5 Night Spice of Southeast Asia - New Year's Eve Cruise

[EllaDuChien]

I have not seen very many reviews of the Spectrum of the Seas, mostly because it is in Asia full time I would imagine, so I thought I would try and do a semi-live review of my family holiday cruise December 28 – January 2.  This will be my first time sailing on a Quantum class ship, much less a “Quantum Ultra” class.  Overall, this will be my 49^th cruise, my 24^th Royal Caribbean cruise, and my 2^nd time sailing from Singapore.

 

Joining me on this cruise will be my mother, my brother, my brother-in-law, and my 12-year-old daughter. My mother and I sailed on Oceania out of Singapore this past March and that kind of started this trip.  Many (many, many!) years ago, my brother worked in Singapore for a time.  He loved everything about it and has always wanted to return.  When mom and I announced we were sailing from there, he was definitely a touch jealous.  We had wanted to do a holiday cruise because that is easier on everyone’s work/school schedule so we saw this one and decided it would be a perfect opportunity.  My BIL and daughter just love to travel and are happy to go anywhere!

 

Packing – I have to work while on vacation (I don’t ever mind doing this, it lets me travel without using PTO) so I have to bring my laptops.  Yes, laptops…two of them.  Of course it is hot and humid in Singapore...Its the rainy season so expect lots of frizzy hair pics of me!

 

Our Flight – Qatar Airlines: Charlotte -->Miami --> Doha, Qatar--> Singapore.  23.5 hours actual flight time, 6.5 hours layover times for a total travel time of 30 hours!  We leave Christmas Day and arrive in Singapore at 9am on December 27.  We land at 9am and should be through immigration by 10am.  We will all have our SG Arrival Card for entry into Singapore.  We use the MyICA Mobile App and it is super easy and quick.  This needs to be done no more than 3 days before arrival.  Since there are 5 of us travelling with luggage, I pre-reserved transportation from the airport to our hotel.  Hotel check in time is not until 2pm so depending on how we all feel, we may drop our bags and head to Raffels for a Singapore Sling or just hang out at the hotel until our room is ready.  Which brings us to…

 

Our Hotel – Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview

 

I have stayed here before in Singapore and the hotel was perfectly acceptable.  The breakfast buffet is delicious (although not included), and the pub has great atmosphere and really good food.  We are also staying here for 2 nights after the cruise.  The location is good, right on the Singapore River just down from Clark Quay.  There is a bus stop right outside the hotel as well as a subway station (HAVELOCK TE16) within walking distance.  In addition, taxis and Ubers (actually called Grab in Singapore) are easy and plentiful. We really do not have anything planned for this first day, everything will depend on how we feel. 

 

On Thursday morning, we have an 11am check in time for the Spectrum.  The cruise port in Singapore is lovely.  There is a shopping mall attached for any last minute shopping needs before boarding, however I don’t think we need anything this time.

 

Mom and I and my DD have a JS on deck 9 and the rest are in an OV on deck 3 as my BIL needs an accessible room and that’s what was left.  We have MTD and I have made reservations for every night between 6:45-7:15pm.  The one exception is the one night I eat by myself at Wonderland.  I have never eaten there and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, but no one else wanted to join me so I am solo that night. 

 

Our Itinerary:

 

Except Singapore, I have never been to any of the ports.  We have Royal Caribbean excursions scheduled in each of the ports, mostly together except I wander off on my own once again in Phuket because I wanted to do a tour that no one else wanted to do.   

 

In Port Klang we are doing: Instagrammable Hot Spots in Kuala Lumpur - Delight in Malaysia's historic capital city, Kuala Lumpur, as you visit the temple of a Chinese sea goddess, have a photo stop in Bukit Bintang, and Petronas Twin Towers, savor authentic cuisine and go shopping (time permitting) in Chinatown, gaze at beautiful street art near Masjid Jamek, and climb the 272 steps to the famous Batu Caves, a popular Hindu shrine.

 

In Penang we are doing: Taste of Penang - Step into Penang's food obsession on a tour that gives you a caffeinated kick at a popular purveyor of coffee and teas, hits the streets with the eclectic vendors of street foods and flies through the local food court scene at a legendary hawker center.

 

And finally in Phuket I am heading out solo to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Enjoy an opportunity to spend quality time with elephants in their natural home. Witness stunning views of the surrounding jungle and mountains while interacting with friendly, happy elephants in a safe and sustainable environment. Enjoy walking with your guide through the Sanctuary, where you will find free-roaming elephants and hear their individual stories. You can touch, feed, photograph, and interact with the elephants at your leisure while you learn about their lifestyle and behaviors. After you have met all the elephants, you will accompany them to a nearby mud spa. Get muddy with the elephants as you apply a healthy cosmetic mud treatment to their skin. Next, you will walk with the elephants to a nearby river and join them in the water for a refreshing bath. Take a swim and help bathe and brush the elephants while they wade through and play in the water. Before returning to the ship enjoy stops a Thai craft shop to take in a little more of what Phuket has to offer.

