A luxury sea cruise sailing from Pattaya? Someone told me
there was a ship making regular voyages around the Gulf but I didn’t
believe him. I was surprised that I had lived in Pattaya for so long without
being familiar with Star Cruises. I called Kwan Jai, my knowledgeable travel
agent in Bangkok, got some cruise prices and booked one of the short trips.
Up early Sunday morning at the Pattaya Chalet and
laying my clothes out on the bed. Today I leave on the ship Superstar Aries
for a four-day trip to Koh Samui and around the Gulf of Siam. I take the
short drive north to Laem Chabang, the main shipping port of Thailand, where
Star Cruises has set up secure parking near the terminal.
Elegantly
dressed for a night on the ship
When you first see the ship, its beauty takes your breath
away. The 37,012 ton Superstar Aries was built in 1982 and formerly
sailed under the name Europa, a five star vessel voted best in the
world by the Berlitz Guide in 1997. Carrying a maximum of only 650
passengers, there is almost one crewmember for each passenger aboard and
eleven decks overall. The exterior of the Superstar Aries is
contemporary and handsomely designed with a particularly well-balanced
profile. She looks like a ship, not a floating hotel.
Although this voyage does not enter a foreign port, we
are “out of Thailand” on the high seas and my visa will be stamped in
and out of the Kingdom.
The
Superstar Aries
I read that the Club Belvedere is one of the most
elegant cocktail lounges of any ship afloat. The magnificent main dining
room offers single seating for all meals, while The Clipper Club on
the rear deck presents an elaborate buffet. There is a pianist and singer in
the Clipper Club, a very large Sushi Bar and tempting colorful
cocktails served by brightly dressed staff. Late at night, this becomes an
intimate nightclub. The lights dim, a blues singer belts out a familiar song
and couples dance to the soft swaying of the ship under the moonlight. The
Clipper Lounge never closes and if you awake at 4 or 5 a.m. and want a
snack, it is always available.
I love my stateroom. It is more spacious than I imagined,
with rich wood cabinetry, a table and two decent sized windows overlooking
the sea. There are two lighted closets, hangers for long clothes, shelves
and some tucked away storage nooks. Reading lamps on adjustable arms are
over both beds and I am in awe of the soft indirect lighting and full-length
mirrors. A fresh basket of fruit is gift wrapped on my table. I retrieve my
books, take some time to unpack, and enjoy my surroundings. Wow, this is the
first night out and the entire evening is still ahead of me.
The
“showboys” from Alcazar in the Europe Lounge
I feel a very slight vibration, which tells me we are
under way. Looking out, I see that we have cleared the harbor and are headed
out to sea. It is time to explore the ship. Fortunately there is a diagram
on the wall in the lobby near the elevators showing the deck layout and
various public rooms. I am traveling alone and look forward to meeting other
singles.
The daily program left in my stateroom says that the
large Europe Lounge is the center of the ship’s entertainment activities.
Games and activities are planned for tomorrow and after dinner tonight there
will be a get-acquainted party on the Observation Deck. I make my way to the
rear of the ship out on the fantail. I watch Pattaya disappearing in the
distance.
The
large swimming pool is located mid-ship. It has a small spa on one end and a
bar on the other with plenty of luxurious deck lounges.
One thing that amazes me is the superb condition of this
vessel. So many ships seem to show rust and peeling paint and varnish. Not
this one. Crewmen must be continually scraping and painting for the bright
white finish literally gleams in the sunlight. The railings look freshly
varnished and everywhere you go the ship looks like brand new.
Already there is a couple putting golf balls on the small
range. An enclosure with Ping Pong tables is nearby. I continue up the
stairway. On my right there is a children’s room complete with toys and a
director to care for the youngsters in the evening. The large swimming pool
is located mid-ship. It has a small spa on one end and a bar on the other
with plenty of luxurious deck lounges. Stacks of plush striped towels are
readily accessible. I notice some small hidden away areas for those who just
want to get away and read a book.
