My Latest Experience On Spectrum OTS - Singapore

[WaybackCruiser]

So, the wife and I just returned from our second cruise aboard Spectrum OTS, this time it was a shorter 3-night sailing visiting Penang with one Sea Day. Compared to our previous experience a few months ago (despite the loosened restrictions) - the ship still feels very different than a typical European or North American sailing.

A few things of note which I never mentioned in my previous post (which have remained status quo): so for anyone considering a Spectrum OTS out of Singapore - the market is a bit different based on the below:

Unlike our previous cruise, the Windjammer is now fully self-serve (and for the North American's on this board) - the WIndjammer on North American ships will typically have 'theme nights' featuring a cuisine of a particular country, look no further as on the Spectrum's Windjammer has dedicated sections for Indian and Chinese cuisine.

* Like my previous cruise on Spectrum earlier in the year... the pool decks remain largely 'empty' - hot tubs generally empty and of the people on the pool deck - the demographic on board including families tends to over dress aka pants and sweatshirts on the pool decks (as though it was Alaska) and hardly anyone in the pools as its just not part of the Singapore market.

***no 'chair hogs that we witnessed on this sailing, as most people in this market tend to prefer shade over sun and to avoid spending time at pools or on the outdoor decks generally - so if one is looking for a lounger, even on a Sea Day - there was a ton available... in fact the crew was removing loungers since they weren't even really being used***

* The Casino was extremely crowded (as per usual on sailings from this market) - as was the Windjammer (hard getting a table at any given time).

* The solarium remained largely empty and the bartenders were generally 'bored' along with the bartenders at the 'Schooner' Bar. In fact on the occasions we were in both venues... we were able to chat up the bartenders for 30 minutes average before anyone else showed up... and we were advised that drinking and bars are not very 'popular' in this market.

* The Flowrider was basically empty for the first two days of the sailing... in fact the Flowrider Instructors were the ones doing all the 'flowriding' for the first two days while people watched - basically 'performing' various stunts (this is something one would never see stateside as the Flowrider fills up on embarkation day). Only on the final day of the sailing did it 'fill up' and even then its nothing like out of Florida or California. Mind you something else you'd never see out of the US market is people waiting for the Flowrider carrying Umbrella's to shade themselves from the sun... and there were A LOT of umbrella holding people in the queue; though luckily no one attempted to flowride with an umbrella .

* Masks like the North America market are now 'optional' however the majority of crew about 95 % are still masked as again it makes the people in this market more comfortable, and for the guests... about 90 - 95% masked as well indoors and outdoors despite it being optional. The only ones who went unmasked were those visiting Singapore for this cruise and it was quite obvious who the guests were.

* Beverage packages are not very popular according to the F&B staff we interacted with since in this market... people tend to either a la carte beverages or just go with the free options ... in fact the drink of choice was typically hot drinks which the bars don't serve - again different market.

* NextCruise was quite a popular spot with many people booking future cruises... though when the wife and I enquired about potentially putting down a deposit for a cruise from Florida or from Seattle, we were met with 'those markets not being very common in Asia' since most people who booked future cruises on board were only booking in the Asian market.

* The Cafe270 was a nice upgrade from Cafe Promenade on the other ships, it serves a wide variety of things but closes at 1700 daily. Also Sorrento's is located in the Windjammer rather than on the Esplanade.

Speaking to the Hotel Director at a public Q&A, the Hotel Director advised that the vast majority of the 5000 onboard are from Singapore with about 600 Indian Nationals and only 53 from North America (US / Canada) making this the smallest minority of guests on board. This is also the reason why the hotel director further clarified that in Asia... the North Star, Rock Climbing Wall, iFly Skydiving Simulator are chargeable (around $40 and up) in order to 'control crowds' while on US Based ships, these three things are typically non-chargeable at least at on Port Days. Even the sports staff on board knew this though most passengers are not aware of this. When this was also raised in the public Q&A - the Captain also re-iterated that the above are 'novelty attractions' but stateside their 'common'. The Captain of this sailing was Captain Wu Huimin who is from China - though the main speaker at the Q&A was the Australian Hotel Director.

* Also there's a big hope that China will open again by late 2023 and 2024 and the plan is for Spectrum to offer cruises from Shanghai again - per the Hotel Director. Was also advised that if the ship does end up returning to China by then... everything would be in Mandarin only (in Singapore everything is still in English).

