Phil sails Mariner of the Seas

[Phil]

The Godfather sent an email on Friday from RCI and said I have to go, despite my earlier this year saying I was done with the Godfather. Once in, always in, I was told.

Just hoping that i don't find a Horses head in the Cabin when I arrive.

How do you turn down the Godfather when they give you as rate of $867 CAD for 2 including taxes (inside) then $580 Air rate to/from the cruise.

So here it is:

01-Sep    Baoshan (Shanghai), China          4:30 PM    
02-Sep    Cruising              Cruising
03-Sep    Okinawa (Naha), Japan     7:00 AM     4:00 PM    Docked
04-Sep    Cruising              Cruising
05-Sep    Hong Kong, China     10:00 AM     8:00 PM    Docked
06-Sep    Cruising              Cruising
07-Sep    Cruising              Cruising
08-Sep    Ho Chi Minh (Phu My), Vietnam     7:00 AM     7:00 PM    Docked
09-Sep    Cruising              Cruising
10-Sep    Singapore     8:00 AM    

I have always wanted to do these ports and the price is very right.

We fly into China a few days earlier and stay a few days in Singapore.

Phil

[Manuela]

Sounds like a good deal to me

[Carolyn Jane]

Any geocaching opportunities?  Too bad you don't overnight in Hong Kong.  Try to ride the Star Ferry.  I would retire to the sulking corner, but I would have to leave it to go on my cruise Aug. 26.  CJ

[Phil]

Yes Geocaching is on the list of planned things to do.

Will post more when we figure this out.

Phil

[Phil]

Well not a good start to our group. Two of them denied boarding yesterday because United had no idea there was a 144 hour Visa for Shanghai.

They returned home and were rebooked for today for another $700 because United had no idea of this rule. They will fight it because it was United fault. They were allowed to board today so proof that United was wrong.

We are on United tomorrow and hope we don't have the same problem.

Will try to post along the way.

Phil

[Manuela]

That's a hassle no one wants. Hope it goes better tomorrow.

[Manuela]

Bon Voyage 

[Manuela]

Okinawa - Naha

[Carolyn Jane]

Nice capture!  I had no idea there was a cam there.  CJ

[Manuela]

I didn't either, just a lucky search.

http://www.tomarin.com/webcam/index.php

[Manuela]

Not showing in any of the Hong Kong webcams 

[Phil]

Hi All,

Thanks for following me.

Truth be told this wasn't one of my finer trips period.

It started off with 4 of our group of 8 being refused into China. 2 of the group managed to get in the day after they were suppose to. The other 2 had to board in Japan because of a small rule in the 144 hour visa rule for China. You see all of the group were affected with Irma and flight being delayed. In two cases they could not get us to China in time to board the ship despite leaving 4 days early.
So the airlines worked to try and make it happen. For myself we manged to get the last 2 seats on a code share flight with Air Canada. United said they would route our friends through Tokyo and they did until they boarded for China and were pulled from the flight.  You see on the 144 hour Visa you can not travel from Japan to China back to Japan which is what they would be doing as out first port was Japan. They had to wait in Japan for the ship. The airlines picked up 2 nights of the 4 nights of hotel in Japan.

So for 4 of us we managed to get to China on time. Great 3 days in China so we thought.

We had a great hotel great time and great food or so we thought.

We boarded the ship and had dinner in Chops the first night as we had the Ultimate Dining Package. It wasn't until 3 of us went to bed and boy we were sick. It was felt it was something we picked up in China.
2 of the group recovered within 24 hours but yours truly remained sick for the whole cruise. I was briefly quarantined for 24 hours by the ships Doctor. It would appear to be over and I was given the green light to resume normal activity only to eat dinner and it start all over. I ate a total of 5 dinners and 5 lunches on a 10 day cruise. There was breakfast which consisted of rice and bananas.

I never finally got rid of what ever it was until we arrived in Singapore.

Leaving for home we found out that our flight was delayed and we would miss our connection home.

More to come but this is why I didn't post.

Let's just say it was a pretty crappy situation. 

Phil

[Manuela]

Sorry to hear that this wasn't the best of trips.

[Phil]

It has been a long time coming but here is my Review of the Mariner of the Seas cruise last September.

I have learned to never store photos on 4 different devices.......

http://seacruisechat.com/reviews/review-22.html

Phil