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| Crystal Cruises: Istanbul |
THE queue into the lounge for the captain’s cocktail party, three nights after Queen Elizabeth 2 left Singapore, was so long and slow moving I sauntered along it to see the reason for the delay. There were two, the first caused by a ship’s photographer posing couples for a formal portrait and the second while another photographer snapped guests with the captain. I slipped into place, shook the captain’s hand, and reached eagerly for the glass of bubbly proffered by a steward.
“What’s this?” I asked. “Champagne,” he replied, as though I was an idiot not to recognise it. I took one sip, almost choked, and handed it back. “That’s not champagne,” I told him. “It’s sparkling wine.” He moved away. So did I. I went down to the champagne bar next to the Princess Grill and paid US$8 for a glass of genuine stuff.
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Thus I learned that cruising on the best-known liner in the world was no guarantee of quality or value for money. Well QE2 heads to nautical heaven (well, Dubai) November 2008, and Queen Victoria has taken on her role as one of "the most famous ocean liners in the world" (Cunard's view, not mine) annually cruising the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Famous, maybe, but not necessarily the best since, in cruising, the highest fare or best-known ship does not always mean exceptional value for money, or on board sophistication. Compare my QE2 experience with my cruise on Hebridean Spirit, which I had left just before in Colombo.
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With only 70 passengers, there were no queues, no ship’s photographers, no snooty stewards, and genuine champagne at no extra cost. Asian cruises, as anywhere, require careful homework on both cruise lines and cruise ships. Armed with useful knowledge, an Asia cruise can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
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| The World: Floating Residence |
Since I was first invited as a guest speaker on the Orient Line’s Marco Polo in 1994, I have cruised around the Indian Ocean on a score of ships, from large passenger liners like the QE2 visiting the region during a world cruise, to small luxury ships like Seabourn Spirit and Silversea's Silver Shadow putting into little-visited ports such as Port Blair in the Andamans.
What are you looking for in an Asian cruise?
While some passengers cruise for exotic destinations, others go to sea for the fun of the voyage. For some, fun means professional cabaret every evening, casinos, quizzes, and dressing down for dinner; for others it means the cultured atmosphere of a country house party with like-minded souls, quiet formal evenings, and erudite lecturers.
Cruising caters for everyone – even for merry widows with gentlemen hosts on call for dancing – but first-time cruisers should think carefully about what they get for their dollars before signing up for that “holiday-of-a-lifetime” voyage.
While glitzy cruise liners boast lavish buffets and spectacular entertainment for their hundreds of passengers, you could be forever standing behind those hundreds of passengers waiting to get off or on the ship at ports of call, or to bag a deck chair on the sun deck. However, on a smaller ship with only one bar and restaurant, it could be difficult to avoid passengers who are seriously boring, or to find something to do instead of a jigsaw puzzle in the library.
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| Seabourne: Beachside Tan |
Rates for Asian cruises that really do include all the extras may at first seem high. However, extras like the cost of every cocktail (plus 15 percent service charge) and shore excursion (often more than US$100 a head), and tips of up to US$20 per day per passenger, can add a lot to the cost of the cruise. The basic component covered by a cruise fare is limited to the voyage, accommodation, meals and entertainment, so do allow for extras when comparing costs.
Asia cruises – examine the fine print on rates
Minimum fares generally start around US$250 per person per day depending on the ship. Many companies advertise discounts in their brochures and a good cruise travel agent could come up with less than the brochure price because of early or late booking discounts, loyalty programmes and volume pricing. When I am a paying (and not a lecturing) guest, I consult one of the leading cruise bookers, Kenny Wong of Atlantis International. Based in Florida, Kenny has never failed to deliver the best deal on cruises throughout the world over the 10 years I have been dealing with him by e-mail (Kenny@ailtravel.com).
When poring over your Asia cruises brochures, always study the small print for extras. While companies such as Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas state that tipping is not expected (but it will surely be accepted) some specify what gratuities are required. Crystal Cruises suggests guidelines for stateroom and dining service tips as: stewardess US$4 per guest per day (single travellers, US$5 per day); senior waiter US$4 per guest per day; waiter US$3 per guest per day; butler US$4 per guest per day. There is no guidance about tips for the Maitre D', head waiter, assistant stewardess and room service personnel, but US$7 per guest per dinner is recommended for those restaurants where a premium is charged.
