Cruise to Nowhere | Singapore Journal

Carpe diem!

Frankly speaking, we initially LOLed at the idea of a cruise to nowhere when it was first launched late last year. Why would I want to pay for a cruise going nowhere? Would it be safe? Would I really enjoy going around wearing mask all day? But my travel-starved-just-turned-thirty-self could not pass on the idea of fulfilling a birthday trip, even if it's only going nowhere.

Sans the pandemic, I would not consider paying a hefty amount for a cruise. "Cruising is just for the rich, luxurious people." But I guess, COVID has indeed entirely change everything. So here I am now, hours after we disembarked, writing about our cruise experience.

Beautiful sunset view during our last day!

As we both are not very fan of staycations (we seriously think staycations are a waste of money, that's another topic to discuss), we booked a 3-NIGHT Ocean Getaway Cruise onboard Quantum of the Seas by the Royal Caribbean. We paid around $1000 in total (exclusive of any add-ons) for an obstructed balcony room. The room didn't have any obstructions to be honest, we had the full view of the ocean for ourselves.

Since this is both our first time on a cruise, we really didn't know what to expect. But we were indeed excited for it, finally I had something to look forward to. Even the feat of preparing my luggage felt rather exciting instead of like a chore. And in addition, pulling my almost-forgotten luggage, passing through immigration with my new passport at Marina Bay Cruise Centre brought a sense of enjoyment.

Is it safe?

It's totally understandable to be apprehensive of taking the cruise or not, considering the confines of a cramped cabin, and thousands of passengers and crew onboard. Personally, I think every travel or trip is always a risk. And what major difference does it make compare to having a staycation where clients did not undergo any PCR test and freely goes around the city?

Here are some of the safety guidelines implemented:

All passengers are required to pass a mandatory PCR test at least 72 hours before cruising. Price of the test is already included. We took our test at 11am on a Saturday, and got the results at Sunday 12mn.

Crew members have to satisfy quarantine requirements and undergo tests. We talked to one of the cabin crew, and he mentioned that he had not been out of the ship since late November as they are not allowed to disembarked. Cause otherwise, they need to take a PCR test. Cruise ships operate only at a 50% capacity to accommodate safe distancing.

They have very strict guidelines on implementing safety protocols such as wearing masks, washing hands regularly and safe distancing. Hand sanitizers are situated everywhere. You have to wear mask even when you're sunbathing, or in between sipping that cocktail. There are cruise inspectors making rounds to ensure these rules are followed, hence the crew members keep on reminding passengers how to properly wear the mask (yes, covering your nose and mouth)

What are the activities that you can do in the cruise?

Ummmm, EATING and then eat again. I probably will not be exaggerating if I say we spent quarter of our time in the cruise, eating. But kidding aside, there are quite a lot of activities that can make you busy like wall climbing, craft lessons (especially for kids), quiz nights, flowrider, zumba classes, bumpcar, arcade games, or you can just chill at the roof deck wondering when will Covid ever end.

MY FAVORITE PART OF THE SHIP, THE SOLARIUM!

What are the forms of entertainment available?

Each night, a few entertainers are scattered around the ship like piano nights, acoustic nights, reggae nights, among others. These are all free of charge. You just have to go to the specified area. Additionally, there are shows that runs multiple times across the duration of the cruise. Make sure to pre-book everything on your first day as there are very limited seats available. In general, the entertainment shows were really good. Some artists were indeed world class performers.

Amazing juggling show!

There was also a magic show.

Is the dining and beverage package worth it?

It was a serious discussion on whether to take any extra package. For us, we bought the unlimited dining package and skip the beverage package. I have friends who said the beverage package was really worth it whilst the complimentary food were good enough, hence dining package is really not needed. But in conclusion, I would say, it really all boils down to your preferences.

