Getting onboard
The taxi ride to the cruise port from Singapore’s Orchard Road took only twenty minutes. We arrived in time for our pre-determined check-in time of 1:30pm to get a taste of Asia on the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship.
[Hint: If you are travelling on a budget, use a ridesharing app or walk a short distance to one of the taxi stands, which are scattered across town. Arranging a taxi through the hotel concierge at some budget hotels can sometimes incur an extra fee.]
It’s a mammoth job getting 5,000-6,000 guests onto a cruise ship! The departure hall was extremely busy when we arrived; we suspect many had arrived well in advance of their pre-arranged check-in time. However, the complete check-in procedure was carried out with the usual Singaporean speed and efficiency.
[Hint: If you are travelling light and want to settle into your room quickly to start enjoying your onboard experience, take your luggage with you instead of queuing twice to include the portering option as it can take up to five hours for your bags to be delivered to your room.]
Get a taste of Asia on the Spectrum of the Seas
The elegance of the ship and the friendliness of the staff greeted us immediately on arrival. Staff directed us to the appropriate muster station to make sure we received our “emergency evacuation” instructions while we tried not to be distracted by Jamie Oliver’s Italian, a store selling exquisite jewellery, the bar, and lunch being served on the floor directly below.
The Stateroom
We were lucky to have been assigned a more desirable stateroom on Deck 9, which was ready and waiting for us upon boarding. More luck, we found the immaculate midship room had a larger-than-standard balcony.
Our room was well-designed, comfortable, and equipped with all the amenities of a hotel room. There was ample seating, which could be converted to a bed for an additional room guest. This provided us with the option of sitting inside if we wanted a little quiet time away from the other passengers, and if it was too hot to sit outside on our balcony. Remember, we were in Asia where the temperature stays constant in the early to mid 30 degrees centigrade all year around.
The onboard facilities
Our room positioning gave us easy access to all the ship’s facilities. Once we had unpacked, it was time to explore.
The Swimming Pools
More seasoned cruisers had settled in and were already enjoying all the ship had to offer. The main pool area was packed with passengers eagerly making the most of the swimming facilities well before the ship set sail.
There were three pool facilities onboard: a children’s waterslide area complete with a toddler’s pool, another swimming pool in the middle with a couple of large jacuzzis and a pool bar, and then a much quieter “adults-only” solarium at the front of the deck with elegant seating and deck chairs, a bar and jacuzzi’s. It was indeed a sanctuary away for those like us who were travelling without young families.
The Dining options
Casual or formal dining? Whichever you prefer, passengers are spoilt for choice when it comes to meals on the Spectrum of the Seas.
You can choose to have a unique experience by booking and paying extra to dine at one of the speciality restaurants on board including Jamies Italian, and Sichuan Red, or go all out and enjoy a five-course meal at the Chef’s Table.
For those who prefer laid-back meals included in the cruise package, options include the Windjammer on the top deck provides a myriad of cuisines served buffet-style accompanied by fabulous views. It was a popular venue for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
For a more semi-formal dinner, The Main Dining Room spanned two floors offering personalised waiter service at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
We found our appetites didn’t require three full meals per day and opted to enjoy lighter lunches at Cafe@Two70. It was not as busy and we could enjoy a leisurely lunch at the end of the ship where there were fewer passengers while watching the waves go by.
The activities
The wonderful thing about cruises is that you can be as active or as inactive as you like. For the active, the ship provided numerous options catering for the young and old:
- Rock climbing wall
- Bumper cars
- Table tennis
- Basketball courts
- Flowrider
- Water activities
- The North Star viewing platform
- Dance classes
- IFly
- Running track
- Gym
Being active travellers we appreciated using the running track on the top deck and the well-equipped gym. As is usual both were busiest early in the morning. We found that if we went an hour later everyone had left for breakfast and we could work out at leisure. The Zumba classes were also fun.
For the not-so-active, you can while away the hours onboard trying your luck at the Casino, attending the regular afternoon bingo sessions, relaxing by one of the pools (we especially enjoyed the quiet solitude of the solarium at the front of the ship), joining a cooking class, having a spa treatment or shopping in the arcade.
The entertainment
Some of our big cruiser friends had told us before we left that we would love the entertainment on the ship. They were not wrong!
We loved popping into the various small pre-dinner entertainment from jazz bands to quartets singing songs of bygone eras set up around the ship.
It was, however, the big stage productions that blew us away. The professionalism, expertise, and variety were exceptional with two performances of each show per night. We eagerly looked forward to each show every night.
Our verdict
As a first-time big ship cruise experience, we found a short cruise was indeed the best way to discover if we would enjoy more of this type of travel.
At first sight, the cruise liner was gigantic and indeed, it is a floating city which it needs to be when catering for such a large number of guests and staff.
Our balcony suite was exceptional with plenty of room to unpack and store our belongings and space to store our suitcases. Seating was ample with the extra balcony space allowed us an opportunity to get away from the busy areas onboard for some solitude whenever we wanted while still being able to enjoy the passing scenery.
The onboard facilities went over and above expectations. The main pool areas were overcrowded and noisy at times because of the large number of family groups aboard. Luckily, the ship caters well for those who travel without children by providing an adults-only solarium, complete with luxury sunbeds, swimming pools, and spas where we often found respite. The area also provided one of the best spots on the ship to look out from the bow to the open sea.
Dining options were numerous. For those wishing for a unique dining experience at one of the speciality restaurants, the cruise line provides ample opportunity to reserve a table prior to the cruise at reduced rates and while at sea. There is no lack of opportunity to try various cuisines even if you don’t try the speciality options.
One point to note. Unlike many other cruise operators, Royal Caribbean doesn’t allow passengers to take alcohol for consumption on board. Discounted packages are available to purchase before and during the cruise.
Onboard entertainment rivalled those you will find anywhere on terra firma and was of a high standard. And best of all, they’re all included in the ticket price. No nasty surprises.
Final comment. We enjoyed the experience however, we agree that if we should cruise again, we would opt for a smaller ship for adults only. Families and groups travelling together will love the Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas experience.
One last thing
If you’d like to learn more about the places we visited on-shore read our recommendations on The best way to gain an insight into exciting Asia.
If you’re looking for more things to do while in Singapore before boarding your cruise, read one more thing you absolutely love to do in Singapore.
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