On Day 3 of our 4-night Penang and Phuket cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, we arrived in Phuket. The ship anchored offshore from 8am to 8pm. Unlike Penang—where we docked right at Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal and strolled straight onto land—this cruise to Phuket required tender boats to ferry passengers to shore. […]

In my earlier blog post, I shared what we got up to during our few hours in Penang — our cruise ship had docked there as part of a 4-night Penang and Phuket cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. So we had limited time and wanted to make the most of it. I […]

We’ve been to Penang more times than we can count — by cruise, by flight, you name it. So when we picked a Royal Caribbean cruise to Penang that included Penang again on the itinerary, people asked if we were bored of it. Honestly? Not at all. Penang is one of those places that always has something […]

We had been to Wonderland once before on Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas, so we already had a rough idea of what to expect. Wonderland isn’t the kind of restaurant you keep going back to — it’s more of a once-per-cruise experience. The sort of place you visit at least once just to say […]

If you’re on Ovation of the Seas and have the Unlimited Dining Package, Izumi is one of the four specialty restaurants included. It’s a Japanese restaurant serving sushi, sashimi, and hot dishes. We were curious, so we went. Here’s everything that happened. How dining at Izumi works Once you’re seated, the staff come around to […]

This was my second Royal Caribbean cruise, and if you ask me why I came back — a big part of it is the specialty dining. Specifically, Chops Grille on Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas. If I could only pick one restaurant on the entire ship, this is it — no contest. Before the […]

Okay so if you’re sailing on Ovation of the Seas and thinking about whether Jamie’s Italian is worth it – spoiler alert, yes it absolutely is. We ended up dining at Jamie’s Italian on Ovation of the Seas three times on the same cruise. Three times! And honestly? We’d do it again in a heartbeat. […]

If you’ve read my earlier post on our 4-night Penang and Phuket cruise from Singapore on the Ovation of the Seas, you’d have a pretty good idea of what a Royal Caribbean cruise is like. This post is specifically a Royal Caribbean balcony room tour — so you know exactly what you’re walking into and […]

We booked a 4-night Penang and Phuket cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, and here’s my honest review of the whole experience — from boarding at Marina Bay Cruise Centre all the way to the last day’s bingo. I’ll cover the ship, the activities, the dining, the shows, and whether it’s all worth […]

Three stays at the same Singapore hotel within two years. My husband suggested I call this post “PARKROYAL on Beach Road – Why I Came Back For The Third Time” and honestly, he is not wrong. Most hotels get one shot, maybe two. PARKROYAL on Beach Road has somehow earned a third, and after this […]

Solo travel in Dublin is easy. The city is compact, very walkable, and friendly enough that you never feel out of place on your own. We didn’t plan a tight itinerary – no hour-by-hour schedule, no timed entry tickets. Just walking around, seeing what was there, and taking photos along the way. Turned out to […]

We were walking back to our hotel after a free-and-easy walking tour around the city when we spotted Sugarloaf Bakery and Pastry Shop. Didn’t plan to stop – we just saw it on the way and thought, why not? Glad we did. A Brazilian Bakery in Dublin – That Explains Everything Once we stepped inside, we […]

Our last day in Dublin and we decided to just keep it free and easy with no fixed plans. We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre and my hubby suggested we take a walk to Croke Park, the largest stadium in Ireland. At the same time, explore the surrounding neighbourhood. While […]

Ever since we had what I can only describe as a life-changing burger at Manhattn’s in Brussels, my husband and I have been chasing that high. So when a quick Google search for the best burgers in Dublin kept throwing up one name — Bunsen — we didn’t hesitate. We went straight to their Dame Street outlet, […]

I went to Kilmainham Gaol knowing absolutely nothing about it. Like, zero. All I knew was that it was a former prison in Dublin. After lunch at The Brazen Head, Hubby suggested we check it out since we had nothing planned for the rest of the day. We hopped onto their website, managed to snag […]

If you’ve read my earlier post on Brannigans Bar, you’d know why Irish pubs hold a special significance to me. So on this trip to Dublin, The Brazen Head was one place I really wanted to check out. Established in 1198, it’s said to be Ireland’s oldest pub — and honestly, I was just curious to see […]