I Cruised on a Ship Designed for China (I’m British)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 พ.ย. 2023
- I’ve just disembarked a cruise on the biggest American cruise ship ever designed for the Chinese market, we sailed from Singapore to Tokyo and although I’ve cruised plenty of times in the past in America or Europe this trip surprised me in every way possible. From the ship to the passengers, the entertainment to the destinations, it was completely different to what I’m used to.
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The first video from this cruise, all about the ports that we visited, is here! • Singapore to Tokyo by ... 😀🥰😗
I have cruised with Royal Caribbean in the past and have always enjoyed the experience so when I saw that they were sailing in Asia I thought that this would be the perfect way to give a trip like this a go. The reviews of this ship were considerably worst than others in the fleet but I was honestly ready for anything and I wanted to find out why.
We boarded the ship in Singapore and despite the fact that there were lots of different nationalities onboard and visas needed it actually didn’t take as long as I expected. They did take and keep our passports which is very common on Asia cruises. We had copies of our passports and our driving licenses so it wasn’t a problem.
I’d already checked in online pre-cruise and because I’m from the UK I didn’t need any visas for the places that we were visiting. Spectrum of the Seas was built in 2019 and she can hold almost 5000 people at maximum capacity. I’d learn later that the most popular common onboard was Singaporean! Which does make sense and it explains a lot of things that happened on the cruise.
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Hey hey hey, thanks SO MUCH for watching! Let me know what you think... 😁😋
Interested in cruise destinations? Check out these:
British Isles - th-cam.com/video/tvAZK5KePQ8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ApwhbLT6RbeWgpqr
Arctic Circle - th-cam.com/video/bH7WapVQ8po/w-d-xo.htmlsi=vg5mhsHuVErYjC78
New York - th-cam.com/video/qN4WPbpo6YI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Wum9q4k4lGkMEMWT
Want to see the bloopers from this video? www.patreon.com/posts/bloopers-asia-on-92817614?Link& 😁😇
will u explain the back to back 12 days in a vlog ... and maybe even the back to back to back...
Hi Emma, Silk Road is about Marco Polo's journey. It's a brilliant show and I thought told the story well.
You do have to remember that manners are different in each country. I live in an Asian country, but come from Australia. Some manners in Australia don't exist in Asian countries (I can't begin to tell you how many Asian doors have been slammed in my face, lol, because Asian people don't check behind and hold doors for following people like is accepted manners in Australia), but there are also many, MANY missing manners that I REALLY wish were also in western countries, that make western people seem rude. Service and service attention for example! Body space is not a manner thing at all in my Asian country at least - that's probably what you experienced - that wasn't ill-mannered for them at all. Asian people experience individuality a little different than western people do - individuality is a little more shared in many ways, which includes personal space. This isn't a negative thing - there are a lot of unexpected positivenesses about it - it's actually a thing I love for a lot of reasons that take years living in a country to explain.
China is the number one grower and consumer of watermelon in the world, by the way
BINGO BINGO BINGO 😂
I, too, am bothered by wayward cursors, uneven pictures hanging, etc. so I get you. 😊
I really appreciate you explaining the cultural context about why the pizza place is different. Some people reviewed this cruise and just said everything was “weird” when clearly there’s just a cultural difference!
Ha ha!! I love finding out why, some people just go DIFFERENT = BAD!! 😡
@maggiecaitlin I know exactly who you're referring to 😂
I don’t know but I’m sure it could go for a lot of people 😂❤
Me too! I love this channel is because she gets to travel to places I'll never get to go, so I love hearing about the cultural difference and about her perspective as well.
Thanks so much you are very kind! @@CatherineTheChatty
"I'm happy to participate as long as I'm in the dark, nobody can see me, and I don't have to stand up..." That's one of the most British things I've ever heard, haha.
No one can ever accuse this channel of presenting too little information at too slow a pace.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
😂
That "creepy sky" you mentioned is called a shelf cloud. Hot rising temperatures cause it to stretch out and "roll" into that shape. You can actually watch it roll if you're patient. It doesn't always bring rain, but it may start to break apart if other weather starts to push it.
Really?! That’s incredible. Thanks for sharing! 🥳👏🏼
They are from chemtrails. Period.
