The most travel products understood by Chinese people, this counts as one.
Today is a unique event.
I’m doing a little warm-up for my small account, [Travel Guide of Fun].
Tomorrow, the Spring Promotion of Fliggy will start, and there will be many popular products. Many larger accounts are unable to write about products in time, or some can’t be added temporarily due to scheduling constraints, so we will feature them on the small account.
If you haven’t followed yet, now is the time to do so.
This event has products listed at the bottom of the article, including the cruise ship “Genting Dream” departing from Singapore.
For example, there’s a route departing on October 1 for National Day, a 4-day, 3-night cruise from Singapore to Phuket and back on the Genting Dream, priced at 2969 RMB/person for a double inner cabin and 4759 RMB/person for a double balcony. Isn’t that a great deal?
There are also other routes departing from Singapore available during the summer vacation, National Day, and Spring Festival.
The reason I chose to promote the cruise departing from Singapore is that even when adding round-trip airfare, it may still be more cost-effective than departing from domestic homeports.
I have always been an advocate of practicality and cost-effectiveness.
I visited Singapore this New Year’s Day for 9 days and 8 nights, which turned out to be quite a long trip.
This was mainly a family trip with kids, without any plans, and no rush – just go wherever we feel like it.
During the New Year’s Eve nights, we chose the Genting Dream cruise under Resorts World Cruises.
Initially, it was a “forced” decision because hotels in Singapore are very expensive, and even more so during New Year’s. Hotels in the Marina Bay area that were somewhat decent were priced above 3000 RMB per night during that period, which was quite painful to pay.
Cruises were much more cost-effective. We booked a balcony room on the Genting Dream for 3999 RMB/person for 4 days and 3 nights over New Year’s, which included all meals and entertainment.
Once we boarded, it was truly worth it. My child loved the ship. After all, food is free onboard, entertainment doesn’t cost extra, and there are plenty of peers to play with, so everyone was happy.
In today’s article, I will introduce the Genting Dream.
Let’s put it this way, if you board the ship in Southeast Asia (Singapore or Kuala Lumpur) and factor in the cost of the flight and cruise ticket, it might actually be more economical than similar cruises departing from domestic homeports.
The Genting Dream set sail for the first time in 2016, with a tonnage of 150,695 tons, accommodating 3,352 passengers, which is comparable to Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum and MSC’s Virtuosa, both of which are scheduled to visit China this year.
I will outline the core parameters of Genting Dream, Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum, and MSC’s Virtuosa, and make a simple comparison.
Tonnage:
MSC Virtuosa (171,598 tons) > Royal Caribbean Spectrum (169,379 tons) > Genting Dream (150,695 tons).
Passenger Space Ratio (calculated as tonnage/passenger capacity; higher numbers indicate more passenger space and greater comfort):
Royal Caribbean Spectrum ratio = 169,379/5,622 = 30.13
MSC Virtuosa ratio = 171,598/5,655 = 30.34
Genting Dream ratio = 150,695/3,352 = 44.96
Genting Dream > MSC Virtuosa > Royal Caribbean Spectrum, and Genting Dream has a crushing advantage here. Notably, the passenger space ratio of the Princess Cruises ship I really liked, Regal Princess, is 40.37, which means Genting Dream surpasses it as well.
This indicates more space per person, resulting in overall greater comfort.
Basic balcony cabin area:
Spectrum: 16-18 m².
MSC Virtuosa: 17 m².
Genting Dream: 20 m².
Once again, Genting Dream comes out on top.
Parameters are cold, hard data, and data doesn’t lie.
Now, let’s talk about personal experiences. The food on Genting Dream is genuinely excellent. More accurately, it suits the Chinese palate. If you prefer Western food, you may not find the dining as impressive, as the offerings are primarily Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine.
On Genting Dream, speaking Chinese is completely hassle-free. Not only are there many Chinese-speaking staff, but all public area signs are also in Chinese, and many performances are in Chinese as well.
The Genting Dream is operated by Resorts World Cruises, a Singaporean company with a Chinese population exceeding 70%. So you can confidently speak Chinese on board, something that Royal Caribbean and MSC Virtuosa cannot offer.
Next, here’s a detailed report on Genting Dream.
Genting Dream operates from two home ports, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
The routes mainly focus on Singapore, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang), and Thailand (Phuket).
Genting Dream provides a wide range of entertainment options, most of which are free.
There are up to 6 thrilling water slides, with the upper deck essentially functioning as an exciting water park.
Importantly, the water slides on Genting Dream are completely free. I won’t name other ships that charge for water slides.
These 6 water slides are huge and thrilling, and Genting Dream also has a dedicated slide for children. Since Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have summer-like weather all year round, the water park can be enjoyed as long as it’s not storming.
