We arrived at our first destination, Port Klang, bright and early on Monday morning and found ourselves leaving the ship with our media tour group at 8 am.  

Accompanied by our tour guide, we then boarded a bus which transported us from Port Klang into Kuala Lumpur. Our first stop was the historical Batu Caves, a religious spot with temples and Hindu deities. We toured the exterior of the temples and the surrounding shops before moving on to Chinatown where we roamed around the streets and sampled coffee from numerous famous cafes in the area. 

We then stopped by the famed Pavilion Kuala Lumpur mall in the heart of the city and had lunch at a Malaysian dining favourite, Madam Kwan's, which is popular for its nasi lemak. Our last stop was Regent Layered Cake Shop, which sells Instagram-famous jelly pandan cakes. 

While we certainly enjoyed our time in the city, the fun was not over upon reentering the ship. 

That evening, we were treated to a dinner at one of the ship's speciality restaurants, Bistro by Reinhard Mammes. The restaurant serves up Western fine dining and grilled meats. We thoroughly enjoyed its mixed grill platter that came with sirloin beef, lamb chops, pork sausages and chicken with chimichurri sauce. Another highlight was the warm chocolate almond pudding served in a pool of chocolate sauce. Moist and robust, it presented the perfect end to a wonderful meal. 

We arrived in Penang at about 5 am in the morning the next day and left the ship once again at 8 am. 

This time, our shore excursion was a little more condensed especially since Penang is a relatively smaller town. We started out by heading to the famous Penang Hill where we boarded the historic funicular train to the top.

Of course, you can't visit Penang without trying its famous char kway teow; we were led to a roadside street stall that sold a famous rendition of the dish as well as cendol and oyster omelettes. We also looked at some of the iconic Penang street art before making out way up the famous Rainbow Skywalk for excellent views of the city.

Back onboard Genting Dream, we were given some time to unwind before getting ready for none other than a... foam party. Never having been to a foam party myself, it was definitely an experience as I danced around in soapy foam while a DJ was spinning chart-topping hits. This was one of the highlights of my trip and one I would recommend doing if you are onboard the Genting Dream.

And just like that, day four saw us docking off the shore of Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. Our tour this time was intended to be shorter so that we could spend some time roaming Phuket on our own before heading back to the ship.

Our first stop was Phuket Old Town where we visited Woo Gallery, a historical home that dates back over a century and offers guests a unique look at the traditions and history of the people who lived there.

After touring the home and its many rooms, we were invited to explore Bann 92, where we watched chefs whip up a Thai rendition of Hokkien Mee and also try our hand at making ang ku kueh, a traditional Chinese pastry.

We then returned to Patong Beach to further explore the area on our own. Of course, you can't make a trip to Thailand without indulging in some classic Thai dishes so that's exactly what we did. We stopped by Coco Copper Bistro & Beach Bar, an unassuming cafe that serves authentic and delicious renditions of Thai dishes such as basil pork, pineapple fried rice and more.

Back onboard the Genting Dream, the fun was not over as we prepped our stomachs for more food at Umi Uma Teppanyaki. Here, we were treated to entertaining chefs who kept us occupied with stunts and fun tricks while cooking our meals a la minute.

After an action-packed trip, day five was just spent relaxing as the ship sailed on the high seas without docking at any port. We kicked off the day with a media tour down into the kitchens of the ship and we went behind the scenes of the performances that are shown onboard. We got to see how the lights and sounds worked as well as what it was like backstage in the costume rooms. 

Following our tour, we proceeded into the auditorium for the ship's special Christmas show. This was arguably one of the best parts of the entire trip, in my opinion. The energy of the performers was incredible and the entire performance showcased the best that the ship had to offer with acrobats, breakdancing, fun Christmas music and more.

With that, our trip came to an end and we spent one last night in our rooms before disembarking in Singapore the next morning. While the trip was a busy one with packed itineraries, it was a one-of-a-kind experience having to be able to visit so many cities in such a short span of time. 

If you are keen on a unique cruise ship experience, this is one you need to have in your sights.

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