I'm from mostly tropical Brazil (albeit from the subtropical part of it) and that kind of cloud is pretty common here on hot summer days. I was going to say that maybe Emma is more used to higher latitude weather, but she has sailed the Caribbean and should have seen that.
I watched the whole thing even though I have zero plans to ever go on a cruise. It's just so very nicely presented!
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
What RYN988 said. For the first time ever I thought a cruise could be fun. Nicely presented indeedd.
I am right there with you. Going on a cruise seems like the most plastic way to travel. Even on the stops, you get nothing from the culture, you are just a deluge of people mobbing some small town.
@@HarryJarrell Your ignorance is showing Harry ❤️
never say never. "zero plans to ever go on a cruise" is what I said when I started watching this channel and now I have a Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Viva under my belt. It was the best time and I'll definitely do it again. Thanks Emma!
The "Ketchup Please" station cracked me up. What an absolutely perfect name choice I love it
@@h0tel1 mayo's an interesting choice, but it's popular in Canada too apparently. I guess it's not to far off from ranch, which is my fry dip of choice, but it sounds pretty bland to me
@@h0tel1 mayonnaise is the normal french fries topping in most of western Europe. Ketchup on fries sounds weird to me 🙂
Hi Emma. Watermelon is extremely abundant in South East Asia, and is a very common palate cleanser/dessert choice. In buffets/parties across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, that amount of watermelon slices heaps available for consumption is just the standard. 😄
I actually genuinely agree with you.
17:01 In Japan it is a standard with restaurants to have "models" or mock-ups of the food they serve. There are even videos of how those are made. Much recommended to watch. Those people are doing a phantastic job. The mock food looks so convincingly real like in advertisements. And I agree. Every restaurant should do this. As a tourist in Japan I really appreciated that custom.
Same in many restaurants in China, Korea, and Thailand.
I'd heard those "mock up or models" of food are very expensive to create and their purpose is to bridge the language gap.
Welcome to Singapore weather… I perspired there (I mean, “worked there”) for 7 years. Loved it, but sweating was my primary hobby.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
There are just some people you just root for in life. Emma is one such person. Keep the vids coming!
Oh my this is so kind, thanks so much! I have lots of people like that so it's so nice that somebody thinks of that as me. Thank you! 😁❤️
@@EmmaCruises ❤
She has a boyfriend dude.
Ok so your Australian-ism of the week is "root" actually maybe I best not say what its slang for!
Casinos are probably popular because casinos are not allowed to operate in many Asian countries. Really liked your review as one that is aware there’s cultural differences and this is definitely catered to the Asian market 😊
Yes! I love it, so interesting. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
That hit my mind as soon as Emma came to the casino - I've never been to Asia myself, but I've noticed that gambling seems to be very popular with Asian visitors to the United States and the UK. 🎰😇
@@dieseldragon6756casinos are great venues for them to launder money
ASIANS LIKE TO GAMBLE
@@CJ-xv7rw yes, they are degens
Gotta say I'm impressed that Royal either looked into or hired someone to think about a fact as small as walking and eating culture. It's not the first thing you'd think of and that they made that change shows that they didn't half-ass the design of the ship for the specific market. I like it.
I've been watching Emma for years. I'm not really that interested in cruising but I watch because the channel is very informative and entertaining. What makes me smile is that years ago Emma was shy and didn't post many pictures of herself. Now I can see she is more confident in herself and I love that she posts short shots of herself. Makes me smile every time as I love her confidence now.
Literally same. Husband and I would love to go on a cruise at some point, but it won’t be anytime soon. We have little small wee kids and the idea of cruising with them sounds awful 😂. But ya, love Emma.
Having the cruise line keep my passport would give me the creeps. If cruise lines sometimes lose a passenger's suitcase, the logically they also sometimes lose passports. The staff are only human after all. Not to mention if you miss the ship at one port, your options for re-joining at the next port drop to zero and trying to return home would require a visit to the nearest consulate for an emergency passport. Too many downsides to this requirement.
Looks like every buffet I’ve ever been too? Squeeze guards on the top.
Fair enough, you do you. 😀❤️
Hugely different things . There is an immense different between keeping official documents and random luggage
On 50 cruises not one has lost my passport OR a suitcase.
