Friday 2nd December, Langkawi, Malaysia

So today started wet.  That is, by the time we finished breakfast and went out on deck, it was raining, and it kept raining on and off throughout the morning.  We are on tour this afternoon, Peter is escorting and I'm a puckerjen ticket holder of the Mangrove Swamp and Batcave tour this afternoon. This morning I've spent my time up on the top deck enjoying the fantastic scenery and watching for the eagles that regularly soar over our heads and around the ship. 

There were two different types of eagles, the Langwaki Eagle, otherwise known as a brahminy kite  and brown and white in colour and white bellied sea eagles, which are bigger, and grey and white.  Try as I might, I couldn't get a decent photograph of either, but I did see a load of dolphins which cheered me up and managed to get a few pictures of some pacific reef herons - which can be either a "light morph" (entirely white plumage), or a "dark morph", which are charcoal grey.  There were three of the dark morph near our ship.

The rain had stopped by lunchtime, after which it was all aboard the bus for our tour. We drove through the surrounding paddy fields whilst the guide told us loads of useful information, such as the the fact that that Malaysia is 80% Muslim, something I didn't realise.  Their mosques are not as tall as the ones we've seen in Turkey and elsewhere, and I didn't see any minarets.

From the bus we were loaded onto speedy river boats and taken up river to watch the eagles feeding, and I managed to get pictures of both the Langwaki Eagle and the Sea Eagle.  I loved this bit. We also got to see Long Tailed Macaque (I think that's how you spell it) monkeys in the mangroves alongside the river and around the cave, but we didn't see any other wildlife, which was slightly disappointing. 

Amazing scenery alongside the river

Langkawi Eagle  - or brahminy kite

White bellied sea eagle

Our next stop was the fish farm.  A young Thai boy with loads of enthusiasm showed us some of the fish held in the farms.  He got people to get down on the deck and feel the skin of the manta rays as well as allow the horse shoe crabs to "comb" their hair.  Despite the fact that the fish pens seemed a little small for us animal welfare minded westerners to feel completely comfortable, it was an interesting and enjoyable half hour or so.

Laced or Honeycomb Moray Eel. 

Next we were taken to the batcave.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any usuable photographs (because it dark), but I think Peter might have managed to.  I can tell you that the cave is quite awesome in its own right.  The stalagmite/stalagtite rock formations were amazing and the bats just added to it.  We were through it all too quickly.  A tip for any future visitors.... the small cave didn't have any bats in and wasn't all that interesting.  If I was to do the tour again, I'd return to the entrance via the main cave and see the bats and cave formations for a second time. 

Long tailed Macaque monkey.

The tour took over 5 hours, and we didn't get back to the ship until 7.15pm, so we quickly cleaned up to get into dinner.  The show of the evening was Call My Bluff.  We thought that the contestants may include the Captain and the Hotel Director, as it had done with hysterically funny effect when we on this ship in March, but not so this time. Not that it made a jot of difference. It was another very funny evening, which we thoroughly enjoyed. 

Tomorrow we are in Penang.   No tours, so who knows where we'll end up...... it should be good though.

A New Cruise - Flavours of the Caribbean Day 1 - Cozumel, Mexico

OK, so haven't left the ship, but today we start a new cruise - "Flavours of Cuba and the Caribbean". The itinerary changes from tropical forests and Mayan ruins to the 50/60's style of Havanna and the botanical gardens of the western Caribbean. For me, it's a load of new places to see and experience, all from the comfort of the Voyager - how can you not enjoy it.

The Sun Deck on Voyager

For the current passengers, it's time to leave, and the day has been filled with announcements telling people with whatever coloured tags on their luggage to head for the gangway. The lounges have been full of people waiting or saying goodbye, and the crew have been deep cleaning and fumigating the ship after the small outbreak of gastroenteritis over the last couple of weeks.

Looking down from the Sun Deck onto the Pool Deck

The sheltered Pool Deck,

The trouble with GI infections is that the crew have to go into overdrive regarding hygiene and cleaning. This meant that in the veranda restaurant, there've been no tablecloths, and we've been using sachets of salt and pepper and paper napkins. We've not been permitted to touch anything that might be handled later by another passenger, therefore the crew have been handing us plates, cutlery, bread, butter, napkins etc, and the chefs have been serving the food. We've been handed individual sachets of sugar for tea and coffee and had our milk poured. The crew have also been cleaning and fumigating the ship every night. They must be shattered, and I bet they hope even more than we that there are no further cases.

