Anthem of the Seas Arrives in Singapore

Anthem of the Seas Arrives in Singapore

Photo credit Spacejunkie2

According to a press release, Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas arrived in Singapore to kick off its inaugural season in Asia.

The ship will offer a series of sailings in Southeast Asia, ranging from short three—to four-night escapes to longer voyages in Malaysia and Thailand, among other destinations.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Anthem to the region and look forward to welcoming holidaymakers onboard as they embark on new adventures with Royal Caribbean,” said Chad Grospe, vice president of Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International. 

“Whether it’s a short three- to four-night escape or a longer adventure to fan-favourite destinations across Malaysia, Thailand and more, every type of holidaymaker can look forward to a variety of experiences on deck, from showstopping entertainment to restaurants and spots to grab a bite with flavours from around the world.”

Travellers can choose among 30 voyages aboard the Anthem, including:

• Three- to four-night getaways to destinations like Penang, Malaysia, and Phuket, Thailand.
• Five-night Spice of Southeast Asia cruises with visits to Penang and Phuket, with opportunities to explore nearby attractions such as the Phi Phi Islands.
• Eight-night Bali Adventure sailings featuring stops along Bali’s coastline, with access to cultural landmarks and scenic beaches.
• Ten-night Ultimate Southeast Asia cruises, with visits to Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Bangkok, among other destinations in Vietnam and Thailand.
• Four-night Christmas voyage, departing on December 24, 2024, with stops at Penang and Phuket.
• Five-night New Year’s cruise, departing December 28, 2024, visiting Malaysia and Thailand for a festive celebration.

Diamond Princess Set for Japan Reposition

Diamond Princess Set for Japan Reposition

After resuming service on the West Coast in November, the Diamond Princess is setting sail to Japan on Sunday.

Scheduled for a complete program in the Asian country, the Princess Cruises’ vessel is departing on a repositioning voyage to Yokohama – a port near Tokyo.

The 25-night Pacific Crossing itinerary sails from the West Coast and includes visits to ports in Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia.

Starting on March 15, the Diamond Princess is set to offer a series of five- to 19-day cruises to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

In addition to Yokohama, the program also includes departures from Kobe and features a total of 38 destinations in three countries, as well as 43 unique itineraries and 57 departures.

Ports of call include Sakata, Naha, Nagasaki, Otaru, Hakodate, Nagasaki, Ishigaki, Cheju, Busan, Keelung and more.

Upon completing its program in Japan, the Diamond Princess is set to reposition to Southeast Asia for a winter season visiting Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and others.

Built-in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, the Diamond Princess originally entered service in March 2004.

According to Princess, the 113,000-ton vessel was designed to cruise to Japanese ports and offers the Princess MedallionClass experience, which allows guests to personalize their cruises with a “touchless and effortless” service.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the Diamond Princess underwent a major renovation in 2019. At the time, the 2,600-guest ship received new features, such as Japanese bidets in suites and public restrooms.

The ship’s Movies Under The Stars screen was also updated, receiving new surround sound digital audio, while the main pool deck LED lighting received enhancements for a more vibrant and colourful entertainment experience.

Further general refurbishments include upgraded digital audio systems for the Princess Theater, Explorers Lounge and Club Fusion, as well as new furnishings in the Horizon Court buffet area, and more.

Royal Caribbean Returns to Thailand

Royal Caribbean Returns to Thailand

The Spectrum of the Seas from Royal Caribbean is featuring longer sailings, and more of Southeast Asia to explore in the coming months as she will embark on cruises with Phuket featuring as one the core stops on four- to seven-night cruises, joining popular destinations like Penang and Port Klang in Malaysia.

Sailings are open to book on Royal Caribbean’s website.

“Thailand is hugely popular with our guests from Singapore – its distinctive food, culture and welcoming locals have made the country a destination of choice for many, and we are thrilled to be able to visit Phuket again so travellers can fully experience the wonders and rich heritage of the Southeast Asian region,” said Angie Stephen, vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International. “

Thailand’s travel and tourism industries can anticipate a lift from the weekly sailings Spectrum is scheduled to deliver into Phuket. We continue to work closely with governments in the region to connect our guests with new destinations, adventures, and experiences, and to become a gateway for fly-cruisers from around the globe looking to experience the spice of Southeast Asia.”

