Cruise from Singapore to Sydney in style

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This was published 7 years ago

Cruise from Singapore to Sydney in style

By Kristie Kellahan
A visit to the swanky Marina Bay Sands was a must in Singapore.

A visit to the swanky Marina Bay Sands was a must in Singapore.Credit: Gian Gian

You have to be very close – or very brave – to commit to spending 17 days at sea with your family. In the same cabin.

And so there we were, setting sail from Singapore to Sydney on a 2½-week cruise. Two adult sisters and our mother; a party of three close and brave travellers.

We had joined Celebrity Millennium on one of her repositioning voyages, a 17-day journey that was scheduled to break up an abundance of sea days with port stops in Bali, Darwin, Cairns and Brisbane, before sailing into our home town, Sydney.

Celebrity Millennium prepares to dock.

Celebrity Millennium prepares to dock.

As a giant wave of Aussie travellers discovers the allure of cruising, with all its convenience, value and entertainment, the popularity of repositioning cruises is on the rise. Many ships need to relocate periodically for seasonal itinerary changes: the Alaska season, for example, is generally May through September, after which ships head to warmer climes.

These one-way journeys, often from one continent to another, or from northern to southern hemisphere or vice versa, are known as repositioning cruises. They tend to be lengthy (at least two weeks, in general) and can often work out cheaper on a per day rate than shorter round-trip cruises. Other benefits include the ease of just one flight from or to Australia, a more relaxed pace onboard with plenty of time to try all the activities and restaurants, and interesting itineraries spanning multiple countries.

Tony Archbold, Holland America Line's director of sales for Australia, says there has been a "remarkable" increase in Australians' interest in the line's repositioning cruises.

The beauty of a cruise is that you can do as much or as little as you like.

Adam Armstrong

"On a per day rate all these repositioning cruises offer exceptional value," he says. "They are often the domain of the keen and experienced cruiser due to the length and number of sea days involved.

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"The trans-Pacific sailings, when our ships go to and from Alaska each season, are the most popular.

"Another popular choice is to cruise over to the west coast of the US to then enjoy the first Alaska sailing of the season. Our repositioning cruises at the end of the Australian wave season into Asia are gaining in popularity, too."

Celebrity Millennium's pool.

Celebrity Millennium's pool.

On repositioning cruises, expect plenty of sea days and the company of fellow passengers who can't get enough of cruise life. Of the more than 2000 passengers we cruised with, about 300 were continuing to Hawaii after Sydney, an additional 19 cruising days. Back-to-back cruises and more than a month at sea; a trip for those with time, money and sturdy sea legs.

We had chosen Celebrity Millennium's voyage because it was indulgently lengthy to celebrate a milestone birthday and it required only one flight (Mum's love of cruising is matched in intensity by her aversion to flying). As a bonus, a spacious family cabin was available, complete with a huge balcony that would be comfortable enough to accommodate any family member ex-communicated from the group for annoying behaviour.

The birthday celebrations kick off in style with a couple of days in Singapore, the perfect Asia-lite introduction for the guest of honour, who had previously not travelled further than Fiji.

A scallop dish on Celebrity Millennium.

A scallop dish on Celebrity Millennium.

We shop the high-end stores on neon-lit Orchard Road, pick up souvenirs in Chinatown and brave the Sunday night throngs in Little India to sample flaky roti chanai. The Singapore must-do list was ticked off with drinks at Raffles Hotel, a visit to swanky Marina Bay Sands and an irresistible champagne brunch buffet at Hotel Jen Tanglin that we considered essential training for the 17 days of cruise ship buffets ahead of us.

Disappointed to learn our two-day Bali stop had been cancelled due to credible terrorism threats, we have five days at sea to get to know the ship as intimately as a politician knows a loophole. And get to know it we do.

Signing up for the Millennium choir along with more than 50 of our fellow passengers (average age 60-plus), my sister and I feel the instant glow of youth dew. "This is our future," I whisper, looking around at bespectacled retirees as we learned the two-part harmony of What a Wonderful World. "Guess again: this is our present," came the reply.

An aerial view of Darwin.

An aerial view of Darwin.Credit: David Wall

We try every restaurant on the ship, including the pool grill, the specialty steak-and-lobster fine dining venue and the quirky Qsine, where international comfort food such as tacos, sliders and steak frites is served in fun and surprising ways. With so many sea days, it becomes important to have a range of dining options. If we had no choice but the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 17 days, there might have been a woman overboard.

We join in bingo games and dance lessons and lectures about topics ranging from Steve Irwin's conservation mission to the secret life of birds. We draw the line at joining flash mob rehearsals. We spend time each evening in the thalassotherapy pool and Persian Garden, with its sauna, Turkish steam room and heated relaxation lounges. We sign up for wine tasting events and a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship. Afternoons are spent reading and dozing on that prized balcony, bigger than many cruise cabins I've stayed in.

