What to Expect on a Prestige Cruise Manila Bay Sunset Cruise

What to Expect on a 

Prestige Cruise Manila Bay Sunset Cruise 

Registration
For the 6pm cruise, registration is from 5pm-545pm. Registration means writing down all the names and ages of the passengers for the manifesto. Each passenger's hand is stamped with the cruise logo to identify them as passengers.

My tip: Arrive early for the registration. The order of boarding is based on the order of name listed in the manifesto. There is no seat or table assignment. You choose your table upon boarding. So it's better to register early, so you board early and get to choose the seat you want.

Prestige Cruise registration desk

Boarding

This photo is taken from the boat after boarding.
The registration desk is on the left.
The entrance to the boat is at the center.

The boat has three levels

This is the 1st level of the boat.
The buffet table is located here.
The toilets are at the back of the buffet table

This is the second level of the boat

My tip: 
1. Choose the second level for a better ambience.

Although the first level is where the buffet table and the toilets are located, the ambience is like you're in stowage.

The third level has an additional charge. 

2. If you want a clear view of the fireworks, choose the right side of the boat. But if you are in a big group, the only tables that will allow you to seat together are located in the middle of the boat.


During the cruise

When the boat starts to sail, a crew member
starts giving instruction on the use of the life jacket.

You line up on the first level to get food from the buffet table.
The buffet meal is just fair. It's filling but not spectacular.
A singer entertains you during the cruise.

From the boat, you can view the 7pm fireworks courtesy of Mall of Asia 

When the sun has set, the only view that you see is
the Roxas Boulevard skyline, which is not really that fantastic.

Length of the cruise: 

1 1/2 hours (from 6pm-730pm)

Other tips:
Best time do the sunset cruise: 

The sun sets early from September to December so this is not the best time to do the cruise. By the time the 6pm cruise starts, night has already fallen.

If you want to catch the sunset, do the 6 pm cruise from January to August or if you're doing the cruise during September to December, get an earlier time than 6pm cruise schedule.

Why do the sunset cruise

Do the sunset cruise if you just want to watch the famous Manila Bay sunset onboard a boat while cruising the Manila Bay. 

Don't do this cruise if you're expecting a romantic dinner. The ambiance is not conducive to romance, especially since the cruise is just a short 1 1/2 hour ride, and a great part of it will be spent lining up at the buffet table. 

For foreigners or balikbayans, this is a nice way to end the day after touring Intramuros and Luneta park or after shopping at the Mall of Asia.

Location:
The boarding area is at the back of Folk Arts Theater, near Gloria Maris Restaurant and the Coconut Palace. Just scroll on the map below to find the location.

My tip on where to park: Park at the parking lot across Gloria Maris restaurant. It's the parking lot nearest to the registration tent and boarding area. The other parking lots indicated on the map is a long walk to the boarding area.

Contact Information:

Prestige Cruises Inc.
Unit 01, CCP Bay Terminal,
CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd.,
Manila, Philippines


Tel/Fax No.: (02) 832.8967
Mobile No.: (0917) 525.5455
Email Address: manilabaycruise@gmail.com

It's more fun in the Philippines

SPREAD THE WORD...

THE PHILIPPINES LAUNCHES A NEW TOURISM LOGO:  

"IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES"

The Philippine Star reports:

MANILA (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government launched Friday its new brand campaign to attract visitors to the country with the line - "It's more fun in the Philippines," according to Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.

The tourism secretary said that the new campaign singles out what no other destination can offer, and "that is the Filipino people."

For example, the Lonely Planet guidebook calls Filipinos "among the most easygoing and ebullient people anywhere," he said.

"Our strategy is simple: while other countries invite you to observe, Filipinos can promise a more heartfelt and interesting experience. Wherever you go, whatever you do in the country, it's the Filipinos that will complete your vacation and will make your holiday unforgettable," Jimenez said.

As the international campaign is underway, the DOT is also developing a national initiative under the line "#1forFun" to rally the nation, he said. 

Manila International Airport: Location of Terminals

Photo courtesy of waratnews.com

Manila International Airport: Location of Terminals

The Manila International Airport, also known as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, has four (4) terminals. Unlike other international airports, these terminals are not near each other. The distance between terminals are as follows:


Terminal 1 to Terminal 2: 

1 kilometer

Terminal 1 to Terminal 3: 

5.8 kilometers

Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to Manila Domestic Terminal

2.5 kilometers

Terminal 2 to Terminal 3: 

4.8 kilometers

Terminal 3 to Manila Domestic Terminal: 

3.7 kilometers

Although these terminals are far apart, they do not have their own runways. They share one primary runway. So when an airline encounters a problem while on the primary runway, all flights in these four terminals will be delayed. 

The map below show the location of the four (4) terminals:

A: Terminal 1: where all international flights land except those of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Nippon Air
B: Terminal 2: where all Philippine airlines flights land, whether domestic or international
C: Terminal 3: where all All Nippon Airways, Cebu Pacific flights (domestic and international) land and Air Philippines flights land
D: Manila Domestic Terminal: where all Zest Air, Southeast Airlines and Sky Pasada flights land

View Larger Map

El Nido Island Hopping Tour A with Kids

El Nido Island Hopping Tour A with Kids

Map of where we went

Photo of map taken from El Nido Boutique and Art Cafe (arrows added by me)

The places we visited:

1. Small Lagoon
2. Secret Lagoon
3. Simizu Island
4. 7 Commandos Beach

The Big Lagoon was included in this tour but during our visit, the Survivor Series, Swedish edition was filming there so the lagoon was closed  to the public. 