 

But no one else wanted to do that, so the rest of the fam is doing:  Thainess Experience at Srisuwan House - Delve into Thai culture on a visit to a wooden Thai house, where you can see and participate in local customs like batik painting, flower garland making, and traditional cooking, followed by a traditional Thai lunch.

 

As you can tell, I have no issues going off by myself even though I really love travelling with my family.  I just couldn’t pass up spending time with the Elephants!

 

We then have one Sea Day on our way back to Singapore, on New Year's Day.  Probably a good day to not have to do much!

 

Once we get back to Singapore we have two tours scheduled:

 

January 2^nd - You will begin the tour by visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 158-year-old tropical garden located at the fringe of Singapore's Orchard Road shopping district. It is also the first and only tropical gardens inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Our guide will bring you through the garden and share interesting facts and information with you. In between, we can also arrange a visit to National Orchid Gardens. Thereafter, our guide will bring you to visit Orchard Road, which began as a home for nutmeg, pepper, and fruit orchards that gave it its name and is now arguably Asia's most famous shopping street. Spend some time to find out about the Peranakans who reside in now a picturesque enclave of heritage architecture off the main Orchard Road strip called Emerald Hill and take those "Instagramable" photos of the area.  During Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay Car Tour, you will take a scenic stroll with our guides on the Marina Bay walking tour and marvel at the architectural icons that dot the city's skyline. Be wowed by impressive views as you tour within Gardens by the Bay and the highlights of the Marina Bay walk that surrounds the dazzling waterfront promenade. This tour is perfect for you as our guide will bring you to places within the mall that cannot be accessed publicly. You will also be visiting Flower Dome and Cloud Forest where you will see the world's largest indoor waterfalls and a lush mountain clad with plants from around the world.

 

And:

January 3^rd - On this Guided Ethnic Quarters and Civic District Car Tour, you will visit our main ethnic quarters (i.e. Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam) where our local guide will share with you tales of our early immigrants, learn about local heritage and culture and for you to experience first-hand why Singapore is a multicultural country with a diverse local community. You will discover traditional shops plying their trade beside hipster cafes in Haji Lane, be captivated by insta-worthy spots that are covered with impressive street art and get up close to the spectacular mosques in Kampong Glam Feast your senses with the wonders of Indian fragrances, food and spices around Little India. There will even be an opportunity to taste many local "must-try" food in these areas which include top favorites such as Chicken Rice, Laksa, etc. Thereafter, you will visit Civic District, where you will learn more about our rich history through inspiring stories that have shaped our Lion City. In between, we will bring you to visit Marina Bay Sands SkyPark observation deck, where they will get to view iconic landmarks such as Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Flyer etc.

 

Then we begin our long journey back to Charlotte via Doha and Washington DC on the way home.  Fortunately, we get home on a Friday so I have the weekend to recover before going back to work.

 

So that is our schedule.  We leave tomorrow morning for the airport, we had our Christmas celebration tonight so that we could spend holiday time with the members of the family not going with us.  I am all packed and ready, and my ride to the airport is at 10:30am.  Hopefully I will get some sleep tonight!

 

[little britain]

Fabulous start… looking forward to hearing how Spectrum is just a little different… looking forward to seeing her for myself in February 

[crzndeb]

10 hours ago, EllaDuChien said:

And finally in Phuket I am heading out solo to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Enjoy an opportunity to spend quality time with elephants in their natural home.

I did this excursion in 2019 on the Voyager. It was outstanding. You will enjoy it. Have a great time. Singapore is one of my favorite cities. I will going back in Oct/2024, and Apr/2025. 

[EllaDuChien]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the airport bar!

 

 

Yep, I’m here a solid three hours early. So far, the incoming flight has been delayed 15 minutes but my flight is still listed as on time. Weather in Charlotte is overcast but not raining. Check in and security were super fast, I have TSA, but even the regular line wasn’t bad.

 

Of course I did NOT sleep well at all last night. Hopefully that means I will be able to get some sleep on the long haul flight. 14 hours is a long time to try and find movies to watch!

I did get two new travel items to help with the extra long flights:

 

 

This sleep mask with Bluetooth headphones, I connected them to my phone already and downloaded my sleep playlist.

 

 

This travel pillow. I have used the standard travel neck pillows before and I have never been comfortable. I am hoping this one works better for me.

 

i can usually catch a few hours of sleep on airplanes so hopefully this just helps make everything more comfortable.

[firefly333]

How exciting. I saw someone who had a lot of cruises celebrated at  my last top tier said Singapore was their favorite port so cant wait to read your review.

[bonsai3s]

Safe travels and have a great time!

