Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur in Southeast Asia is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. Not having an excursion planned and having been here several times over the past years, we decided it would be a fine day to hang around the ship and do a little catch up on various things. Ronnie again ran off the ship, despite the heat and extreme UV index of 14!  

I was awake by 5:15 this morning. It's always fun to pull back the curtains and see where we are, and today was no exception. We were just coming into port and I couldn't resist snapping the sunrise as we sailed into Port Klang, Malaysia. If you've ever watched the sun rise or set (who hasn't?) then you know how quickly it changes. If I have a phone or camera in hand, I just can't quit snapping. The problem with that is I don't want to delete any of them!

 

coming into port in Kuala Lumpur

looking back from our deck

morning has broken

Port Klang, Kuala Lumpur

 

It wasn't long after breakfast that the first tour group started pouring off the ship. They were greeted by locals wearing traditional Malay clothing and handing out shopping bags. They wanted to make sure their guests were armed and ready to shop!

 

locals offer a gracious welcome along with a shopping bag

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur

 

I decided to go down and snap some photos of the locals who had come out to meet and greet the ship and walk through the cruise terminal to see if they had craft booths set up. Now here's the funny part. I suggested we get our photo made with the 3 persons at the end of the greeting line. I handed my phone to the person standing there. Within seconds, more joined in, then more and within literally seconds, the entire gang was gathered for a group shot! LOL! (notice the progression in the photos)

 

 

the more the merrier! (who are these people?)

While in the cruise terminal, Ronnie discovered another Aggie and I asked the 3 Aggies to let me snap a quick picture. Gig'en em up in Malaysia! 

gig' em!

 

From there Ronnie went to run and I headed back to the ship. On my way back, I took individual pictures of some of the greeters.

 

 

 

By the way, the greeting of the right hand over the heart in Kuala Lumpur and all of Malaysia is a sign of sincerity, respect and warmth. It is a heartfelt welcome that also means "I greet you from my heart." It is often accompanied by a bow or nod. 

Singapore - day 2

We purposely didn't book an excursion today because I was in desperate need of a haircut and also we had appointments to get our teeth cleaned. When we disembarked, we quickly discovered that the Disney Adventure ship had a turnaround in the same port. In a word, it was CROWDED!! The taxi line was super long so we decided to get an Uber. However, Southeast Asia doesn't have Ubers, but Grabs. We didn't have that app on our phone but with some help from port workers, we finally manage to catch one of those. Have I mentioned it is hot here?? We probably waited 45 minutes in the heat for a 15 minute ride from the cruise port to the Harbor Front mall.

 

Buckle up to avoid fine

Singapore - a beautiful city

Harbor Front Mall - 3 levels of shops, dining and services

 

Singapore is sooo nice and clean and modern. Harbor Front mall is huge. However, it is attached to Vivo City Mall, which is the largest mall in Singapore. It has everything one could possibly want (except for a particular hair product I was looking for). But it was super clean and modern and we were able to make our appointments on time and also shop for a few things we needed. I wish I had the time and energy to walk through both! I was surprised to learn that Dental on the Bay still had my records from when I had my teeth cleaned there in 2023! The receptionist explained that they were obligated by law to keep them for 7 years.

 

dentist (L) and hygienist (R)

Team Salon

Afterwards we had lunch at one of several food courts, but this one was like no other I've ever seen. It was huge, and all the eateries were different types of Asian cuisine. Above the different ones were structures built and decorated to look like different types of Asian houses or businesses. 

 

choose from 40 different food stalls

duck, pork, beef or chicken?

 

choose your ingredients

weigh your bowl and let them cook it

Chinese "village" above fast food restaurant

super-sized prawns

here ya go...

Indonesian buffet

By mid-afternoon we had done plenty of walking and were both ready to head back to the ship. Thankfully we had no problem catching a cab from the mall. We didn't see much of Singapore but it was o.k. since our time was limited.

 

Singapore - day 1

We arrived in Singapore around mid-afternoon on Sunday. The skies were overcast, it was misting rain and visibility of the beautiful Singapore skyline was extremely poor. There were a number of boats in the harbor as we approached, one of which was greeting our ship with what is referred to as a water salute (sometimes called “watery fireworks”).  Water salutes are a ceremonial gesture of welcome and also a sign of respect. They are usually made by tug boats using their powerful water cannons to create archways of water. They are very cool looking, I might add.

