When I took my first cruise ever back in 2024, it was on Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas. It was just a 3 nights 4day cruise to Penang from Singapore. Short as it were, it ignited in me a love for cruising I never knew I had. Those 4 days were simply glorious, a whirlwind of non-stop activity.
There was so much to do and eat, I ended up sleeping 4 hours a day so as to be able to cram it all in. After putting the kids to bed, I’d go for a late night stroll on the deck, grab some midnight pizza simply because I could, and end off the evening with a quick flutter at the casino. There was just so much to do that I never did disembark in Penang, just so that I could cram more activities in.
Goodbye Shanghai! See you 6 days later!
Fly to take a cruise?
So when the opportunity came for me to revisit the Spectrum again, I was very keen but there was just one catch. Unlike back in 2024, the Spectrum of the Seas is now homeported in Shanghai. It had never occurred to me to consider flying to another country just to take a cruise, when we also have a cruise terminal here in Singapore. The idea sounded so foreign. Yes I’ve heard of cruises elsewhere such as Alaskan cruises or Scandinavian cruises, but those to me were scenic cruises, a means in which to take in the scenery.
What could a cruise departing from Shanghai hope to offer that a cruise departing from Singapore couldn’t? It was a mental hurdle to overcome. But the idea once planted, became so tantalising I simply had to make it work.
The answer? Pair the cruise with a proper holiday in Shanghai
To make the flight feel worthwhile, I made sure to pair the cruise with a proper holiday in Shanghai. It worked out well since the family had never been to Shanghai, and the last I’d been was back in 2004. Certainly a good enough reason to revisit! In fact, we deliberately scheduled the cruise to be in the middle of our Shanghai holiday as a sort of a breather.
Yuyuan Gardens in Shanghai
Visiting China for the first time in recent years is unlike visiting other more “tourist-friendly” countries. We’ve all heard of the need to download all sorts of payment and navigation apps, plus the need to be able to understand Chinese/Mandarin or have to resort to using translation apps. We’d done all our homework but mentally it was nice to know that in the event of any errors or fatigue from friction, we’d just have to slug it out for a few days until we reach familiarity at the cruise.
Reasons to do it – Different ports of call!
This is probably the biggest draw of all. For those of us based in Singapore, we’ve probably visited the usual Southeast Asian ports—Penang, Phuket, Bali… been there, done that. But depart from Shanghai and suddenly you’re sailing to places like Jeju and Busan in South Korea, or Kagoshima, Fukuoka and Osaka in Japan. There’s something especially exciting about visiting destinations that are so different from our usual neighbourhood in Southeast Asia.
Jeongbang Waterfalls in Jeju – One of the few waterfalls in the world that falls directly into the ocean
You’re unlocking destinations that are otherwise hard to justify on their own
Most Singaporeans will eventually visit Tokyo, Osaka or Seoul. Far fewer will ever plan a trip centred around Jeju, Busan, Kagoshima or Kumamoto. A Shanghai cruise gives you a chance to experience these places almost “for free” as part of a holiday you were already taking. That’s a value proposition that’s quite different from cruises departing Singapore.
One of the biggest advantages of taking a cruise from Shanghai is the itinerary itself. Think about it, how likely are you to visit all these destinations on a single land-based trip? If it weren’t for the cruise stopping at Jeju and Busan, I honestly don’t know when I would have made it there. Planning a dedicated trip would probably have been pushed back by months, if not years, because there are always more popular destinations competing for the limited travel budget and annual leave.
Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff – Lava rocks in Jeju
The same goes for itineraries that call at places like Kagoshima, Kumamoto or Nagasaki. They’re lovely destinations, but let’s be honest – most people don’t fly to Japan just for these cities. You’d usually need a much longer Japan itinerary, or several trips, to fit them in.
That’s what makes a cruise so appealing. In one holiday, you get to sample places that you might never have prioritised otherwise. Think of it as a tasting menu for future travels. You get just enough of each destination to decide, “Hey, I’d love to come back here one day,” without having to dedicate an entire holiday to it.
Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market
A different climate
Also, depending on the time of the year, you might get to enjoy temperate weather, which is something I appreciate very much whenever I’m on holiday. I recall back in 2024, it was simply too hot and sunny to stroll on the decks in the afternoon. Even though we were yearning for sea breeze we had no choice but to hide indoors. It’s a familiar drill for those living in the tropics. Conversely though, if the temperature drops too much, water activities such as swimming will be affected. It was a wonder how my kids managed to spend so much time on the outdoor water slides in the 23 degree temperature, with the wind blowing hard at our wet clothes.
Tangerine juice is so much nicer when you’re drinking it from the country of source… here’s us bidding Jeju goodbye
If you can, go for a longer cruise as compared to a shorter one. The shorter the cruise the more packed the activities and facilities will be as there is so little time to try out everything. Our 5 nights cruise to Jeju and Busan I felt was the perfect balance of not too short and not too expensive, although of course it always feels too short come the last day of the cruise. It had 2 port days as well as 2 sailing days. There is a 4 night cruise with just 1 port of call but 2 sailing days. I had originally wondered why anyone would want to sail for so many days only to cover 1 port. But after going for our 5 nights cruise, and still not being able to cover all the activities we wanted to do (or repeat), I am starting to see the allure of sailing days.
