Life on cruise ships can be uneventful, especially when stops are far and few between. Sometimes the weather can bring a moment of excitement…

And sometimes the interest is something completely unanticipated, the threat of being captured by pirates…

This latter event caused great excitement on board, despite the minimal actual risk, as we were asked to keep our curtains closed at night and outside decks were closed for 2 days during the hours of darkness. Until recently internet access onboard cruise ships has been dire but recent improvements mean everyone can now be online 24 hours a day and that led to this “news” being reported globally as several passengers posted on facebook and were even interviewed by international news outlets.

Our first stop, after 4 days at sea, was Manila, we ventured to the centre on the shuttle bus to the inevitable shopping mall where we were guarded in/out and during by security. Topped up with M and S goodies for sea days we returned to the ship. We had tried to download Asia’s Uber equivalent but it proved impossible, so our memories of Manila are of the amazing electricity network. Would not like to be an electrician in that city!

2 days later we docked overnight in Hong Kong and took the opportunity to stay ashore, staying at the Peninsula Hotel with a room overlooking the famous harbour, facing Hong Kong island.

This place has a fantastic pool and spa area

And the reception area is stunning, as is the fleet of Rolls Royces available to take guests around the island

The hotel has a number of restaurants, including Michelin starred Chinese cuisine but we chose the more esoteric option, a “genuine” Alpine experience at the Swiss restaurant, Chesa. The story of how this came about is probably more interesting than the meal itself. The owners spent time in Switzerland and ended up buying an entire bar, had it shipped to Hong Kong in the 1960s, reconstructed and so it remains to this day. Why eat Chinese in Hong Kong when you can have a fondue!

On our previous visit to Hong Kong our ship was docked adjacent to the Peninsula and exited the harbour at night via the eastern entrance, giving great views of the lights and majesty of this incredible city. Our dock this time was outside the centre but the captain got permission to depart via the less used western exit which again was timed to provide magnificent views.

We were parked next to one of Cunards sister ship’s Queen Elizabeth and as we left their horns acknowledged each other

The next stop was Phu My, Vietnam, some 90 minutes drive from Saigon. We chose a local trip, taking us to a few temples, including the Whale temple, the palace from when Vietnam had royalty and the beach.

Our last visit to Vietnam included a visit to the Vietcong tunnels. Our guide on that occasion was the son of a Vietcong soldier who’d spent years down the tunnels and who, despite his protests to the contrary, was still very angry about what had transpired. It made for a fascinating trip and it was the same in Phu My where our guide was very outspoken about the US presence and the war and how the subsequent political changes had impacted everyone. Having guides with a real passion for educating foreign visitors adds a certain extra frisson to the trip.

Birds are a rare commodity when at sea: there are many species but with a huge area to feed in they are rarely seen except when we sail through a food-rich area. The other occasion birds are present is when we encounter a species which has learned to capitalise on the disruption created by the ship. In this case, the flying fish disturbed by the boat are eagerly snapped up by a gannet-like species called the Brown booby.

Our next, much-anticipated stop was Singapore with yet another overnight stay at a local hotel known as Raffles

The subject of several renovations this place is a wonderful throwback to the days of British rule in Singapore

The Singapore Sling was conceived at Raffles and remains a huge tourist attraction, not that we’d be distracted from serious world-travelling by such frippery..and not forgetting to throw our peanut shells on the floor.

Dinner was at the equally well-known Tiffin Room in the hotel, a fabulous evening of quality Indian cuisine

Singapore has a lot more to offer, including the “Gardens by the Bay”

Our next stop was Malaysia, where we visited an Orang Utan sanctuary. There are 3 species of Orang Utan and this sanctuary takes in injured animals for rehabilitation and breeding programmes, focussing primarily on the commonest species. The Malaysian forests have been decimated and replaced with Palm Oil plantations, leaving very little space for these unique animals.

It was time to move west, regain some of the many hours we’d lost and head across the Indian Ocean, first stop Mauritius and a day by the beach. We had been promised water sports but unfortunately the tide was out until an hour before we left but we had a good lunch and…

Second stop, Durban, South Africa, where our safari adventure started…