TripZillaGenting Dream is the first luxury cruise ship to call Singapore its long-term home port. It is also massive, with a gamut of attractions spread over 18 decks, from a waterslide park, a rock climbing wall and even a Zouk beach club. The inaugural ship of Dream Cruises, Genting Dream arrived in Singapore quite recently in November 2017. Since then, it has added a new option to the ever-growing list of potential holiday experiences easily accessible from Singapore.
Curious to know what’s on board Genting Dream? Well, we were lucky to have had the chance to experience it for ourselves!
There are a few cruise itineraries available: two-night weekend cruises (Singapore Weekend Getaway), as well as five-night cruises departing on Sundays to the Straits of Malacca (Island Escapade) or to the Java Sea (Treasures of Indonesia). The one we went on was the Treasures of Indonesia itinerary which includes ports of call in Surabaya and North Bali.
During our trip, we had the chance to soak in the experiences on board Genting Dream and explore its nook and crannies. From the accommodation, activities and dining options, here are the main highlights plus some handy dandy tips!
Accommodation
Depending on your budget, you can opt for one of these accommodation options: Interior Stateroom, Oceanview Stateroom, Balcony Stateroom, Balcony Deluxe Stateroom and the most luxurious (and expensive) of all, the Suites.
Balcony Stateroom, with ensuite bathroom
We stayed in the Balcony Stateroom and found it decently roomy with a little balcony where we could enjoy the sea views. The room was equipped with necessities such as bottled water, an extra sofa bed as well as fully stocked toiletries in the ensuite bathroom. The 32″ flat-panel television also has a good selection of free movies on demand.
Activities
On a cruise ship that’s jam-packed with a variety of facilities, we found ourselves wide-eyed at all the potential activities we could do. To save you from being as overwhelmed and to help maximise your time on the cruise, here’s a preview of the main features on board. The less time for planning, the more time for playing!
Sports and Recreation
Rock-climbing wall | Image credit: Dream Cruises
Waterslide park | Image credit: Dream Cruises
While the multipurpose rooftop sportsplex allows guests to engage in their favourite sports, there are also novel adventure activities available, such as a ropes course with an outdoor course and zipline, as well as a rock-climbing wall. In addition, for those who are seeking a bit more thrill, there is a giant waterslide park with six slides of varying intensities.
Glow Bowling Alley
Arcade | Image credit: Dream Cruises
Guests who are not interested in such heart-racing activities can opt to go to the mini-golf course, bowling alley or arcade to get their action fix for the day. Personally, we headed down to check out Glow Bowl, the glow-in-the-dark bowling alley. There, we paid an inexpensive $8/game to bowl with neon balls, and disposable socks were also included in the entrance fee. We sure had a good time trying to avoid those gutters!
Entertainment
Zouk Nightclub | Image credit: Dream Cruises
The Voyage of a Lover’s Dream | Image credit: Dream Cruises
The Dream Cruise hosts both Zouk Beach Club and Zouk Nightclub, so party-goers will not have to worry about missing out on their favourite moshing activity! Aside from clubbing, guests can also attend different shows at the 999-seat Zodiac Theatre for free – in 2018, they are slated to include even more acts such as The Broadway Divas, as well as The Apple Band performing ‘The Beatles Tribute’. There are also recurring performances such as the reenactment of the popular singing programme, ‘China’s Got Talent’, and our personal favourite, ‘The Voyage of a Lover’s Dream’, an artistic piece that tugged at our heartstrings. Apart from these events, many communal locations also offer live music for guests to enjoy.
Cinema at Sea
Also, the Cinema at Sea offers free movie screenings at various locations at selected timings, and we were able to enjoy the screening of ‘The Legend of Tarzan’ with our other fellow passengers in the comfort of the lobby.
Beauty and Wellness
Crystal Life Asian Spa | Image credit: Dream Cruises
Gentlemen’s Barber | Image credit: Dream Cruises
Holidays are all about pampering yourself, and the Crystal Life Spa as well as Crystal Life Asian Spa help to do just that. Focusing on Western and Asian forms of treatment respectively, these spas offer rejuvenating and soothing massages to guests aged 18 and above. The Gentleman’s Barber and Le Salon are also available for passengers to receive personal grooming such as hair or nail treatment.
