These are the 2 major cruise lines with operations in
Singapore. Star Cruises brands itself as Asia’s leading cruise line and offers
world class casinos and a wide variety of dining options. Royal Caribbean, on
the other hand, is famous for having the largest cruise ships in the world.
Before I begin, let me stress that the comparison will focus on Mariner of the
Seas and Superstar Virgo because these 2 ships visit Singapore most often.
Royal Caribbean in Singapore
For almost half of each year, Royal Caribbean deploys
Mariner of the Seas to Singapore. This 130,000 ton ship was the largest cruise
ship in the world when launched in 2004, and boasts an ice skating rink, rock
climbing wall and a 3 storey main dining hall. It comes to Singapore between
October and March every year.
Other Royal Caribbean’s ships that come to Singapore are
Voyager of the Seas (repositioning cruise), Legend of the Seas (more exotic
itineraries) and, for once only in June of 2015, the new Quantum of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean Asia Pacific HQ Office is located at Springleaf Tower, near
Tanjong Pagar MRT station, though most bookings are done through tour agencies.
Star Cruises in Singapore
Star Cruises deploys its flagship, the 70,000 ton Superstar
Virgo in Singapore from October to March. This ship, built in 2001, has one of
the best casinos on a cruise ship, together with a giant slide and a 2 storey
performance theater.
For the rest of the year, Star Cruises sends Superstar
Gemini to Singapore, but most friends I know agree that this ship is pathetic. Star
Cruises relies on local agents like WTS Travel, MISA Travel and Worldwide
Cruise Center for cruise reservations.
The Cruise Terminals
I know you expect me to start comparing the ships, but the
cruise terminals are also really, really important. It’s your gateway to the
ship, literally. Star Cruises have a real advantage here. Located at
Harbourfront Centre, it is conveniently located just above Harbourfront MRT
Station and you can reach the check in gates in less than 5 minutes. If you
arrive early, you can also shop at Harbourfront Centre, which boasts dozens of
shops and restaurants.
Although the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, where Royal Caribbean
docks, is also near an MRT station, you actually have to walk nearly 500m on an
open footpath before reaching the terminal. Also, there is nothing nearby and
the terminal only has a couple of cafes. In both terminals, expect to board the
ship in about 30 minutes.
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| Both cruise centres are located near MRT stations, but the one at Harbourfront Centre is much more convenient |
Winner: Star Cruise
Accommodations
Most of your cruise fare is for your stateroom. Well, both
Superstar Virgo and Mariner of the Seas offers 4 person and 2 person
staterooms. The rooms of Mariner of the Seas are slightly larger and the bed is
king sized (compared to Queen for Star Cruises). Toilets are very similar but
my friends commented that Royal Caribbean’s rooms have slightly more storage
space.
Also, Mariner of the Seas and other Royal Caribbean ships
has a larger proportion of balcony staterooms compared to Star Cruises. On
Superstar Gemini, you need to stay in a suite for a balcony.
Winner: Royal Caribbean
Food
Mariner of the Seas and Superstar Virgo offers vastly
different dining experiences. The Royal Caribbean ships feature traditional
dining with a 3 storey main dining hall, as well as the Café Promenade
featuring pizzas and desserts and a buffet restaurant called Windjammer. Dinner
time is fixed and stated on your Seapass Card. While options are limited, the
food quality is excellent and the Café Promenade is open 24 hours daily so you
will never go hungry.
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| You need to pay USD30.00 for the lobster on Royal Caribbean but its all worth it! |
In contrast, Superstar Virgo is one of the first ships to
feature dynamic dining. Each person is assigned meal coupons and can eat at one
of 9 (yes, I repeat, 9) restaurants on the ship. The food ranges from Western
to Chinese, Table Service to Buffet. Superstar Virgo is also the only cruise
ship from Singapore that offers Indian Food. In fact, Royal Caribbean
eventually implemented a similar dynamic dining system in its new ship Quantum
of the Seas.
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| Seafood has become a new staple of Asian Cuisine, and Star Cruises offers a good variety. |
Winner: Draw
Entertainment
This is a no contest win for Royal Caribbean. Even Star
Cruises best ship, Superstar Virgo only has a couple of basic singing shows and
mediocre live bands. In contrast, the Royal Promenade on Mariner/Voyager of the
Seas comes to life with dance parties, parades and impromptu shows. In
addition, the theatre also features excellent musical style shows and 3D movies,
and there are deck parties on several days of the cruise.
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| Don't forget, Royal Caribbean stills has the Dreamworks Experience |
However, Star Cruises redeems itself by inviting many local
celebrities and DJs to perform on board. If you book through local tour
agencies, they can help you match a cruise to your favourite celebrity. Both
cruise lines offer standard games like Bingo, Couples Contests and Reality
Shows.