“As Thailand’s largest island, Phuket is the pearl of the Andaman Sea, with her magnificent beaches,  beautiful sunsets at Phromthep Cape and spectacular local culture and lifestyle. Tourists also love the distinct local architecture and row houses that speak to Sino-Portuguese influence, which today house museums, boutique hotels and cafes. Phuket’s famous cultural shows, as well as the Phuket Fantasy theme park which combines Thai arts and culture with cutting-edge light and sound, shows altogether make for a memorable experience for visitors to the island,” said Governor Narong Woonsiew, Governor of Phuket, Thailand.

Photo: Angie Stephen, vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International, and His Excellency, Narong Wun Siew, the Governor of Phuket, doing the exchanges as part of the plaque and key ceremony in recognition of the return of cruise tourism in Phuket, Thailand.

Westerdam arrives in Cambodia

Holland America Line's Westerdam has arrived in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after being rejected by five other Asian countries.

The ship, with 1,455 passengers and 802 crew onboard, had been turned away the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Guam and most recently Thailand, over coronavirus concerns. There are no confirmed cases onboard.

"The Westerdam has arrived and local officials are aboard," Holland America said in a statement. The line expressed gratitude yesterday to the Cambodian authorities "for their support" and reiterated that "all guests onboard are healthy, and despite erroneous reports, there are no known or suspected cases of coronavirus on board, nor have there ever been."

The ship will remain in port for several days for disembarkation, Holland America said, and guests will transfer via charter flights to Phnom Penh for forwarding travel home. The cruise line said it will arrange and pay for all flights home, in addition to the full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.

The Westerdam is on a 14-day cruise that departed Hong Kong Feb. 1 and was previously scheduled to disembark Feb. 15 in Yokohama, Japan.

Holland American cancelled the Feb. 15 cruise scheduled to embark in Yokohama. The line said no further cancellations have been finalized and it is assessing the impact of current port restrictions in Asia on cruises departing Feb. 29 or later.

Thailand turns Westerdam Away

Thailand turns Westerdam Away

Thailand becomes the latest country to turn away Westerdam cruise ship as it bars passengers from disembarking despite no cases of coronavirus on board

The Westerdam, pictured above, has also been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. Its owner Holland America Line says there are no coronavirus cases on-board.

There are more than 43,000 coronavirus cases declared in the world so far and 1,018 deaths

The chief of the Department of Disease Control Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai said Tuesday that the Public Health Ministry had rejected a request from the crew of the MS Westerdam to dock at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chano-cha confirmed the ban but said Thailand was looking a way to give humanitarian assistance and will be able to provide the ship with necessities such as fuel and food.

The Westerdam began its cruise on January 16 in Singapore. Shipowner Holland America Line says there are no known cases of the virus on board.

Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakulhad indicated on his Facebook page several hours before the official announcement that the ship would be denied entry.

The Westerdam, shown by the yellow ship, is currently rounding the bottom of Vietnam and heading towards Thailand

He posted his declaration after Holland America announced it was sailing to Laem Chabang, where passengers would disembark on February 13 to take flights home from Bangkok. The announcement by the shipowner attracted much attention among Thai social media users.

Holland America had already announced that passengers would receive a complete refund. It said a scheduled departure of the Westerdam on Feb. 15 from Yokohama had been cancelled and planned departures after Feb. 28 were being assessed.

Coronavirus: Holland America Line cuts short Westerdam cruise

Coronavirus: Holland America Line cuts short Westerdam cruise

Holland America Line (HAL) has taken the decision to cut short Westerdam’s current cruise due to port restrictions across Asia amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The ship is not in quarantine and the line said it had no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board.

Passengers will now disembark in Laem Chabang, Thailand, on Thursday rather than in Japanese city Yokohama on Saturday.

