Singapore
March 12, 2024 - We spent a great day and a half in Singapore. We docked just after noon on the 12th and then had about a 45 minute process to get through the line at customs. They took thumb prints and retina scans, in addition to checking passports. This was the first port where we had anything close to this. The good news is we just had to do this once, and each subsequent time on/off the ship we could go to the automated turnstiles and just use our thumbs / eyes to get cleared.
After clearing customs, we started our panoramic tour of the city . The first things you notice, after coming from Vietnam and Indonesia, is the lack of traffic and the pristine tree covered streets. It is a small city/country in terms of land mass, but has a population of about 6 million and calls itself a green city that is very focused on sustainability and reducing carbon footprints (YEAH!). As we drove around on the bus, it certainly didn’t seem like of city of 6 million and our guide explained the reasons. It is always hot (so they walk underground our under some other covering) and the government makes cars cost prohibitive and unnecessary. They have a great mass transit system, which is very inexpensive. And if you want a car, in addition to the cost of the car, they have to buy a certificate (about $50k US) to own a car, which is good for 10 years. They have very strict laws regarding littering, smoking, spitting, etc. with hefty fines and they have CCTV cameras everywhere — so people comply. Singapore is definitely a modern city, with a huge financial district and many skyscrapers, including the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel with it’s three towers connected at the top with a “ship” spanning out beyond them. After our 3 1/2 hour guided bus ride left us back at the ship, we took a cab back to the Marina Bay Area to explore on our own. We spent hours walking through the “Garden of Bays” behind the marina where they have incredible vertical gardens shaped like trees, many of which are connected via a bamboo walkway. They have many Indian and Chinese gardens that were also free to roam around, and a flower dome which is the largest greenhouse with no interior columns. After walking around we walked back towards the Sands hotel and the attached mall to find dinner. The food court area was crazy - and made our ships buffet at peak times look empty. We were not aggressive enough to get a table so decided to find other options —but it was certainly a local experience.
March 13, 2024 - We had a very disappointing tour today that was supposed to give us an overview of the Peranakan Culture. The guide wasn’t great and we only had two stops with more than 1/2 our time spent just standing around. We did get to see how their traditional beaded shoes and clothing and had a chance to taste some local traditional food and tea that is traditional for the Peranakan culture by a local group. We did happen to see a video while we where waiting around, that explained more about how they are keeping their culture alive by working with young people. At the end of the tour we opted to not reboard the ship but to once again explore on our own a bit before our “after dark” tour. We went to a local place for lunch and had soup, chicken, rice, cabbage and some type of boiled gelatinous egg which Ann Marie passed on and Cathy at least tried. After eating we followed the boardwalk path across to Sonesta island, a resort area where Singapore’s Universal Studios Park and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum are located, along with the aquarium and a beach (which we didn’t find). We enjoyed walking around despite the heat, and then took the cable car, which went right over our ship, back to the Harbor Front Cruise Terminal. Our Singapore after dark tour included another trip to see the iconic Myrlion statue, a boat ride through the Marina and a panoramic ride around the city to see the lights. And, of course, a stop at the Raffles hotel, a beautifully maintained hotel from the time Singapore was a British colony and where the Singapore Sling cocktail. We enjoyed a one in the outdoor courtyard of the grand hotel. It was a great way to end two wonderful days in Singapore. As with almost every other port we’ve been privileged to visit, we would come back to Singapore again given the opportunity.
