A cruise from Singapore 🇸🇬

[little britain]

Some of you followed our recent 3 cruises from Australia and a few of you requested that I continue the story with our final cruise from Singapore on Spectrum. So here goes! 
 

We had a few hours to kill between disembarking and our flight in Sydney, and the old school friend who I had arranged to meet got tied up in meetings; so we went to do the laundry 🧺! 
When you’re travelling for 7 weeks this definitely needs to be part of your routine. 
I figured the Bondi Beach area is full of backpackers and backpackers need laundries right 🤷‍♀️ so we caught an Uber over there and found an amazing place. Literally a room full of washers and dryers; washing powder provided for free, at only A$9 per load! 
 

 

The joys of international travel! When all washed and dried we Ubered to the airport to await our 4:15 flight to Singapore.

 

Sydney international terminal is full of high end retail opportunities 🛍️ at what seemed good prices.

 

We were flying Singapore Airlines again; it seemed to be a brand new A380, I love that plane but prefer the Emirates layout with the bar at the back lol! 
A great range of films helped pass the 8hr flight

 

[little britain]

Changi is huge and efficient. We had completed our MyICA forms and simply scanned our passports at entry. It’s a bit sad we have been to all these countries and no one single passport stamp! 
No Uber in Singapore but we were the only people in line at the cab rank. It’s about a 20 minute ride into the city centre to our hotel.  We were staying right by Lau Pa Sat in an older style heritage hotel called The Trafalgar. We had landed at 9 and were at the hotel by 10! 
It’s a 3hr time difference from Sydney. So bed time. 

 

 

 

[jacobtsf]

Super excited to be following along. Our family (my wife and I and our (by then) 5 year old daughter) will be going on a cruise on Anthem out of Singapore, visiting Malaysia and Thailand, next February. 

[Mrs.Dukes]

Glad you made it to Singapore safely. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[sgmn]

Great 👍  thanks LB. Was hoping for this. We fly out next week for a short holiday in Singapore before boarding Spectrum

 Last time I was there was as a child 60 years ago but I'm sure it's changed immensely 

Sue

[little britain]

It’s Chinese New Year 🧧 which means that everything is closed ! Yes even Starbucks! It was very tricky trying to find somewhere for breakfast.  We had also forgotten a plug/usb charger - especially stupid as the plugs in Singapore are the same as the ones in England and we have tons of them at home! 
 

Before I go on, I’ll let you into a secret: I don’t actually like Singapore. To me it is characterless and bland; it’s like being stuck in a 5* airport departure terminal surrounded by high end shops and everything is spotlessly clean. Even Lau Pa Sat, the street food market, has signs saying you will be fined if you leave litter.
Give me KL or Bangkok for some Asian flavour any day! 
 

On Saturday night there was a drone show for CNY with 1,500 drones… it started at 8pm and went on for 10 minutes. Everywhere along the waterfront opposite MBS was packed. At 8.01 the torrential downpour started and lasted exactly 9 minutes!! You could not believe it!! And when it rains it rains! 
 

marina bay sands hotel

 

the merlion ( you can see the crowds waiting for the drones)

 

a dragon 🐉 made of drones in the rain. Spectacular 

Edited February 11 by little britain

[little britain]

the shoppes at Marina Bay Sands 

in Marina Bay Sands hotel. It’s vast. 

 

A view from the Lavo bar at the top of MBS on 57th floor. The Fullerton is the low hotel in the middle opposite 

[little britain]

Doh ^^^ we are at the Telegraph Hotel, not the Trafalgar! 
 

Senior moment! 

[mugtech]

         Jumping on Spectrum next month, was hoping for a review of the Sechuan restaurant on board.  One of my favorite purchases in Singapore is a Thai mango.

[perfect match]

Thanks for doing this @little britain! I’ll be following along with you. 

[little britain]

Literally one block away from our hotel is Chinatown. One street and one world away! Character buildings, old shophouses, shutters and temples. 

 

 

Clarke Quay

 

Then we drank beer 🍻 

[little britain]

I had bought an Aíralo eSIM which covers 14 Asian counties for this trip. It cost US $13 for 3G of data. My first experience of an eSIM and it’s working well. 

[sandebeach]

Enjoying your review!

[sgmn]

8 hours ago, little britain said:

 

A view from the Lavo bar at the top of MBS on 57th floor. The Fullerton is the low hotel in the middle opposite 

Did you book the bar in advance or just walk in ?

[xpcdoojk]

I like Singapore for all the reasons you dislike it.  🤣  The MBS is amazing.  Love your reviews.

jc

[bonsai3s]

LB, was the drone show only for CNY only? ...or is it shown again? 

 

How's Telegraph Hotel?

 

* We used Grab from airport to hotel, then hotel to cruise terminal. MTR around town.

[mil76]

Can't wait to see your impressions of Spectrum.  We sailed her in December, and after previous sailings on Anthem and Ovation, this ship is very different.