All 1,455 passengers on the current sailing will receive a 100% refund, plus 100% future cruise credit.

Complimentary internet and phone access are available for passengers and crew.

The line has cancelled the ship’s 14-day sailing due to depart from Yokohama on February 15.

The line said it is “assessing the impact of current port restrictions in Asia” on cruises departing on February 29 and beyond.

Currently, Westerdam’s roundtrip sailing, departing Yokohama on February 29 is scheduled to go ahead as planned.

Ports of call include Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa and Ishigaki all in Japan.

A HAL spokesperson said: “We sincerely thank our guests and the crew on Westerdam and their loved ones for their patience during this extraordinary time.

“We are assessing the impact of current port restrictions in Asia on cruises departing February 29 or later. We will communicate details as they become finalised in the next few days.”

Opportunities in the industry’s Asia expansion

The development of China as a cruise market means new ships are going there instead of to North America, which is a mild source of anxiety for travel agents in the U.S. and Canada.

But it also serves to put the spotlight on Asia and encourage travelers to explore that part of the world.

At Expedia CruiseShipCenters, trips to Asia were up 10% in 2013, up 37% last year and up 95% so far in 2015, said Matthew Eichhorst, president of the Vancouver-based franchise.

“That’s sending people on itineraries to Asian ports,” Eichhorst said. “It’s not all China; there might be a little bit of Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan.”

Two types of customers are likely prospects. The first is experienced cruisers who have seen other places — the Caribbean, Europe — and want to expand their horizons. North Americans of Asian heritage who are curious about their ancestral homes, or have relatives in Asia, are another active segment, Eichhorst said, adding that Vancouver in particular has a large population of Asian ancestry to draw on.

River cruises in Asia have been around for a while but are benefitting from the overall rise in river cruise interest, Eichhorst said.

Because of the long flight times involved in travel to Asia, cruise customers are often looking for pre- or post-cruise activities and lodging there, adding to the attractiveness of the sale for agents.

Asian cruise sales are up, in part, because at every age travelers are more adventurous than they were 20 years ago, Eichhorst said. But travelers want to feel secure about their provider.

“They are looking for a trusted brand when they go there,” he said. “There’s definitely a few operators that are in the Asia market that aren’t what you’d call North American brands.”

Eichhorst encourages his agents to think big and initiate the conversation with clients.

“Speak to all the places they can go, and people will put it on their bucket list and maybe they’ll do Caribbean four more times before they go there, but really tell the stories about amazing places you can go,” he said. “You sort of plant that seed as to the opportunity, because it’s probably an 18-months-out buy.”

Pandaw: Proven ships, new waters

It's been 20 years since Scotsman Paul Strachan started taking people up and down the Irrawaddy River on a single chartered vessel in Myanmar. Since 1995, the founder of Singapore-based Pandaw River Expeditions has grown his enterprise in Southeast Asia into a fleet of 12 ships (and counting) and is now once again looking for that next unexplored stretch of river. 

"In the last year, I thought, 'We'd better do some more pioneering,'" said Strachan, who has in recent years been joined by a rapidly growing number of river cruise lines in Southeast Asia. "So, it's exciting times. We're opening up Laos, we're building a ship there … and then we've got the Red River, up in the north of Vietnam … and we're looking at possibly putting a couple Pandaw ships in India."

As competition heats up in Southeast Asia with a flood of new river cruise vessels in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, Pandaw is hoping to separate itself from the pack by introducing ever more remote and exotic river cruise destinations, while at the same time remaining true to its original vision.

"The ships we build today are much the same as the ships we built 20 years ago," Strachan said. "They are the same style, which is something we believe in passionately. Something that is fundamental about Pandaw ships is that they are exactly how ships were 100 years ago on the Irrawaddy, and they were designed like that for a reason."

Today's Pandaw vessels take their design cues from the Irrawaddy Flotilla Co. vessels of yesteryear.