 

* Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[bailda]

We are booked on Spectrum on 18th Jan for the 4 night cruise. Not so long flying time for me though. 14 hours non stop from London. Can't wait. 

[sgmn]

Looking forward to hearing about Singapore and your cruise. We've tacked on a short cruise onto our Singapore trip in a few months and will be doing similar ports

[Havin'fun]

The walk with the elephants would be something I would love to do.  

Looking forward to the the pictures.

Enjoy!

[aussielozzie18]

Great start to your review and looking forward to following along.  Love Singapore.Have you been to the Orchid Garden in the Botanical Gardens on your previous visits? If not, it’s a must see.  Also, have you been to the Gardens by the Bay previously? The night-time  Supertrees Light Show is  Spectacular.  The Cloud Dome and Flower Dome were impressive too.

[kernow]

Looking forward to this especially hearing about your stops in Phuket and Penang as we have both stops on Anthem next year. We've holidayed in Phuket previously so will probably just stay in the town but have never been to Penang and I'm interested in the taste of Penang tour.

[EllaDuChien]

Made it to Doha. The flight was one of the bumpiest, most uncomfortable flights I have ever been on. 

The important part, however is that we made it safe and sound. Also, the airport in Doha is absolutely beautiful. Super clean and not at all busy.

 

We have a three hour layover, and we land in Singapore at 9am

[EllaDuChien]

On 12/25/2023 at 2:22 PM, little britain said:

Fabulous start… looking forward to hearing how Spectrum is just a little different… looking forward to seeing her for myself in February 

 

Thanks! I’m really curious about the different menus too!
 

On 12/25/2023 at 5:59 PM, crzndeb said:

I did this excursion in 2019 on the Voyager. It was outstanding. You will enjoy it. Have a great time. Singapore is one of my favorite cities. I will going back in Oct/2024, and Apr/2025. 

 

I’m so excited about it, even though no one else wanted to go with me.
 

22 hours ago, firefly333 said:

How exciting. I saw someone who had a lot of cruises celebrated at  my last top tier said Singapore was their favorite port so cant wait to read your review.

 

I really liked Singapore the one time I was here.
 

22 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

Safe travels and have a great time!

 

* Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Thank you!!
 

22 hours ago, bailda said:

We are booked on Spectrum on 18th Jan for the 4 night cruise. Not so long flying time for me though. 14 hours non stop from London. Can't wait. 

 

We just got off the 14 hour leg. That’s definitely my limit I think.
 

18 hours ago, sgmn said:

Looking forward to hearing about Singapore and your cruise. We've tacked on a short cruise onto our Singapore trip in a few months and will be doing similar ports

 

Thanks for following !
 

14 hours ago, Havin'fun said:

The walk with the elephants would be something I would love to do.  

Looking forward to the the pictures.

Enjoy!

 

It’s the one thing I was adamant about doing.
 

3 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Great start to your review and looking forward to following along.  Love Singapore.Have you been to the Orchid Garden in the Botanical Gardens on your previous visits? If not, it’s a must see.  Also, have you been to the Gardens by the Bay previously? The night-time  Supertrees Light Show is  Spectacular.  The Cloud Dome and Flower Dome were impressive too.

 

I have not been to either, I have both planned this trip though!
 

1 hour ago, kernow said:

Looking forward to this especially hearing about your stops in Phuket and Penang as we have both stops on Anthem next year. We've holidayed in Phuket previously so will probably just stay in the town but have never been to Penang and I'm interested in the taste of Penang tour.

 

We love doing “Taste of” tours in any city. It’s such a great way to glimpse the culture of a city.

[kernow]

11 minutes ago, EllaDuChien said:

Made it to Doha. The flight was one of the bumpiest, most uncomfortable flights I have ever been on. 

The important part, however is that we made it safe and sound. Also, the airport in Doha is absolutely beautiful. Super clean and not at all busy.

 

We have a three hour layover, and we land in Singapore at 9am

I hate bumpy flights, hope the next one is smoother for you. We did London to Sydney last year, a direct flight but with a 1.5 hour stop in Singapore and then an 8 hour 'hop' to Sydney, can imagine how you're feeling right now 😀. Soon forgotten once you arrive though.

[little britain]

@EllaDuChienHope you have packed your waterproofs - the rain in Sydney is terrible at the moment! 

 

Did you book the Elephants via the ship or privately?

[EllaDuChien]

21 minutes ago, little britain said:

@EllaDuChienHope you have packed your waterproofs - the rain in Sydney is terrible at the moment! 

 

Did you book the Elephants via the ship or privately?

Hi LB, ponchos packed  and ready for the rain! Last time I was in Singapore they had one of the biggest one day rain totals at 9in.  
 

Also, I booked the elephants through the ship. I usually book independent tours, but since I was solo for this one I decided to stay with ship sponsored trips.