 

CNY trumps everything there.  We were there on Christmas and everything was open.

 

[mil76]

26 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

LB, was the drone show only for CNY only? ...or is it shown again? 

 

How's Telegraph Hotel?

 

* We used Grab from airport to hotel, then hotel to cruise terminal. MTR around town.

Drone shows are only for special occasions, although they do have a light show every night.  We watched the regular light show from our balcony at the Fullerton hotel.  I read some of the articles on the CNY drone shows and it sounds like the crowds were huge and everyone stampeded inside the MBS when the rain started.  Singapore crowds can get huge.  We did Gardens by the Bay Christmas Eve and it was packed.  I'm so glad it didn't start raining.

 

We liked Grab because it had both taxis and private cars (Uber/Lyft equivalent).  Booking taxis through the app was cheaper than just hailing one and paying the metered rate.

[little britain]

5 hours ago, sgmn said:

Did you book the bar in advance or just walk in ?

It didn’t actually open until

noon, so we didn’t go in. 
The menu prices at Lavo restaurant didn’t look too outrageous given where it was! 

[little britain]

1 hour ago, bonsai3s said:

LB, was the drone show only for CNY only? ...or is it shown again? 

 

How's Telegraph Hotel?

 

* We used Grab from airport to hotel, then hotel to cruise terminal. MTR around town.

Telegraph is ok: no usbs -lol apart from one on the back of phone that charges very slowly but won’t charge our new style usb iPads. 
Quirky art, huge showers, a solid 4* hotel I’d say! 

[little britain]

The time has come to set off for MBS cruise terminal and board this ship which is different from the rest of the RCI fleet!

It’s only a 5n cruise but the following one is 12n so I am expecting a lot more westerners than usual, a lot of b2bs and a lot of Pinnacles! 

[Crism]

9 hours ago, little britain said:

The time has come to set off for MBS cruise terminal and board this ship which is different from the rest of the RCI fleet!

It’s only a 5n cruise but the following one is 12n so I am expecting a lot more westerners than usual, a lot of b2bs and a lot of Pinnacles! 

 

Only 9 nights on the trip after 😭. I wish it was 12! They've already chopped off one of our Vietnam ports due to engine work/max speed.

[little britain]

It was S$13 cab fare to the cruise terminal. There is a train that stops close but it looks like a good 5 min walk ( covered) to the terminal.

 

Sydney certainly has won the prize in embarkation. This was organised chaos. There was initially a separate line for Pinnacles but there were so

many check points it all got merged into one.

We had to surrender our passports. 
 

Finally onboard: first impressions.. wow. 
Of course we have just been on Ovation for 19 days and I have been on Odyssey so am familiar with Quantum and Quantum Ultra class.
 

 

Someone once described Odyssey as the “red headed step child” on CC because of her differences… not sure what that makes Spectrum?! She is noticeably different.

 

 elevator art

 

 

[little britain]

Differences: 

Basic North Star is $20pp adult and child 

Extended iFly is $80pp adult and child

1-2-1 flowrider lesson $552pp adult and child

Basic iFly - tbd 

 

Next the layout is different.

*deck 3 casino is large and mostly tables with games I have never seen. There are not many slot machines

*deck 4 Boleros is replaced with a karaoke bar ( but no bar!) called Star Moment

*cafe Prom and Sorrentos is replaced with Sichuan Red specialty restaurant $tbd but BOGO not accepted 

*pub is replaced with Leaf & Bean tea shop $

*there is one large main dining room which you can look down into from deck 5 outside Jamie’s 

*Wonderland is called Dadong Wonderland $59.99pp

*deck 14 there is no outside seating at the back of WJ. This is area called Hotpot $

*Sorrentos is by WJ

*Teppanyaki $64.99pp is by WJ and BOGO not accepted

*Splashaway Cafe is by the pool serving pizza 🍕 

The whole Pinnacle/D+ set up is very different.  It is Silver and Gold dining.
Deck 14 is Silver lounge and a buffet ( looks like a very upmarket Solarium cafe) this is where the drinks and canapés are served in the evening. From here there is a private lift 🛗 up to deck 16 for Gold Dining which is like CK on steroids! Beautiful room with private outside seating area. The only downside is the menu for lunch and dinner does not change all cruise. 
 

*signage is in 2 languages
 

*Whispering Angel is $14!!!!

 

silver dining lounge

 

solarium

 

outside 270

 

Star Moment karaoke 🎤 

 

Tables as far as you can see 

 

high stakes!

 

🤔🤷‍♀️
 

elevators

Edited February 12 by little britain

[sgmn]

Mmmm, interesting.  Sounds like there's less included food options. Teppanyaki is expensive 😬

Can you find out if the silver lounge is available to diamonds? So no open to all food options in solarium?

Enjoy the cruise 

Edited February 12 by sgmn