Genting Dream Cruise to Surabaya/Bali: Mermaids, Babi Guling & a Zipline over the Sea

[yflyer]

The larger of two bedrooms...



Main bathroom...



Separate toilet facilities attached to the living area...



The other bedroom...



We were quite wowed by the Palace Villa. Spending the cruise in these accomodations would be quite something.



We returned to reality and headed out to the upper deck to continue our exploration of the rest of the ship...

By then we were almost ready to depart Singapore...

To be continued!

[balajih67]

How would this compare to royal carribean’s mariner of the seas? Which is better?

[yflyer]

How would this compare to royal carribean’s mariner of the seas? Which is better?

I've not tried Royal Caribbean yet, although their newest and largest ships, like their Quantum class and Freedom class ships, look very impressive!

[CarbonMan]

Beautiful pics, yflyer! Looking forward to the rest!

[SilverKrisSRG]

Please tell me about the wave, is the ship stable enuf ? not making you sea-sick? How is the sea water compared with European/US water? I was told that in Asia the water is dirtier, lots of rubbish.

[reddevil0728]

You are able to enter other rooms to take a look?

[yflyer]

Beautiful pics, yflyer! Looking forward to the rest!

Thanks, CarbonMan!

Please tell me about the wave, is the ship stable enuf ? not making you sea-sick? How is the sea water compared with European/US water? I was told that in Asia the water is dirtier, lots of rubbish.

I think the waters in this part of the world are comparatively calm (But I'm not very familiar with ships or sailing...any of our more knowledgeable SQTalkers care to comment?)...so in general, a very calm voyage, although there were mild thunderstorms along the way. A large ship like the Genting Dream handles waves much better than, say, a small ferry or catamaran. Of course, very occasionally, you do detect very mild rocking and swaying of the vessel.

Debris was hardly noticeable...the sea/ocean is vast!

You are able to enter other rooms to take a look?

Best times to look around the ship and take a quick peek in the different cabin categories are during the initial boarding process, where rooms are still empty and guests yet to arrive, or after arrival at the end of the cruise when the rooms are vacated. Either that, or we know the guests in the other cabins we are visiting.

[reddevil0728]

Thanks, CarbonMan!



I think the waters in this part of the world are comparatively calm (But I'm not very familiar with ships or sailing...any of our more knowledgeable SQTalkers care to comment?)...so in general, a very calm voyage, although there were mild thunderstorms along the way. A large ship like the Genting Dream handles waves much better than, say, a small ferry or catamaran. Of course, very occasionally, you do detect very mild rocking and swaying of the vessel.

Debris was hardly noticeable...the sea/ocean is vast!



Best times to look around the ship and take a quick peek in the different cabin categories are during the initial boarding process, where rooms are still empty and guests yet to arrive, or after arrival at the end of the cruise when the rooms are vacated. Either that, or we know the guests in the other cabins we are visiting.

Doors aren’t locked?

[yflyer]

Doors aren’t locked?

Yes the cabin doors are usually closed/locked. However, at the end/start of each cruise, the cabins are vacated and cleaned, and there may be a small window of time where it is possible to take a peek into some of the rooms. No harm asking the crew either.

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

The sky turned quite dark as we departed Singapore...



...there were storm clouds in the distance, but thankfully there was no rain overhead as we sailed south east towards Indonesia...



The view from the sun deck above the bridge, an area accessible only to Dream Palace passengers...



Quite windy up on deck near the bow of the ship...



Mrs yflyer and I had a drink at one of several outdoor bars overlooking the pool...





We passed a lot of shipping as we sailed out of Singapore waters.



That initial stretch of the Singapore Strait just happened to be under the flight path of aircraft landing at Changi Airport...



Several aircraft flew low and slow over the Genting Dream...



Wonder if any pax onboard this SQ A380 took photos of the ship as they flew over...

[yflyer]

That evening, we had dinner at one of several specialty dining restaurants onboard...



Speciality dining restaurants onboard included Japanese, Western, Chinese and other restaurants. These were typically paid options, not included in the basic cruise packages, although for Genting Palace passengers, some cruise packages included a complimentary set dinner at each of several specialty restaurants.

For our first evening, we sampled Japanese teppanyaki, which was served in its juggling/entertaining form, with twirling cutlery and fancy stunts with eggs, shrimp and other items...









While this style of Teppanyaki was on the showy/flashy side, it was very entertaining to watch, and fit the relaxed/fun atmosphere of the cruise as well.

[yflyer]

Apart from teppanyaki, the Japanese restaurant onboard also served sushi/sashimi and very tasty bento set meals...

[yflyer]

Elsewhere onboard, musical performances, fashion shows and other activities took place...



I suspect some guests onboard spent most of their time seated at the slot machines...



...or maybe at the gaming/card tables in the casino area.

[yflyer]

We spent the first full day of the cruise at sea, sailing towards Surabaya...

This full sailing day was a great was a great opportunity to explore the vessel, and check out the pool and outdoor recreational facilities...





Outdoor aerobics/dance lessons...



The ship has very impressive waterslides...



There are 5 slides, more than 3 stories high, each with a different layout and difficulty level...



Obviously, these were all perfectly safe if rules were followed, but these slides were every bit as exciting as any water slides I have tried on land: the slides were fast, steep, and for the most part enclosed.



If you ever wanted to feel what it was like to be flushed down a toilet, I think these slides would be a good approximation.



As always, the first time down each slide was the best, demanding a bit of a leap of faith to let go and let the water carry you down, usually with a splash or two getting in your eyes, mouth and nose, as you sloshed your way down the tube...



The entrance to the so-called speed slides seemed to approach a vertical drop...





No idea what the G forces were within the slide, but subjectively, you did get twirled and whirled around quite a bit.

[yflyer]

There was also a kiddie water play area, and gentler slides, for younger children...







Of course, our girls were now old enough for the tall waterslides, and did indeed go on them first, before either Mrs yflyer or I did...

This would become a recurring theme...our kids would be the daredevils first...and then we adults would eventually try, taking our own time to muster the courage, conquer our fears, and then take the plunge, whether it was for the slides, or for what must be one of the most terrifying things you can do on a cruise ship: A zipline over the sea...