Manila

Cruising Sydney to Hong Kong 2025

A large number of the crew are Filipino, so there was certainly a lot of excitement as we docked in Manila. Many crew members lined the deck waving Phillipines flags as we were welcomed by a band and dancers.

We were docked overnight so some of the crew went home to see their families while others brought their families on board. It was certainly a morale booster for the crew.

Having been to Manila before we didn’t do any of the ships excursions; we caught the shuttle bus to Robinson’s Mall for a look and wander around. The mall is huge – we spent an hour walking around non stop, checking the place out and clocked up 3.7Km! The second day we visited again but this time decided to walk back to the ship rather than catch the shuttle. The first day Sue managed to buy some perfume and the second day some jewellery.

Some interesting sights as we walked back tot he ship

At the end of World War II, jeeps left behind by the US Army were converted by the Filipinos into public utility vehicles and called Jeepneys. They are known for their crowded seating and gaudy decorations and are considered a cultural icon of the Phillipines. However, recent decisions by the Government to transition to more energy efficient vehicles will see these vehicles slowly disappear. Certainly we saw far fewer on this trip than on our previous visit eight years ago.

Another interesting sight is the clusters of wiring which is quite common throughout south east Asia. Quite a headache for line maintenance personnel I imagine!