Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas arrived in Singapore today, marking her first visit ever to the famous Asian port.

Over 3,200 guests arrived in Singapore, with another 3,200 who boarded the next sailing, which is a 10-night Asia repositioning cruise from Singapore to Perth, Australia.

Traditional plaque exchanges were conducted onboard between Captain Kjetil Gjerstad and Michelle Chan, Assistant Director, Cruise Industry Development of Singapore Tourism Board, as well as Bob Chi, Chief Executive Officer of SATS-Creuers Cruise Services.

Photos by Royal Caribbean International

Explorer of the Seas is the sixth Royal Caribbean ship visiting Singapore this year, making it the most number of ships from this brand ever in Singapore in a year.

She will embark on her inaugural Australian season homeporting in Sydney thereafter, featuring South Pacific cruises till March 2016.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas has returned to her homeport of Singapore, where she will begin her autumn 2015 cruise season with three- to 14-night cruises in Southeast Asia.

Legend of the Seas had previously homeported in the region between 2008 and 2013.  

She will offer cruises ranging between three- and 14-night sailings, that will take her to 19 ports in 10 countries.  Guests will be able to visit countries such as Vietnam, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Legend of the Seas’ itineraries include a three-night voyage to Penang and Kuala Lumpur, a five-night cruise to Bangkok and Koh Samui, a 10-night cruise to Koh Samui, Bangkok, Sihanoukville,Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, a 10-night one-way cruise to Koh Samui, Bangkok, Sihanoukville, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Danang and Hong Kong, a 10-night one-way cruise from Hong Kong to Taipei, Manila, Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Kota Kinabalu, Bandar Seri Begawan and Singapore, and a 14-night one-way cruise to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Phuket,Bali, Lombok, Broome, Geraldton and Perth.

Legend of the Seas will leave Singapore in November 2015, to move to Australia for the winter cruise season.

Royal Caribbean has signed a multi-million dollar marketing deal with the Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group to promote cruises from Singapore.

The new deal runs between 2015 and 2018 and is expected to attract over 170,000 foreign visitors to Singapore to take a Royal Caribbean cruise, which should constitute growth of over 50 percent.

Royal Caribbean will be increasing the number of cruises from Singapore during this same period, to over 40 a year.  Mariner of the Seas is currently offering cruises from Singapore at a pace of about 30 cruises per year.

Mariner of the Seas' next Singapore season which will be the largest ever starting from this October, will feature more long cruises of seven to 15 nights, aimed at attracting more overseas fly-cruise guests.

The new marketing campaign will consist of research studies and channel development activities in markets around the world, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Europe and North America.

Royal Caribbean managing director for Singapore and Southeast Asia, Sean Treacy, commented on the deal, "Having deployed ships here regularly for the last seven years, Royal Caribbean now looks forward to its next phase of significant growth in Singapore. Our three-year deployment plan is our strongest commitment ever to this market and we see great potential in Singapore as a source market and regional cruise hub. We highly appreciate this collaboration which will be a tremendous support for our business goals in Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as the strong efforts of the Singapore Government for being so proactive in driving the cruise business in the country."

Providing a link between Royal Caribbean International, Singapore and its regional neighbors is Changi Airport’s strong connectivity to 320 cities worldwide, along with some 6,700 weekly flights, giving Singapore a strategic advantage to effectively tap fly-cruise traffic from across the globe and serve as a cruise hub for Asia.

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas made her first stop ever in Singapore yesterday.

Quantum of the Seas is on a 14-night cruise from Dubai, which also made stops at Muscat, Cochin and Penang.

As part of the maritime tradition of when a cruise ship comes to a port for the first time, there was a plaque exchange between Quantum of the Seas' Captain Srecko Ban and Singapore's Assistant Chief Executive Neeta Lachmandas and Singapore Airport Terminal Services Executive Vice President Yacoob Piperdi.

Quantum of the Seas is currently on a 53-night around the world cruise, which departed from New York en route to Shanghai where it will homeport year round.

Royal Caribbean released the cruise itineraries for Legend of the Seas' Singapore season from June to November 2015.

Legend of the Seas is returning to Singapore after being homeported there from 2008 to 2013 and will offer a variety of three- to 10-night itineraries to destinations throughout Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan till November, as follows:

• A 3-night cruise during the June school holidays that will call at Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang)
• A 3-night cruise and 5-night cruise over the September school holidays that visit Penang, Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Bangkok (Laem Chabang) and Ko Samui
• Two 10-night cruises to Ko Samui, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (overnight), Sihanoukville, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My)
• Three 10-night one-way cruises to Ko Samui, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Sihanoukville, Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Nha Trang, Hue/Danang (Chan May) and Hong Kong
• Two 10-night one-way cruises from Hong Kong to Taipei (Keelung), Manila, Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Kota Kinabalu. Bandar Seri Begawan (Muara) and Singapore.

