. Would I go for another cruise? Most definitely!! But not so soon. The whole trip had been surreal. I need time to digest all those experiences. It would be wonderful if the whole family could take a cruise holiday together.