All aboard the Genting Dream’s Inaugural Cruise From Singapore To Bintan
My introduction to cruise ships started when I was younger, getting on board with my mom – but the image of a “ship” that I had was a standard ship, just a mode of transportation to get from A to B and in other words, boring. I was beyond excited when I heard about Dream Cruises’ 3D 2N weekend cruise! This is perfect for me because I usually just have the weekends to spare and we all crave for that quick getaway.
Genting Dream Fast Facts
How To Board (From Manila, Philippines)
Name of Airport: Changi International Airport (SIN)
Embarkation: Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Singapore
Itinerary: 3D 2N Weekend from Singapore to Bintan, Indonesia
Highlights: Getting on a luxury cruise ship, endless activities, land activites in Bintan and the delicious food!
Genting Dream Passenger Capacity: 3,352
Rooms: 1,674
Ship Weight: 150, 695 tonne
Insider Tip: Wake up early for the breakfast, bring swim gear for Bintan and check out the pool in The Palace. Try out all the restaurants and bring a jacket – it’s quite cold on the ship! Also, don’t forget to download the Dream Cruises App before you go on board.
Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Singapore
Genting Dream Bintan Welcome Ceremony – Ship Model Presentation by Mr. Thatcher Brown, President of Dream Cruises
To celebrate the inaugural cruise, they held an intimate media event in Bintan together with Indonesian officials and the Tourism Minister – with the President of Dream Cruises Mr. Thatcher Brown giving everyone a warm welcome to what would be the beginning of an exciting partnership.
Indonesian Welcome Dance Performance for the Guest of Honour – Bapak Dr. Nurdin Basirun
From the Genting Dream, we took a ferry to Bintan Island and upon arriving, the event was graced by the Guest of Honour – Bapak Dr. Nurdin Basirun, the Governor of Kepulauan Riau Province of Indonesia. Mr. Thatcher Brown of Dream Cruises shared that they are grateful for the support of the government and thrilled to share the volume of guests they’ll be bringing on every cruise – the ship can load up to around 4,000 passengers! Exciting times for Indonesia with full support from its tourism team.
All aboard the Genting Dream | Balcony Deluxe Stateroom
I was so excited when Val and I were locating our room – 10800. As we tapped the key card, the door automatically swung open and revealed to us this beautiful Balcony Deluxe Room. Here I am just gazing at the view from our room!
Balcony Deluxe Stateroom | Fits 2-4 people
With a comfortable size of over 22 sqm, we spent our 2 nights in a Balcony Deluxe Stateroom (Not a bad idea of staying in!). It has 1 Queen size bed (with the fluffiest sheets and pillows) as well as a double sofa bed so the deluxe room can fit 2-4 people. My favorite part of this room is its private balcony that is actually big enough where you can step out, lounge and catch some sun.
All packed up for our Bintan Island Shore Excursions!
Believe it or not – I did NOT have the biggest luggage. Some people brought more luggage than me for this 2-night weekend. All of the guests have the option to explore Bintan Island on Day 2 as part of the cruising experience. As much as our room and fluffy sheets is quite inviting, count me in for the Bintan ferry, of course!
Balcony Deluxe Stateroom | En-suite Bathroom
Plush bathrobes and slippers, the en-suite bathroom immediately feels luxe. I love the pressure of the shower with hot & cold options, fresh towels and premium branded toiletries parked on the sink for your use. It’s so spacious!
Get ready for non-stop eating!
The ship will extend to you the finest Asian and international dining with warm, hospitable service. I know this personally because a lot of staff are Filipino and they were so nice! Get your tummies ready for different restaurants to satisfy all your cravings.
The Lido | International Cuisine
All day buffet is what you’ll get at The Lido where you can enjoy a wide selection of international cuisine. There are a lot of desserts – including sugar free options so that’s good news for the ones with a sweet tooth out there!
Umi Uma Restaurant | Japanese Cuisine
For Dessert: Green Tea Cake and Banana pancake with Coconut Ice Cream
For our first night at the ship, we were both entertained and filled up (the food is SO good) at Umi Uma Restaurant. We shared a table with the other media guests of Dream Cruises and were seated in front of a large steel grill, as the talented (Filipino!!!) master chef blew us away with his skills and delicious food.
