Star Cruise - Pisces
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What's all this cruise about ?
Only thing that was known to me about cruise was staying in the ship. Though I have heard about swimming pool, cafes, separate rooms like hotels etc in ship, the curiosity to have the first hand experience of the Cruise was building up within me. Little did I know that the cruise experience would have such a deep impact on me.
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| Waiting at Hong Kong airport. |
We all were seemingly looking tired due to the lack of sleep previous night. But , we were all ready for the excitements awaiting us.
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| Moving walkway in HK airport |
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| Massive Honk Kong airport |
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| Mall like appearance in HK airport |
The air traffic is very high at the airport , heard somone in our group commenting , "Hey! This is like Koyembedu bus stand of Chennai ya !!"
True, one plane after the other keeps landing ,one behind the other. And on the other side, we see the planes taking off one after the other without any time gap .We all soon found ourself stuck to our mobile in no time , as there was a free wifi available in airport.
One night Cruise booking was already booked at Star Cruises Hongkong from June, 16to 17. Also we had made arrangements for to and fro within the city to move around all places as per our tour itinerary with the Crimson travel agency. They also took care of hotel stay and other ticket bookings at all sight seeing places.
So, by June 16 afternoon , we reached the Pisces, it's the name of the Star Cruise we were about to stay.
There was a very strict security check to gain entry to the Cruise ,even they had withheld our passport & visa with them during our stay there and gave us an access card to move around the cruise ,complimentary food and and stay in the room. The room can be described as very compact, yet with all facilities like dressing table, a 2 tier cot & a single cot with one optional under-cot extension in case to accommodate any small kid , a slim portable ladder to climb to the upper berth, wardrobe, TV, dining table, 2 chairs etc, along with separate shower room, wash basin with dressing mirror , WC etc.Ours was a normal & standard room. I could not contain my amazement like how they could accommodate everything in such a tiny room and the cruise could accommodate about 1000 people. The local TV was demonstrating the safety procedures in case of emergency and also the amenities available in cruise like swimming pool, restaturants , entertainments etc.
There was a single large closed & transparent glass window which gave a beautiful view of the sea outside and the high rise buildings on the shore.
The cruise started moving at the onset of the evening. The high rise buildings on the shore started to give a different look , so dazzling with different color bright lights. The view was spectacular in that pleasant windy evening creating more & more awe in us . It was a real feast to the eyes. We had a more enhanced view from the topmost deck of the ship.
We all had a great time , walking around the top deck, enjoying the sea breeze,gazing at the far away mountains, well lit up high rise buildings , sea water , vast dark sky which encompassed us on all sides like a thick blanket.
And that was a very special day , Ramzan day and easily we could spot the significant crescent and the star by it's side , more prominent in the clear dark sky. Could capture those celestial objects in the camera too. Wished heartily "Id Mubarak " for all the loving beings celebrating Ramzan .
On the uppermost deck, we could spot the name Pisces of the cruise and also could take a full round of the ship, having a better and different view of the ship with flags and peculiar structures . Benches and tables were spread around on the deck to sit and enjoy . Even I was tempted to sit there on the bench to enjoy the cold , calm & windy night .Very soon I found myself slipping into meditation for a few moment as the environment was conducive enough to go for it. An open swimming pool was in the 11th floor of the cruise. After 9'o clock, they had restricted the entry to the top deck on all sides, for safety reasons, I think.
The lunch, dinner, supper and breakfast all were inclusive in the one night package. The Cruise dining place was in the 6th floor.The lift facility was there to reach there apart from the stairs.The food was arranged in a buffet setup.The ambience was just rightly set up with dazzling lights , decorative items, and live dance performances to suit the luxury look of the cruise . The Indian food was available in specified time schedule as it was a weekend .
There were a lot of sea food delicacies which people especially kids seemed to savour and relish them to their heart's content.I just peeped in out of curiosity at all th items spread over there. Excited to find the prawns, duckmeat based dishes, shelled oysters, crabs, pork, different type of eggs,shrimps, baked fish and many more unidentifiable seafood delicacies . The way they ate oysters was a great sight to watch . They collected a small heap of them in their plates ,they ate the cooked flesh inside and threw out the shells like how we used to eat peanuts and throw out the peanut shells. They seemed to have used mustard oil for cooking which gave a peculiar taste & flavor to the food . Varieties of baked buns, pastries, biscuits, cakes were present in the buffet. I already had a very bad experience earlier tasting them during my China visit long back. So, I safely avoided them and picked only the food stuffs which I was sure of pure veg and consumed after having double confirmation with the chef over there . Good that almost all were able to converse well in English in Hong Kong.
The late night slowly crept in. The Cruise 🚢 continued its journey deep inside the sea . But the Cruise was well awake with no signs of resting or sleeping. People were seen busy spending time in casinos, bars, entertainment zones ,dining areas etc . The supper time was 11pm to 1.30am.The view was little more breathtaking, when glanced through the glass window in the room. We could see the waves of water surrounding the ship rubbing & clashing one against the other as the ship made its way into the deep sea far away from the island ,piercing the deep seas. Also, one more unusual thing we experienced was the ship had started shaking intensely and we could feel the shake especially while moving around in the ship. I felt as though I was, walking like a drunkard. Others in our group felt even more uneasy with the visible shakes and my husband was feeling very much uncomfortable due to that even while lying down. And one in our group felt sea sickness too like she felt like vomiting, dizziness etc.But for others, the night sleep was very deep, as we felt like we were being rocked in a cradle .
