My 1st Cruise Experience Was So Fun & Thrill + Tips & Verdicts

Hello travelers, herewith I would like to share my wonderful and amazing trip back in December 2023. It’s a regular family tradition for us to travel at the end of every year. What made this trip especially memorable was that it was our first time traveling overseas together and our first time riding a cruise! Usually, we only visit nearby local resorts, but this time we decided to do something different—and it turned out to be a great decision.

The cruise we took was Anthem of the Seas from Royal Caribbean, a well-known and reputable global cruise company. The package involved a 5-day trip, departing from Singapore and stopping in Penang and Phuket before returning to Singapore on the last day. After seeing the positive reviews and knowing Royal Caribbean’s reputation as a leader in the cruise industry, we were confident that this trip would be great.

So, my family, our relatives, and I departed for Singapore on 27th December. We stayed there for one night before heading to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore the next day. When we arrived at the port, we were amazed and excited to see the cruise ship with our own eyes. It was huge and impressive, and we stopped for a while to take pictures.

Once we entered the ship, our excitement grew even more as we finally stepped into this “floating hotel” where we would spend the next five nights. Before going to our rooms, the crew gave us a short briefing on health and safety, as well as the general rules on the ship. After that, we were given our keys and escorted to our rooms.

The room we had was pretty nice and cozy. It was just like a regular hotel room, but what made it special was the balcony with a direct view of the sea! Yes… this was the view we enjoyed for the next five days. It was wonderful to hear the waves and feel the sea breeze from our room. Falling asleep and waking up to a sea view every day couldn’t have been any better.

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Room checked—time to explore the ship and see what it had to offer. As we walked around, I could say that it felt more like a floating little town because there were so many things to do and enjoyed for.

For sports and recreational activities, the ship had swimming pools, spa, flow rider, skydiving simulator, rock-climbing wall, indoor court for basketball, inline skate, mini football, etc., jogging track, gym, and more. Most of the facilities could be used for free, although some required an additional fee. My favorites were the flow rider and the skydiving simulator.

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For entertainment and leisure, there were theaters with scheduled shows every day, bars and pubs, nightclub, casino, Xbox rentals, restaurants, cafés, and a shopping center. My favorite was the robotic bar, where drinks are made and served entirely by a robot !

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On the other hand, there were also many food and beverage options that we could enjoy for free and have as much as we wanted, such as pizza, hot dogs, ice cream, coffee, and tea. We had free pizza almost every day because it was actually quite delicious!

Breakfast was available every morning with a wide range of selections, from Asian and Middle Eastern to Western food. In general, most of the breakfast items were quite good, while some were just alright or average. My favorite was the pork slices. Speaking of food, one unfortunate thing about the cruise—and probably most cruises—is that passengers are not allowed to bring fresh food on board, such as fruits, vegetables, cakes, or anything that can rot or expire easily. Dried food like cookies or crackers, is allowed. I witnessed some passengers who were unaware of this rule having their fresh food taken away, no matter how much or how valuable it was. It may seem harsh, but it is understandable, as the cruise company wants to avoid the risk of bacteria or disease spreading on the ship due to spoiled food. This rule is mainly a preventive measure.

The first day was so much fun, but one important thing to note is that your mobile data or internet will not work once the ship is out at sea. Internet access is available on the cruise using Starlink, but the price is quite high—28 Singapore dollars (around 21 US dollars) per day for one device—so we decided not to use it. Luckily, I brought my laptop with me and had plenty of movies saved to help pass the time. If you want to post on social media, check messages, or do anything that requires the internet, make sure to do it while the ship is docked on land, as that is the only time you can get a signal.

On the second day, we were docking at Penang, Malaysia as our first stop. We arrived at 02.00 pm and need to be come back at 09.00 pm max as the cruise will depart at 10.00 pm. There will be no tolerance or waiting for those who were coming back late. The given time was kinda short to explore. We managed to visit 2 of its famous heritages, 1 famous restaurant and had some souvenir shopping but some places need to be skipped because of the limited time.

Moving to our third day, we docked at Phuket, Thailand. This time, the duration was quite long as we were spending one night overstay in there and yess, we had enough time to explore as much as we can ! We did island hopping, swimming at the beach, roamed around the town, watched cultural theater show and for sure....culinary trip.

