A Cruisin' We Will Go: Part 1

Eye-popping excitement.. non-stop enjoyment....family funtime.

It all happens on water, onboard the Starcruise Virgo. What is great about going on a cruise vacation? Let me tell you all about my fantastic trip.

Star cruise Virgo is not just a ship that transports you from one place to the other. It is a hotel ship, 9 decks with a driving range, a helipad (the Sun Deck), a mini golf course, a basketball court, swimming pools, a gym,  a casino, an arcade, restaurants and much more! You won't get bored at all on the ship!

For teens and kids, there are a wide array of arcade games: racing games, sports games, shooting games, you name it and whatever you want is there. For younger kids, there is a child care center with slides and an indoor playground. For families who love to stay awake late at night and have fun, The Lido or generically known as the Ship's Theatre shows family shows, adult shows and magic shows! There are two casinos:  a  big one called the Star Club and a cozier one called The Galaxy of the Stars where bands play at night.

My brother and I enjoyed playing the mini golf, basketball and swimming! We had fun exploring the ship by ourselves. We also spent some quiet time at the cozy and well-stocked library. We got to borrow some board games to play with our parents in our cabin.

During the day, the Galaxy of the Stars is one of my favorites. Why? Because there is an Observation Deck where apart from observing the view of the sea in front of me, I can pretend to be a captain of the ship and view a desktop which shows the ship's status. There is also the Captain's Bridge as I went down a spiral staircase. behind glass windows, I was able to observe the actual work of the captain, his crew and the consoles. I also took time reading the history of the ship and imagined how it felt to work there. 

From Manila, we flew to Singapore and boarded the ship at Harbourfront. The second I spotted the ship from the taxi, I was stricken with awe when I saw the Virgo from afar. It was simply gargantuan! It set sail at 4 pm while my brother and I excitedly roamed around on our first cruise trip. The ship sailed for four days and three nights.

Of course, a cruise is not cruise without scrumptious and overflowing food. There are many restaurants which offer a huge variety of food on board Star Virgo.   Most are "free" restaurants, which means the meals are part of the package that we paid for. There are some where you need to pay additionally. My favorite restaurant would be the Bella Vista. The ambience is quite formal. It serves continental food. Meals are usually a 4-course dinner but you can ask for additional servings to your heart's delight. Appetizers, main courses and desserts are abundantly available to satisfy your cravings.

One event that you shouldn't miss is the wonderful On-Cruise Magic Show that really proved to be a "Mirage", as the title suggested. Its dazzling special effects made the audience "woo and whoa" at the tricks of the talented magician.

Fancy the sunrise or want to catch the spectacular sunset? The best place to relax with peace and quiet with the cool breeze blowing across your face is the Sun Deck. A cup of coffee or a cone of ice cream and a great view is what you should not miss to cap of your day at the sea.

Well? This is just an intro to my cruise trip! Wait till you read about the shore excursions in Thailand and Malaysia! Until then...

A Memorable Summer Activity

Do you still have 2 weeks of summer to spare? And you feel bored, then California Summer Camp (CSC) is for you!

I attended the first session of CSC. It lasted for two weeks. On my way to Corinthian Gardens, where it is being held, I felt excited. I did not expect to see three of my friends there. Matthew, my former classmate in school was happy to see me too! Apparently, Joaquin and Jaime, my best friends, attend CSC every year!

When I got there, I didn't really know what they were doing. I guess they were really excited since they were all shouting and talking. The director of CSC, Bambam, calls what they regularly do "traditions". So at the start of the camp day, we had many starting "traditions" such as the opening circle, story time and morning warm-up.

Usually after the opening circle where they announce new things, we proceed to the new and exciting activities and games prepared for us. Councilors at CSC don't tell us the next activity to keep it "thrilling". After a lot of tiring but exciting activities, lunch is then served! Their lunch is fit for a king since the food is very tasty and we are usually given second servings. Friday is my favorite lunch day as we get to eat Sbarro's pizza and Clover chips.

At the end of each camp day, CSC will award a What's Up award to the best camper. While per week, they will award one camper per group the Camper of The Week Award! And my brother and I got it!

I met a lot of kids there who are very friendly. They like talking to a lot of people, while there are some kids who don't talk too much.

I really love the activities they make. We even had a field trip to Enchanted Kingdom. In addition, we had a circus day where we could get to do unlimited booth games!

I really like California Summer Camp. It allows me to get to know more people and HAVE A LOT OF FUN! I hope you will also get to experience this wonderful opportunity.

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