Words by Bindu Gopal Rao
Can you imagine a mermaid falling in love with an astronaut? Well seems improbable right? But this is exactly what you can see aboard the luxury cruise liner Genting Dream. Okay to put things in perspective this is what I saw in the stunning and visually grand show ‘The Voyage Of A Lover’s Dream’. This is the theme of this luxury ship and you cannot miss the brightly painted exteriors in hues of magenta, blue and yellow as you board the ship. In fact this ship is everything you dream of courtesy its myriad experiences and I was fortunate to experience it for myself recently.
The Cruise
Arriving in Singapore after a long connecting flight, I was waiting to get on board. A smooth immigration at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre and soon I found myself in my luxurious stateroom on the 9th floor deck. The room, complete with a seating space, work desk and attached bathroom with a sea view balcony was the right antidote to soothe my tiredness of the trip.
The ship itself is massive – well it has a gross tonnage of 151300 tons, is 335m long, 40m wide and 18 decks tall! The ship has the capacity to carry 3400 guests and 2000 crewmembers which gives it the highest guest space ratio of 45 tons per guest and the highest crew-to-guest ratio of 1.7 in any Asia Pacific ship. There are a variety of accommodation options and you can choose from Dream Grand Villa, Dream Executive Suite, Dream Deluxe Suite, Dream Suite, Dream Spa Suite, Dream Club Suite, Balcony Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony Stateroom, Ocean View Stateroom and the Inside Stateroom.
There are over 100 connecting staterooms if you are travelling with your extended family. The best part is that almost all rooms are available with increased accessibility for the differently abled as well.
The unique feature of the cruise is the Dream Palace a ‘ship-within-a-ship’ concept that has 142 suites and exclusive VIP facilities including a separate swimming pool, spa, gym and dining venues. These luxurious suites are extensive and I visited the Palace Villa that has a spacious private balcony, separate living and dining rooms, a private sun deck with a whirlpool spa, two bedrooms, three flat televisions and a host of premium amenities. There is even a piano that plays tunes on its own! Certainly these rooms pack a punch and are worth every penny you pay for them!
Dine in Style
Genting Dream has a whopping 35 food and beverage concepts across its restaurants that dish up everything from Asian, Japanese, International and Indian cuisine. The inclusive restaurant is on the pool deck and is called Lido that has an endless buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Upper and Lower dining rooms are also included in the fare you pay and offer a set menu that you can try as well.
The specialty restaurants serve a range of delicacies and are to be paid for separately. If you love your drinks, the bar city is the place to head to. The Johnnie Walker House has some of the world’s finest whiskies as well as private whisky tasting courses. The Penfolds Wine Vault has an extensive selection of wines from across the world. The Bubbles Champagne Bar is where you can enjoy the finest champagne and you can relax in the lounge bar here with amazing canapes too.
At the Humidor Cigar Lounge you can sample Cuban and other classic cigars paired with single malts, cognacs, wines and ports by the head sommelier. At Mixt, the in house expert mixologists create signature creations and classic cocktails that you can pair with a selection of finger foods. Interestingly the cruise has Zouk, Singapore’s high energy nightclub is on board as the parent company has bought over the same. This is where you can party hard and also sip on delectable cocktails.
Entertainment Matters
As a destination for the family, the Genting Dream cruise liner ensures that there is not a moment of boredom on board for the entire family. Fun activities like the six waterslides, glow bowling alley, rope course, rock climbing wall and a zip line across the ocean are some of the thrilling options. If you like sports, head to the sportsplex houses the mini golf, volleyball, football, basketball and more.
The Zodiac Theatre is a hub of activity and offers signature live performances and 3D cinema. While you are here do attend the stunning musical show Rhythm Divine an orchestrated performance with super talented singers and dancers. There is also a performance by the talented ‘China’s Got Talent’ team as well as the ‘Reach for the Stars’ Junior Talent Show. If you love retail therapy, you are in for a treat with high end bags, jewellery, watches, perfumes, spirits, chocolates and more at amazingly low prices courtesy the discount sales that happen on the cruise.
A unique concept is the state-of-the-art submersible that that can go own 200 metres and offers an unbeatable underwater discovery experience, weather permitting. I also recommend a visit to the state-of-the-art Asian spa for a relaxing neck, shoulder and foot spa that will ease every strained muscle in your body. There is also a Western spa, a beauty salon and health club as well as the Little Pandas Club for young cruisers that offers pizza-making classes, arts and crafts classes.
At the Cartoon Maker activity, kids can create their own cartoons and star in their own animations and the six Nintendo Wii U gaming stations are sure to keep kids entertained. If you love art, be part of the art auction, where you can buy original art works at a great price. As far as shore excursions are concerned, the cruise offers an array of options in Bali, Phuket, Surabaya and more.
As Michael Goh, Senior Vice President, International Sales, says: “We continue to innovate as we want to offer new experiences to the cruiser. In Genting Dreams you have several enrichment programs as well and you are guaranteed to have a memorable time.” On my final night here, I witnessed an amazing fireworks display and couldn’t agree more with what Michael told me.
Photos supplied by Genting Dream