Our Island Hopping Tour A Itinerary by Rovics Pension

6:00 AM           

Wakeup

7:00 AM          

Breakfast at Marina Garden Resort Cafe

9:00 AM 

Departure from Marina Garden Resort for Island Hopping Tour A

Heading towards the Small Lagoon

10:00 AM-11:00 AM 

Swimming at the Small Lagoon

• see my article Small Lagoon at El Nido for more details on what to see.

11:00 AM-11:30 AM

Banca ride to Secret Lagoon. We passed by Big Lagoon and El Nido Resort Miniloc Island but didn't visit it. Big Lagoon is closed to visitors because the Survivor Series, Swedish version, is using the Big Lagoon.

11:30 AM-1:00 PM

Lunch at the Secret Lagoon

Explored the Secret Lagoon

• see my article Secret Lagoon at El Nido for more details on what to see.

1:30 PM-2:30 PM      

Snorkeling at Simizu Island

• see my article Simizu Island at El Nido for more details on what to see.

3:00 PM-3:30 PM 

7 Commandos Island

• see my article 7 Commandos Island at El Nido for more details on what to see.

4:00 PM 

Arrival at Marina Garden Resort

7:30 PM 

Dinner at Squidos Restaurant

The 7 Commandos Beach at El Nido

The 7 Commandos Beach at El Nido

Why see the 7 Commandos Beach

You can actually skip this beach because the only thing we did here is to drink buco or coconut juice. This is the end of Tour A for us so in a way, to drink fresh buco or coconut juice is a refreshing end to a long, hot day at the beach.

What to expect when you arrive at the 7 Commandos Beach

The view of 7 Commandos Island as from our boat as we approached it

Our boat, Arribada, anchored at the shore of the beach

The store selling fresh buco juice

The coconut juice was very sweet ....

... and the coconut meat was very tender (malauhog, as we Filipinos call it)

The Simizu Island at El Nido

The Simizu Island at El Nido

Why see the Simizu Island
For the snorkeling!!!

What to expect when you arrive at Simizu Island
We didn't visit Simizu Island. We dropped anchor off Simizu Island to go snorkeling. This is one of the best snorkeling sites in El Nido.

This is the view as we approached Simizu Island. See the crystal clear waters.

This is our boat, Arribada. Simizu Island is right behind us. 

Underwater Photos 

(taken with a camera encased in Dicapac)

How to Activate Smart Roaming While Abroad

How to Activate Smart Roaming While Abroad

Before leaving for another country, I always activate my cellphone roaming services. As a prepaid subscriber, it's very easy to do it because you need not call customer service. Activation is only a text or SMS away. With Globe Telecommunications, you only need to text GROAM ON mm/dd/yyyy to 2884. They activate it on the specific date. With Smart Telecommunications, you also activate it just by texting ROAM ON to 333. They activate it immediately. But the disadvantage of Smart activating your roaming immediately is that they also disable calls to you. From the time of activation, whether or not you're abroad and using their roaming service, no one can call you. Note that this is applicable only to a prepaid subscriber. To avoid my calls being disabled, I did not activate my roaming in advance. I decided to do it at the airport while waiting for my flight. However, in my last trip, I did not have too much waiting time at the airport so inevitably I forgot to activate my Smart roaming service.

It was important for me to activate my roaming service because I informed the people I left at home that I'm just a text away so in case of emergency, I could be easily reached. With no other information as to my hotel phone no., it was very important for me to activate my roaming service.

So how did I activate the Smart roaming service while abroad?

Update as of November 15, 2015!!!

Please contact the Smart Customer Service at https://www.facebook.com/SmartCommunication by sending them a personal message about your problem activating roaming while abroad. 

They reply immediately but you need to give them the ff. information: 

1. your SMART number

2. roaming destination

3. handset model 

4. last reload date and amount

My conversation with Smart customer service via personal message in their facebook page:

Me: Hi. How do I activate smart prepaid roaming while abroad when I have not registered to a smart web account before leaving the country? I just registered but to link my prepaid number, I need to receive a verification code. How can I receive the verification code when I don't have a roaming signal in the smart prepaid number I'm linking?

Smart: Hi. We can activate it for you, Meanne. Send us your SMART number, roaming destination, handset model and last reload date and amount.


_________________________________________________________________________________


The Smart website is not very clear on how to do it so I will take you to a step-by-step process. It also took a while for me to do it because as I said, the Smart website is not very clear on the process.

Basically, you need to be able to access the internet because you activate roaming by registering and logging on my smart.com.ph. See instructions below:

1. Go to www.smart.com.ph
2. Click at the right hand side of the page "Manage my account."

• If you have previously registered before, just log in by using your mobile number or your email email address.
• If you have not registered before, click the "register now" icon and create an account.

5. After you have logged in to your account, click the left hand side icon "Services" and it will show "International Roaming".
6. Click "International Roaming", then click "Activate service".

What you need to be able to activate your Smart roaming service while abroad?
1. At least 100 peso load in your prepaid phone.
2. A smart phone or PC
3. An internet connection
4. An email address