World Cruise Dinner in Singapore!!!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009 – SINGAPORE
We actually arrive to rain!!! When we opened the balcony curtains there were puddles of water all over. Can you believe this is the first day of “bad” weather for the entire trip? (But the day cleared up beautifully…)
HOT and HUMID = Singapore dollar; US$1 = 1.41 Singapore dollars
Known for great shopping
The ship had over 750 people disembark today and we picked up some more. Eight from my group left – sad…

Singapore is an island city-state 85 miles north of the equator and just south of the Malay peninsula. It is the smallest country in South-east Asia (population of 3,000,000) and the people are a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian backgrounds. There are 14 major nationalities but most people belong to one of seven or eight Chinese groups. The name means Lion City, attributed to a 14th century Sumatran prince who spotted an auspicious beast identified as a lion. The “merlion” is a half-lion/half-fish and is the national symbol, representing the Lion city and its close ties to the sea.

Chinese, Hindu and Muslim mosques welcome curious observers to discover their culture. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in the Sumatraran trading center and claimed it for British commerce. The harbor, strategic position and free port status fueled rapid growth. Raffles Hotel (in their Long Bar) is known as the birthplace of the drink the “Singapore Sling” and the hotel is regarded as an icon and must-see while visiting the city. Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street are lively sections of the city as well as Orchard Street, known for its shopping malls and hotels.

Singapore’s rules are tough, but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you will pay (smokers beware) and drug peddlers earn a death sentence. The walls of the buildings are clean. Media is scanned at the state level for content and “inappropriate” websites are blocked. You can walk fearlessly in Singapore at any time, day or night, male or female.

We were headed to Sentosa Island (Pulau Blakang Mati), an outlying island which has become a major resort and recreation area (their answer to Disney) over the last decade after its previous life as a military base. The ship provided a shuttle bus to Orchard and Scott Streets (so we saw the Marriott where we stayed before) and then we took the subway to Harbourfront. After finally finding the correct ticket office, we were on the train to Sentosa – we could have taken the cable car or you can also self-drive. It was a quick 7 minute train ride which passed a lot of new construction condos and hotels. The area will be mass developed for accommodations but currently has some excellent museums, rides and beautiful sandy beaches.

We headed to Fort Siloso, a British military fortress built in the 1880s and Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort. For 2-1/2 years during WWII, Singapore succumbed to the Japanese and British POWs were stationed on this island (1942-45). We climbed through the tunnels used to shelter the officers and ammunition and watched several films detailing the fort’s history. The Surrender Chamber shows actual footage from WWII with wax figures depicting the surrender by the British in 1942 and then by the Japanese in 1945.

There were even snake charmers around – for $5 you could have your photo taken with a light green one without stripes or a fancy colored one with all kinds of patterns and colors. I opted to walk on the path as far away as possible from the snakes.

After boarding the free bus to take you to the next site, we entered Images of Singapore. What an incredible museum! High technology, wax figures, dioramas, computers…all have been used for the most creative exhibits! It was very interesting. We went through the Warehouse of the Four Winds to see how the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian forged a nation during turbulent times through the process of trade. In the Singapore Adventure you see the primitive fishing village days through to the growth of the island as a trading port and how they gained their independence after WWII. Singapore Celebrates showcases the special moments of the year, including the Lunar New Year, Christmas, Deepavali (Festival of Lights) and Hari Raya Puasa (celebrating the end of the Muslin fasting month). It gave an excellent history and cultural background of the country.

Our final ride was the Tiger Sky Tower which gave us a 360 degree bird’s eye view of Singapore. It was a beautifully clear afternoon and we could see the harbor (I counted over 78 ships in the harbor!) and beautiful skyline of the city.
It is 430 feet high – 50 storeys! We lifted 3.9 feet per second and twirled around so everyone had a wonderful view.

Other rides were Underwater World (aquarium) with Dive with the Sharks and Manatees (dugongs); Night Ocean Discovery; Dugong Cove, Singapore Wetlands; Dragon Trail Nature Walk; Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom; Orchid Garden, Enchanted Grove of Tembusu and Musical Fountain. You can also play golf!

We hurried back to the ship on the shuttle and dressed for our formal dinner for Full World Cruisers at the Shangri-La Hotel. There are approx. 700 of us and they had bus departures staggered and it worked out fine. There were Chinese acrobats on stilts and Indian henna painting on your hands, fire breathing performers and fragrant jasmine flowers for your wrist or hair and a Chinese peacock feather dance in the lobby. We had snacks and drinks and then they opened the ballroom with stunning flower arrangements on each table. White roses where in a ball in the middle of an arrangement of branches (with moss hanging down) and the entire bottom had white roses with orchids and lilies. It was so different and so pretty!

The menu and service were great and we had a performance by a Chinese opera singer who had recently won an Asian competition. She was wearing a colorful Chinese costume and we had a translation of the text on the screens. But I don’t think some of the attendees appreciated her singing…

Carol Marlow, the President of Cunard, gave a nice presentation on the new ship, the Queen Elizabeth, due out in Fall 2010. Captain Wright gave a farewell speech and the blessing before the dinner. Captain Ian McNaught takes over tonight until the end of the voyage.

There was a live orchestra playing throughout the evening and people danced during and after the meal. It was a very grand event. Everyone was dressed formally in gowns and tuxedos and jewels…