Singapore is right on the equator and is always hot, hot, hot. It also rains, rains, rains too. It is rarely sunny, when it isn’t raining it is cloudy. I’ve been there three times, and I loved it - but had two or sometimes three showers per day. Very sweaty place.
restaurant model food is DEFINITELY a cultural thing. Japan is all about model food and Japanese food culture definitely influences countries like Taiwan and Singapore... and cities like Hong Kong as well.
Nothing to fear about the Coke Plus - it's just added fibre!
With that being the case, pass the Coke Plus please! Great idea
Sounds great, would buy 😀
Really enjoyed your perspectives on this Video as someone from Singapore watching. I actually took the cruise back from Tokyo (literally the one after yours) and really enjoyed myself too. One thing I realized that this long cruise felt more like an actual Royal Caribbean cruise, because there's a lot of things done differently when more guests besides people from Singapore are on the ship. I can say they really do tune whatever activities and experiences to cater to the demographics on board. Like one fun fact is I never see formal nights on a 4 night cruise in Singapore here because everyone is just too lazy to dress up here.
Haha!! I’ve heard that! Love it. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Emma, what an excellent review. I'm in your camp with the 'cursor' thingy 😆. Few reviews have me wanting to go on a cruise, but this review did. Thanks a million for your fantastic channel and honest, straightforward and comprehensive content. Keep it up.
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
I just started watching your videos and must say that you are very articulate about telling us about them. Very well done. At 65 years old I really have no plans to cruise, mostly because I am retired US Coast Guard. But watching your videos is the next best thing. Thank you, stay safe and God bless.
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
We were on a Norwegian cruise to Alaska last year in the Norwegian Sun, which we were told was originally built for the Chinese/Asian market. We made friends with one of the hostesses in the main dining room (I was in a wheelchair from a fall a few weeks before, and she took us under her wing). She told us all about this, about how NCL decided the ship wasn't working in Asia, so they rebuilt the whole thing, changing all the signs, which were in Mandarin, the rooms, the toilets, everything. We've always gone on their mega ships but I've been agitating with my wife to try a smaller, older NCL ship. We loved it.
The "heart pill" is traditional Chinese medicine for angina. Similar to nitroglycerin tablets. Interesting to see it sold over the counter like that
I wondered if it was a euphemism for an impotence treatment - but Angina makes more sense.
Is it clinically effective?
@@Croz89 Nitroglycerin? Absolutely it's been used for over a century and is still widely prescribed today.
@@zogworth I know that, I meant the traditional Chinese heart pills.
@@Croz89no, traditional Chinese medicine is not useful unless you can count on a placebo.
Yes! I was waiting for the second part ! And oh my god you actually got me , my mom and my sister ! Never thought we would actually see ourselves here since they were so many people on board . I showed the video to my mum and my sister and they were so happy to see it. They especially complimented you on your camera skills and what a great quality the video is and they said thank you for this amazing video
P.S By the way they were cookies at the 720 as well during certain times :)
Yay!!!! So glad to hear that. I always wonder if people find themselves (I do try not to film others so much but it’s hard when there’s a crowd) 😂❤️
I love how you explain the difference in the way things are done in different countries.
Thank you! 😁❤️
You are absolutely a blast to watch, and your videos are great. I'm not sure exactly how to say this, but since I hardly ever cruise, I hope when I do I can find someone like you to associate myself with. The "frequent flier" knowledge that you bring to your trips and videos is invaluable. Also, the cursor on the screensaver would DRIVE ME INSANE.
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
@@EmmaCruises MOVE THAT CURSOR XD
I went on this ship last January, and we were surprised to only be two of 237 Americans on a sailing of about 4300. Great cruise, though. I’m surprised Spectrum gets so many negative reviews. We met lots of cool people, and because it was the Lunar New Year, there was quite a bit of extra fun.
What happens at lunar new year on the ship?
@@user-pf5xq3lq8i Lots of fun things! They did a balloon drop at midnight, a special meal with Lunar New Year items from a few different cultures, and loads of special decorations. We were so jetlagged we fell asleep after dinner and missed the big party, but it sounded like a blast.
Honestly, a non-disappearing cursor would send me into a full uncontrollable meltdown. Little things like that are legit like bugs on my skin.
RIGHT!!! HA HA. Thank you! 😁❤️
Did I miss that? What is a non disappearing cursor? 🤔
@@roriemcfadden6097 A mouse cursor that doesn't disappear when it's supposed to. Like you're not using it because you're typing or watching/playing something.