"greetings" as we approach Singapore skyline

 

tugboat gives Oceania Vista a water salute

Thankfully the weather had cleared by evening as we left to attend what Oceania calls a “big event.” An “event” is a special evening just for the ATW passengers and this was the second of our trip so far. It was held at a huge venue for over 400 of us. The theme was an introduction to different cultures – specifically Chinese, Indian, Malay and Indonesian. Unfortunately, either the AC was nonexistent or not working well, so they had large fans blowing across the tables where we were seated.

 

Vista passengers arriving at event venue

Different sections of the room were decorated to represent each country. Special areas were set up just for photo ops. India was represented by floral “necklaces” and "bracelets" made of roses, jasmine and marigolds. There were booths set up for henna hand painting and Chinese calligraphy. It was difficult to take good photos with the colorful flashing lights in the room, especially in the stage area and above the tables where we were seated.

henna art

floral necklaces and bracelets

 

China - photo op setting

Ronnie + Jan

calligraphy

lovely table settings

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The meal is somewhat hard to describe but I will post the menu. We recognized chicken sate and fish but other than that, it was like nothing we had even seen before, much less eaten. Probably the most unusual dish was something that looked like black charcoal. I’m proud to say that we tasted everything – even Ronnie! The thing I enjoyed most was the blue rice. I googled to see what gave it the blue color and learned that the rice is cooked with butterfly blue pea flowers, pandan leaves and coconut milk. The pandan leaf’s flavor is often described as “a mix of vanilla, fresh grass and coconut with a grassy, floral aroma.” Anyway, it was pretty.     

We had quite a long (hot) walk from the ship to the busses and of course the same on our return, showing our passports both ways. I forgot to mention the entertainment. We watched costumed drummers and a Chinese dragon performance followed by a local band that played music we were all familiar with. However, the volume along with the acoustics in the room were so loud that some of the guests were stuffing Kleenex or napkins in their ears while others were turning off their hearing aids! LOL! I'm not usually one who complains about loud music but it really is “over the top” when you have to yell to be heard by the person sitting next to you.

 

Chinese dragon dance

band "Jukulele"

It was very late when we returned to the ship and some folks had to be out by 7:30 a.m. for early morning tours. We were happy we didn’t have one. I had sweated so much that I had to shower again before I could hit the hay. Even though the food was interesting and the hospitality was warm, I would still say the evening was “just ok” due to the uncomfortable temperature and ear-blasting entertainment. 

as we prepare to enter Singapore....

I'm looking very forward to reaching Singapore! It is such a beautiful, safe and wonderful city/country and I'm also looking forward to getting my teeth cleaned and my hair cut! Unfortunately, that means I won't have time to do some other things I'd like to do there, but some things must take priority. 

Singapore has a reputation for having very stringent laws. I remember the "caning" incident that took place in 1984 when an 18 year old American teenager was found guilty of vandalism there and the resulting crisis between Singapore and the US. After pleas from then President Clinton and the US, the young man only received 4 of the 6 lashings he had been sentenced to. 

I was thinking of that as we were filling out some of our entry documents. I'm cutting and pasting a few that we will be careful to adhere to. One might even need to wear a souvenir t-shirt to help remember the laws when visiting Singapore - a fine city!

Re: vaping - not only is it illegal in Singapore, it is also illegal in Surabaya.  

Common Fines and Prohibitions

• Chewing Gum: Selling or bringing in gum (except dental/medicinal) is prohibited; fines can exceed $500, with import fines up to $10,000.
• Smoking: Smoking in restricted areas (e.g., covered walkways, underpasses, restaurants) leads to hefty composition fines.
• Littering
  :
  First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000, with subsequent offenses reaching higher amounts.
Public Transport: Eating, drinking, or smoking in trains (MRT) or stations leads to fines of $500+.
Vaping/E-cigarettes: Possession and use of vaporizers are illegal, leading to severe fines.
Jaywalking: Crossing the road outside designated areas can result in fines. 

Traffic and Parking Fines 

• Illegal Parking: Penalties are often $35 or higher depending on the violation type.
• Speeding/Red Lights: Fines vary based on speed/offense, often with demerit points (e.g., $200-$500+ and 6-12 demerit points).
• Mobile Phone Use: Using a mobile phone while driving can lead to a $1,000 fine for first-time offenders. 

Fine Payment Information
Fines can typically be paid via the following methods:

• Police Fines (Traffic): Pay via Singpass.
• Parking Fines (URA): Pay via AXS stations or the AXS m-Station app.
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Fines: Pay via MOM Workplace Safety and Health eServices. 

Serious Offenses

• Drugs: Harsh penalties, including the death penalty for trafficking.
• Vandalism: Punishable by fines, jail time, and caning.
• Public Disorder/Assault: Strict laws against disorderly behavior.