There’s
even a small pool for kids to enjoy
Working my way forward, I pass a library and an Internet
room with email connections. Game machines and a couple of snooker tables
wait close to the forward Sky Deck. It is getting dark now and time
to take a shower and prepare for dinner.
The main dining room is elegant with a lit up buffet area
in the center. A buffet is normal on the first night out but I am
disappointed to learn that it is the “norm” through most of the voyage.
I recall the ships of old and their elaborate sit down dinners. It would be
nice to have a specially prepared breakfast and not fall victim to the
buffet where the eggs are often too hard and the bacon sometimes
undercooked.
I
dined with the Staff Captain at his table
I take a plate and wander down the long buffet counter.
There is a good variety of both Thai food and Western dishes. A separate
salad table and a fruit section are in the center of the room. Homemade
bread and tempting deserts line one wall. I sit with a group of friendly
Thais near one of the large windows and look out at the moonlit sea. There
is open seating from 6 to 10 p.m. This is followed by a midnight buffet
supper for those with a craving for some noodles, a mango tart or chocolate
delicacies.
Through an access passage in the rear of the Main Dining
Room there’s a small room called the Tai Pan Room. This is extra
cost dining and formally serves each guest, featuring gourmet Asian Food.
Platters of sumptuous smelling seafood are served to a small contingent.
Only eight tables in this room. Cost is moderate with most dishes in the 200
baht range and a good selection of wine is available.
The
Clipper Club on the rear deck presents an elaborate buffet and sushi bar
After dinner I walk into a stage show featuring colorful
dancers in the Europe Lounge. With six other cocktail lounges it’s
difficult deciding where to go. Dancing at the disco goes until 3 a.m. At
boarding, you are issued a credit card that applies to all alcoholic
beverages and extras that are purchased aboard. You settle this account on
debarkation. Cocktails are moderately priced, premium drinks go for 100 baht
and colorful mixed cocktails for 120 baht.
“What’s your name? is it Sally or Sue, what’s your
name? do I stand a chance with you.” The soft lyrics float up to the
observation deck where I am leaning over the railing watching the distant
shoreline. To my left a couple stand holding hands and looking at each other
with that dreamy expression. She is beautiful and the light from the moon
reflects the gloss of her long hair. I try to glance at them without staring
and she smiles at me over his shoulder. She is bubbling with enthusiasm and
they stroll over and stand next to me. “This is our first night alone
together,” she explains. Their marriage took place in the afternoon and
they had over two hundred guests. They had only met briefly before and the
marriage had been arranged by their parents. “I had no idea that this
custom still takes place in Thailand,” I exclaimed. She laughed and said
her parents were old fashioned but she had dreamed she would find a perfect
match and when they were first introduced, she knew it was right. We
exchanged names and I offered to buy them a drink in the lounge. They
politely declined my offer and left holding hands.
Game
machines and snooker in the forward Sky Deck
This second day is a full day at sea. After a breakfast
of waffles and fruit I meet a group near the activity desk and am escorted
on a personal tour of the Bridge. This is followed by a comprehensive tour
of the galley and a taste of the numerous little pastry delicacies and large
chocolate dipped strawberries being prepared for the evening.
This ship amazes me. I have found another lobby with
still another bank of elevators. I run into a Thai family that I met last
night at dinner and am invited to join them for a workout in the gym down on
the second deck. The exercise center is complete with an indoor pool and
every imaginable weight machine. Saunas and massages are extra cost services
but are expertly done.
Putting
golf balls on the small range
After an invigorating massage, I flatten out on a lounge
adjacent to the outdoor swimming pool, sip an icy gin and tonic and drift
into a nap while enjoying the smell of the fresh ocean breeze.
Tonight is the Captains Formal Cocktail Party and Royal
Dinner and I have been asked to dine with the Staff Captain at his
table. This is a sit down dinner with a great menu. Prime New York
tenderloin steak, roasted filet of salmon, or chicken stuffed with caviar
are the stars of the evening. Choice of appetizers or a tasty shrimp and
orange segment salad and gourmet soup preface the entree. A line of waiters
carrying flaming Baked Alaska and pushing carts of French pastries conclude
a fabulous meal. Still stuffed from the tasty lunch of steamed fish and
delicately saut้ed whitefish, I feel like a glutton and have abundant
guilt over the inevitable weight gain.
