I will start this by saying that I try to adhere to the saying "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all", but I am going to break that guideline today. I have purposely waited a few weeks to put some distance between the writing of my review and the disappointing experience with this cruise. At some point, I will probably be able to look back and laugh at the experience, but not yet. I will try not to be too negative but I will try to share highlights of the experience that I had.
I have been to this part of the world before both through a cruise and by land. First, the tour company Destination Asia, that provided the shore excursions was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the tours that were arranged in each port. The guides were prompt, spoke excellent English, were personable, knowledgable and we were extremely happy with each excursion.
When we arrived at the terminal, it was absolute chaos. Okay, I'm thinking, the cruise line hasn't been here in several years, this is a new port for them, I'm cutting them some slack-they're working out the kinks. Unfortunately, this is where the total lack of communication started and just got worse as the next 12 days went on.
Arrival in Cambodia, the highlight of the trip for me, one of the main reasons for booking the cruise. We are anchored outside of Sihanoukville, Cambodia and will tender to the pier. We are off on our 3 day shore excursion, booked since July, 2007, to Angkor Wat. We are loaded on to the tender, 17 of us booked on the cruise line 3 day excursion with luggage, several others on their own overnight excursions with luggage. They fill every seat on the tender. Seas are a little choppy. Maybe they should have made an allowance for the choppiness; the luggage; not knowing where they were going??? We head toward shore and water is pouring over the side of the tender!! The crew is paying no attention, the driver is looking at a picture in his hands, then looking at shore and trying to figure out where he is going. We take another wave sideways, water pouring into the tender again, pick up your luggage, pick up your feet - what is going on!
I yelled what are you doing, you're swamping the boat and the driver is laughing!! Again, for the third time water pours in over the side people in the last 4 rows of the tender are soaked from the water. At this point there is 3-4 inches of water sloshing back and forth in the bottom of the tender. One more swamp and we're in trouble. I watched 2 employees from the shore excursions desk of the ship practically in tears and trembling during this inexcusable disregard for safety. (I did fill out a comment card when I got back on board, and never received a response to my concerns.) We finally made it to shore, I have never been so happy to step foot on land.
The most infuriating part of this was the endless announcements stating that "safety is our number one priority" for the tendering process---maybe they should have practiced what they preached?
Tomorrow-Angkor Wat-An experience worth the tender terror...
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