Adam Armstrong, managing director, Celebrity Cruises Australia, says cruise directors carefully "tweak and amend" the wide range of activities and facilities on each sailing to suit the length of the cruise and the tone of the passengers.

Celebrity Millennium Qsine.

Celebrity Millennium Qsine.

"There's a different show onboard each evening, ranging from Broadway-style shows, cabaret, music and dance performances, magicians, mentalists or comedians," Armstrong says. "The beauty of a cruise is that you can do as much or as little as you like."

After five days at sea we arrive in sweltering Darwin. Rushing down the gangway like shoppers at a Boxing Day sale, we are 2000 people in search of... Well, we weren't sure what we were in search of, but it sure felt good to have firm ground beneath our feet.

Darwin offered a spectacular Thai/Indian dinner at Hanuman (think garlicky naan, tamarind prawns and outstanding char-grilled chicken satay). The next day, we hop on the Hop On Hop Off bus and toured some of the swankier waterfront districts, before spending two informative hours at the Defence of Darwin Experience, an impressive military museum where the story is told of the day World War II came to Australia.

Central Hotel,  Port Douglas.

Central Hotel, Port Douglas.Credit: David Wall

Three more days at sea – and two more choir rehearsals – and we reach Cairns, or to be more accurate, Yorkeys Knob. While many passengers took shore excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, we chose to spend the day in Port Douglas for some tropical-chic shopping and dining.

We opted to stay on the ship on Easter Sunday in Brisbane. Not tempted by a shuttle bus ride to the city from Hamilton, where our ship was docked, we enjoyed having the pool mostly to ourselves. Port-day discounts made treatments at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub more appealing.

And finally, after 17 days, there is Sydney. It can be quite an emotional experience to sail through the heads at dawn, greeted by the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in half-light, the waterfront deserted by all but the most dedicated joggers.

The colonial-style lobby from the second floor walkway of  Raffles Hotel, Singapore.

The colonial-style lobby from the second floor walkway of Raffles Hotel, Singapore.Credit: Jonas Gratzer

The emotion is tinged by a melancholy I struggle to name. Equal parts happiness that we had celebrated the 70th birthday of our matriarch in style, and sadness at how rare and fleeting it is to have so much time together.

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

yoursingapore.com; cruisecritic.com.au.

CRUISING THERE

Celebrity Cruises (celebritycruises.com.au), Holland America Line (hollandamerica.com) and Cunard (cunardline.com.au) each offer repositioning cruises. To compare, see cruisecritic.com.au

For information and tips on planning the perfect Singapore stay, see yoursingapore.com and sgnow.sg.

To plan your Darwin stay, see travelnt.com. To learn more about Port Douglas, see queensland.com and visitportdouglasdaintree.com.au.

STAYING THERE

Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore, 1A Cuscaden Road, has a fresh and funky design, a terrific location and free Wi-Fi. Rooms from $205; see hoteljen.com.

Kristie Kellahan travelled with assistance from Celebrity Cruises.

TIME & TIDE

According to cruisecritic.com.au, autumn and spring are the prime times of the year for repositioning cruises for Australians, with most opting for cruises between Australia and Asia or Australia and the US. The following routes are popular:

SYDNEY TO HONOLULU

Celebrity Millennium and Carnival Legend are two ships sailing this popular route, via Tahiti, which typically takes 17-19 nights.

SINGAPORE TO SYDNEY

Voyager of the Seas is one of many ships repositioning between these cities, a voyage which takes 14-17 nights, depending on port stops.

Melbourne to Hong Kong: Cruise fanatics will relish the opportunity to spend 24 nights at sea aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2.

SOUTHAMPTON (OR DOVER) TO NEW YORK

One of the most popular repositioning trips for northern hemisphere cruisers – and increasingly for Aussies – it typically takes seven to nine nights to cross the pond. The route is serviced by Cunard, Princess Cruises, and several other cruise lines.

SYDNEY TO ALASKA

Holland America Line says this is the most popular repositioning voyage with Australian cruisers departing Sydney in April and arriving in time for the beginning of Alaska's wave season.

MAKING THE MOST OF IT: GO WITH THE FLOW

Immerse yourself in the ship's enrichment programs and try things you wouldn't normally. Cooking demonstrations, choir rehearsals, pub-style trivia, bootcamp fitness, dance lessons and expert lectures are part of many cruise lines' daily itineraries.

MAKE PORT

There's plenty of time to sleep late and laze about in deck chairs during sea days. Port days are for finding your land legs and getting among the action, whether on organised shore excursions or by private arrangement.

UPGRADE

If ever there was a time to splurge on a suite or luxe cabin with expansive balcony, it's when you'll be at sea for 14 days or longer.

EXTEND

Build land components – such as memorable hotel stays, tours or train journeys – into your itinerary before or after the cruise.

DEALS

Keep an eye out for mid-season repositioning deals. For example, next summer, due to Celebrity Solstice's dry dock in Singapore, it will feature four repositioning cruises for the season.

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