Crossing the South China Sea

Last April 2017, I was able to experience how to live in a cruise ship for 5 days. Our itinerary was comprised of 3 countries , namely Philippines, Taiwan and Hongkong. In the Philippines our target destination was Laoag City, and that is located in the Northern part of the Philippines. Second destination was toward the southern part of Taiwan specifically in Kaohsiung City. Lastly the location to end the trip is Hongkong which is situated in the South east of China.

It is one of the first time in the Philippines to have a cruise ship in its shore. I was one of the lucky guys to experience it first hand in my own country.

The cruise ship is owned by a Chinese businessman and originated from a European country. It is a 12 deck ship which is enough to house entertainment venue, swimming pools, restaurant and hotel in this monstrous sailing vessel.

What I can remember on the first day of the trip was that it was ducked in Manila Port and I had to arrived before dinner to check in the ship.

Since I was already hungry when we checked in, the first thing that we did with my parents was to find food.

Our first food encounter in the ship was this sandwich ice cream. It was timely because it was already summer when we aboard the ship.

Safety comes first, that is why the initial activity on the day one was to teach survival mechanic on how to survive a sinking ship. The tutorial comprised of how to wear life vest, on how to exit during emergency situations and where to get those life vest in case of the need for it arises.

The roof top of the ship was my favorite place because it is where the relaxation takes place. It is an open space for swimming, eating and just hanging around.

There were shows every night which includes ballroom and other dances which performed by professional dancers. One that I watched was a dance that has story about being good and evil.

As a native asian, it is an awe to see foreign people perform in front of people. It is not usual to me to see foreigner, so as a result they appear amazing to me.

Those shows had ticket and not included in the fare paid prior to checking in the cruise. Free shows include movie watching, swimming in the pool and magical shows.

The trip was a 5 day ride on a ship. Mostly the view was the South China sea as can be seen from the terrace of the ship. The sea was calm during the trip because it was in the month of April. Usual climate during this time is summer and seldom that there is typhoon, thus it is the best time to sail during this month.

Both exterior and interior of the ship were well planned. The elevator is covered with LED light that appears colorful when lighted.

Having vacation in a ship is a nice choice. It is like living in a city, because the ship provides almost everything that you need; from wifi, restaurants, casino, shopping store to playgrounds. It is suitable for family vacation. In my case, it was my father and mother that I was with.

There was an interesting water slide on the roof deck of the ship, though I was not able to try it because it only opens during the mid of the day. I was able to dip in the pool only during early morning, so the entrance to the slide was not open.

Jacuzzi was my favorite  part of the ship. Though as per instruction one should stay only for 20 minutes, because more than that, the body will react to it in a bad way. So I did not stay in the jacuzzi for so long.

All in all, cruising is a nice and one of unforgettable experience. It gives you freedom and it relaxes you for a few days.

I should be very thankful to my parents, because they let me experience cruising for free.