Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will host a world-first dance theme cruise, featuring regional dance veteran Aleena Tan as well as world and regional renowned coaches such as Burn The Floor’s Luka Fanni from Italy, Peter Townsend and Belman Salihovic from Australia, Sunny Low, Derrick Torre and Feliz Ferlino from Singapore and Uapan Sdnivongs from Thailandi.

This special event will take place on a 4-night cruise from February 29 to March 4, 2016 from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) and Langkawi is expected to attract dance enthusiasts from across the region, who will enjoy the exclusive tutelage under these world class class veterans, all brought together on this cruise.

Workshops onboard will offer guests ballroom and Latin dancing, Banchatango, New Vogue and Rock ‘n’ Roll classes, and include demonstrations from the coaches. 

In addition, the event will offer previews and dance shows on Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive, Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep, along the ship’s 136m-long Royal Promenade and in the 1,300-seater theater. Performers will include Professional Champions from Russia, Mikhail Eremeeve and Olesya Eremeeva.

Aleena Tan has previously organized four dance theme cruises with Royal Caribbean in Asia with the most recent one as “Dancesport All Champions”, the world’s first showdance competition at sea in January 2015. On her choice of Royal Caribbean again for her latest dance theme cruise, she said, “We always want to do something different and unique for every one of these dance cruises, which is very much like the innovative feel of Royal Caribbean ships. Plus, I’ve always been attracted to Mariner of the Seas’ classy ambiance, beautiful venues and excellent service, which has been a most befitting choice for all my past events, like for the upcoming one.” 

The Singapore Cosplay Club is hosting "Cosfest Sea" event on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas.

Cosplay is the hobby of getting dressed up in the costumes of fictional characters.

The cruise will sail on January 8, 2016 on a 3-night weekend cruise.

The club is planning a number of events for its members, including

• Asia Cosplay meet championship
• Cosplay parade
• Performances
• Cosplay/Anime parties
• Cosplay photoshoots

The event will feature contestants from eight countries including China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas was the shooting location for a brand new Tamil film, written and directed by Aishwarya R Dhanush, called, "Vai Raja Vai".

Some scenes in the film were shot onboard the ship as part of a a seven-night itinerary across Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing, India Representative for Royal Caribbean International, said, “We are honoured to have had the crew of ‘Vai Raja Vai’ onboard. The staff onboard the ship were excited at the opportunity to interact with celebrated cinematic figures from the South Indian film industry. We were thrilled to be able to showcase our largest and most innovative ships in Asia and some of her many offerings, and look forward to hosting more such shoots from the film industry onboard our other ships as well.”

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's Mariner of the Seas made her first stop ever at Laem Chabang in Thailand, according to TravelDailyNews.

Mariner of the Seas arrived yesterday and stayed overnight in port and will depart today, February 18.  She is on a 7-night cruise from Singapore which will also call at Ho Chi Minh City. 

As part of the tradition when a cruise ship visits a port for the first time, plaque exchanges were conducted between LT. Sutthinan Hatthawong, Managing Director of Laem Chabang Port and Captain Flemming Nielsen of Mariner of the Seas onboard to commemorate the ship’s maiden call in Laem Chabang.  

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will host the world’s first cruise-based, all-champions Latin dance competition on January 16, 2014.

Cruise and Ferry reports that the dance competiton will onclude contestants such as Thailand’s World Youth Latin champions Koupey Sahaifa and Sutatip Bunwila, Amateur Latin champions Johnston Lim and Nicole Tan from Malaysia and Japan Open champions Artyom Kilmenov and Giula Nuzio from Italy, among other top competitors in the ‘Battle of the Giants’ Latin Dance Championship.

Passengers onboard Mariner of the Seas will be able to vote for winners at the "Come Dancing on Mariner of the Seas" event. 

The latin dance competition is open to all guests on Mariner of the Seas and will also feature champions’ previews and dance workshops, including technique tips for Cha Cha, Rumba and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Mariner of the Seas will be calling at Port Klang in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi during the four-night roundtrip from Singapore.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas left from Hong Kong's brand newKai TakCruiseTerminal today, the first cruise ship to do so.

Mariner of the Seas took its 3,000 passengers on a cruise heading toward Taiwan,and the sailing was jointly arranged by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Taiwan Bureau with Royal Caribbean.

Mariner of the Seas left Hong Kong for Kaohsiung and Keelungin Taiwan on a five-day, four-night cruise.  Mariner of the Seas will return to Hong Kong on November 2nd and then turn around for another cruise to Kaohsiung before returning on November 5th.

Royal Caribbean announced today 29 new cruises on Mariner of the Seas to Southeast Asia.  

Beginning in November 2014, Mariner of the Seas will sail out of Singapore and offer three- to five-night cruises to ports such as Phuket, Thailand, and Penang, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) in Malaysia.

A special seven-night itinerary, departing February 11, 2015, will overnight at Bangkok (Laemchabang), Thailand, and call at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam. Mariner of the Seas’ winter season will conclude with an eight-night itinerary from Singapore to Shanghai (Baoshan), China, departing on March 7, and featuring an overnight at Hong Kong with calls at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) and Xiamen, China. 

The Voyager-class ship, Mariner of the Seas, has been operating between Asia and Australia.

Royal Caribbean announced today its summer 2014 season for Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, continuing sailings from Shanghai (Baoshan), Beijing (Tianjin), Hong Kong, and Singapore.  The two ships will offer cruises to South Korea, Japan or Taiwan.

From March 2014 through November 2014, Mariner of the Seas will offer roundtrip cruises out of Shanghai (Baoshan) on three- to six-night itineraries that call at Seoul (Incheon), Busan, Jeju Island, or Yeosu (Gangyang). The ship’s summer season will conclude with an eight-night sailing from Shanghai (Baoshan) to Singapore, departing Nov. 4, 2014, with ports of call at Xiamen and Hong Kong, China, and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam.

The summer 2014 season for Voyager of the Seas will begin with a 10-night itinerary departing Singapore on April 10 to Tokyo, Japan, with calls at Hong Kong, Kaohsiung and Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan, and Nagasaki, Japan. Voyager will then sail a six-night South Korea and Nagoya (Japan) itinerary, roundtrip from Tokyo on April 20, followed by two Japan cruises, a four-night itinerary from Tokyo to Taipei (Keelung) departing May 5, and a seven-night roundtrip itinerary from Taipei (Keelung) departing May 9.

From June through September 2014, Voyager of the Seas will sail four- to six-night Korea itineraries roundtrip from Beijing (Tianjin), and call at Seoul (Incheon), Yeosu (Gangyang), Busan, and Jeju Island, South Korea. The ship will then sail a seven-night Japan and Korea cruise from Beijing (Tianjin) to Hong Kong on Sept. 10, followed by four-, five- and seven-night Japan and Taiwan cruises roundtrip from Hong Kong throughout Sept. and early Oct. 2014.

Lisa Bauer, Royal Caribbean executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, commented on the announcement, "We are delighted to offer Asia vacations that cannot be found anywhere except on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.  Guests of all ages will enjoy the DreamWorks Experience, a wide range of signature Royal Caribbean onboard amenities, and our award-winning entertainment and family programming. Throughout, every member of the staff and crew will deliver our world-renowned friendly and engaging GOLD Anchor Service on an unforgettable Asia vacation."

Our blog reader Kenneth sent these photos of some interesting changes occurring aboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas on this week's voyage.

Storefront on Royal Promenade closed for remodeling

Bridge tour with Captain Fleming and a passenger

Reopening of the Casino

British commandos boarding for the transit around the African horn