Gratuities can be charged to the shipboard account on Crystal ships while other lines provide envelopes in the cabins (and guidelines in the ship's daily programme) for tips to individuals at the end of a voyage. In addition, some cruise lines require guests to pay port charges and government taxes and this could add as much as US$400 per person.
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| Hebridean Spirit |
Something new to budget for on many ships is the premium payable to dine in a speciality restaurant that features a theme menu (such as Italian, French, Thai or Japanese cuisine). This can range from the US$20 charged for Norwegian Cruise Line's steak restaurants to US$200 for a degustation menu, with five premium wines, on Silversea s ships.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) pioneered the concept of “freestyle cruising” which gives guests the option of eating in any one of several restaurants, only some of which attract a premium for extra service and broader variety of food. Their ships are child-friendly too, with lots of activities and attendants to keep children busy while their parents play. The closest that NCL ships get to Asia in 2008 is Hawaii, although older NCL ships have cruised in the Indian Ocean in the past, and could do so again. Check the NCL website ( www.ncl.co.uk) for updates on their 2009 or 2010 Asia/Orient cruises.
Is this cruise for me? Formalities and jamborees
Cruising is a wonderful option for the elderly – and the lazy – since unpacking (and packing) only has to be done once instead of at every destination, and getting back to the cabin at night after a convivial evening doesn’t require a taxi. Cruise ships also carry a doctor who holds daily clinics (for a fee, so have good insurance). The bigger ships, with more organised activities, are suitable for parents with children, as kids can be cared for by trained staff. Some, like NCL ships and Star Cruises, positively welcome children and have special meals and club facilities for them. Luxury smaller ships will have nothing special for children to do, as well as predominantly older passengers whose tolerance of other people's kids will be low. Some small ships will not accommodate children below a certain age (nine on Hebridean Spirit).
Cruising in Asia is the ideal holiday for solo passengers too, although some ships charge 175 percent of the per person rate for single occupancy of a double cabin. Solo passengers are often invited to dine at the captain’s or chief engineer’s table and since there are usually a good batch of singletons, there are ample opportunities for ship-board romance.
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| Seabourn Cruise |
There are often three formal nights on a 14-night cruise and this means a tuxedo or at least a dark suit for men. “Informal,” s mart” or “elegant casual” on other nights indicates that men should wear a jacket and not necessarily a tie. For “elegant casual”, Star Cruises insist “all gentlemen must have a collar with flap”. Casual nights allow for dressing down, but not shorts, except during the day. The larger ships have buffet restaurants operating in the evenings where dress is casual.
The larger the ship, the more entertainment, with lavish shows, parlour games and casinos. Even the small yachts of Seabourn have cabarets and comedians, while Silversea vessels veer towards more classical evenings. All have musicians, either small groups or a bar pianist. Lectures are usually given in the ship's theatre or, in the case of very small ships like Hebridean Spirit and Island Sky, in the bar lounge. The bigger ships have dedicated smoking lounges while others confine smokers to defined areas on the open deck. The bigger ships sometimes feature “art auctions” with paintings perpetually cluttering up public places, and also have ship's photographers and contrived photo opportunities (that black-tie cocktail party with the captain), which the smaller ships eschew.
Some Asian cruises operate a two-seating policy at meal times. This means a first sitting commencing at 6.30pm with second sitting at 8.30pm. There would be two cabaret performances in the evenings too so that all guests can see the shows. At lunchtime there is a buffet served on deck or in a deckside restaurant, as an alternative to having lunch in the more formal atmosphere of the restaurant. Breakfast is usually a buffet, either deckside or in the restaurant.
The peak time for cruising in Asia through the Indian and Pacific Oceans is from October to April and there are three kinds of cruise vessel , according to Kenny Wong of Atlantis International of Florida. Catering for the mass market are the larger liners such as those of Royal Caribbean, Princess and Holland America. Midsize ships are operated by Oceania, Crystal and Celebrity cruise lines. Riding the crest of the wave in the small, luxury cruise ship category are Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas. The smaller ships base themselves in the area for the season while the larger ones, such as Queen Victoria , pass through as part of an annual round-the-world voyage. For people with no fixed schedule and who like their own company, there are also passenger-carrying container ships that have taken over from the tramp steamers of old.