Our Master Chef from the Philippines
I believe a reservation is required to dine here so I highly suggest you do! It was such a filling, comfortable dinner with a creative twist – brought to us by our Master Chef. Yummy!
The Palace | Private pool area
While the main pool deck is beautiful, I loved the privacy of The Palace. We were in a stateroom so that immediately give us access to its private VIP facilities such as this pool and it had a jacuzzi overlooking the ocean.
Private VIP Facilities of The Palace
Main Pool Deck and Waterslide Park
at The Palace | Swimwear: Style Cat
We were told the ship was fully booked but even if it was – I didn’t feel it all because there are so many activities to do. Look at that waterslide park!
Perfect place to watch the sunset | Bag: Style Cat
This little corner here is actually my favorite spot in the cruise ship – it’s the perfect place to sip on some shakes and see the sunset.
Rhythm Divine: Latin Ballroom Dancing at the Zodiac Theater
During the evening while the guys were watching Fifa at the Zouk Beach Club (and every place with a screen!), Val and I headed to the Zodiac Theater to see these award-winning latin ballroom dancers strut their stuff! I’m so glad we did that because their performance was breath-taking!
World Class Stage Shows on the Genting Dream
This amazing performance filled the 999-seat Zodiac Theater and it’s perfect for people of all ages. I seriously felt like dancing in my seat with the intensity of the movement and rhythm of the dancers – I took these pictures and you can see the passion in their performance – it was astounding.
World’s Best Performers
Speaking of world class, Dream Cruises is adding more exclusive concerts and something to look out for is Taiwanese songstress A-Lin and rock-duo Power Station to headline the cruise entertainment in the upcoming months! For more information and prices, head over to the Dream Cruises official website.
Zouk Beach Club
Party under the stars at the Zouk Beach Club! I love how they utilized the mega LED screen into a FIFA viewing party when I was on board. This place was recently voted Asia’s best and the 4th best club in the world by the DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs poll. Cheers to that!
Zouk Beach Club
The moment I arrived, I loved how the dance floor resembled a shallow pool. On the upper deck are super chill cabanas – it’s the perfect place to be after a long day of activities.
Le Salon | Beauty & Wellness
If you aren’t the type to party and finding seeking for some RnR time – there is even a spa and a salon on board! Talk about catering to literally – every person!
Hello, Bintan Island!
It’s my first time in Bintan and I love how hospitable the people are. After the intimate media event, we went straight to spend our day in Treasure Bay. Our cruise tickets included a Treasure Bay Bintan Adventure Pass. I’ll make a more detailed blog post about Treasure Bay – it’s a leisure destination with a lagoon and an exciting range of activities.
Enjoying at Treasure Bay!
You can rent a vespa (electric scooter) to take you around the island, try out their local street food at the Tanjung Pinang Street Market and my favorite – going on a Mangrove Eco Tour via boat cruise. It was definitely a fun afternoon!
About Dream Cruises
Dream Cruises is under Genting Hong Kong who brings over 23 years of Asia cruise industry experience. I love how the service was so personalised – they even delivered a birthday cake for Val to our room. Dream Cruises offers journeys that are Asian at heart and international in spirit. The Genting Dream debuted in November 2016 – offering guests the highest level of service and spacious accommodation.
Genting Dream is a luxury cruise ship specifically designed for the Asian market. With a capacity of more than 3,300 passengers, the cruise liner is equipped with onboard facilities, such as six waterslide parks, rock climbing wall, a 35-meter zip-line that sways above the open waters and more.
Dream Cruise Requirements
For Philippine passport holders like me, just bring your passport with you! The cruise ship will hold onto your passport during the entire duration of the 3D 2N weekend as it will need to go through immigration once you arrive in Indonesia. It was very organized – even up until the last day when they had to return all our passports.
Thank you, Dream Cruises!
It was so amazing experiencing world-class entertainment, sumptuous dining and an adventure all in one weekend – topped with great service! Thank you Genting Dream for my first very luxury cruise.
For more information and rates, visit the Dream Cruise official website, like Dream Cruise on Facebook and follow @dreamcruiseline on Instagram.
Til our next cruise!
Love,
Yuki
(All Photos (c) Yuki Tansengco)