Get away from the “still in Singapore” vibe
If you’ve ever taken a cruise departing from Singapore, you will find a large proportion of the guests being Singaporean. It can feel like you’re in yet another mall in Singapore, one that just happens to float on water. Nothing wrong with this especially if you love familiarity. However if you’re looking to escape the “still in Singapore” vibe, a cruise departing from Shanghai might strike the sweet spot. Not so far that you have to take a 12 hour flight to Europe, but far enough to truly feel like you’re on holiday.
Hot tub time!
Immerse yourself in Chinese
One very huge difference about taking the Spectrum in Singapore vs from Shanghai is that 99% of the passengers are largely Chinese. From Singapore, yes a significant portion of guests were Singaporean, but there were also a lot of tourists from around the region. As a consequence, Mandarin is the 1st mode of communication for announcements, before English and sometimes Russian translations are offered.
Main Dining – One of my favourite places to dine outside of the specialty restaurants
Does that inconvenience us? Actually no, because we’d already spent a number of days in Shanghai, with Mandarin being spoken everywhere around us. The cruise just felt like an extension of our visit to China. Truth be told, I rather enjoyed being immersed in all that Mandarin because one of the reasons for visiting China was to provide more Mandarin exposure to the kids. And given that I can speak both languages, I rather enjoyed the few occasions I could step in to do some translations.
Two memorable incidents come to mind. Once when this family could not understand why the NorthStar had such a seemingly strict height restriction when it’s not a rollercoaster. (kids need to be 107cm in order to fit the safety harness in the event of an emergency). Another occasion was when this old lady wanted a paper copy of the daily calendar but could not get her request across to the Russian staff. I had such warm feeling helping her make her request in English where she thanked me profusely.
Spectrum of the Seas Onboard Experience
As for the onboard experience, I didn’t notice any major differences from cruises departing Singapore. The Main Dining Room menus remained largely Western. There might have been more Chinese dishes at the Windjammer buffet (such as porridge and noodles with condiments) but Windjammer is so extensive to begin with that you’d still be able to find all your familiar favourites. Activities were also very similar, with the only noticeable difference being that some trivia sessions featured Chinese-themed questions.
Free-flow bumper car rides! Something my son was looking forward to the minute he heard we were going on a cruise again
Before the cruise, I had come across comments suggesting that passengers on sailings from China might be loud, impatient or less inclined to queue. That wasn’t my experience at all. Throughout the cruise, people queued patiently for activities and meals, and the atmosphere was pretty pleasant.
There were a couple of occasions on embarkation day when passengers crowded into the lifts, but once someone called out that the lift was full, those waiting immediately stopped trying to board. To me, it seemed less about pushing ahead and more about making full use of the lift before waiting for the next one. I only noticed this on embarkation day. On subsequent days, everyone seemed to have figured out the lift etiquette, and boarding was much more orderly.
Teppanyaki, one of the speciality restaurants we tried. The kids were thoroughly amazed by the chef’s theatrics!
Temporarily experiencing what it is like to be a domestic Chinese traveller…
You might be surprised, but on sailings out of China, hardly anyone uses the deck chairs because sun tanning just isn’t a thing. Instead, it’s quite common to see ladies covering up with hats or face coverings, leaving only their eyes exposed to keep out the sun! Another thing I found rather amusing was seeing groups of people dotted all over the ship playing card games. It was actually quite a nice sight and a lovely reminder that sometimes the simplest activities can bring the most joy on a cruise.
In a way, the cruise gave me a glimpse into how millions of Chinese families holiday, and that turned out to be an experience in itself.
Kids club bingo!
Embarkation: A Little More Chaotic, But Manageable
One noticeable difference was the embarkation process, which felt less streamlined than what we’re used to in Singapore. From the moment we arrived by taxi, the terminal was bustling, with security staff directing traffic over loudhailers and large numbers of passengers dropping off their luggage at the same time. Unlike in Singapore, there didn’t seem to be clearly designated luggage drop-off lines, so it was more a matter of catching a staff member’s attention.
The immigration process also took longer, as passports were collected and processed manually, resulting in fairly long queues. That said, despite the crowds, I never found the process confusing. There were plenty of staff on hand directing passengers every step of the way, so it was simply a matter of allowing a little more time before boarding.
An indescribable feeling of being out at sea….
So…would I fly overseas again for a cruise?
Looking back, I realised that a cruise departing from Shanghai isn’t just another Royal Caribbean itinerary, it’s a uniquely different way of experiencing Northeast Asia. Not only do you get to visit ports that many of us would probably never prioritise on a standalone trip, but it also makes for a really nice break in the middle of a China holiday. After days of sightseeing, checking into different hotels and navigating trains or flights, there’s something incredibly comforting about stepping onboard, unpacking once, and letting Royal Caribbean take care of the rest.
