I write from Singapore, berthed in the Marina Bay terminal after an early morning on the Bridge, in the world’s busiest shipping lanes. 

We departed the Saigon river after berthing at a Container ship berth; there are no Cruise terminals as such and we are limited by our size from progressing further up river.  Being a ‘working’ berth, (ships unloading and loading), we are not allowed to walk anywhere around the terminal,  tour coaches can park next to the ship and a shuttle bus can take ‘independent’ guests to the dock gate, where they can find taxis.

My day started early, 4 a.m. as we made our approach past Vung Tau at the seaward end of the river, past a vast number of anchored ships and having slipped into the channel, like ducks in a row, several ships, including us, boarded pilots and headed north.  The ships ahead turned down a tributary and we were left on our own; again, the pilot just advised, mainly about shipping we were likely to encounter in the river.

No going ashore for me, so unfortunately no photos of Ho Chi Minh city.  Guests went there, on tours to tunnels from the Vietnam war and south, to Ba Ria and Vung Tau.  Others left the ship completely, going on an overland tour to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.  They will rejoin the ship later.  First, I will post the departure from Hong Kong.  Then, as it became light, the arrival on our container berth and finally, our departure.  You will see another cruise-ship in this one, it’s the “Sapphire Princess”. She is alongside us now, on the other side of the marina Bay terminal and preparing for a dry-dock here, in Singapore.

Now some photos of the surrounds, apologies if they’re not up to standard!

Back down the river to the open sea and a track south, to a waypoint marking the shipping lanes of Malacca.  The day at sea taken up with social functions, paperwork and ship’s business.  We pass numerous oil and gas rigs, the South China Sea is, relatively speaking, very shallow and ideal for oil and gas exploration. Later on the 13th we begin to encounter the first of the ships which are ‘scattering’, having left the Malacca Straits and now heading for their destinations.  Similarly a large number are heading for the Straits and we slowly merge with them, funnelling-in to the narrow eastern traffic lanes.