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| Hebridean Spirit: St Columbia Suite |
Although some container ships do take passengers, the voyages can be long, and uncertain, and it might not be nearly as romantic as one might expect to be cooped up on a ship packed with containers and dining on ship’s fare with a handful of passengers and officers. However, you might be surprised at times. The chef has his hands free and is often able to rustle up genuine delicacies as opposed to the wall-to-wall buffets. Cargo ships have basic to excellent accommodations and a huge selection of movies. Most passenger freighters take four to 12 passengers. The tramp ships of yore are giving way to sleeker vessels catering to the well heeled and there are some excellent freighter ship cruises available.
The best Asian cruises –ships, freighters, floating residences
US-based Maris Freighter Cruises offers a range of cruises including 18-week around-the-world cruises on nine 30,000-ton multipurpose cargo ships (named Rickmers) carrying containers and up to seven passengers. The ships have two double and three single cabins with showers, mini-fridges, TV and DVD/VCR sets and other facilities, and voyages can be broken up into segments, starting at ports along the way. One itinerary, which starts and ends in Houston, includes Asian destinations such as Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Qingdao and Yokohama. Shared facilities include an exercise room and swimming pool. Maris recommends tips of US$3 to $5 per person per day. In addition to offering an informative website about cruise and freighter travel, Maris also runs a Cruise and Freighter Travel Club, which offers regular newsletters and further discounts on cruises.
The Crystal Symphony, whose US$23 million refurbishment includes a new casino and nightclub and a new “Starlight Club” with panoramic sea views, left the region in April 2008 bound for Dubai via Bombay. Her sister ship, Crystal Serenity (1,080 passenger capacity and crew of 655), arrives at Singapore on 19 March 2009 from Australia as part of a round Pacific ports voyage. She does a 16-day sector from Singapore via Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to Hongkong and then onto Japan and that other Pacific island part, Victoria BC. Sector fares range from US$9,163 to US$51,111 per person for the 16-day cruise Singapore-Hong Kong for “all normal shipboard services and facilities plus non-alcoholic beverages.”
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| Crystal Serenity: Deluxe Stateroom |
Italian cruise line Costa Cruises’ 800-passenger Costa Allegra, which was refurbished in April 2006, offers short and longer Asia cruises. The vessel, which has nine decks (eight for passengers), features hand-cut Carrara marble, fine-wood walls and decks named after impressionist painters, as well as a three-deck-high glass atrium. Special fares are offered on its website for Asian residents.
Hebridean Spirit is Scotland’s own cruise ship, which spends the northern winter months in tropical waters. With only 47 suites, each one utterly luxurious, and top-notch meals, selected wines, spirits and champagne, tips, port and passenger taxes, as well as shore excursions included in the fare, she is the epitome of value for money, quality cruising. She has one 12-day cruise scheduled in the Indian Ocean in November 2008 from Seychelles to South Africa via Madagascar and Maputo. In March 2009 she cruises from Cape Town via Madagascar and Reunion to Mauritius followed by a 12-day cruise from Mauritius to Seychelles via Reunion and Madagascar. From Seychelles she relocates to cruise in Europe for summer, 2009. Watch out for her return to Asian shores in 2010.
Former Renaissance vessel the Island Sky was refitted in 2003, with glamo rous accommodation, a library and Internet centre, one-sitting restaurant and 59 large cabins to accommodate a maximum of 116 passengers. Shore excursions, but not drinks, are included in the fare, which starts at £4,095 per person for a 12-day cruise, economy flight from the UK included. The ship is for mature cruisers (t here are no facilities for children) who want to learn as well as relax. Novel itineraries are planned for her 2008/2009 season in the region. She departs from Muscat on 2 December 2008 to call at Sur, Porbandar, Diu, Mumbai (Bombay), Goa, Mangalore and Kochi (Cochin) with disembarkation in Male' (Maldives). From 15 to 30 December she cruises from Male' to Colombo, Galle, Pondicherry, Chennai (Madras), Visakhapatanam and Paradip to Kolkata (Calcutta). The next cruise starts at Chennai on 3 January 2009 with calls at Colombo, Tuticorin, Trivandrum, Lakshadweep Islands, Kochi, and finishing in the Maldives on 15 January 2009. There is a voyage to Seychelles 14 to 27 January for cruises around that region until 20 March 2009.