However, not everything went smoothly. On the fourth day, which was our last day in Phuket, my aunt suddenly became seriously ill. As the medical services on the cruise were limited, she was required to get off the ship and receive treatment at a proper hospital in the city. After the examination, my aunt needed to be hospitalized for at least one night, as she was diagnosed with arrhythmia and required special medical attention. This may have been due to her weakened immune system, as she had already been feeling unwell before the trip but decided to go anyway. Furthermore, her body may have been overwhelmed by our tight schedule of activities, which worsened her condition.

Things became complicated because on the day my aunt was hospitalized, the cruise was scheduled to depart in the evening. Since the doctor required her to stay for at least one more night, she was unable to continue the trip. According to cruise policy, she was only allowed to rejoin the ship if there was a formal medical statement confirming that she was fit to continue the cruise. Knowing that she would be alone in Phuket, some of us had no choice but to stay behind to accompany and take care of her. Eventually, my younger brother and one of my cousins decided to disembark as well and not continue the final day of the trip so they could stay with my aunt. We were frustrated, nervous, and confused at first, but thank God everything was taken care of, and my aunt eventually made a full recovery.

The fifth day was spent entirely on the ship as it headed back to Singapore and did not stop anywhere else. During that time, most of us began to feel a bit bored because we had already explored most parts of the ship, and there was not much to see other than the sea. Some of us stayed in our rooms, while others, including me, walked around the ship to enjoy it one last time.

Finally, on the sixth day, we docked at the same place where the trip began—Marina Cruise Port, Singapore. It was kind of sad to realize that this amazing trip was finally over, but well, everything has an end. Even though we experienced a stressful moment on the fourth day when my aunt suddenly ill, we still had a lot of fun, and it became an unforgettable holiday memory for all of us. My aunt, together with my brother and cousin, rejoined us on the sixth day after arriving in Singapore on a direct flight from Phuket.

Overall, it was a successful family trip. For those who may be going on a cruise for the first time, here are my tips and final thoughts based on the experience above.

Tips :

1. Do your research and plan an itinerary for your docking destinations, including estimated travel times. This is important because you are given limited time to explore each place, and some stops can be very short. Make sure you have enough time to explore and return to the cruise ship, as it will not wait for you.

2. Reflecting to the experience when my auntie got ill. Make sure you are in a healthy and fit condition prior to the trip. If necessary, do a medical check-up before you go, apply travel insurance or bring any medicines, supplements, vitamin or anything to help you maintain your health and stamina. Once you got ill in the cruise, the medical facilities are surely limited, and it could get complicated if the illness needs immediate serious treatment.

3. Still about health topic, if you are someone who gets seasick easily, make sure to bring your medication and rest immediately when you start feeling unwell. During my trip, the cruise ship was relatively quiet and stable even though the sea was a bit wavy. However, I’ve heard that some cruise ships can wobble easily even with small waves, so it likely depends on the quality of the provider. Either way, seasickness is definitely something you need to consider.

4. In my explanation above, I mentioned not to carry any fresh food as it will be confiscated. One more thing to add is about carrying alcoholic drinks. In my case, one of my cousins brought two unopened beers with him. At first, the security almost confiscated them, but after some negotiation, they allowed it this one time. However, at the next stop, we were not allowed to bring any more. I checked and it is actually a common rule in most cruises but some might allow you to carry one to two unopened bottle / can. So, if you wish to bring an alcoholic drink with you, it is better to check with the cruise policy first.

5. This is optional and depends on you but as internet data and phone signal are not working at all once you enter the sea, this could be complicated for some who needs to be online most of the time. In this case, do prepare extra budget to apply internet service on the ship as it could be costly. Otherwise, prepare some real activities to kill your time rather than depending on online activities.

Verdicts :

1. A cruise trip can be a wonderful and enjoyable experience. However, for those who get easily bored with monotonous situations and love roaming around, it might not be very suitable, as about 70% of your time will be spent on the ship. It is great for those who don’t mind that condition and are looking more for a relaxing experience and chill entertainment rather than an adventurous trip. If you’re a bit unsure, I suggest that for your first cruise trip, you take a short package such as 3 or 5 days so you can experience it and decide for yourself.

2. Cruise trip may look chill, laid-back, fun, and simple, but it still requires serious preparation, such as itinerary planning, maintaining good physical condition, and budgeting, to avoid stress and complications from unexpected situations. Unlike traveling on land, when you are at the sea, many things are isolated and limited, so extra attention and preparation are needed.

So, that’s my cruise trip experience, and I hope what I shared here can be useful information for you, especially for those who are interested in or currently planning a cruise trip. Have a great day, everyone !😀

Note : I took all of the photos and videos and those are my own property