Pandaw emerged from the ashes of the Scottish-owned Irrawaddy Flotilla Co., which in its 1920s heyday consisted of a fleet of more than 600 passenger and cargo vessels. In 1998, Strachan acquired the Pandaw, a steamboat built in Scotland in 1947 that he renovated and operated for several years. That vessel is now operated by Myanmar-based Ayravata Cruises. Strachan's company built its first ship in 2001 to be almost a replica of the original Pandaw. 

The look and feel of those Irrawaddy Flotilla vessels — colonial-style, three-deck ships with wraparound balconies — remain the unifying design of Pandaw vessels today even as newcomers such as AmaWaterways, Sanctuary Retreats, Haimark Travel and Aqua Expeditions have emerged on the Southeast Asia river cruise scene with larger vessels, indoor hallways, sprawling suites, spas and swimming pools.

"I know we sound very old-fashioned," Strachan said. "But really, our clients, who tend to be very adventurous, very seasoned travelers, they're not coming for the pool or the Jacuzzi. They do not want these things. And I'm afraid we're very stick-in-the-mud about this."

Instead, Strachan is focused on building river cruise vessels that foster a more social atmosphere with ample public spaces. The wraparound balconies, for instance, encourage guests to mingle and also facilitate the movement of fresh air as the vessels sail, something Strachan says is both a comfort and safety issue, offering stability to vessels that have more shallow drafts.

The simplicity and practicality of the design as well as the smaller size of the vessels is what the Pandaw founder says enables the company to explore further along various rivers in Southeast Asia and ultimately bring clients to more off-the-beaten-track destinations. 

Pandaw's new cruises

While the design of the Pandaw vessels hasn't changed much in 20 years, more recently the company is pushing the envelope with new river cruise routes. This November, Pandaw is introducing a Mekong River sailing through Laos on the newly constructed, 20-passenger Laos Pandaw. 

Pandaw's new itinerary in Laos launches in November.

The vessel will sail an 11-day itinerary that will begin in the French colonial city of Vientiane and continue north to Ban Paklay, Pak Lai, Tha Deua and the Unesco World Heritage site of Luang Prabang. There will be a stop at the Pak Ou Caves, and the itinerary will end in Chiang Khong, Thailand.

The Laos Pandaw is being custom-built with a shallow draft to sail the Upper Mekong. The staterooms will measure 180 square feet each, and there will also be an open-air lounge; a bistro-style dining room with outside seating and air conditioning inside; and a bar that will be open around the clock. The cruise-only price starts at $3,250 per person, based on double occupancy. Pandaw pricing includes all excursions, crew gratuities, meals, nonpremium drinks and airport transfers.

Additionally, Pandaw has introduced an 11-day Halong Bay and the Red River itinerary that will initiate a new route along Vietnam's Red River. The sailing will take place on the 32-passenger Angkor Pandaw, which will reposition from the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia at the end of June. 

Vietnam's Lower Red River, part of a new Pandaw itinerary for 2015.

The itinerary will begin in Halong Bay. From there, the river cruise will head up the Kinh Thay River and on to the Duong River. There will be two days of sightseeing in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, before continuing on to the Upper and Lower Red River. 

The Angkor Pandaw was built in Ho Chi Minh City in 2012. It features 16 staterooms at 170 square feet each, and the public spaces consist of a main dining room, bar, lounge, shop and library. The cruise-only price starts at $2,340 per person, based on double occupancy. 

Pandaw is testing the waters beyond Southeast Asia, as well. The company is chartering some vessels in India this year, with the hopes of perhaps introducing its own vessels there in the coming year. For 2015, Pandaw offered a single, 16-day departure on India's Ganges and Hooghly rivers on the 40-passenger Rajmahal, which has already sold out.

Pandaw's new Ganges itinerary begins in the holy city of Varanasi.

There is also a new eight-day cruise on the Brahmaputra River in northeastern India onboard the 46-passenger Mahabaahu, with departures starting next month. 