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| 800 passenger Costa Allegra |
There are dozens of live-aboard boats available for charter in the Maldives (about US$200 a day per person) and these are popular with divers as well as those who want to visit islands beyond the 90 devoted exclusively to tourist hedonism. A newcomer is the Yassawa Princess built in 1984 and refitted in 2007 with small, air-conditioned double cabins for 66 passengers, with restaurant, bar and sun deck. She is scheduled to make weekly cruises from Male alternately through the north and south atolls with daily morning and afternoon diving. There's less diving (although a formidable dive centre is on board for the determined) and more of a fun-in-the-sun party atmosphere (drinks are included in the fare) on Atoll Explorer. This small vessel (20 cabins, some with balcony) has been operating all-inclusive week-long cruises throughout the Maldives since 1997 and has become so popular it is booked for months in advance, usually by British couples of all ages. Cruises are generally taken as part of a Maldives holiday package but can be arranged independently at around US$250 per person per day (diving extra). It is the perfect way of cruising around tropical, palm-fringed desert islands in fine, laidback style.
One of the Yachts of Seabourn, the Seabourn Spirit, visits Asia every year and she is an admirable combination of small-ship ambience with big-ship spectacle. With 106 suites, she never has more than 208 passengers who soon get to know each other at the single-sitting restaurant, by the pool or in the small casino, or in the bars (most drinks, including in-suite champagne on arrival, are complimentary). There is entertainment by professionals every night in the ship’s theatre or lounge.
The ship will be in the region from 2 December 2008 when she begins an 18-day cruise from Dubai to Mumbai, Kochi, Colombo, Phuket, Penang and Singapore. For Christmas 2008 and New Year she cruises from Singapore via Thailand and Vietnam to Hong Kong. Then she sails back and forth to Singapore from where, on 30 March 2009, she begins her return to Europe. This takes in Penang, Colombo, Kochi and Mumbai on the way to Dubai. Fares usually include one shore excursion; tipping is included. Government and port taxes, however, are extra and could add another US$400 to the cruise cost.
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| Silver Shadow: Verandah and butlers |
Regent Seven Seas Cruises (formerly Radisson Seven Seas Cruises) has a few interesting Asian cruises. The cruise liner’s Seven Seas Mariner is undertaking a 101 -night 2008 Grand Asia Pacific voyage from September to December 2008 . The journey is broken up into segments, with first port of call in Asia being Japan , followed by calls at China ports before reaching Hong Kong. A cruise to Singapore via Vietnam and Bangkok takes place from 18 October to 1 November 2008. The ship then sails via Bali for Australia. She returns on 9 April 2009 for a cruise from Singapore via Thailand and Vietnam to Hong Kong and then, from 23 April to Japan and eventually Anchorage. Her sister ship Seven Seas Voyager visits the Indian Ocean in 2009 during her round the world voyage. From Sydney on 13 February 2009 she sails via Bali and Manila arriving in Shanghai on 5 March. There is a cruise from there via Hong Kong and Vietnam to Singapore (18 March) and on to Penang, Phuket, Colombo, Kochi (Cochin) and Mumbai (Bombay) to Dubai (31 March). Both ships carry 700 passengers in suites, each of which has a balcony, and both have casinos, show lounges, fitness centres and enrichment programmes. While wine with dinner is complimentary it is charged at other times but soft drinks are free and shipboard gratuities are included in the fare; government taxes are extra. Fares for a 15-day segment cruise begin at US$13,995 and rise to US$51,095 per person in the Master's Suite.
Royal Caribbean International successfully re-introduced Asian cruises into its schedule in December 2007 (after not running them for six years). Its 21 ships are renowned for a happy atmosphere with lots to do in spacious public areas. From December 2008 to April 2009 the line has one of its glitziest and brightest (glass lifts, floor-to-ceiling windows, rock climbing wall and 18-hole miniature golf course) ships, Legend of the Seas, operating three, four and five-night cruises from Singapore. The first one is on 12 December 2008 to Port K lang and Phuket and back for £186 per person. Four-night cruises take in Phuket and Langkawi. On 19 April 2009, Legend of the Seas makes a five-night cruise from Shanghai to Busan (Pusan) and Fukuoka from £291. Oceania Cruises has been around since 2002, and the line's mid-sized ship , Nautica, which holds 684 guests (with 400 staff), has become a regular visitor to the region.