Overall this sailing was pretty much like our previous sailing except masks were 'optional'. It was still a relaxing experience and it was great to interact with the bored bartenders who were standing around, many staff on board have mentioned they prefer this market since its a lot less work at the bars however the Windjammer does have its work cut out since non-stop eating is a big thing in this market. Didn't attend the Art shows this time around, and the SPA was also empty the times we went by as was the fitness center (even on the Sea Day).

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask, also let the forum know if you're taking a cruise from Singapore soon, lots of useful tips including the revamped check in process at Marina Bay Cruise Center which is much to be desired.

[Pattycruise]

So what I’m hearing, easy to get a seat by the pool and a drink at the bar!

[WaybackCruiser]

17 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

So what I’m hearing, easy to get a seat by the pool and a drink at the bar!

This is correct... no 'chair hogs that we witnessed on this sailing, as most people in this market tend to prefer shade over sun and to avoid spending time at pools or on the outdoor decks generally - so if one is looking for a lounger, even on a Sea Day - there was a ton available... in fact the crew was removing loungers since they weren't even really being used so it was odd to see loungers being folded up and moved to the side in the middle of lunch on a sea day.

[twangster]

How was the embarking and debarking process in the terminal as a North American english speaking guest?  Or are you bilingual?

[D Alt]

I will be on Spectrum for the 4N Penang and Phuket in Jan 2024, so would love to learn more.  

What was the entertainment like? 

I'm very excited for the Asian and Indian cuisines. 

Were there a lot of families still or more adults? 

Hotel recommendations for pre and possible after cruise stay? 

[WaybackCruiser]

17 minutes ago, twangster said:

How was the embarking and debarking process in the terminal as a North American english speaking guest?  Or are you bilingual?

We are bilingual but the default language at Marina Bay Cruise center is English with Chinese characters underneath. The staff are all Singaporean so it was a mixture of English and Mandarin though we heard mostly English being used while checking in.

The process itself was quite chaotic since they still scrutinize the vaccination records (though testing is no longer required) - we must have had to show our test results at least four times, upon entering the terminal, at the counter, at the security line and again by ship security once we finally 'scanned in on board'.

The security is also very stringent about 'drinks and food' being brought on board... in North America, I believe one is allowed to bring a bottle of wine aboard and cases of water... well at Marina Bay Cruise center the wife and I witnessed in our line at least a few cans of beer and two cases of water being 'confiscated' though individual water bottles were fine.

The security in the terminal was also confiscating bags of potato chips and crackers as they were quite strict about food being brought aboard though when we queried the ship security staff - they said it was a 'Singapore port' thing and that the ship still 'allows' snacks to be brought on board aka potato chips, and bottles of water and wine like North America but there must have been a breakdown in communication since the shore side security was very stringent about not letting as much as just one water bottle past.

The boarding was also not 'show up' at your assigned time in practice; though in theory it was... we had an arrival time of 12:30 pm; however we weren't able to board til around 1:45 pm since regardless of 'arrival time' the check-in counter hands out 'colored passes' and everyone is assigned to a waiting area based on their respective pass color and the passes are then called in waves.

[WaybackCruiser]

17 minutes ago, D Alt said:

I will be on Spectrum for the 4N Penang and Phuket in Jan 2024, so would love to learn more.  

What was the entertainment like? 

I'm very excited for the Asian and Indian cuisines. 

Were there a lot of families still or more adults? 

There was an even mix of multi-generational cruisers; families made up the bulk but of course these aren't typical North American families who are into the pools and thrills and so on, most of the families we saw were content with walking around and trying to 'avoid' the sun at all costs. I will say that eating is a big thing... the Windjammer is constantly busy even near the end of the food service hours.

Also due to the Indian Nationals on board every sailing, half the Windjammer is dedicated to Vegetarian Indian cuisines - its a bit mind boggling but for those who like Indian food on a daily basis, then this is for you. Same with the Chinese options as well. Western Options were only half of the Windjammer... and there was no traditional meat carving but there was a lot of BBQ Pork and Dim Sum options in the Windjammer.