The cruise will visit the largest river island in the world and will include an encounter with the Mishing people who inhabit India's Assam region. Pandaw guests will also learn more about the aromatic tea the region is known for. Included will be an excursion to Kaziranga National Park and areas known for their single-horned rhinos, buffalos, Indian tigers and river dolphins. The snow-covered Himalayan Mountain range can be seen from the Brahmaputra River. The cruise-only price starts at $2,430 per person, based on double occupancy.

The company also added four departures of a new seven-day itinerary in southern India's Kerala region starting in December, which includes a three-night land program in Cochin and a three-night cruise aboard the 18-passenger Vaikundam from Thottapally through Kanjipada and on to the Champakkulam village. The Backwaters of Kerala trip is priced from $1,530, based on double occupancy.

The Pak Ou Caves in Laos will be a stop on Pandaw's new Laos itinerary.

"We're constantly trying to go further and further up these rivers into remoter areas. That's our ambition," said Strachan, adding that Pandaw is hoping to ultimately introduce an itinerary that will include all six countries through which the Mekong River flows: and China.

Getting permission to sail across the border into China has proven the biggest challenge and is what the company is working toward in order to be able to eventually offer a complete Mekong sailing. 

Strachan said that he also isn't opposed to looking at opportunities beyond Asia in places like the Amazon, for instance, if he were to find the right partners. 

Courting more Americans

Pandaw's largest customer base consists of Australians, followed by Brits and then Americans. But that's something the company is hoping to change.

"We're trying to grow our direct-sales market in America," Strachan said, referring to Pandaw's desire to sell more of its product directly to agents and consumers in the U.S., rather than predominantly through partner river cruise lines and operators. "That's very important to us. We're working on that." 

Pandaw doesn't currently have a U.S. office, but San Francisco-based Sayang Holidays is the company's preferred agent in the U.S. for booking Pandaw vacations.

Pandaw's new seven-day itinerary in southern India's Kerala region includes a three-night cruise aboard the 18-passenger Vaikundam.

As U.S. river cruise lines have been expanding beyond Europe into Southeast Asia over the past five years, many of them have partnered with Pandaw on various charters on the Mekong and Irrawaddy rivers, including Viking Cruises, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Avalon Waterways.

But as demand for Southeast Asia picked up, so has shipbuilding competition. Pandaw isn't the only game in town anymore. Some companies, such as AmaWaterways, forged their own shipbuilding partnerships in the region to develop ships they partially own, while others, such as Haimark Travel, are working to build vessels and partner with U.S. companies on charters, similar to what has done.

In fact, Haimark was formed in 2012 by a group of three former Pandaw employees who struck out on their own. The Breckenridge, Colo.-based company has come on very strong in the last two years, building luxury vessels in Southeast Asia and India, which many U.S. companies, including Uniworld and Abercrombie & Kent, are now chartering.

"You've got to tip your hat to them. It's amazing how they've grown so quickly," Strachan said of Haimark. "It's a completely different style from us, it's a different market they're going for."

As for Pandaw's market, the company continues to operate charters for several U.S. operators.

Last year, Pandaw hired Hugh Clayson to serve in the newly created role of commercial director. Clayson oversaw the opening of a global sales and marketing office for Pandaw in West London.

Voyager of the Seas to spend next summer in Hong Kong

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean International will homeport Voyager of the Seas in Hong Kong for the summer of 2015.

The 3,138-passenger ship will sail 22 cruises of three to 10 days between the end of June and October.

Destinations include Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and ports in China.

“Hong Kong has immense potential as a homeport for Chinese vacationers to board a Royal Caribbean cruise,” said Zinan Liu, RCCL's regional vice president of Asia and managing director of China.

He added that Voyager will get an extensive revitalization before it arrives in Hong Kong next summer.

To support the ship’s operations, RCCL has opened a fully staffed Hong Kong office, augmenting the Asia offices it now maintains in Beijing and Shanghai.

Voyager’s move to Hong Kong will coincide with the arrival of Quantum of the Seas to do year-round cruises from Shanghai.

Royal Caribbean is a partner in the company that operates the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong, which opened last year.