As shown, it keeps up the menu in videos and can ruin the look nevermind the immersion.
I noticed that too… also why were they using QuickTime Player to play the video?? 😂 I would’ve thought they would have custom software for it to prevent that issue
Sweat the small stuff much
As a crew member I’m glad my cruise line has returned to the regular drill with everyone lining up. Even though it IS a hassle and so many people dislike it, I think it’s much safer if anything were to happen.
Just on a drill it’s hard for people to listen and understand directions. So imagining how hard it would be in an emergency if they had never done the drill makes me shudder. I hope I’m never in that situation!
I do understand it’s so much more convenient this way and 99% or the time it’s totally fine but I feel like I can keep guests safer the other way.
And even though we’ve returned to in person group drill, it is shorter than pre pandemic I think.
Fair enough 😀❤️ Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@EmmaCruises Love your channel btw! I’ve learned a lot about other cruise lines since I only know mine! 💕💕
Amen to that, from a 19 year emergency management planner. @emmacruises
Appreciate it lots!! 😘❤️
I think that the in-person emergency drill is critical. Most people would not know what to do in an emergency. The drill is a simple and short way to give passengers an idea of what to do in an emergency.
This is the first of your videos that I have watched. I now want to see others. You are an excellent speaker and the features you highlight are perfect.
OH. Yeah. The curser would have driven me crazy as well. Glad I am not the only one!
Excellent commentary, I agree with you about people making low scores, there are some folk who will complain about everything, unless its perfect they wont give a good score even though they might have an excellent deal, so sorry for them, life must be tough
Agreeeed!!! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I'm planning to take my family on their first cruise later this year! Thank you for these videos. It's making better at choosing cruises.
I did this cruise but from Singapore to Penang then Phuket. Passengers were mostly Indonesians. My goodness, they have no concept of queueing and being on time! At the shows, they were coming in late, screaming at their friends when they found seats in their language (while the singer was doing a song), filming with their flash on and what not. They also constantly hog seats and cut queues at the buffet. Horrible experience!
I don't ever plan on going on a cruise, it really is just not for me, but I love watching your videos. Your storytelling abilities are impeccable. Always feels like we're actually tagging along on your travels :))
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
The food displays in Japan's restaurants are insanely accurate. What you see is what you get.
I'm guessing the watermelons are also intended for japanese crowds they (and also other imported fruits) are really expensive in Japan. Watermelon can cost in Tokyo somewhere between 20-50 dollars.
I really love how detailed your review of this cruise was. It just seemed so enjoyable. It’s also good to see that the cultural differences you point out , aren’t just seen as being weird but more unusual to a more western culture 😄. Thanks for sharing this amazing adventure, I will definitely never visit these places but it’s good to see how much you enjoyed it .
Thanks Emma, so much great information. I am happy that you enjoyed it. Nice to see what other cruise ships offer. I love cruising and have sailed on all three Cunard Queens.
cool to see the ship sailing, i saw it getting built at Meyer werft Papenburg, the hall it was in was truly massive, prob the largest building i've ever seen.
Looks like you had a fantastic cruise. Thanks for the very nice review and great information!
Thank you! 😁❤️
We've been looking forward to this video, and it didn't disappoint. We especially enjoy your presentation, i.e. the way you read your script! Great job Emma!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Thanks, Emma!! I've been watching for this one. Sounds like great cruise.
❤️❤️❤️
GREAT review, Emma. I so much enjoy your channel. It's not only entertaining but very educational.
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
Really enjoyed following along on this cruise with you. I did a similar one 10 years ago and now I want to go again. thanks Emma!!!
Thanks so much, the best isn’t it?! 🥹❤️
Thank you for an excellent review. Quite detailed in all aspects.
Love your videos! Very well put together and informative!
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
The excursions are definitely something to consider to get priority seating for tenders as well as transports to leave the ports. On our Spectrum cruise, people were waiting almost 2 hours for their number to be called for tenders in Nha Trang and over an hour for taxis to leave the port in Kagoshima.
Those waiting times are unacceptable and appalling 😢
You just have to go early enough to get tender tickets . It’s a bit in the pain to wake up early but if you go 30-45 minutes before the “official” time to get the tickets you are guaranteed to be on the first tender
❤️❤️❤️
Wonderful review, you are direct, genuine and fun! Thank you!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Really good summary! Thanks, Emma!!!
