Asia’s magnificent cruise ships Ovation of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, and Voyager of the Seas return to Singapore to offer Royal Caribbean and TIRUN’s longest-ever home porting season in Asian waters. This deployment by the Royal Caribbean International cruise line, which will run for nine months till next June 2017 with 64 sailings, is expected to take 200,000 guests to ports in Southeast Asia. The sailings will increase Royal Caribbean’s capacity in 2017 in the region by 30 per cent over 2016. TIRUN’s announcement regarding the RCI Singapore Season has been made soon after Royal Caribbean’s double victory at the Travel Weekly Asia’s Readers Choice Awards. The pioneering brand won both the ‘Best Cruise Line – International’ and the ‘Best Cruise Line – Family’ titles, which reflects its exceptional services in the travel industry.
Speaking on the announcement, Mrs. Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN said, “After an immensely successful semi-chartered cruise to Singapore by Voyager of the Seas, it is great news for Indian cruise enthusiasts that Singapore is now going to witness the longest-ever home porting by three of Royal Caribbean’s most magnificent ships. This means more options, more itineraries and more choice along with well-curated Indian delicacies and experiences onboard for vacationers. In addition, attractions such as themed cruises will enhance the propensity of Indian travel-lovers to consider cruise holidays as the ideal way to quench their thirst for exotic vacations with unbridled luxury.”
The season commences with Mariner of the Seas hosting 41 sailings until next March. With three to ten nights’ cruises, the ship will sail to popular destinations such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and China. With recent itinerary additions, Mariner of the Seas will also feature festive cruises for Christmas, New Year in December, and Chinese New Year in January 2017. The highlights for the cruise ship also include theme cruises such as Salsa Cruise in December and the cosplay-styled Cosfest Sea Cruise in February.
Asia’s newest and most technologically advanced ship Ovation of the Seas, which was in Singapore in June, will be back in March to April 2017 with a total of 10 new sailings. This comprises three to five nights to Penang, Phuket, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) and a 12-night one-way cruise to Tianjin with calls at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) for overnight stay, Hue/Danang (Chan May), Hong Kong and Seoul (Incheon). Ovation of the Seas alone is expected to add 42,000 additional guests to the Singapore Season, and delivering millions through in-port spend. With new generation Cruise Amenities, the guests will enjoy the ‘North Star’, an observation capsule 90 metres over the ocean, cocktails served by robots at the ‘Bionic Bar’, skydiving and surfing experiences, interior virtual balconies with real-time ocean views, luxurious Loft suites, and ‘SeaPlex’, the largest indoor activity space at sea. The cruise ship also boasts 18 restaurants with cuisines from around the globe, including imaginative cuisine at Wonderland, and Jamie’s Italian by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the fastest internet connection speeds at sea, and a collection of artwork valued at more than $6 million.
Following this, Voyager of the Seas will return in May 2017 to June 2017 and will offer 13 sailings of three to five night Southeast Asian itineraries to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang, Phuket and an 8-night one-way cruise to Hong Kong, with stopovers at Bangkok (Laem Chabang) for an overnight, Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) and Nha Trang.
The 15-deck, 3,800-guest Voyager Class ships Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas are also packed with entertainment and activities for guests of all ages, such as the Royal Promenade, ice skating rink, full-sized sports court, Flow Rider surf simulator, and DreamWorks Entertainment.