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| Legend of the Seas balcony cabin |
Scheduled activities on board on sea days include wine tasting, culinary demonstrations and arts and craft classes. Menus change on a daily basis.On 18 Nautica has a 32-day voyage (from 18 November 2008) from Rome to Singapore, with calls on the way at Mumbai (Bombay), Kochi (Cochin), Myanmar (for three days) and Phuket. She begins the return 35-day journey to Europe (Athens) from Hong Kong on 7 April 2009 visiting Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Port Klang (Kelang), Mangalore, Goa and Bombay on the way. Fares for both cruises start at US$212 per person per day sharing an interior double cabin. The ship has a voyage from Bangkok to Beijing, 24 days, visiting Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan and Shanghai from US$6,599. There is also a 15-day cruise beginning on 23 March 2009 starting at US$4,599 from Beijing to Hongkong via Seoul, Shanghai, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Okinawa and Taipei.
The Volendam of the Holland America line also has an intriguing series of ports of call on her Asian cruise from Singapore on 4 April 2009 (after her arrival from New Zealand). During the 14-day cruise she is scheduled to visit Kemaman, Bangkok (overnight), Phu My (Vietnam), Kota Kinabulu (Malaysia) and Puerto Princesa (Palawan, Philippines) as well as Manila on the way to Hong Kong. Fares start at US$2,283 per person for an inside cabin. On 18 April 2009, she begins another 14-day cruise visiting ports in China, Korea and Japan. Suites on the ship start at US$8,340 which reflects the modest pricing of this cruise line for its traditional ship board comforts.
Big player Star Cruises is dedicated to onboard fun, complete with casinos, cabarets, buffets and a relaxed Asian ambience where ‘elegant casual’ dress is the most that’s required for the gala dinner. There is a “no tipping” policy but room service, dining ala carte in theme restaurants, beverages, government taxes, port charges and passenger handling fee are extra and there is a fluctuating fuel surcharge. As part of its efforts to expand medium to long-haul markets, Star Cruises has “fly cruise hubs” in Singapore, Port K lang (Malaysia), Hong Kong and Bangkok (Thailand) and 20 representative offices worldwide.
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| SuperStar Gemini: Junior Suite |
The cruise line operates seven ships in the region, the Superstars Virgo, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, the Megastars Aries and Taurus and the Star Pisces. Cruises are short and are priced modestly to make them affordable to Asian residents who might not normally consider a cruise vacation. The various ships call at ports (some with exclusive Star Cruise Line terminals) in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and, of course, Singapore.
Until 19 October 2008, the Superstar Virgo operates short cruises from Hong Kong to Xiamen and Sanya Bay in China and Halong Bay in Vietnam from £361, and also has three-night cruises (from £240) from Hong Kong to Keelung, Taiwan, in June, July and September 2008.
The SAGA Group’s Saga Rose is exclusively for those over 50, with a maximum of 655 passengers. Cabins vary in space and luxury but each has TV and DVD player and 24-hour room service. Travel insurance, gratuities, port taxes, porterage and fruit and water in the cabin are included in the fare. On 5 January 2009, she begins an innovative Commonwealth World Cruise to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth, with calls during the 104-night voyage at many Commonwealth countries. She reaches New Zealand on 27 February 2009 before cruising to Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Darwin (12 March), Singapore, Port K lang, Penang, Phuket, Colombo, Maldives, Kochi and Mumbai (29 March). The brochure price for a person sharing an inside double cabin is £18,549 with published discounts bringing it down to £13,911. Sector fares are available.
Short sectors are available on P & O’s Asian and Oriental fleet ships the Oriana, Aurora and Arcadia as they cruise through the region on round the world voyages. Oriana can carry 1,822 passengers in basic layout cabins and with everything, apart from accommodation, meals, entertainment and port taxes, as extras. She has eight bars and lounges and five restaurants. Oriana is scheduled to leave Sydney for a 30-night cruise on 16 February 2009 that includes calls at Hong Kong, Nha Trang, Bangkok, Kemaman, Singapore, Port Klang (Kelang), Kochi (Cochin) and Mumbai (Bombay), with fares starting at £3,899.
Sister ship the Aurora (1,870 passengers) leaves Cape Town on 26 January 2009 for a 36-day cruise to Sydney with calls at Reunion, Mauritius, Phuket, Penang, Port Kelang (Klang) and Singapore. Lowest fare is £4,650. The Aurora is great for family cruising, with a range of facilities for tots to teens. These include a children’s play area, paddling pool, “night nursery” babysitting service and the “Decibels” venue for teenagers from 13 to 17, including a video wall, computers and a teen disco at night.