Entertainment wise, there were two headliner shows, one of which being ShowGirls and the other being The Effectors. Both were well done by North American standards and were well attended to the point there was standing room only. If anything, we learnt that the indoor Casino, the buffet and the shows are the main stays for this cruise market, not the outdoor attractions.

Fun fact...we tried ordering a 'Coco Loco and Labadoozie' at several bars... and only half the bar tenders knew what those were, as the vast majority have never visited Coco Cay and NextCruise was equally as surprised we were talking about Coco Cay considering it was on the other side of the world

[D Alt]

12 minutes ago, WaybackCruiser said:

There was an even mix of multi-generational cruisers; families made up the bulk but of course these aren't typical North American families who are into the pools and thrills and so on, most of the families we saw were content with walking around and trying to 'avoid' the sun at all costs. I will say that eating is a big thing... the Windjammer is constantly busy even near the end of the food service hours.

Also due to the Indian Nationals on board every sailing, half the Windjammer is dedicated to Vegetarian Indian cuisines - its a bit mind boggling but for those who like Indian food on a daily basis, then this is for you. Same with the Chinese options as well. Western Options were only half of the Windjammer... and there was no traditional meat carving but there was a lot of BBQ Pork and Dim Sum options in the Windjammer.

Entertainment wise, there were two headliner shows, one of which being ShowGirls and the other being The Effectors. Both were well done by North American standards and were well attended to the point there was standing room only. If anything, we learnt that the indoor Casino, the buffet and the shows are the main stays for this cruise market, not the outdoor attractions.

Fun fact...we tried ordering a 'Coco Loco and Labadoozie' at several bars... and only half the bar tenders knew what those were, as the vast majority have never visited Coco Cay and NextCruise was equally as surprised we were talking about Coco Cay considering it was on the other side of the world

Sorry I added a question about hotel options in Singapore, if you can suggest. 

Thanks!!

[Yoshi]

I am Asian and for the first time, I went to an Asian wedding last month to celebrate my cousin. For the first time, I saw bartenders bored at a wedding. No one really drank. Most had one drink and it was over. Luckily, the males in my family got the gene to process alcohol, so we definitely get our moneys worth on the DBP and the only ones chatting up the bartenders at the wedding! 

[TeRriii]

It happened when we cruised onboard Quantum of the Seas from Shanghai several years ago. The bar almost had no customer. We visited the bar several times when cruising and got very good service and chat with the bartender at North Star Bar. He even gave free cocktails for me and my wife. 

It also true for Windjammer, very crowded and many fellow cruisers staring and eyeing our table. One time, we had a woman try to forcefully claim our table with rude behaviour. Even when I complaint to the cruise staff, he advise us to not engage further, luckily the staff then move us to a better table with view.

 

[TeRriii]

I have several questions, hopefully you could answer it.

1. How about the specialty restaurant, is it crowded ? We consider to buy UDP for our next cruise after horrible past experience at Windjammer.

2. Do they sell Coffee Card onboard ?  

3. Do you need to make a reservation for Bumper Car and Wall Climb ?

TIA

[WaybackCruiser]

22 hours ago, D Alt said:

Sorry I added a question about hotel options in Singapore, if you can suggest. 

Thanks!!

As an expat living in Singapore a few months of the year - the hotel options are plentiful and with many different price points. For convenience sake, its best to stay in the CBD, aka the 'Central Business District' - hotels with a good price for simply a room and no frills include the HOTEL GRAND CENTRAL and HOTEL CHANCELLOR... both are no frills properties for a decent price though their branded as 4* hotels.
 

If you're looking for something more akin to International Standards, the Holiday Inn Express on ORCHARD ROAD is the next best bet though their pricing is higher - it does include a free HI EXPRESS breakfast. Unlike the HI express in North America, this Holiday Inn Express has eggs made to order and a daily changing menu - something akin to an EMBASSY SUITES stateside but at HI Express pricing.

If you're looking to splurge or go high end.... the Hilton Singapore on ORCHARD Road is up there... as is Singapore's most well known Hotel Casino Resort MARINA BAY SANDS. All hotels I mentioned are easy commutes to and from Marina Bay Cruise Center via the MRT system.

[WaybackCruiser]

16 hours ago, TeRriii said:

I have several questions, hopefully you could answer it.

1. How about the specialty restaurant, is it crowded ? We consider to buy UDP for our next cruise after horrible past experience at Windjammer.

