I am not at all a Cruise kinda person. I feel trapped confined within a ship regardless of how big it is. One can only play so much Bingo and Caribbean Stud Poker. And I honestly don’t need to learn another napkin folding pattern! So, what prompted me to spend 13 long days out at sea this time? Well.. it was the designated port of calls which included Kobe, Ishigaki, Okinawa, Mt Fuji, Hong Kong and Danang. The call of Wagyu, Sushi and Cantonese Yum Cha was all the motivation I needed to jump on board! Ahoy!

It all started fairly well. We flew from Singapore to Tokyo where the vessel was docked in nearby Yokohama. With a few good hours to spare before sailing, we visited the most famous attraction of the city, Chinatown! Definitely not my preferred choice in Sushi Country but every single Google search lead me back to Chinatown! So I had no choice but to head out there to see for myself what the fuss is about!

Yokohama’s Chinatown is indeed as happening as it’s famed to be! Not only is it many times bigger than Singapore’s Chinatown. It is a hundred times more bustling, crowded and exciting! Throngs of tourists and locals prowl the pedestrian streets and alleys lined COMPLETELY with food stalls and restaurants. And every single one of them selling one type of dumpling or another! Steamed, fried, boiled, frozen. Sweet, savory, spicy, yellow, pink, green or black! You name it, they’ve got it! We tried different stuff, including a rather awful lunch comprised of overcooked dim sums, bland noodles and parched fried rice. Highlight was the first stall we stopped at for some pan fried meat dumpling. Fresh off the griddle, smelling incredibly fragrant, piping hot and crisp! I could not wait and burned my tongue as I bit into the hot juicy explosive dumpling! Be warned, they are extremely hot but also extremely delicious! Probably the only thing worth trying at the famous Yokohama Chinatown!

On board the Spectrum of the Seas… checking in was a breeze. Our balcony room was reasonably sized and very comfortable. There are dozens of eateries dotted all over the ship. The Main Dining Room, where we ate every evening served a fairly rounded variety of dishes daily. While not every dish was spectacular, they seem to nail their steaks rather well. And desserts are always plentiful and well.. sweet! Of course, service was top notch at all times. Making dinner times very pleasant everyday.

Windjammer is where we’d hit if we wanted a late lunch. Late, because it is a mad rush during peak hours and can be disturbingly overwhelming! I can see the attraction though. There’s something for everyone here. I’d list them all but it’d take up way too many pages! So just trust me on this! What I’d highly recommend is the perfectly fried fish fillets! Always fresh. Always crispy. And always well seasoned!

Afternoons are spent at Two70 cafe, where we could enjoy bottomless hot teas with assorted cookies, sandwiches or salads among some heavier meat dishes which I did not try. Pizza at Sorrento’s works if you’re hungry and don’t know how New York Pizza tastes like. Get the freshly made ones if you can help it… that’s my only advice! Oh, if you need a good cuppa joe, better to part with a few bucks for a freshly brewed one over the free drain-water-Lavazza black! Yucks!

I try to refrain from spending extra money on meals since they are included in the room rates and the venues providing them are acceptably good. But if you’re feeling flush, there are a number of restaurants to you could empty your wallets at. The only extras I spend on were on wines. The main dining room carries a good variety of them and were quite reasonably priced too.

Activities on board the cruise liner are abundant. Surfing and iFly for the adrenaline seeking folks; Cooking classes for the homies; Bingo for the family; dance lessons for couples; trivial challenges for the nerds; shopping for the shopaholics; wine tasting for the thirsty; casino for the gamblers and many, many, more!

Dock days had many passengers scrambling to seek some land adventures, be it on their own or with the land tours provided by the cruise company. We experienced some of the best seafood in Shimizu and Okinawa; the most amazing wagyu in Ishigaki and some much needed Cantonese food in Hong Kong. Ho Chi Minh was scrapped due to the typhoon (something I didn’t miss). The rest of the cruise was spent out at sea before we finally returned to Singapore. 13 days sailed by in a flash!

Spectrum of the Seas, like any of their fleet boasts an outstanding crew. Service is top notch from housekeeping to F&B to the entertainers, retail shops and Casino staff. And despite the fact that I am not big on cruises, I would recommend Royal Caribbean cruises if one hasn’t been. They are professional and entertaining and one is definitely in good hands on board any of their vessels!

SPECTRUM OF THE SEAS by Royal Caribbean @ https://www.royalcaribbean.com/sgp/en

Disclaimer ~ This is not a sponsored post!