A great Landmark Hotel - Raffles - Singapore.
Local Entertainers greet Arcadia in traditional Ceremonial Style. See the baggage and stores doors being opened in the background - a busy day ahead for all Arcadia's Ships Company.
The VIP Welcome - makes everyone feel special and very Welcome to Singapore.Good Day Everyone,
Arcadia arrives for the first time in the Garden City of Asia – Singapore. To welcome us here a local dance troupe performed dressed in dragon suits. Everyone loved the colourful scene all around and I am quite sure many photographs will have been taken.
Many passengers both old and new to this port headed off to enjoy the splendour of the Raffles Hotel and of course just had to enjoy the taste of a genuine Singapore Sling in the world famous Long Bar. We also operate an afternoon tea tour to the Tiffin Room at Raffles.
Standing guard at the mouth of the Singapore River is the mythical Merlion, half lion and half fish and although only created in 1972 has become a symbol of the city.
Another aspect of the city that is interesting is the Fort Canning area and in particular the Battlebox exhibit that faithfully recreates the events leading to the surrender of Singapore to the Japanese during the Second World War.
Some of our passengers really enjoyed the Peranakan Experience during which they were able to enjoy the wonderful exhibits in the museum that is devoted to this culture. Hand in hand with this we were able to see the adapt local lady making tasty dumplings and her colleague making intricate bead work bags. The day came to a close as a few select passengers were taken around the night markets in a traditional trishaw, again a truly memorable occasion, a lifetime experience perhaps something that only a Grand Voyage like this one can deliver!
The Peranakan Museum.
The Stamford Raffles Statue, marking the place where he came ashore to develop Singapore on behalf of the British.
The Court yard Bar at Raffles Hotel.
'Wet floor signs' - you see them the world over!
The Court Yard Fountain at Raffles Hotel.
Bead work in the Peranakan area.
The famous Raffles Singapore Sling - I have enjoyed many of these in The Long Bar at Raffles Hotel over the years!
The Night Market.
Good Friends - Jimmy and Shelia - the last time I caught up with Jimmy was in 2001 when Aurora made her first call in Singapore on her Maiden World Cruise........how time passes......
A run ashore for a local lunch with Jimmy and Shelia. Keep it simple!
Dumplings being made...............!
Peranakan area shop fronts. Very colourful and interesting to browse......
We operated a shuttle service to the Harbour Front Shopping Mall - next door to the Vivo Shopping Mall. Imagine my delight when this Orchestra was playing for my arrival.....a great photo opportunity! Chinese new Year Celebrations are still very much in full swing.
E
Endless Shopping over several floors. Everywhere is spotless.
Always check the cut - if I am going to be in this blog then I need a few more shirts!
Bag a bargain - the sales are on!! 
Meanwhile back at ARCADIA a red carpet welcome awaits our new joining passengers and crew.We sailed at Midnight - after the local Immigration Officials had checked and stamped all passports. The regulations are very tight! A busy but successful day all round. Off now on our five sea day Voyage to Fremantle - our first call in AUSTRALIA on this Inaugural Grand Voyage.
Bye for now!
James.
'Everything that happens was once a dream!'
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11 comments:
Oh, James, how WONDERFUL Singapore looked. it is the port I am most looking forward to.
I know you all work hard on board, but what a privilege to see, and spend time, at so many wonderful places - it makes me very envious! And now 5 lovely days at sea before Australia.
Please give a special welcome to friends Peter and Alan from Thailand, who boarded at Singapore.
Enjoy the next few days.
Gill
As Gill has said in her comments, give our best wishes to Peter & Alan who boarded at Singapore and hopefully Daniel will now receive his photos that we entrusted them with. Singapore looks fantastic, would love to visit one day, reports are brilliant as with our terrible weather here at home it give us hope that the weather will get better very soon.
Heather & Malcolm (J824)
Great to read your Singapore blog James, its one of my favourite places to visit, once again your blog has brought back happy memories.
Keep up the good work.
Mary K.