Is that the cruise all about?
No, the center of attraction obviously was the casino , where people get themselves lost in gambling , drinking and smoking.. People were there till 5 am , it looked like .
There were many other activities in the cruise like shops which sell jewelleries, perfumes, lotions and watches, alcoholic drinks etc. There were entertainment zones which comprise of bars, dancing , multi cuisine restaurants etc. Even there was a bollywood theme , dance performances etc.
For safety purpose during emergency conditions, there was a small boat tied on to the side of the cruise , which could be viewed from one window of the cruise.
We got an acquaintance with an Indian couple from Rajasthan ,who live in Hongkong for the last 8 years and had come there to spend their weekend in cruise for the first time. They said they are chartered accountants. They said Saravana bhavan and Sangeetha are their famous Indian eateries.
We also got to meet another youth from Surat , who does Diamond business in Hong Kong. He said he would stay 15days a month in HK for doing business and he added he would get visa for 15 days per month , once he would spend a night in cruise on monthly basis.
Next day very early morning, the cruise started it's way back to the shore and by the morning around 10am, it reached the shore. I could manage to do my daily yoga and sudarshan Kriya practice in the morning .The check out time is 11am. There was not much activity in the morning except to have breakfast and have a clear morning view of the sunrise in the midst of the breeze on the top deck clubbed with photo sessions . The yachts, the speeding small boats, ships n the seas thrilled us the most when viewed from the top deck.
The cruise experience also invariably brought to my memory ,the childhood non detail story , Sindbad the sailor, wherein he would settle down on a small island on a ship wreckage in one of his voyages and at one point of time , he would find the island starting to move , only after that he would realize, that was actually a big blue whale , which he had mistaken for an island. Can the cruise be compared to the moving island similar to that ? Yes said my heart. " No " said my mind. You see, the heart dwells in imagination and mind in actuality.
We made sure we collected our passports and visas before checking out of the cruise and left the cruise with such an awe feeling of having had the much talked about cruise experience for the first time ever in life and would remain as a lasting experience for the rest of our lives.
Bye Bye the majestic Pisces..
Thanks for your hospitality and fascinating presence...
The Regal oriental hotel of Hong Kong eagerly awaited our arrival that day late afternoon .
True, one plane after the other keeps landing ,one behind the other. And on the other side, we see the planes taking off one after the other without any time gap .We all soon found ourself stuck to our mobile in no time , as there was a free wifi available in airport.
One night Cruise booking was already booked at Star Cruises Hongkong from June, 16to 17. Also we had made arrangements for to and fro within the city to move around all places as per our tour itinerary with the Crimson travel agency. They also took care of hotel stay and other ticket bookings at all sight seeing places.
So, by June 16 afternoon , we reached the Pisces, it's the name of the Star Cruise we were about to stay.
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| Cruise seen at the inset |
There was a very strict security check to gain entry to the Cruise ,even they had withheld our passport & visa with them during our stay there and gave us an access card to move around the cruise ,complimentary food and and stay in the room. The room can be described as very compact, yet with all facilities like dressing table, a 2 tier cot & a single cot with one optional under-cot extension in case to accommodate any small kid , a slim portable ladder to climb to the upper berth, wardrobe, TV, dining table, 2 chairs etc, along with separate shower room, wash basin with dressing mirror , WC etc.Ours was a normal & standard room. I could not contain my amazement like how they could accommodate everything in such a tiny room and the cruise could accommodate about 1000 people. The local TV was demonstrating the safety procedures in case of emergency and also the amenities available in cruise like swimming pool, restaturants , entertainments etc.
 |
| Standard room for 3 accomodation |
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| Single large window in room to look through |
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| High rise buildings viewed from the cruise |
The cruise started moving at the onset of the evening. The high rise buildings on the shore started to give a different look , so dazzling with different color bright lights. The view was spectacular in that pleasant windy evening creating more & more awe in us . It was a real feast to the eyes. We had a more enhanced view from the topmost deck of the ship.
 |
| Spectacular view from the upper deck of the cruise in the evening. |
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| View from the upper deck of cruise |
We all had a great time , walking around the top deck, enjoying the sea breeze,gazing at the far away mountains, well lit up high rise buildings , sea water , vast dark sky which encompassed us on all sides like a thick blanket.
