Before we talk about today’s activities we wanted to mention a little more about the World Cruise Show last evening. We thought that it was an outstanding show. It was very entertaining and we greatly appreciate all of the time and effort that goes into producing such a show. The dancing by Curtis and Beverly was superb along with the singing by the lead vocalists Colleen and Dennis. The acting by World Cruise Hostess Anne Marie Falvey was equally superb. Many other entertainers performed including the acappella quartet, Full Sail. The Cruise Director, Rick Spath, was also in the show. It was wonderful show.
We also wanted to note that last evening we enjoyed a very quiet dinner in the main dining room. We sit in an area of the dining room that is normally fairly quiet. In our section of the dining room there are about ten tables of various sizes from two up to eight person tables and last evening we were the only two people dining. Some passengers were dining in the alternative dining venues, we suspect that some who just arrived back from the Beijing overland tour were enjoying a casual dinner in their room, while many other passengers were on overland tours to Hanoi and to Cambodia. While this segment of the world cruise has been sold out, it has been relatively quiet given all of the overland tours.
We slept very well last evening and awoke early. Keith was the first to arrive at the Fitness Center and Anne Marie arrived about 30 minutes later. Keith worked out on his favorite Elliptical Machine and enjoyed a nice talk with Mary, while Anne Marie enjoyed her workout on the Treadmill.
After our workout we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in our room. As we enjoyed breakfast we took in the beautiful views of the sea.
Today is a sea day as we sail to our next Port of Call, Bangkok, Thailand.
We attended a wonderful talk given by actress, singer, veteran entertainer and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Luci Arnaz. Luci Arnaz is the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She hosted a screening of her Emmy Award winning film, Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie. This movie was made fifteen years ago. This was followed by a wonderful question and answer session with Luci Arnaz and her husband. Laurence Luckinbill. The film was delightful and the Q&A session was very enlightening. The movie along with the Q&A were both very moving.
Afterwards, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Main Dining Room. Our Senior Waiter who serves us in the evening, Pablo, was our Senior Waiter for lunch. We continue to request him for lunch, wherever possible.
In the afternoon we took a nice long walk on the Promenade Deck. The weather was fairly mild and mid-way through our walk it rained for about fifteen minutes but we could walk under an area that protected us from the rain showers.
Before dinner this evening we attended the Crystal Society Reception, which is held for all passenger’s who have previously sailed with Crystal. Several passengers were recognized at the session who have sailed on a significant number of Crystal Cruises. Since this evenings attire was Formal, passenger were mainly dressed in formal attire. Most men wore tuxedos or dinner jackets and most women were dressed in gowns or other formal outfits. It’s wonderful to see everyone dressed so nicely.
After the reception, we had dinner at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant. We dined with a fellow World Cruise Passenger who we first met on last years World Cruise. She is a delightful person.
We will not be able to post the next couple of days, as we will be spending one evening in Bangkok. The driving distance between the Cruise Ship Terminal and Bangkok is approximately two hours each way so we thought it made more sense to stay overnight in Bangkok. We made our arrangements through Crystal’s Shore Excursion Program.
We will arrive in the port city of Laem Chabang, which is the gateway to Bangkok. Bangkok is known as the “City of Angles”. It is well known for its oriental charm along with its ornate temples and shrines, crisscrossing canals and its towering golden spires. Some of the well known sites include the Grand Palace & Wat Pra Keo built in 1872, Wat Po which is known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, National Museum which houses an extensive collection of Buddhist and Thai art, Vimarnmek Palace which is the largest teak structure in the world.
Crystal provides a complimentary shuttle to the resort town of Pattaya, which is located approximately forty minutes from the port of call. Pattaya is Thailand’s oldest international beach resort. This town is very well known for its shopping and beach areas.
We listened to the talk that was given on board the ship by Photojournalist and Publisher Mason Florence about Bangkok. He provided lots of valuable information about Bangkok including sites to visit, the layout of the city, shopping, restaurants, various means of transportation and the overall culture. It was very informative. According to the lecturer, since we are arriving on Saturday morning that we should encounter less traffic than on a weekday.
We are looking forward to our first visit to Bangkok, Thailand and spending the next two days exploring this city.
Keith & Anne Marie