Hi James
Looking at your blog at lunchtime today! What a lovely place Singapore looks. The shopping mall looks much nicer than the one at Milton Keynes, which is where I've been this morning! No matter where you are in the world, it's always great to bag a bargain! My OH brought me some perfume today and had we not stopped off for a tea and danish before we headed into John Lewis, we would have paid full price, because whilst we were at the counter a young lady came round and told the assistant that they had just decided to give 10% off today in store! what a result!!!!!!!!!! A whole £7.70 saving!!!!!!!!
So James, when DD gets to Singapore, is there anything in particular I should send her out to buy? ;-)
I'm sure that most people will be heading off for a singapore sling at Raffles after showing us this photo!
Well I hope everyone made it to Arcadia safe and sound and I bet those that left the UK earlier this week are ready for some nice lovely hot weather and sunshine! It's lovely and sunny here today, but the snow is still on the ground. Slowly melting!
Is that you taking a photo of the photographers??? lol! Now they know what it's like to be on the other side of the camera (lol)!
Oh look at all them lucky people walking up the gangplank!
Elaine (aurorabore)
Hi James
The recent pictures of wonderful sun sand and warm seas are really cheering us up on these very cold February days back in the UK. Still at least in our part of the UK today we have some sunshine although not as warm as yours.
Your blog is really great and we feel we are sailing on the Grand Voyage as well.
Our last trip on Arcadia was on the J822Y where we walked through that storm and held our heads up high (and bounced around a bit) and we are very much looking forward to being back for our 4th cruise on Arcadia for the J903 during which we will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary.
It was good to see Daniel checking the stores containers the other day we hope Daniel will still be on board to look after us for our ROV ceremony on the 12th May. Please give him our very best wishes.
Keep up this fantastic blog it really makes our days.
Enjoy the next 5 days at sea.
Lovely photos again James brings back happy memories of our visit to Singapore on Aurora RWC. Enjoy the nect 5 sea days, your're missing nothing herev at home weather wise still.
Diane and I have just been pawing over the SIN photos - you look to be in your element James! Was it 'shop to drop' day in Singapore?
P&O's penchant for container ports is apparent in the dockside shots!
Presumably we will find the Arcadia over at the Kowloon Container Port when we arrive in Hong Kong on the 12 March?
It was, I am bound to say, one of the biggest passenger gripes aboard Oriana in 2007 - but so terribly P&O - they'll never spent a fiver when 50p will do!
HAL & Cundard took the prime $$$$ downtown berths
Hard to port - Container Port!
Hi James
Lovely photographs of Singapore and thanks for bringing them to us.
What another five sea days we just could not cope with all those fab meals and fun!! There is always loads going on especially on the sea days. Yes we are jealous and of course we would love to be there with you all. So work hard but play hard too and enjoy - after all that is what life is all about. We know where we would rather be just now. Looking forward to following the next part of your travels. Perhaps you could take over where Michael Palin left off!!
Best wishes
Andrew & Susan B-G ex J816
What memories this has brought back, we too were on Aurora 2001 in Signpore that was our first visit there and we loved it. I recall the Children doing the Dragon Welcome dance then hopping into the mini bus in their school uniforms to go off to school for the day.
We did the Footsteps of Raffles tour ending up in Raffles for the obligitory Singapore Sling , they dont make them like that on board do they !
We also went up in the Cable car over to Santosa Island.
On our way back to the ship a lady from the local tourist office stopped us with a survey to complete.
Well the following year we boarded Aurora in Singapore and guess who stopped us with her clip board !! yes the same lady... same questions. She even remembered us.
I still have the silver pens she gave us on both occasions.
Happy Days...
Hi James - this is Jill Barrows here - I was sent your web site by Jo Fairhurst - enjoying reading about your adventures and glad to see you are still enjoying ship life! I do miss it I must say, but these days I am happy in the sun in Saudi Arabia...
I will keep reading with interest...
Jill
When I came aboard Aurora in Hong Kong last year, she was berthed at the cruise terminal, just a short walk from the Star Ferries wharf. She had a wonderful view of the awesome Hong Kong skyline, and standing on the upper deck that night to see the evening light show, with lasers sweeping the sky, skyscrapers pulsating in flashing patterns and decorated junks shuttling across the reflecting water, well, it was one of the grand experiences of my life.
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