Philippines Post

         The first trip to the Philippines for both Tom and Steve included stops in two ports, Puerto Princessa, a resort village on the island of Palawan, and Manila which is the capital of the Philippines located on the island of Luzon. The visit to Manila was very special because many of the crew of MS Amsterdam are from the Philippines and their families, including children, were allowed on board the vessel as visitors for the day. We were off the ship in the morning on tour but got to meet some of them when we returned to the ship that afternoon. Below are some of the photos we took in both ports, including some fireworks as we departed Manila.

         Also included are photos of the King Neptune celebration onboard the ship when we crossed the Equator sailing north from Indonesia to the Philippines. Actually we also crossed it when we traveled south from Panama to Ecuador earlier in the cruise, however the ship's crew delayed presenting this time-honored celebration that includes hazing of all new crew members who are making their first crossing of the equator.

        Today we are sailing for Hong Kong and we are looking forward to seeing this beautiful city. Steve has visited Hong Kong before with his sons but it's the first visit for Tom. We are docked in Hong Kong for three days so be sure and check back for new photos later in the week!