Dining
Silk Road Chinese Restaurant
No matter which part of Asia you are voyaging towards, the wide selection of cuisine offered by the many restaurants ensures that you will be able to get a taste of just about anywhere around the world. This is great if you are foodies just like us!
Dining at certain restaurants is free as meals there have been included in the cruise fare. Namely, they are ‘The Lido’ which serves an international buffet, ‘Dream Dining Room Upper’ which has Chinese set menu, and ‘Dream Dining Lower’ which provides semi-buffet style Western food.
Payment is required for dining at other speciality restaurants, like ‘Umi Uma’ (Japanese & teppanyaki), ‘Silk Road Chinese Restaurant’ (Chinese fine dining) and ‘Bistro by Mark Best’ (celebrity chef & western fusion dishes). For fresh pastries and cakes, head to ‘Breadbox’ and for homemade gelato, make a beeline for ‘Gelateria’.
Johnnie Walker House, Bar City | Image credit: Dream Cruises
Guests may also enjoy a drink from the numerous bars on board, such as the pool deck or the Lobby Bar. If you are feeling exceptionally adventurous, you can check out the collection of bars within ‘Bar City’, each one with its own signature flavour and drinks.
Insider tips for guests
Board early: With so many things to check out, it pays to board early. On our embarkation day, the facilities were all already open even before the ship had set sail. If you do the same, you can use this time get to oriented, suss out what’s interesting on board, and plan where you want to go and what you want to do. With that in mind, if you want to board early and start using the facilities, bring all the necessities and things you potentially want to use (such as sunscreen) in your carry-on bag.
Dream Daily newsletter
Utilise the Dream Daily newsletter: A resource to help you decide on the day’s activities would be the Dream Daily newsletter which informs you on the ship’s daily activities as well as where and when you can participate. The Daily for the next day’s activities would be left outside your door every evening. Pictured above is a sample of the Daily Dream newsletter we received on our fourth day on board.
Book activities in advance: Once you’ve decided what will be on your cruise itinerary, book in advance if limited slots are available. In fact, it is important to book tickets to the various shows as soon as you board in order to secure your seats. This is also the case when it comes to registering for activities for the young ones, such as the Little Pandas Club ($36/child for our five-day itinerary), which are high in demand. In addition, we would advise that you do not schedule your outdoor activities for the last day of your cruise, in the event that bad weather might disrupt your plans.
Pack smart: Bring along your swimsuit if you’re planning to get wet at the Main Pool Deck or Waterslide Park. If you want to try out the ropes course and zipline, sports shoes are needed. And of course, if you’re up for partying the night away in Zouk, you want to be dressed for that too! On top of that, do take note that only hardside luggage can be checked in so you want to be bringing one along unless you’re fine with carrying your bags up to your stateroom yourself.
Shore excursions: On our cruise, we could disembark and explore Surabaya and North Bali (Celukan Bawang) on the third and fourth day respectively. Shore excursions – such as the Surabaya Temples tour and the Best of North Bali Tour – were available for a fee. Otherwise, you could explore the place on your own as taxis are readily available outside the ports. This was what we did. In Surabaya, we decided to skip the sightseeing for shopping and we grabbed a taxi (less than $5) to Tunjungan Plaza, an enormous shopping centre consisting of six buildings. It houses fashion outlets ranging from Cotton On to COACH, and eateries such as A&W, J.CO, Chir Chir and Baskin Robbins. If you choose to venture on your own like us, be sure to find out the location of the port so you can map your day, keep an eye on the time and get back before the stipulated timing.
Don’t worry about currency: In case you’re concerned about payment methods on board, rest assured that all prices on Genting Dream are in Singaporean Dollars and electronic payments are accepted, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Should you need to change money for your trips onshore, there is a foreign currency exchange service available at the reception.
Our final thoughts
Genting Dream | Image credit: Dream Cruises
Our experience on Genting Dream was one that we certainly enjoyed and will remember fondly. With the myriad of activities to entertain us, we certainly didn’t feel an ounce of boredom over our five nights on the ship! We are definitely thrilled that Singaporeans now have this additional holiday option, and hope that more people will get to experience it soon.
Special thanks to Dream Cruises for inviting us on board Genting Dream for a fun-filled vacation.