For those not into adrenaline-pumping water activities, there’s a sun deck with a swimming pool to relax. Additionally, there are 4 hot tubs available on Genting Dream.
Moreover, there’s a thrilling 35-meter-high zip line and an adventure ropes course. Amazingly, there’s no charge for this project! You just need to make a reservation in advance.
The rock climbing wall is also free, which reflects the generous spirit of Genting Dream.
I’d like to point out again that many other ships claim to offer many activities, but once onboard, it turns out most come with extra fees. Other ships should take a cue from Genting Dream.
Glow bowling is a paid activity, and I think this charge is reasonable.
Genting Dream also offers an indoor arcade, which features a variety of electronic games.
On the top deck, there’s a standard basketball court that is free to use.
During our cruise through the Strait of Malacca, where the seas were relatively calm, the basketball court was frequently used.
For those who prefer a quieter atmosphere, there’s a starlight cinema near the pool at the aft of the ship that shows movies at night. While the films might not always be in Chinese, I found some with Chinese subtitles.
For children, there is a childcare service. However, it’s important to note that the children’s center on Genting Dream provides free care for up to 2 hours per day, after which there’s a fee.
Genting Dream also boasts numerous performances.
The stargazer theater, which seats 999, hosts nightly shows. I particularly enjoyed the performances in this theater, especially the “Employee Talent Show,” which was very entertaining, featuring acts by Genting Dream staff members (not from the performance team).
I made it a point to catch a show every evening.
The cruise has a three-story atrium that serves as a 360-degree bar, an exceptional venue for drinks and live music.
The band in the 360-degree bar primarily performs Chinese songs.
The Zouk Night Club combines a dance hall and a disco, making it a social venue for entertainment.
There are plenty of performances throughout the cruise; often, shows or events will appear unexpectedly, contributing to the joyful atmosphere on board.
On the voyage I was on, they even hosted a bubble party on deck, and both kids and adults seemed to have a great time.
Dining on Genting Dream
It’s widely acknowledged that the food on Genting Dream is excellent, or more accurately, that it caters well to the Chinese palate.
There are many free dining options on Genting Dream, including the two-level Star Dream Restaurant, the Lido Buffet, and the Blue Lake Restaurant, all offering complimentary meal options.
My approach is usually to check the menu in the dining room (which changes with each meal) and then choose based on my preferences.
However, it is important to note that during the same dining period, you can only choose one free restaurant to dine in. You cannot dine at two different restaurants in one meal.
The Star Dream Restaurant on the 7th floor is the Western main dining room and offers a semi-buffet for each meal (set menu plus dessert and fruit buffet).
The 8th-floor Star Dream Restaurant serves as the Chinese main dining room, focusing on Cantonese cuisine.
I particularly like coming here for breakfast. Other cruises often lack these Cantonese dim sums at breakfast, but Genting Dream provides them, and it’s included in the free dining.
Lido Buffet provides buffet-style meals throughout the day.
If it were another cruise, I’d frequent the buffet restaurant often. However, on Genting Dream, I’ve visited the buffet only a handful of times, primarily because I prefer Chinese cuisine.
The Blue Lake Restaurant is where I spent the most time, a 24-hour Asian restaurant featuring Singaporean and Malaysian dishes. If you want Hainan chicken rice, bak kut teh, or satay, this is the place to go.
During peak dining times when the ship is crowded, the Blue Lake Restaurant offers complimentary meal sets (similar to the main dining room), while at other times, you can order a la carte.
Late-night snacks at the Blue Lake Restaurant are particularly reasonable, with dumplings and wontons typically starting at 2-3 Malaysian Ringgit – exceptionally cheap. Of course, prices may be slightly higher during meal hours.
Among all the restaurants on Genting Dream, the Blue Lake Restaurant suits my taste the best.
There are also some paid restaurants.
Silk Road Restaurant serves Chinese cuisine and has a lovely ambiance.
Additionally, there are restaurants for steak and seafood like Star Chef, Japanese cuisine and teppanyaki at Seahorse Japanese Restaurant, and outdoor hot pot dining options. However, with only 4 days and 3 nights on this itinerary and daily land excursions, I barely had the chance to try everything.
The Crystal Life Health Bar offers lighter, casual meals.
I didn’t dine there myself, but if you’re interested in light cuisine, Genting Dream provides that option. I haven’t seen this type of restaurant on other cruises.
Genting Dream has plenty of bars where you can purchase beverage packages that allow for unlimited drinks at all the bars on board.
There’s also a cigar bar which requires additional payment.
Another commendable aspect of Genting Dream is the self-service tea and coffee station. Many mainstream cruise lines rarely offer free coffee.
The Rooms on Genting Dream
I stayed in a balcony room measuring 20 m². This space may not seem large, but it’s actually quite spacious for a cruise cabin.
