Spectrum of the Seas Makes Inaugural Visit To Phuket
Royal Caribbean’s return to Phuket coincides with the inaugural call of Spectrum of the Seas to the island destination.
Spectrum of the Seas tendering off Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. with guests walking along the Patong Beach jetty.
PHOTO: VENSEN WONG (SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY)
It’s a double celebration today in Phuket, Thailand, as cruising made its return to the popular tourist destination. Locals warmly welcomed Royal Caribbean International’s Spectrum of the Seas and her complement of around 4,600 guests on Patong Beach - the landing spot for tender boats bringing cruise passengers to shore.
But the festivities are not one-sided, as today’s port call also marks Spectrum of the Seas inaugural visit to Phuket. To that, locals also made welcome banners commemorating the occasion.
The First Cruise Ship In Phuket Since The Pandemic
Spectrum of the Seas is the first cruise ship to return to Phuket since the COVID-19 pandemic first began in 2020. The year before, 154 cruise ship visits brought more than 485,000 guests to its sunny shores, according to the Bangkok Post.
Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, director of the Tourism Authority office on the island, said 800 passengers had booked day-trips on the island. Other passengers were seen leaving the ship to visit the beach. She also commented that vacationers arriving on yachts and cruise liners were a prime target for the province as they came with high spending power.
Spectrum of the Seas is currently on a 5-Night Spice of Southeast Asia cruise. Sailing from Singapore, the ship called at Port Klang and Penang, Malaysia, before arriving in Phuket on Monday. The ship will spend one day at sea before arriving back in Singapore on Wednesday.
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