I owe this completely spontaneous trip to Jacqueline and her mom. A MILLION thanks for not only inviting, but sponsoring me on this free 4D3N cruise to Penang and Phuket! This marks the first time I’ve ever gone on a cruise, and it’s a blessing I got to experience the largest, best equipped and finest ship in the Star Cruises lineup – SuperStar Virgo.

It was quite liberating experience to feel all the usual stresses and expectations of work get left behind on Singapore’s shores as we departed the harbor…

The Ship

In all her glory..

Yohan and Fei up on deck as we leave Singapore

Undergoing the mandatory "don't run around like headless chickens if the ship sinks!" drill. Titanic dejavu..

The awesome main pool, heated jacuzzis and water slide..

I walked and explored the ship as much as I could, and she was amazing. Everything was well maintained, and the agenda on board literally SPOILS you. If you love eating, this will be the perfect holiday – as breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and even a midnight supper are served with no extra charge. And the food (both Western and Asian cuisine) was pretty tasty and decent too.

Jacq & Fei, Lunch at Bella Vista

There were after dinner shows at the amphitheater in the form of a musical / acrobatics play (which kinda sucked), as well as a comedian juggler on the 3rd night that turned out to be a wee bit more entertaining.

Let’s not forget The CASINO! Haha, I went in and within an hour lost SGD100 on the roulette table. Didn’t gamble anymore after that although I did spend time watching other tables.

L-R: Yohan, Fei, Carmen, Keix2, Carol and FoOie at the main stairs

I didn’t really use much of the other facilities though. There was a gym (which the ladies fully maximized), a library (I brought my own books), an indoor bar/pub (not interested in cheapo entertainment or liquor) and a video arcade (no interesting games – and they shut off at midnight).

Settlers of Catan up on deck!

What I did enjoy was the awesome jacuzzis located around the swimming pool, and the kickass water slide. A portion of the slide actually juts out into the sea and is made of transparent plastic so you can stare right down into the ocean as you slide past. I lost count the number of times I climbed up to slide down and I even managed to sneak my camera on the slide to video the whole experience once .

That's me sliding down the waterslide!

Me & Yohan kicking back and relaxing..

I see dead people... (couldn't help myself )

Most of all though, nothing beats walking around on deck, basking in the sun (or moonlight), getting blasted by strong sea winds, knowing you are stuck on a floating city of excesses, gluttony and sin in the middle of the sea.

Penang

And I stepped back into Malaysia once again.. It’s been quite a number of years since I last came here so it was nice to visit in a way. Because of the sheer size of SuperStar Virgo, it cannot dock at the jetties and must instead stay anchored out at sea while smaller boats ferried us over to Penang and Phuket.

Clockwise from Left: Fei, Jacq, Aunt Wong, Carol, Elaine, Keix2 & Carmen. Aboard the ferry to shore.

We haggled for a van to fetch all of us around, and visited various snacks and tidbit stores to shop. I went to Ghee Hiang and stocked up on some of their famous Biskut Tambuns and Heong Pengs. We then took a long hot drive all the way to Air Itam for the famous Assam Laksa and Cendol, before heading back to the port for the ferry ride back.

Penang Air Itam Assam Laksa! I'm salivating just thinking about this again.. nothing like it in Singapore

Phuket

My first time here! We disembarked at the beautiful Patong beach, and took a long walk along its shores to find a massage parlour. I wasn’t much of a massage guy so I didn’t join them, and instead went exploring on my own. Spotted a few hot chiqs and a few topless ones . I was carrying a large banana as a snack and got teased by one of the local women. Sat down on the sand and had a chat with a Malaysian husband and wife who also came with the cruise.

Jacq & me at the restaurant on Patong Beach

Our little cozy corner on Patong Beach

Jet skiing with Carmen as far away from land as possible

We had lunch at this recommended Thai restaurant which served pretty tasty food. Their super oily pineapple fried rice comes to mind. Then off to the beach we go to enjoy ourselves while Jacq and her mum went bargain hunting instead. I took a quick dip in the ‘not so clean’ sea, spent Carmen and Carol their very first experience para sailing, and then booked a high powered jet ski to ride the waves.

And before we knew it, it was time to go back to Virgo once again, and begin our long journey home..

Singapore's welcome home sign, trying to cheer me up

This was a really relaxing experience I wouldn’t mind going for again..

P.S. I found out after the trip that Detta (a friend from Singapore) was ALSO on board the same cruise ship! But we somehow never met each other during the entire 4 days 3 nights together. Really not fated.. hahaha.