Scotts Bar

It's all been done very discreetly though. There has only been the odd clue that the cases have been continuing, the main one being the fact we still can't serve ourselves in the Veranda Restaurant. Hopefully this will change soon.

The Sunset club

Later in the day, the new passengers arrived - all worn out after the days travelling. There are two couples joining the ship that we know from old, Steven and Pam Smith, and Steve and Jill Ragnall. We know them from the Marco Polo and it's nice to see them again. We've also got to know some of the passengers that have stayed on from the last cruise, so there is plenty of company for us on this one.

A cabin on the deck 3

Peter had work today reviewing and replying to his online student submissions. He spent the day between the cabin and Scott's Bar (for the wi-fi). I spent a little time ashore looking for sunscreen, but then I followed his lead and updated my blog. For a change, I'm ahead of him.

The ship stays in port overnight. We were planning on going ashore for a short walk, but spent too much time chatting on board. We ended the day with a walk around the deck instead. Tomorrow we'll be escorting the San Gervasio Ruins and Beach Break tour. Cool eh?

New Ship, New Cruise. First day on the Voyager - Eclipse and Natural Wonders Cruise

Scott's Lounge, Voyager

I'm sitting in the Scott's Lounge, in a deep burgundy, square armchair, amongst many other deep burgundy armchairs which are set out in rows and squares across the lounge. Voices rise and fall around me, as people talk of previous cruises, holidays, train journeys and today's programme. Others read, or doze, or sit with furrowed brows, heads down, concentrating on a crosswords.

So what's the ship like? We arrived on board yesterday and our first impression is that Voyager is a lot shorter than the ships we're used to, and a bit more square and boxy. At only 560 maximum passengers, it's bound to be. We took a quick saunter around the decks, and to us, it feels small.

Darwin Lounge, Voyager

The lounges are all relatively contemporary , clean and well maintained. So far we've sat in the Darwin Lounge to watch last night's show, eaten in the very pleasant Veranda Restaurant, and admired the gentle ambience of the Library as we've walked through. The Lookout Lounge at the front of the ship is where Peter is holding his art classes, and it's a really nice space.

Veranda Restaurant The Voyager

The Library, Voyager

Lookout Lounge, Voyager

We've had a quick walk around the external decks too. Taking a promenade all the way around the ship isn't possible, as there is only one deck to walk on, and it only extends about two thirds of the way from the rear of the ship to the front. There is the Sun Deck at the top of the ship, which I'm sure is very popular in warmer climes. For me, the lack of external deck space is a little disappointing, and adds to the boxy feel of the ship, making it feel more enclosed than we are used to.

Sun Deck, Voyager

Hot tubs and swimming pool, Voyager

Our cabin is up to the usual standards, the bed is massive because they've pushed two single 3ft beds together to give us a huge double, and we've massess of storage space in the cupboards. The bathroom is edging towards tired, but it's clean and we are happy. No kettles in the cabins again, but tea and coffee making facilities are available 24/7.

Voyager prides itself on the standard of its lecturers, so at some point we'll have to check them out.  The staff are mostly Phillipino, meaning delightfully happy, smiling and helpful. The show team, or theatre company, as they are described on Voyager, seem very skilled and professional, and the entertainment team as a whole seem well organised. Scarily, we seem to be on a well oiled machine, which bodes well for the rest of the cruise.

The Veranda, a small but very nice covered deck area off the back of the Veranda Restaurant, Voyager

Today is a sea day, and Peter has had his first class. 20 keen , eager and forgiving passengers turned up and waited patiently as we worked our way through understanding a new ship, new processes and new ways of providing materials. They seemed happy at the end of the class and promised to come back for a second time, so Peter must have done something right.

The weather today has been quite amazing. First of all the sea has been amazingly mill pond smooth, meaning the ship has hardly rocked or rolled at all. Secondly, we have been surrounded by fog all day - with only the briefest view of the sun as it tried vainly to burn its way through the mist and damp. Visibility has been so poor that we've decided we could easily be travelling around in circles on the same flat stretch of water and never know. I'd really like visibility to improve, or how am I going to get to see the whales around here?

Tonight is formal night, so time to get the posh togs out, and tomorrow is another sea day and Peter's second class. Let's see how it all goes then.......