Thomson launches flights with 'world's most-modern' aircraft

By Ian Taylor

Thomson Airways launched commercial services with the Boeing 787 on Friday, taking 290 passengers from Gatwick to Mahon, Menorca, on the Dreamliner’s maiden UK-operated flight.

Dave Burling, UK managing director of Thomson parent Tui Travel, said the 787 added a key piece to the company strategy of offering upmarket ‘differentiated’ holidays.

The aircraft will be deployed from next month on services to Cancun and Orlando and later to Thailand, Mauritius and the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Burling said: “The Dreamliner is important in differentiating our long-haul holidays. The flight is a bigger part of a long-haul holiday.”

He added: “We are very confident with the product at the other end.” Burling revealed Thomson opened 35 exclusive or differentiated properties in May.

The company describes two-thirds of its mainstream hotel product as ‘differentiated’, a proportion Burling said would increase. More than 90% of hotels in the programme are exclusive to Thomson.

The state-of-the-art Dreamliner is touted to transform long-haul flying because of its fuel efficiency and range, and the comfort it offers passengers.

Thomson Airways had planned to launch its summer 2013 long-haul programme with the 787 on May 1, but only took delivery of the first of its eight Dreamliners at the end of May.

The aircraft was grounded worldwide in January following a battery fire and only resumed flying last month.

Thomson will launch its long-haul 787 programme on July 8 with flights from Glasgow to Cancun and Manchester to Orlando. Gatwick flights will start the following day and services from East Midlands at the end of July.

The airline will add flights to Phuket in Thailand this winter – the first direct flights to the island from the UK – and to Mauritius and Puerta Vallerta in Mexico next summer.

The company has yet to announce plans for other destinations, but the 787 is capable of flying non-stop from the UK as far as Hawaii.

In the meantime, many passengers on Thomson Airways flights around the Mediterranean will get to experience the aircraft as the airline uses short-haul flights to familiarise its crew.

Those aboard on Friday and Saturday had been told in advance they would fly on the 787, but passengers on future short-haul flights will only find out at the airport.

The pilot, Captain John Murphy, told passengers: “This is a historic day for Thomson Airways. You are the first to fly on the 787 in the UK.

“We’ve been modernising our holidays and flights, and the 787 is the most modern aircraft in the world.”

Floods hurt mainland tourism in Thailand

By Michelle Baran

Thailand’s tourism industry is trying to get back to normal, after severe flooding in the country resulted in a slump in travelers and a U.S. State Department travel alert.

“The number of visitors to Bangkok has certainly dropped,” according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. But the tourism authority is getting the word out that Thailand is "open for business."

From Nov. 1 to 9, the number of arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok’s international airport, was 224,000, a decrease of 25.5% from the same period last year, according to the tourism authority.

Phuket might have been a beneficiary, as the Thai island destination welcomed 40,500 arrivals from Nov. 1-6, a 40% increase.

On Oct. 27, the State Department issued a travel alert for Thailand due to the floods. The tourism authority reported that the flooding has mainly impacted the provinces along the Chao Phraya River, including parts of Bangkok and Ayutthaya.

“Unfortunately people see images of flooding on their televisions and assume it is all throughout the destination, but that is not the case,” said Srisuda Wanapinyosak, director of the tourism authority's New York office. “Even in Bangkok itself, visitors will find that the heart of the city, where the majority of tourists are accommodated, is dry.”

The Bangkok government is "working hard to manage the flow of water to try to prevent it from entering the central business district of inner Bangkok," the tourism authority said.

Patrick Evans, marketing communications coordinator at STA Travel, a travel agency specializing in student travel, said that the company hasn’t had any cancellations to date related to the flooding. “All of our tour operators are operating as normal,” said Evans.

Last week, Andrea Ross of Journeys Within, a Cambodia-based tour operator that specializes in travel throughout Southeast Asia, said that the company had guests in Bangkok that were continuing to tour the city, though they were not able to take any river excursions or visit the flooded weekend market.

“We also have guests throughout the rest of the region, and they are all experiencing great November weather,” added Ross.