[EllaDuChien]

13 hours ago, kernow said:

I hate bumpy flights, hope the next one is smoother for you. We did London to Sydney last year, a direct flight but with a 1.5 hour stop in Singapore and then an 8 hour 'hop' to Sydney, can imagine how you're feeling right now 😀. Soon forgotten once you arrive though.

Well we made it. Tired and a little bit stinky but excited to be here.

The immigration process at Changi airport is super easy as long as you have completed your Singapore arrival questionnaire on the app prior to arrival. We didn’t even have to show it, it was already tied to our passports. We just scanned them at the kiosk and went on our way. 

 

Our hotel is lovely and we decided to grab some lunch at the hotel while we waited for our rooms to be ready.  

 

It is hot and humid with drizzle on and off. Currently we are torn between pushing on and getting some sightseeing in, or resting a bit. My preference is to push on but I was out voted. So everyone else is resting and I took a walk along the Singapore River.

 

 

 

We had talked about walking to Rafels for a Singapore Sling, but after walking along the riv, it really is too hot to make that walk. So the new plan is to order a Grab (Uber) and ride there.

 

[kernow]

Glad you arrived safely. 

 

Last year we stayed at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront which is the hotel in the middle of your first picture with the bridge. We loved walking along the river but as you say it is so hot. I find that after a day or two my body seems to adjust to it and it doesn't seem so bad. Couldn't believe that we would see locals out jogging along that path though!

[mugtech]

  We gonna be doin a 3 day in March to get the 3 points we need for diamond status.  Hope you can check out the Sechuan restaurant on board and give us a scouting report, it is one of the things that makes Spectrum different than Anthem.

[bailda]

Use to stay at the Novotel, Clarke Quay on my many business and holiday trips but now it has gone forever. We have booked at Park View hotel, Bugis, for 3 days before our cruise as thought we would try a different area for a change. After the cruise we are staying at Hotel Ora in Sentosa for 2 nights for another change and Universal Studios of course.

[DefN]

Hello there… welcome to Singapore!

 

I live here and have sailed on Spectrum twice. She’s beautiful. We hardly see reviews on Spectrum of the Seas here, so I am excited to ‘follow along’ on your adventures.

 

Saw that you mentioned about the cruise terminal being attached to a shopping mall. You may want to check again on the name of your cruise terminal. There are two cruise terminals in Singapore. Your Oceania ship may have sailed out of the smaller Singapore Cruise Terminal, which is attached to a huge shopping mall. If I remember correctly, Spectrum sails out of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, which is usually where all the larger ships dock. Just be sure to get to the right terminal.👍

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[crzndeb]

Be prepared for the price tag on that Singapore Sling at the Longbar at Raffles. But it’s the history and novelty, so you just pay it. LOL

[EllaDuChien]

9 hours ago, DefN said:

Hello there… welcome to Singapore!

 

I live here and have sailed on Spectrum twice. She’s beautiful. We hardly see reviews on Spectrum of the Seas here, so I am excited to ‘follow along’ on your adventures.

 

Saw that you mentioned about the cruise terminal being attached to a shopping mall. You may want to check again on the name of your cruise terminal. There are two cruise terminals in Singapore. Your Oceania ship may have sailed out of the smaller Singapore Cruise Terminal, which is attached to a huge shopping mall. If I remember correctly, Spectrum sails out of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, which is usually where all the larger ships dock. Just be sure to get to the right terminal.👍

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Good morning! Of course you are right about the port. Fortunately, our driver knew the difference as well! We are sailing out of MBCC, which was not where we sailed from on Oceania. 
 

We are enjoying the delicious buffet breakfast at our hotel and will be heading to MBCC around 10:30-11am.

 

8 hours ago, crzndeb said:

Be prepared for the price tag on that Singapore Sling at the Longbar at Raffles. But it’s the history and novelty, so you just pay it. LOL

 

LOL! So true, but part of the price is the experience so we went with it! I am not a fan of the Sling  so I chose the very ladylike Long Pink Gin, a drink designed so that ladies can drink in public. 😜 It was delicious and beautifully light pink.

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by EllaDuChien

[casinostreer]

Brother here! Not nearly as eloquent a writer as my sister, but here to enjoy and revisit a city that I visited 23 years ago. Needless to say, a lot has changed, but the feel of the city remains the same. Singapore is an eclectic, beautiful and vibrant city known for its thriving street food, clean streets and spectacular monuments and buildings. I'll be posting along with Rachel -so let us know if you have any questions! 

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, EllaDuChien said:

I am not a fan of the Sling  so I chose the very ladylike Long Pink Gin, a drink designed so that ladies can drink in public. 😜 It was delicious and beautifully light pink.

Maybe I will try that in Oct. Singapore Sling is definitely to sweet for me normally, but I had to try one.