STB-Silversea Cruises Partnership – Small Ship Luxury Cruising In South East Asia

Singapore strives to be the hub of the South East Asia Luxury Cruising with Silversea Cruises partnership.

*Silver Muse* from Silversea Cruises is one of the ships being deployed in Singapore for the 2022/2023 cruise season. **PHOTO: LINUS CHIA (SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY)**

If you feel like everyone around you is taking a cruise recently, you aren’t wrong. In an article on CNA about the recovery of Singapore’s Cruise Sector, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) mentioned that cruising saw a "new wave of interest" among first-time passengers who did not consider cruising as a leisure option prior to COVID-19’s border closures.

With borders reopening and relaxing of border restrictions, the cruise sector has seen a rebound. Singapore-based cruise ships went back to visiting foreign ports-of-call in July, and fly-cruise passengers from overseas have begun their return to Singapore, a regional fly-cruise hub prior to the pandemic.

Strategic Partnership Capitalising On A Quickly-Growing Sector

Rendering of *Silver Nova.* **PHOTO: MEYER WERFT**

Accounting for the growth and constantly in-demand suites on Singapore cruises, it is no surprise that STB has partnered with Silversea Cruises to grow the regional luxury cruise industry and strengthen South East Asia’s appeal as a destination for the high-end cruise market.

The partnership will involve Silversea Cruises (a Royal Caribbean Group subsidiary) deploying multiple ships in Singapore through to the 2024/2025 cruise season, including sister ships Silver Muse and Silver Dawn, as well as Silversea’s new flagship – Silver Nova. The first in her class, Silver Nova will be the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered cruise ship to homeport in Singapore, and will demonstrate the use of clean fuels within Singapore’s cruise sector.

The partnership also re-affirms Royal Caribbean Group’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific region. The cruise conglomerate was one of the first operators to resume operations in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic with Quantum of the Seas in December 2020. Since then, the company has had a continuous presence in Singapore, and will continue to do so with Spectrum of the Seas through to April 2024. The STB-Silversea Cruises partnership expands their portfolio in Singapore, offering both mass-market and high-end experiences.

But if you’re new to cruising, you might be thinking about the differences between “cruising” and “luxury cruising''. What sets Silversea Cruises apart from Resorts World Cruises and Royal Caribbean International – the two cruise lines currently based in Singapore. Today, we will take a closer look at the differences between the two types of cruise products, and explain what they mean for your experience.

Luxury Cruise Characteristics

SmalLer Ships, Fewer Guests

Luxury cruises provide a more personalised service and experience compared to their mainstream counterparts. **PHOTO: SILVERSEA CRUISES**

Luxury cruise ships typically carry less than 1,000 guests, significantly less than mainstream ships. Fewer guests make for better Crew-Guest ratios (number of crew members to guests), and Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova boasts 1 crew member per 1.30 guests. This means more crew per passenger to pay attention and cater to your needs better. For context, Spectrum of the Seas has a Crew-Guest ratio of 1 crew member to 2.45 guests.

Silversea Cruises also includes butler service for a more personal touch. That’s something you’ll only get with the best suites on larger cruise ships. Think Star-Class on Royal Caribbean or The Palace on Resorts World Cruises, included in your fare.

All-Inclusive Experience

No beverage packages here. Silversea’s all-inclusive fares include fine dining, beverages, enrichment and at least one shore excursion at every destination. **PHOTO: SILVERSEA CRUISES**

No more on-board beverage packages or gratuities to pay for at the end. With luxury cruising, many ships and cruise lines offer all-inclusive fares, so relax and enjoy the cruise without having to think about how much that bottle of wine or fine dining experience will set you back later.

Silversea Cruises also provides 24-hour complimentary room service and complimentary in-suite minibar, stocked with wines, spirits, sodas and more. Heading into town on a port day? Silversea has your transportation covered too, with transfers and at least one included shore excursion at every destination.

Longer, Destination-focused itineraries

Some itineraries also include overnight stays in ports, giving guests more time to explore. **PHOTO: CRUISE.CO.UK**

Looking for longer cruises to destinations beyond mainstream offerings? An average Silversea Cruises in Asia will be around 14 nights long, with some as long as 30 nights and going as far as Greece, Australia and Alaska. Longer voyages within Asia are also available, with destinations in India, Indonesia and Japan. Overnight stays from 1 to 2 nights in certain ports also let you see more than what you typically would on a normal cruise port call lasting 8 to 10 hours.

Notable Asia Itineraries (2023 - 2025)

31-Night One-way Cairns to Kobe-Osaka Cruise
Silver Muse, 12 February 2023

Komodo National Park. **PHOTO: ADHI RACHDIAN**

Notable Destinations & Ports of call: Papua New Guinea; Komodo Island, Indonesia; Benoa, Indonesia (Bali); Singapore, Saigon, Vietnam (for Ho Chi Minh City, Overnight); Hong Kong (Overnight); Kobe-Osaka, Japan

A month-long adventure featuring both Asia and Oceania (in particular, Papua New Guinea), with 13 ports of call including 3 overnight stays in some of Asia’s most popular destinations. This voyage is also in two parts - a 16-Night Cairns to Singapore Cruise, and a 15-Night Singapore to Kobe-Osaka Cruise.

16-Night One-way Tokyo to Singapore Cruise

Silver Moon, 19 April 2024
Silver Nova, 15 October 2024

Ports of call: Kagoshima, Japan; Incheon, South Korea (for Seoul, Overnight); Jeju Island, South Korea (Silver Moon only); Hong Kong (Overnight); Saigon, Vietnam (for Ho Chi Minh City, Overnight), Singapore

Both Silver Moon and Silver Nova will be sailing a similar Tokyo to Singapore itinerary in April and October 2024 respectively. The April cruise includes an extra stop in South Korea’s Jeju Island, and is part of a 34-Night Tokyo to Mumbai Cruise onboard Silver Moon.

17/18-Night One-way Singapore to Mumbai Cruise

Silver Moon, 05 May 2024
Silver Dawn, 07 February 2025

Gateway To India, Mumbai. **PHOTO: INDIA BRIEFING**

Notable Ports of call: Singapore (Overnight); Phuket, Thailand; Yangon, Myanmar (Silver Moon only, Overnight, 2 nights); Colombo, Sri Lanka; Cochin, India; Mumbai, India (Overnight)

Both Silver Moon and Silver Dawn will be sailing one-way Singapore to Mumbai cruises in May 2024 and February 2025 respectively. Both itineraries will be different, but feature some similar ports of call with overnight stays. The May 2024 cruise is part of Silver Moon’s 34-Night Tokyo to Mumbai Cruise.

DISCLAIMER: While due diligence has been taken to ensure all information presented is accurate and up-to-date, the information is subject to change, and discrepancies in, but not limited to, themes, timings and/or ports-of-call may occur. In the event of such a discrepancy, the cruise line’s itinerary will prevail. You are advised to contact the cruise lines directly for information, or to speak with your preferred travel consultant. Singapore Cruise Society will not be held responsible for any discrepancies found in the information provided.

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