2. Do they sell Coffee Card onboard ?  

3. Do you need to make a reservation for Bumper Car and Wall Climb ?

TIA

We didn't dine at any of the specialty restaurants on our 3-Night sailing though when walking past during the peak dining time at 6 pm or 7 pm - we didn't see many people in Chops Grille, Jamie's Italian or even the Teppanyaki place... my guess is that in this market... most holiday makers tend to go for the Main Dining room or Windjammer since their both included in the cruise fare. If you were to get the UDP based on the cruise I was just on... I am sure you'd get exceptional service as not many on board opt for the extras.

Coffee cards can be purchased via the Cruise Planner (not sure if they have it onboard since we make all purchases pre-cruise) though it never hurts to ask once on board.

The Bumper Cars and Wall Climbing is first come first serve... but seeing as the Bumper Cars are one of the few 'free' 'novelties' on board in this market... its best to show up early. When the wife and I did bumper cars... we showed up 30 minutes early prior to the opening time at 9 am and at 6 pm so 8:30 and 17:30 respective thinking we'd be first (as stateside we normally are) - the line was already stretching all the way back past the elevators and to the outdoor jogging track by 5:15 pm so that says a lot :).

Glad to hear you had a good experience on your Shanghai cruise a few years ago... was everything in Mandarin?

NOTE: While sailing in the Asian market... passports MUST BE SURRENDERED upon Check-In to ship security. This is required for any cruise line sailing within SE Asia. Passports are returned on the last day of the sailing.

[WaybackCruiser]

23 hours ago, D Alt said:

I will be on Spectrum for the 4N Penang and Phuket in Jan 2024, so would love to learn more.  

What was the entertainment like? 

I'm very excited for the Asian and Indian cuisines. 

Were there a lot of families still or more adults? 

Hotel recommendations for pre and possible after cruise stay? 

Per my FlowRider experience earlier... I will also add that the instructors especially on the last day of the sailing when it 'filled up' but not to the amount of guests as say in Florida or California... the instructors spend more one on one time seeing as there's much fewer people in line so if one gets a turn to try the FlowRider, they get to go on it for a lot longer than had it been stateside mainly because there aren't the crowds - when we went on the last day in that 'umbrella lineup' to get our turn... at most there was only give or take 10-12 people in line which is pale in comparison to our sailings stateside so the sports staff really get to work with you to perfect your flow riding abilities

[D Alt]

59 minutes ago, WaybackCruiser said:

As an expat living in Singapore a few months of the year - the hotel options are plentiful and with many different price points. For convenience sake, its best to stay in the CBD, aka the 'Central Business District' - hotels with a good price for simply a room and no frills include the HOTEL GRAND CENTRAL and HOTEL CHANCELLOR... both are no frills properties for a decent price though their branded as 4* hotels.
 

If you're looking for something more akin to International Standards, the Holiday Inn Express on ORCHARD ROAD is the next best bet though their pricing is higher - it does include a free HI EXPRESS breakfast. Unlike the HI express in North America, this Holiday Inn Express has eggs made to order and a daily changing menu - something akin to an EMBASSY SUITES stateside but at HI Express pricing.

If you're looking to splurge or go high end.... the Hilton Singapore on ORCHARD Road is up there... as is Singapore's most well known Hotel Casino Resort MARINA BAY SANDS. All hotels I mentioned are easy commutes to and from Marina Bay Cruise Center via the MRT system.

I found a hotel on hotels.com called The Quay hotel in the Financial district.  It had very good ratings and it was like $80 for the night. So I think that will do for the overnight stay. 

[D Alt]

NOTE: While sailing in the Asian market... passports MUST BE SURRENDERED upon Check-In to ship security. This is required for any cruise line sailing within SE Asia. Passports are returned on the last day of the sailing.

Therefore, have a photocopy of your passport with you... just in case. 

[WaybackCruiser]

6 hours ago, D Alt said:

NOTE: While sailing in the Asian market... passports MUST BE SURRENDERED upon Check-In to ship security. This is required for any cruise line sailing within SE Asia. Passports are returned on the last day of the sailing.

Therefore, have a photocopy of your passport with you... just in case. 