Winner: Royal Caribbean, nonetheless
Sports and Wellness
Both Royal Caribbean and Star Cruises boast good swimming
pools and several whirlpools. Mariner of the Seas and Superstar Virgo both also
have a Basketball Court. The main plus for Royal Caribbean is the world class
gym and large exercise rooms. Also, there is an adults-only area called the
Solarium which is great for parents to relax in peace.
Nonetheless, Star Cruises replies with a much more
competitively priced SPA treatment menu and a giant slide at the family
swimming pool. Both Cruise Lines offer both complimentary and paid lessons and
physical examinations, and it is hard to compare the individual lessons or
treatments.
Winner: Draw
Kids and Families
You know, I don’t think I need to explain more. Superstar
Virgo, the best Star Cruise Ship only has a single kids club and activities are
limited. By contrast, every Royal Caribbean ship has an extensive Adventure
Ocean kids program and Teens program that features tailor made activities for all age groups. Signature activities include round the ship scavenger hunts and even family hour in which the video arcade
is free.
Winner: Royal Caribbean, by a wide margin
Activities
This is quite interesting. On one hand, Royal Caribbean’s
Mariner of the Seas have some interesting activities like ice skating, rock
climbing and mini-golf. By contrast, the main activity on Star Cruises is, as
my friend described, “queuing for one buffet after another”. Both cruise lines
offer the traditional art auctions (if you even care), casinos and some shopping.
However, the newer Genting World by Star Cruises (2016) and
Quantum of the Seas (2014) by Royal Caribbean will feature a much larger variety
of activities.
Winner: Royal Caribbean
Itinerary
Personally, I think that Star Cruises Itineraries are far
better for 2 reasons. Firstly, with smaller ships, Star Cruises can go to
places where the 130,000 ton Royal Caribbean counterparts cannot. Places like
Malacca, Bintan and Kinabalu are out of the question for the larger ships. Star
Cruise ships also offer better dock times at the ports of call, giving you
adequate time to complete your desired activities on shore.
Secondly, Star Cruises actually offers one or two night very
short holidays, which means it is possible to complete a Star Cruise vacation
in a weekend. You cannot accomplish that on Royal Caribbean which offers
minimum 3 Night sailings. Remember that Singapore don’t exactly have a lot of
public holidays.
Winner: Star Cruises
Pricing
Erm, this one. Well, let me say first that you get what you
paid for. Royal Caribbean’s packages are more expensive simply because they
offer far longer itineraries, up to 14 nights. On a per night basis, Star
Cruises is only about 10% cheaper. Prepare to spend SGD140 per person per night
on Royal Caribbean and SGD 125 per person per night on Star Cruises for twin
sharing non-balcony stateroom.
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| Both Royal Caribbean and Star Cruises offers discount packages but the Star Cruises ones are usually more prominent and more attractive |
However, I must admit that local travel agencies offer huge
discounts for many Star Cruises itineraries, while discounts for Royal
Caribbean are lukewarm at best.
Winner: Star Cruises
Service
Good service is the cornerstone to a good cruise experience.
Here, Royal Caribbean has the edge. For example, the Room Service attendants
will take time to interact with you and even fold the towels into interesting
animals. Because of the fixed dining hall meal time, the waiters get to know
you personally and your food preferences. Finally, Royal Caribbean is one of
few companies where the lost and found service actually works!
The Star Cruise staff has a similar demographic to Royal
Caribbean and are just as friendly, but I guess the dynamic dining concept
prevents them from offering a personalized service. Both cruise lines offer a
horrendous 1800 hotline service so you will be better off heading to their
respective offices or your travel agent. The website for Royal Caribbean is
more user-friendly and less prone to lag.
Winner: Royal Caribbean
Overall
When comparing the 2 cruise lines, I think it’s better to
ask yourself: what exactly do you want in a cruise vacation? The service on
Royal Caribbean is superb and it offers some of the best activities and
entertainment the cruise industry has to offer. However, the smaller ships of
Star Cruises gives you the opportunity to explore exotic ports of call and some
people appreciate flexible dining more.
Allegedly, the casinos of Star Cruises has a higher payout
rate compared to Royal Caribbean, but the house still always wins.
If you want me to give a verdict, I will still say: Royal
Caribbean.
This comparison has been requested several times by my
friends and readers and I hope this is helpful for you. For more exciting
updates and guides, don’t forget to follow Second Drop: The Attractions Blog by
liking our Facebook Page or explore my Royal Caribbean experience. Of course, if you like this kind of versus posts, don't forget to check out the battle of the Night Market: Taiwan vs Malaysia!
