Cruise the Royal Caribbean way!

Cruises liners have come a long way.

When I stepped into the Royal Caribbean ship, the Legend of the Seas, on 22 November, I could hardly believe how exciting the cruise experience has become.

Just look at her vital statistics:
Tonnage: almost 70,000 tonnes
Passenger Capacity: 2,074
Facilities: A wide array including a 9-hole miniature golf course, boutiques, a rock-climbing wall standing 200 feet above sea level and a teen disco where no alcohol is served and no one over 18 years old is allowed,

Best of all, even the least expensive interior staterooms are spacious enough to debunk the myth that cruise cabins are claustrophobic holes-in-the wall.

It was a vast improvement from my first cruise experience 15 years ago where the room was so tiny I could roll into the bathroom straight from my single bed and if I had slept in the upper bunk, I would have busted a hole in the ceiling when I woke up.

Today, when you board a Royal Caribbean ship, there's so much you can do that 24 hours is simply not enough!

Here's what I recommend.

Breakfast & Lunch at the Windjammer Cafe. Ditch the diet. There's such a sumptuous spread that you would want to try everything. Just looking at the gorgeous colours of the salad bar and desserts are good enough to start with!

If you ever feel guilty about all that feasting, don't be. You can work off those calories at Deck 9's Pool Deck with its two swimming pools and three whirlpools...

or at the Solarium Indoor Pool with retractable roof

... or at the ShipShapeâ Fitness Centre

For some inspired exercise, take a jog around the 9-hole Miniature Golf Course while taking in the sea view...

After lunch, take a siesta in the shade on the Sports Deck...

... or jam at the piano in the Viking Crown Lounge (actually I'm not sure if  guests are allowed to do this but I can't resist a grand piano when I see one!)

At night, the lounge is a cigar bar cum discotheque . But in the day, it's peacefully quiet and a great place to sit down with a book or watch life sail by through the floor-to-ceiling windows. And oh, sneak a tune or two on the grand piano :)

For a dose of pampering, sign up for a spa or massage treat at the Legend Day Spa. They even have teeth-whitening services and exotic fire and ice manicures and pedicures! Prices start from S$109 for a 50-minute Swedish massage or Hydralift Facial.

Dinner is served at the Romeo and Juliet Restaurant. Dress to the nines and indulge in some tasty fine-dining fare like the 3-course lunch we had as part of the tour. Seating arrangements are specific and the same waiter is usually assigned to the same table every day so that he gets acquainted with the preferences of each guest. How's that for personalised service!

After dinner, catch a show at the That's Entertainment Theatre. There're are two showtimes at 8.15pm and 10.15pm. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis, with front row seats usually reserved for guests staying in the Suite rooms.

By the end of the day, it leaves only one thing to enjoy - your room! 

Interior Stateroom  

They'll even decorate your room with a birthday theme if it's your birthday!

A Grand Suite - Check out the absolutely fab bathroom!

And the grand-daddy of all bedrooms - The Royal Suite! It has a whirlpool tub in the bathroom (gasp!), a walk-in wardrobe and even a baby grand (double gasp!). Of course all these come with the equally heart-stopping starting price tag of S$5,000 a person.  Still, it's nice to dream :)

For sure, I won't roll into the toilet of these rooms when I turn in my bed.

Thanks omy.sg and Royal Caribbean International for inviting us on the half-day tour! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Now I'm off to pique the husband's interest in a Royal Caribbean cruise - and dream about the baby grand in the Royal Suite :)