I agree, and I believe its to simply expedite Malaysian passport control so when we disembarked in Penang, all we needed was the Seapass card - otherwise nothing else was really needed. Also we had the impression that only USD was accepted at the port though we were in for a surprise as in Penang, they prefer taking Singapore Dollars (SGD) over their ringits (Malaysian currency) and no on seemed to take USD so that was a relief as the conversion rate would have been a bit steep. Also at the port in Penang, credit cards are not widely accepted either.

For anyone who does go to Penang, be prepared to be accosted and harassed by sign waving taxi drivers who will stop at nothing to get in your face to offer their taxi services... it really was an experience to even leave the terminal. Once outside the terminal it was fine, but taxi drivers really act in your face in Penang. Can't speak for Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur) but I'd imagine its the same.

One thing we did encounter at a few places in Penang especially outside of restaurants was a 'fee' to use the lavatory.

[TeRriii]

6 hours ago, WaybackCruiser said:

 was everything in Mandarin?

The sign and general information written in English and Mandarin. Announcement also broadcasted in 2 languages. 

[Ray]

On 10/28/2022 at 12:30 AM, WaybackCruiser said:

We are bilingual but the default language at Marina Bay Cruise center is English with Chinese characters underneath. 

Singapore English is the main language spoken along with Malay.

This is probably due to the fact that Singapore was under British rule until the 1960's when it then became part of Malaysia for a few years before becoming an independent country.

Any English speaking visitors travelling to Singapore will have no problem communicating.

[Ray]

On 10/28/2022 at 12:38 AM, D Alt said:

Sorry I added a question about hotel options in Singapore, if you can suggest. 

Thanks!!

For anyone traveling to Singapore Orchard Towers which is located on Orchard Rd right in the main shopping area is one to be avoided if you are not open minded. 

World famous for the "Four floors of whores" 

I have stayed at the Pan Pacific near Marina Bay and even just the Elevator Ride up to our room near the top floor was an experience! 

Elevator starts in hotel lobby inside building for about first 6 floors then all of a sudden you  are outside for the rest

 

[JBC1]

Great report thank you.

John

[D Alt]

So @WaybackCruiser do you think MyTimeDining (timeframes) was more popular than traditional dining (timeframes) for this cruise? 

[TeRriii]

@WaybackCruiser Hi again. Did you remember which specialty restaurant that open for lunch on embarkation day ? 

[EnSeven]

Thanks for all the info, which makes me very happy! I'm sailing out of Singapore on 2 Jan and all I want is time in the sun by the pool, and quiet time in the solarium and spa. I've also purchased UDP for the first time and had no intention of going into Windjammer. Based on this post, my perfect cruise is going to be....perfect!

[WaybackCruiser]

On 10/31/2022 at 2:49 PM, D Alt said:

So @WaybackCruiser do you think MyTimeDining (timeframes) was more popular than traditional dining (timeframes) for this cruise? 

Been a few weeks since I've been on the site; but it was an even mix between traditional and MyTime - not really much of a difference in my experience compared to stateside. I mean we didn't see a queue for the early or late sittings on either deck so it seemed most guests had opted for traditional.

[WaybackCruiser]

On 11/5/2022 at 10:56 PM, EnSeven said:

Thanks for all the info, which makes me very happy! I'm sailing out of Singapore on 2 Jan and all I want is time in the sun by the pool, and quiet time in the solarium and spa. I've also purchased UDP for the first time and had no intention of going into Windjammer. Based on this post, my perfect cruise is going to be....perfect!

Oh good you're sailing out of Singapore in LESS than two months; is it a 3 4 or 5-night and what ports? If anything the Solarium will be sunny and QUIET... as will be the SPA. If you're as lucky as we were, you'd be able to chat up the bar tenders in Schooner and Solarium without other guests around though good luck asking them to make a Caribbean / Coco Cay style drink (since its been years for some) since they've made the said drinks... and Spectrum lacks Papaya. 

My understanding is that most of the crew we interacted with had not served stateside / Caribbean in a few seasons and most were usually from within SE Asia and only used to that market since Spectrum is permanently home ported in Singapore and has been since the restart. So asking for something like a Pina Colada or a Coco Loco is sure to raise a few eye brows

[WaybackCruiser]

On 11/4/2022 at 7:40 PM, TeRriii said:

@WaybackCruiser Hi again. Did you remember which specialty restaurant that open for lunch on embarkation day ? 