If you know you are someone who would drink a lot during the cruise, then take the beverage package. But this does not come with a cheap price as it can range from $75 to $90 per person per day, and you have to pay for the entire duration of the cruise. So let's say in a 3N cruise, it would be an extra $260 per person. A cocktail price can range from $10 to $13 per glass, while beers are $8 to $12 per bottle. So you do your own math.

We paid an extra $105 per person for the dining package, and in summary - yes, it is worthy of the price. I agree, the complimentary food are enough, but the quality of the food from the specialty restaurants are incomparable. Wonderland is a gastronomical experience by itself, whilst Chops Grille's meat are totally delicious.

Room and Service

Our stateroom was located all the way towards the front of the ship, meaning we had to walk few minutes to reach the lobby or reach the end of the ship. But we seriously did not mind. Our cabin steward was a Filipino guy who was very friendly and nice. As we were walking through the lobby, he came and talked to us for a few minutes.

View from our state room.

Maxime's penguin during towel art class. Lol

Our cabin steward made this for us!

And I guess, the most vital question is : Is it worth it?

Yes! When they tell, they will spoil you, they will definitely spoil you.

But of course, even if there are a lot to love, there are still a few things that did not really tick the box:

The internet service was exorbitantly overcharged for at least $20 per day per device. I'm surprised that for a luxury cruise, they do not offer free internet whereas you can get it free from public spaces.
Beware of the extra fees. Indeed, there is no GST or service charge involved, but there is an automatic 18% gratuity charge for every paid service. I totally don't understand what is it for, shouldn't tips be voluntary? It seems like a disguised for service charge and GST.
There is a smoking area situated near the swimming pool, under a roof and not an open deck. Not very well placed; there are a lot of children going around probably inhaling those smoke.
The swimming pools are rather small and gets swamped by noisy children. We did not even went to the pool. Solarium was sufficient enough with its hot tub jacuzzis.
The buffet area could get really crowded during peak dining hours. This is the aspect where I mostly appreciate having a dining package. Besides for the fact that the food quality is way much better, you have the luxury of dining in peace.
In a cruise is where you will see a LOT of privilege people who thinks they're above everyone else.

the solarium

Here are a few more tips that I hope would be helpful:

Check in as early as you can. I repeat, CHECK IN AS EARLY AS YOU CAN. Check in at 2:00PM if you can. This way you'll have ample time to go around the ship and pre-book restaurants and shows whilst the rest of the passengers are still boarding.
Once onboard, immediately book your shows and restaurants (if you have dining package). Shows get fully book quickly since there are limited seats available due to social distancing.
Please take a metal straw with you. They provide paper straws, but this could still be wasteful.
Toiletries are not provided unless otherwise requested which I find more ecological, honestly. You can take your own toiletries with you anyway without any volume restrictions. Yes, you can take that 200ml bottle of shampoo.
The ships uses European standard outlet, those that have two flat holes. If you are coming from Singapore, take an adaptor with you. In case you have forgotten, you can ask one from Guest Services for a deposit of $25.
To avoid the crowd at Solarium, go late at night. They closes around past 12. And soaking in a hot jacuzzi is really a good way to end a day a day full of eating.
Pack as if you are going into a quarantine. Worst case scenario, someone onboard contracted the virus and everyone has to be quarantined. Voila, you have everything you need with you.
To have at least a vague idea of the activities and programs in the cruise, in your Royal app, change the cruising date to currently what is sailing. And from there, you can see the schedule of the current sailing which would almost be the same with the other trips.

These are the pools that almost always gets crowded with kids.

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Our cruise experience was really unforgettable for me. I'm glad we took the risk of having a "travel" despite the pandemic. Personally, 3 days were enough for me to be confined in a ship where most of the activities include eating. I gained almost 2 kilos just during the cruise itself. Lol

Here are some mouth watering food we ate during our cruise! They are extremely pleasing to the eyes, and photos do not give justice to how appetizing they are. My bourgeouis jowa still dreams of this weeks after our cruise. Lol