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| P&O Aurora: Into the Sunset |
The P&O ship, Arcadia, makes her maiden world voyage from Southampton on 5 January 2009 with a sector available from Mumbai (Bombay) on 23 January 2009. This includes calls at Phuket, Port K lang, Kemaman, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Singapore before sailing to Freemantle. On this ship there are special fares for single cabins equivalent to 170 percent of the per person fare in a shared double cabin.
Passengers on other liners speak with awe about the Silversea ships whenever they are spotted in port. The company describes its fleet’s suites as offering the highest ratio of space-per-guest of any fleet, and 80 percent of its suites have furnished teak verandahs. Asia cruises, as indeed all sailings, feature lectures by historians, ambassadors, state leaders, authors (including this correspondent) and geographers. All four ships offer WiFi throughout. It's not just the sophisticated ambience of a Silversea ship that makes it special; everything – even boarding and disembarking – is smoothly run. No one intrudes on one's privacy yet there is a marvellous camaraderie on board, helped by a staff-to-guest ratio of almost 1:1. With all spirits and cocktails (including Pisco Sour) and fine wines as well as three different famous name brands of champagne included in the fare, and service by intelligent, knowledgeable staff, these ships deserve their awesome reputation.
For Asian cruising enthusiasts there is a chance to sample Silversea hospitality from 23 October 2008 when the 28,258 ton Silver Whisper (382 guests maximum) starts a 15-day cruise from Dubai to Singapore that takes in Oman, Mumbai, Kochi, Colombo, Phuket, Penang and Port K lang. She cruises from Singapore on 7 November 2008 to Hong Kong with calls at ports in Vietnam, and makes a voyage with some interesting ports of call (Manila, Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Brunei and Anambas) on the way back to Singapore. There's a nine-day cruise from Singapore back to Singapore visiting Malacca (Melaka), Langkawi, Phuket and Krabi beginning on 25 November, after which she sails to Australia visiting Indonesia on the way.
Silver Whisper returns for several cruises on her way back to Europe leaving Sydney on 18 January 2009 to call at the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam before reaching Singapore on 15 February. From there she cruises to Hongkong via Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, followed by a few cruises to Chinese and Japanese ports before returning via Vietnam to Singapore on 19 April. From there she sails on a 15-day cruise to Port K lang, Penang, Phuket, Colombo, Indian ports and Dubai. She sails across the Indian Ocean again from Dubai on 18 November 2009 for 15 days, calling at Bombay, Goa, Cochin, Colombo, Penang, Port Kelang and Singapore. On 3 December 2009 she sails on from Singapore to Australia.
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| Star Cruises: Asian playground |
Her sister ship Silver Shadow undertakes the company's first ever Grand Pacific Voyage a 92-day extended odyssey departing Los Angeles on 7 March 2009. On this epic journey, guests visit 45 ports in 15 countries and two hemispheres, with overnight stays in Bora Bora, Sydney, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Tokyo. In addition to US$2,000 per suite on board spending credit, specials available to guests sailing on the full voyage include complimentary hotel accommodation in Los Angeles on the eve of departure, plus transfer and handling between airport, hotel and ship. Fares start at US$55,170 per person, based on double occupancy. Segments of the voyage include 11-29 April Sydney-Singapore, and 29 April to 15 May 2009 Singapore-Tokyo.
The smaller (16,800 ton) Silver Wind (maximum 219 passengers) has several cruises lined up for the region in 2009. In February an eight-day cruise around the Seychelles will be followed by a 12-day cruise from Seychelles to Madras via the Maldives and Colombo. From Madras the ship cruises to Visakhapatnam, Colombo, Cochin, Mangalore, Goa and Bombay. After summer in Europe, she returns to the Seychelles in December 2009 for an eight-day cruise before a 15-day Christmas & New Year cruise from Seychelles on 20 December to Mauritius (arrival 3 January 2010) via African ports, Zanzibar, Madagascar and Reunion. Lowest fares on Silversea ships work out around US$700 per person per day, all-inclusive, up to US$2,500 per person per day in the owner’s suite with butler and balcony. The Silversea stable offer top-of-the-line choices for any Asia cruises diary.
