Shanghai - March 2, 2014

Because the ship needed to go into dry-dock in Pusan for repairs, the cruise line arranged to get passengers from Osaka to Shanghai by air. The group slated to head out on a 9:25 am flight to Shanghai disembarked at 5:30 am. Security scanned our keycards as we left the ship before sunrise. We had to find our bags among hundreds of suitcases on the ground between the ship and the terminal building illuminated only by the head lights of a few port authority cars.

Luckily, I found a helpful porter to wheel them along while I waited in line to collect my immigration documents and to follow me while I moved to another line to have my picture and fingerprints taken by Japanese officials.

Then we had to exit the terminal and stand in line while workers loaded the suitcases into a standard-issue white cube truck and passengers boarded a chartered motor coach to Kansai airport hoping that the luggage would follow.

On the hour-long bus ride to Kansai airport, a chipper British go-team leader joked about how she had really needed a stiff drink the night before but that she had gotten the "waggy finger" from Larry (the CEO.)

We could tell that the story itself was all made-up but her comic timing put everyone at ease. She made fun of her Japanese-bus-aisle-walking awkwardness and just made the whole ordeal much more pleasant.

She answered questions clearly, professionally and with humour.  Upon arrival, we were happy to find the truck with our bags and we were greeted by another capable go-team who guided us to our respective check-in counters.

I was on Air China flight 164 for the two-hour trip to Shanghai and was allowed to check two free bags for the regional flight! Wow! I felt as weightless as a man on the moon with no clunky carry-on to schlep.

Free WiFi, cute gift shops, fun Japanese snacks (seaweed crackers & plum-filled, triangular onigiri (rice balls) with a hot canned coffee from a vending machine) all kept me busy until the smooth boarding process began.

Most two hour flights in North America don't even offer food for purchase but we got a meal tray! There were three big party sandwiches, cucumber, egg and something else along with a fruit cup, a dish of Japanese pickles and tamago plus a cookie. How civilized is that?

The only downside was the number of smokers onboard. Although smoking was not permitted, the stench was unbearable coming off of people's coats and belongings in the overhead bins. I literally had to cover my nose and mouth with my Downy-April-Fresh handkerchief.

Anyway, it was certainly not the worst two-hours and fifteen minutes of my life...thank you, Forrest Gump.

One other neat aspect of the flight was that we never really got away from civilization. From the air, the ground below us seemed entirely populated unlike short-haul flights back home where it might be fields and trees for miles without a road or a home in sight.

The descent from blue sky through white cloud into brown smog layered over brown water and brown land signalled our arrival into the pollution of China. It's a sad reality.

At Pudong airport from the gate to immigration, the walls were lined with publicity for expensive designer goods like Prada and Longines…none of which could be seen on the actual people in the terminal.

Our Shanghai go-team greeted us and efficiently got people and luggage sorted onto yet another hour-long motor coach ride to The Bund district.

The elevated highway from the airport into the city is lined with tall apartment buildings crushed right up against the guardrails. You could honestly imagine shaking hands with the residents if you were stopped in heavy traffic.

My mind reeled at the thought of what would happen if Mrs. Fung's clothespins failed and her bedsheet draped over the windshield of somebody's car speeding along the roadway.

Luckily, we made it to the Shanghai Hyatt on The Bund Hotel without any laundry-related traffic mishaps.

Shanghai is a very crowded city…I wish that I could review it for you but honestly, that hotel was such a beautiful oasis that I never left it until the shuttle back to Pudong Airport the next day.

Azamara spoiled us. They even ensured that our nightly turndown chocolates were offered to us in our luxurious rooms. We were treated to a complimentary breakfast buffet with both Asian and Western specialties and as part of the compensation package, were offered up to $100 USD for incidentals in Shanghai. I went for dinner in the hotel's Chinese restaurant and enjoyed fabulous Peking Duck which still makes me shed a tear…it was that delicious.

Other than meals and sleep, my time was spent in the Hyatt's spa facility where the steam room, sauna, hot tub, cold plunge pool and giant swimming pool gave me the all the comfort and relaxation I needed before the arduous transition to post-cruise reality.

Although the land discoveries had been cancelled and charges reversed on my onboard account, the go-team still organized complimentary coach transfers from the hotel to the airport. It was the perfect way to end the voyage. Despite my uncomfortable arrival in Hong Kong, where I was a bit underwhelmed by my reception, I was so happy with my first +Azamara Club Cruises experience. The propeller issue only provided evidence that their customer service is actually the best and I will not hesitate to sail with them again and recommend the line to everyone looking for a more intimate, port-intensive cruise.

The next move is up to me…let's see how it goes.