I always thought cruises were ‘lame’ & for ‘old people’ until going on one proved me wrong

Being stuck out at sea on a giant floating hotel, a.k.a a cruise, doesn’t fit into my idea of a ‘holiday’.

I’m a type-two fun kind of person, and I’d say my standard for thrill is a little higher than average.

If I’m spending money to go on holiday, it better be an action-packed adventure.

The slow-moving and gentle-gliding nature of a cruise is antithetical to that.

Also, if you can get to Phuket in under two hours, why spend two days doing so?

Like hey, the 19th century called, they want their mode of travel back.

Cruises just seem like an ‘old people thing’.

It’s why I’ve never been on one, although that doesn’t mean I’ve never been curious about it.

So when I got the chance to broaden my horizons and go on a cruise — Genting Dream by Resorts World Cruises — I decided to find out what there was for young people to do on it.

First impressions

The itinerary was a four days and three nights voyage to Phuket.

I decided to bring along a plus-one on this seafaring experience so I would at least have someone with me if the cruise turned out lame.

Like me, my friend had his share of doubts about cruises but was spontaneous enough to go with me for this one on short notice.

Leading up to departure, we had so many questions.

On departure day, we made our way to Marina Bay Cruise Centre, checked in and got our cabin cards.

Before we knew it, we were past immigration and stepping on board the massive cruise ship.

It was so massive that we got lost for a while before finding our room with help from the staff.

Our cabin was no villa, but it was cosy and big enough that claustrophobia had no chance of striking.

The bed was the highlight. It was so soft and comfortable that I slept like a baby in the nights to come.

For those of you who need more space or want to travel in style, you can always check out The Palace suites.

Staying at The Palace will get you access to amenities like a private pool, 24-hour butler concierge service, set meal entitlements at designated specialty dining restaurants and more.

After settling down, we headed to the pool deck where we assumed most of the action would take place and be a good place to start exploring.

We learned that meals were included in our tickets and were served at one of three restaurants. Sweet.

Depending on where you go, they are served either buffet-style, semi-buffet style or by set menu.

If you’re feeling fancy, there are plenty of other restaurants that you can visit and dine at too.

The international buffet spread was so delicious it kept us satiated.

First night

As comfortable as the bed was, we couldn’t just sleep or laze in the room the whole time.

So we decided to head out again and start trying stuff out after dinner.

We got distracted by this giant chess board and played a game.

The fitness gym was extremely well-equipped, but don’t take it from me though.

We settled some old scores at the bowling alley too.

After some drinks and a couple of bowling games, it was time to reckon with one of the questions we had about cruises — were there supper options?

Thankfully, I was able to have a bowl of noodles, served fresh from the kitchen at the lobby café.

You’ll also be able to order room service well into ungodly hours, with a menu offering snacks like fries to full-on meals like Nasi Goreng.

Trying as many activities as we could

One of the highlights of being on a cruise were the sunsets and sunrises we got to see along the way.

After a solid night’s rest, we woke up in Port Klang, our only stop before Phuket.

Day 2 was the first full-day on the cruise, and many of the activities were scheduled on this day.

Here’s a speedrun of what we did.

On top of these, we also had a 1v1 Nerf gun battle and multiple rounds of table tennis.

There were also games we didn’t get to try, like this soccer shootout game.

By the end of the second day, we were honestly beat.

We spent the rest of the night resting on one of the best beds I’ve ever slept on.

Most random trip to Phuket ever

New day, new country.

This time, we woke up in Phuket.

There were options to sign up for shore excursion tours which would take you to landmarks in Phuket, but we opted to explore Phuket at our own leisure instead.

Truth be told, we only found out we could disembark and spend a few hours in Phuket the day before arrival.

Thank god for multi-currency cards because we had no Thai baht with us.

We arrived at the island when it was just waking up, so there wasn’t much going on.

Still, we managed to duck into a Thai 7-11 and enjoyed some breakfast and coffee.

Foam Party at the Zouk Beach Club

By afternoon, we were back on the cruise and steaming back towards Singapore.

There were plenty of events scheduled to celebrate our last night aboard Genting Dream.

One of them was the ‘Foam Party’ at the Zouk Beach Club, which we were quite excited to check out.

If there’s anything for young people, it’s an event with the words ‘party’, ‘Zouk’ and ‘beach club’ in its name.

It turned out that there was more foam than there was a party.

But the event was kid-friendly, and event-goers looked like they had a blast.

We stuck around for a bit until the afterparty without the kids, got ourselves some drinks and made our own party out of the rest of the night.

All’s well that ends well.

A childcare centre on board?

For parents who might want to enjoy a good evening on the cruise without having to worry about their kids, there’s a childcare centre of sorts on board, called the ‘Little Dreamers Club’.

Inside, the kids can have fun with games, toys, and books.

Cruise staff are there to keep the kids company, so parents can head off to enjoy the cruise.

Maybe I was wrong

Well, what do I think of cruises now?

I’ve learnt that it’s not as lame as I thought it would be, and it isn’t just an old people thing.

Whether you’re 7, 27 or 72, there are plenty of things to do.

Here’s how I’d describe going on a cruise now: it’s like a middle ground between a tour package that might feel too rushed and a free-and-easy trip where planning might cause anxiety.

This is because everything’s worked out for you on a cruise — where you’re stopping over, how you’re getting there and the activities you can do.

All you have to do is kick back and soak in the vitamin D, enjoying everything in your own time.

The funny thing was, after we got off, we were already joking (or not) about booking our next cruise trip.

Maybe this time we’ll go aboard Resorts World One, a sister cruise line by Resorts World Cruises.

Fancy going on a cruise?

Genting Dream typically sails to Penang, Port Klang or Phuket.

For those of you pining to travel a little further, good news — Resorts World One is relocating to Singapore for this June school holidays.

This means that it’ll have trips that will take you from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Conson Island, Bangkok, Koh Samui and Redang Island between May 30 to June 9.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend time with friends or family, going on a cruise isn’t a bad idea as there’s something for everyone.

Check out the itineraries for Genting Dream and Resorts World One at the Resorts World Cruises website to start planning your cruise trip.

The writer of this sponsored article is still thinking about the marshmallow-like bed on the cruise.

All photos and clips via Gawain Pek, unless stated otherwise.