“Travel By Design” is the option offered by the amazing, all-apartment ship The World, which travels the globe year-round and on which “floating residences” of varying size can be rented or even bought. For a minimum of six nights, passengers can cruise from and to wherever they fancy on the ship’s itinerary at a price that is for two people sharing and includes dining, select beverages, gratuities and port charges. The concept sold is an adventurous but relaxed lifestyle. The ship's latest visit to Asia was scheduled to end with a week in the Maldives from 28 April 2008, with no plans to return to the region for at least a year.
Both Sun Princess and Diamond Princess of Princess Cruises are in the region for 2008 and 2009. In May 2008 Sun Princess has two cruises scheduled from Freemantle with calls at Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Diamond Princess has a 31-day cruise from Alaska to Bangkok via ports in Russia, South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and Singapore. She will also make a16-day cruise from Bangkok to Beijing in October 2008. The ship returns to the area with a 20-day cruise beginning on 22 February 2009 from Sydney with calls at Australian ports before sailing to Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. “Cheap and cheerful” might not be the most glamo rous way of describing Princess cruises but with fares starting at around US$150 per person per day for a shared interior double cabin, having fun at a great price is the Princess cruising style.
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| Crystal Cruises: Harmony |
Ocean cruise line Cunard has been in operation since 1840 and runs a number of famous ships, notably Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, with a new Queen Elizabeth scheduled to set sail in 2010. The annual round-the-world voyage of the old Queen Elizabeth 2 has been taken over by Queen Victoria and she operated to full capacity on her maiden voyage early 2008. Cruising on a Cunard Queen has great social prestige and snobbery pervades the atmosphere since passengers dine according to how much they’ve paid, with restaurants and even some bars being off-limits to those who haven't paid top whack. Yes, it's the old fashioned first/second/third class system in operation. One restaurant (the Britannia ) has two sittings and mass-market cuisine for passengers at lowest rates.
The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria with its 900 staterooms (639 of which have balconies) for 2,000 passengers on 12 decks sails from Australia in February 2009 with calls at Papua New Guinea, Mariana Islands, Nagasaki, Pusan, Shanghai, Hongkong, Vietnam and Bangkok before reaching Singapore in March. She then sails on to Southampton via Phuket, Goa, Mumbai and Dubai as her Indian Ocean ports of call. Fares for the 32-day cruise start as low as US$7,135 per person sharing, but cover only meals accommodation and entertainment.
The other new Cunard vessel, Queen Mary 2, seems cast from the same mould. She has scheduled a 2009 voyage from Sydney to Dubai from 26 February to 2 1 March with calls only at major ports, like Yokohama, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Goa. The fare for the 23-day cruise starts at US$6,165.
A newcomer to round-the-world cruising is Balmoral, the newest liner, the fifth, of the popular Fred Olsen Cruise Line fleet. She makes her debut with an unusual itinerary, starting her voyage in February 2009 in an easterly direction from Dover, England. This brings her to Bombay on 9 March with calls at Goa, Trivandrum and Penang, reaching Singapore on 16 March. From there she sails via Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin and Seoul before visiting Japanese ports. She makes a more conventional westerly circumnavigation beginning from Dover on 5 January 2010 bound for Freemantle from where, on 12 February, she sails to Singapore and the Maldives, reaching Muscat on 28 February 2010. At 43,537 tons, Balmoral has 744 cabins for 1,340 passengers and lots of entertainment but, according to the company, preserves “the homely atmosphere that is the company’s trade mark”. Fares for an inside cabin start at about US$220 a day.
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| Balmoral from Fred Olsen |
As cruising increases in popularity Singapore is set to become Asia's main cruise hub with its new facilities to handle the biggest cruise liners in the world. Capacity is to double by 2010 with two berths at a new international cruise terminal capable of accommodating the largest ships in service as well as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's planned 5,400-passenger Genesis-class ships. The new facility will complement two existing berths at the Singapore Cruise Centre at Harbourfront. The terminals are a 15-minute drive from each other. Both will increase Singapore's cruise passenger handling capacity and help to meet a target of achieving 1.6 million cruise passengers by 2015, up from 943,000 passengers in 2007.
Several cruise lines, such as Star Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Costa Cruises, P&O, Princess and Silversea have made Singapore the homeport or 'marquee' port for Asian ship deployments. Royal Caribbean and Silversea also opened offices in Singapore in 2007 to play a more significant role in Asia. Singapore is a significant port of call for a variety of ships in 2008, including Cunard's Queen Victoria, and ships from Princess, P&O, Oceania, Holland America and Crystal cruise lines.
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