We don't usually do Lunch at Specialty on Embarkation Day though I believe Chops Grille was open... I mean we walked past and there were guests inside so I'm thinking Chops was open/ One thing is for sure... AVOID the Windjammer on Embarkation Day - like seriously! Its even worst of a line than stateside especially in this market and one is hard pressed to find a table since everyone loves eating in this market (over drinking).

The Windjammer Bar will be relatively quiet though - compared to the free drink stations. Due to the demographic on board despite the humid and hot conditions, almost every table (literally) will be ordering or have some semblance of 'hot water' or 'tea'.

Before I forget, ALSO unlike stateside, all the staterooms on board Spectrum OTS are equipped with Hot Water Kettles and Chinese / English Tea for this reason which is NOT the norm stateside. Hot drinks in a hot climate are the norm .

Also with a lot of Indian Nationals on board, expect there to be quite a lot of jossling especially in the Windjammer especially at the Indian Food station (our experience with this demographic was a lot of jossling and VERY few if any 'excuse me's or please and thank you's'.... so don't be too surprised.

[Ray]

23 hours ago, WaybackCruiser said:

 

Also with a lot of Indian Nationals on board, expect there to be quite a lot of jossling especially in the Windjammer especially at the Indian Food station (our experience with this demographic was a lot of jossling and VERY few if any 'excuse me's or please and thank you's'.... so don't be too surprised.

So a bit like a walmart on black friday but without the fights lol

[WaybackCruiser]

17 hours ago, Ray said:

So a bit like a walmart on black friday but without the fights lol

I've never really experienced a Walmart on Black Friday but lets put it this way, its almost like visiting India at a peak time of year except on the ship its a lot more nationalities so what we take for granted with orderly lines and chit chat in the Windjammer with the various serving staff almost doesn't occur onboard Spectrum. The wife and I did chat with several Windjammer staff who were quite happy to chat with us as many of them mentioned how in this market, people usually don't really 'chat' to the staff / crew unless they need something. Our cabin steward from China also echoed the same thing, so like it or hate it, while there's a lack of 'chit chat' - many crew who have served many seasons on Spectrum indicated its a lot easier to 'satisfy' guests in the Singapore market...whereas being more 'personable' is a requirement for Europe and North America just due to the dynamics aboard.

 

What was was most disheartening for the wife and I was basically 'keeping' our table, literally one of us had to be at our Windjammer table when the other was getting food (unlike say aboard Mariner OTS or Navigatagor OTS) where there's plentiful tables and people know to not sit at a table with cutlery and cups on it... different story on the Spectrum since people were constantly eying vacant tables especially tables without personal affects on them so if one doesn't have a jacket or anything, leaving two cups of water and a napkin there is not a guarantee that 'your table' will still be empty when getting back from the food lines.

About the Indian food stations, there's many, many kinds of vegetarian curry so any one who lives that kind of cuisine will feel right at home... its delicious and plentiful - both our sailings the wife and I literally frequented it since it was a lot better than anything we've had on land Of course its not the same on the North American sailings where Indian Food on International night is limited to maybe one Butter Chicken and one Vegetable Curry - there's a lot more options on board Spectrum.

Also instead of a 'pasta' bar - in the Windjammer, one can find a 'noodle' bar with MANY kinds of noodle variations be they fried or in soup in a variety of bases (sauces / soups) and meats to choose from.

I'd highly recommend @Matt or one of the other 'live bloggers' that post on the site to visit Singapore and try a sailing on Spectrum. The ports of call and culture on board couldn't be any more different than what one would find aboard the North American or European sailings. Majority families still but different dynamics and behaviors - less on the sports and more on the other low key things.

 

 

[AshleyDillo]

17 minutes ago, WaybackCruiser said:

I'd highly recommend @Matt or one of the other 'live bloggers' that post on the site to visit Singapore and try a sailing on Spectrum.

I nominate @JennaRCB!

[twangster]

18 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

I nominate @JennaRCB!

Duh!  

[JennaRCB]

On 11/25/2022 at 4:09 PM, AshleyDillo said:

I nominate @JennaRCB!

What a great idea!!!! @Matt 

[Matt]

22 hours ago, JennaRCB said:

What a great idea!!!! @Matt