And that was a very special day , Ramzan day and easily we could spot the significant crescent and the star by it's side , more prominent in the clear dark sky. Could capture those celestial objects in the camera too. Wished heartily "Id Mubarak " for all the loving beings celebrating Ramzan .
 |
| Crescent moon & star captured on Ramzan day |
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| Star Cruise -Pisces name plate on the Cruise at top deck |
On the uppermost deck, we could spot the name Pisces of the cruise and also could take a full round of the ship, having a better and different view of the ship with flags and peculiar structures . Benches and tables were spread around on the deck to sit and enjoy . Even I was tempted to sit there on the bench to enjoy the cold , calm & windy night .Very soon I found myself slipping into meditation for a few moment as the environment was conducive enough to go for it. An open swimming pool was in the 11th floor of the cruise. After 9'o clock, they had restricted the entry to the top deck on all sides, for safety reasons, I think.
 |
| Dining place decorated , dazzling and busy |
The lunch, dinner, supper and breakfast all were inclusive in the one night package. The Cruise dining place was in the 6th floor.The lift facility was there to reach there apart from the stairs.The food was arranged in a buffet setup.The ambience was just rightly set up with dazzling lights , decorative items, and live dance performances to suit the luxury look of the cruise . The Indian food was available in specified time schedule as it was a weekend .
There were a lot of sea food delicacies which people especially kids seemed to savour and relish them to their heart's content.I just peeped in out of curiosity at all th items spread over there. Excited to find the prawns, duckmeat based dishes, shelled oysters, crabs, pork, different type of eggs,shrimps, baked fish and many more unidentifiable seafood delicacies . The way they ate oysters was a great sight to watch . They collected a small heap of them in their plates ,they ate the cooked flesh inside and threw out the shells like how we used to eat peanuts and throw out the peanut shells. They seemed to have used mustard oil for cooking which gave a peculiar taste & flavor to the food . Varieties of baked buns, pastries, biscuits, cakes were present in the buffet. I already had a very bad experience earlier tasting them during my China visit long back. So, I safely avoided them and picked only the food stuffs which I was sure of pure veg and consumed after having double confirmation with the chef over there . Good that almost all were able to converse well in English in Hong Kong.
The late night slowly crept in. The Cruise 🚢 continued its journey deep inside the sea . But the Cruise was well awake with no signs of resting or sleeping. People were seen busy spending time in casinos, bars, entertainment zones ,dining areas etc . The supper time was 11pm to 1.30am.The view was little more breathtaking, when glanced through the glass window in the room. We could see the waves of water surrounding the ship rubbing & clashing one against the other as the ship made its way into the deep sea far away from the island ,piercing the deep seas. Also, one more unusual thing we experienced was the ship had started shaking intensely and we could feel the shake especially while moving around in the ship. I felt as though I was, walking like a drunkard. Others in our group felt even more uneasy with the visible shakes and my husband was feeling very much uncomfortable due to that even while lying down. And one in our group felt sea sickness too like she felt like vomiting, dizziness etc.But for others, the night sleep was very deep, as we felt like we were being rocked in a cradle .
Is that the cruise all about?
No, the center of attraction obviously was the casino , where people get themselves lost in gambling , drinking and smoking.. People were there till 5 am , it looked like .
There were many other activities in the cruise like shops which sell jewelleries, perfumes, lotions and watches, alcoholic drinks etc. There were entertainment zones which comprise of bars, dancing , multi cuisine restaurants etc. Even there was a bollywood theme , dance performances etc.
 |
| The safety boat could be seen behind tied to the cruise |
For safety purpose during emergency conditions, there was a small boat tied on to the side of the cruise , which could be viewed from one window of the cruise.
The crowd also included lot of kids , who accompanied their parents , were enjoying their stay and the food very much. Even the elderly ones or the senior citizens seemed to enjoy the cruise as well.
We got an acquaintance with an Indian couple from Rajasthan ,who live in Hongkong for the last 8 years and had come there to spend their weekend in cruise for the first time. They said they are chartered accountants. They said Saravana bhavan and Sangeetha are their famous Indian eateries.
We also got to meet another youth from Surat , who does Diamond business in Hong Kong. He said he would stay 15days a month in HK for doing business and he added he would get visa for 15 days per month , once he would spend a night in cruise on monthly basis.
Next day very early morning, the cruise started it's way back to the shore and by the morning around 10am, it reached the shore. I could manage to do my daily yoga and sudarshan Kriya practice in the morning .The check out time is 11am. There was not much activity in the morning except to have breakfast and have a clear morning view of the sunrise in the midst of the breeze on the top deck clubbed with photo sessions . The yachts, the speeding small boats, ships n the seas thrilled us the most when viewed from the top deck.
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| The topmost deck of the cruise |
The cruise experience also invariably brought to my memory ,the childhood non detail story , Sindbad the sailor, wherein he would settle down on a small island on a ship wreckage in one of his voyages and at one point of time , he would find the island starting to move , only after that he would realize, that was actually a big blue whale , which he had mistaken for an island. Can the cruise be compared to the moving island similar to that ? Yes said my heart. " No " said my mind. You see, the heart dwells in imagination and mind in actuality.
We made sure we collected our passports and visas before checking out of the cruise and left the cruise with such an awe feeling of having had the much talked about cruise experience for the first time ever in life and would remain as a lasting experience for the rest of our lives.
Bye Bye the majestic Pisces..
Thanks for your hospitality and fascinating presence...
The Regal oriental hotel of Hong Kong eagerly awaited our arrival that day late afternoon .
To check the earlier post ,