There's also two consecutive 14-night itineraries in September, a southbound sailing from Singapore to Perth (Fremantle), Australia that will call at Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Langkawi, Phuket, Bali (Benoa), Lombok, Broome and Geraldton, followed by a northbound return to Singapore with the same ports-of-call.  

Royal Caribbean announced today that it will offer cruises year-round from Singapore in 2015, beginning with Legend of the Seas this summer and followed by Mariner of the Seas at the end of the year.

Between both ships, this will be the first time Royal Caribbean has offered year-round sailings from Singapore.

Legend of the Seas will return to Singapore next year after a tour of Northern Australia.  Once in Singapore, Legend of the Seas will offer a variety of three-to-ten-night roundtrip itineraries to destinations throughout Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam through mid-November.

“This year-round deployment is a milestone for Royal Caribbean International, which underscores our stronger presence and commitment in Singapore and Southeast Asia,” said Jennifer Yap, Managing Director, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “We are especially pleased to have Legend of the Seas, one of Asia’s most favorite ships back in this region next year, and I am sure that all Royal Caribbean fans will want to take the opportunity to rediscover what they love so much about this ship, with all her signature and revitalized features,” she said.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas has wrapped up her first cruise season in Singapore.  It began in November and was part of the winter/spring cruise season and made stops at Shanghai on an 8-night cruise with calls at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Hong Kong and Xiamen.

Mariner of the Seas' season included 29 sailings, which was comprised of 3, 4 and 5 night itineraries.  Highlights included the festive cruises for Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year with special entertainment and feasts, as well as theme cruises namely the world’s first all-champions Latin dance competition cruise in January and the Valentine’s Cruise.

Mariner of the Seas is headed to Shanghai for the summer and fall but will return to Singapore in November 2014, where she will offer 3 to 5 night cruises with Kuantan the newest port-of-call, on top of Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Langkawi and Phuket. 

Mariner of the Seas will also add more long scenic sailings of 7 nights to her repertoire of Southeast Asian itineraries, due to popular demand. These come with overnight stays at Phuket or Bangkok (Laem Chabang) as the highlights, which offer more time for guests to explore these popular 2 ports-of-call from day to night as well as the ship’s wide range of amenities and activities. Examples are the 7-Night Spice of Southeast Asia cruise to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang, Langkawi and Phuket (overnight) on January 19 and 26, 2015 and the 7-Night Thailand & Vietnam cruise to Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (overnight) and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) on February 11. 

Royal Caribbean has launched CruiseFly service to its cruises that disembark in Singapore.   CruiseFly is the region’s first sea-to-air baggage transfer service that allows guests an early check-in for flights departing within the same day of the ship’s arrival into Singapore.

Passengers can book CruiseFly online or before the cruise ship arrives in Singapore.  Once signed up, guests can check-in, check their luggage and collect boarding passes without having to do it all at the airport.  CruiseFly is available on Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Jet Airways. It is valid on all flights departing post 2:30 pm from Changi Airport, on the day of the ships arrival to Singapore and can be purchased for USD 28.00 per person carrying up to two pieces of baggage and USD 9.00 for each additional piece of luggage.

Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing, India Representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said, “This is an exemplary service designed to provide an effortless travel experience to our guests. The early flight check-in not only eliminates baggage related stress but also provides for a couple of extra hours to explore more activities and attractions in Singapore.”

Today's photo is from Singapore where Royal Caribbean's two cruise ships in Asia, Voyager of the Seas (left) and Legend of the Seas (right) both arrived at  Marina Bay Cruise Centre.  This is the first time both ships have been next to each other.

Voyager of the Seas, the largest cruise ship based in Asia, was starting on her 8-night cruise to Shanghai while her sister ship Legend of the Seas was leaving for a 2-night Malacca weekend cruise as part of her Singapore season.

The Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore is a brand new cruise terminal in Singapore that looks to draw in the largest cruise ships in the world, including Royal Caribbean's fleet.

The $395 million terminal will welcome Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas on Saturday, which will be the largest ship of its kind to dock in Singapore.   Voyager of the Seas is just the beginning, because the cruise terminal operator want to attract even larger ships.

SATS-Creuers Cruise Services commented on the plans the terminal has in a statement, "pave the way for the newer generation of larger cruise liners to dock in Singapore and Asia, including Oasis-Class ships."