During the meal, I glance over the dining room and see
the newly married couple, Gaup and Mai, sitting in a booth near the
orchestra. They seem more engrossed in each other than in the elaborate meal
before them.
Friendly
faces in the lounge
Tonight the ship features a grand show in the Europe
Lounge with all the showgirls (boys) from the Alcazar Theatre Company.
The younger crowd will adjourn afterwards for late night dancing in the
disco and possibly a turn at the midnight buffet.
It is Tuesday morning, the third day out and today we
anchor off Koh Samui to enjoy the late morning and afternoon ashore. Three
main activities are planned or one can just take the day at leisure, driving
around the island or just staying on the ship relaxing in the sun. I decline
the Monkey Training Tour and Samui Inter-Island Tour and elect
to take the snorkeling adventure to Koh Phangan, a sister island to Koh
Samui but far less developed. A launch carries us over to a beach on Koh
Samui where passengers are transferred to one of the island tours. About
twelve of us board the speedboat to the adjacent island and anchor out along
a reef near the shore. The equipment is provided and the water feels cool
and refreshing. Snorkeling is fun but the water is quite murky this time of
year and the array of colorful fish are noticeably absent.
Buffet
style meals on board
Lunchtime and we head a few minutes away to the Central
Cottage at Thong Naay Paan Yai Beach for a delicious Thai buffet. After
lunch we move over to still another beach called Hat Rin where the
full moon parties are staged. I am amazed at the recent development here; a
small town has emerged and I slowly meander along the narrow streets.
Suddenly the sky becomes dark and a layer of black clouds drift rapidly over
the beach. I run for the boat and just make it aboard as the rain pounds
down against the scant canvas cover. The downpour soaks the sunbathers as
everyone runs for cover. We get drenched anyway but it is all part of the
fun.
On the way back to Koh Samui, the sun appears and we
begin to dry off. It has been a full day and everyone is tired and anxious
to get back to the ship. It feels great to get under a hot shower and
snuggle in my cozy cabin as the large vessel gets underway.
We are on the way back to Laem Chabang. I can’t believe
that this is the last night out. The trip has gone so quickly; we dock
tomorrow at noon. Dried out and comfortable, I head to the Clipper Lounge
for a Margarita. A big smile from the charming hostess and a suggestion that
I try the California Maki from the Sushi Bar. Done! It just hits the spot. I
am joined by a few of the passengers that I met this afternoon. Gaup and Mai
join our group and after being introduced they try their first nibble of
Japanese food. Platters of Thai food from the buffet are passed around while
the ship’s quartet serenades us as we laugh about the wet trip back from
the Island.
“I
was on the 7th
deck in a convenient location near the center lobby and restaurant”
The Europe Lounge is featuring a special stage
production tonight and after our meal we find a good table in the lounge to
enjoy the show. Around 11 p.m., my companions decide to retire to their
cabins and I wander out to the boat deck to watch the stars and the lights
of the shoreline in the distance. What a great idea to have your hotel along
with you and not have to pack and move suitcases. It is well after midnight
and I feel myself getting sleepy; I hear music drifting up from the pool
deck but I decide to head back to my cozy cabin and get some sleep.
I am up early to watch the ship navigate though familiar
waters and approach Pattaya in the distance. So many freighters are anchored
out waiting to get into Laem Chabang. We cruise by Koh Larn to our final
port. Buses and minivans are waiting to carry passengers to their
destination. I bid farewell to the cute gals at the administration counter
and other friends that I have met and make my way ashore. As I look back at
the beautiful ship, I think, “You know I could really make this trip
again”.
Notes: I booked through travel agent KwanJai in Bangkok
who speaks English and has always been extremely helpful. Her phone and
email address: tel 02-280-7991; [email protected] The price for a 4 day
cruise as above on the Aries starts at B5,498 (double occupancy) for an
inside cabin. I was on the 7