This would be a very interesting cruise. Thanks for sharing, Emma!
Wow i didn't know what goes on with cruises these days, thanks for the well made video about it. It seems like such an interesting and varied trip with great port adventures
Thank you! 😁❤️
I literally never plan on going on a cruise. Yet I watch every video lol
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
Excellent tips and video, Emma! ❤
You are quite possibly the most lovely & understanding person. Manners included. Our society could learn a great deal from you!
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
16:47 It's Titanic
First emoji symbolizes Jack and Rose
Second emoji symbolizes the ship, which is the RMS Titanic
Third emoji is the snow/ice, which is the iceberg.
I love cruising with you. You make it so entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I’m not able to travel now but I truly enjoy and appreciate your content!
Thanks so much, you are very kind! 🥹❤️
I would TOTALLY want to find that mouse!
This was so interesting and so well put together! I can see you work hard and make sure its entertaining to watch...and you definitely succeeded!! TY for sharing your adventures x 🛳🚢⛵
Thank you! 😁❤️
Excellent video Emma, I went on Anthem this year so interesting to see the difference. Solarium’s my fave!
Have a great time! 🥳🥳
I got to take several selfie shots with the entire crew on my last cruise. Wasn’t expecting to. They just happened to show up where I just happened to be having a snack. I love it..they were really wonderful people too.
🥹❤️
You do such a great job of providing a comprehensive and fast review, sprinkled with lots of british humour. Thank you!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Great review ,thanks for the info
You think it's weird that donuts are considered a breakfast food!? As an American, that's baffling! Many donut shops are ONLY open for Breakfast and the ones that are open all day are always busiest during breakfast time. Some people eat donuts for dessert instead, but they are mainly considered a breakfast item, at least in the USA. They are also included with "continental" breakfasts at hotels (which is why you saw them during breakfast on the cruise). "Continental" refers to continental Europe, by the way.
Thank you.I moved to England from So Cal and there are no good donut shops here and the people here have no idea they are for breakfast! My first job out of high school was working at a Winchell's. Hard to find now.
I just realized why the cafe was called "270", it's like degrees. The smaller restaurants on board like that tend to be open when buffet and MDR are closed, so it's in between. In between 180 and 360.
I'm also on Team Torch, if its acceptable to use them during a performance. I don't know how normal this is, but on Oasis of the Seas last year, a server in the main dining room liked to sing in the middle of dinner; there would be an announcement and he was given a microphone. He was pretty good! So during one of his performances, I started a torch wave and some other people joined in 😂
I love watching these but have never cared about cruises before now. All your things are v interersting and intriguing
Another fantastic video! Cheers!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Awesome insight. As a US travel agent can’t really ever do European cruises and I am loyal to Royal and know about spectrum but nice to hear an intelligent insight on the china market cruises. But donuts are sooo breakfast Emma.
SCREENSAVER CURSOR OCD: Lol! I couldn't agree more. We sailed on the DCL Fantasy last month and the interactive screen right next to our table at Animators Palate had large green text in the upper right corner that continously showed the display settings (VGA + resolution #).
I felt too embarrassed at the time to admit how much it bugged me, secret is out now. 😂
Fantastic video, thank you! I learned so much.
Thank you! 😁❤️
Im so glad youve continued with cruise critiques, I really missed your videos.... I am a qantas (now retired) but thoughhout my extensive travel, which I was able to do at a discounted rate, I never experienced jetlag, when I got to the destiation, albeit it was usually PM...I had a small meal the took a tamzapan sleeping tablet, and it made me wake up the next morning feeling soooo good to go..... no jetlag ... this will be controvential.....but its worked for me for 23 years
Totally agree about that mouse pointer on the screen saver! Arrrghhhh! P.S. - it’s not a laxative that’s added to Coke Plus, it’s dietary fibre, which helps with digestion!
I visited Japan earlier this year for three weeks and loved Coke Zero Plus. Drank it all the time and had NO issues, it was good! 😊
Thanks for all the video's. Watch a lot of them from you and this one really sounds great to do. Really scary first time it will be if you hear al the info, things to do and not. I would be almost scared to go to sleep in chance you missed something onboard.
Ive been so excited for this video!!😍
Thank you! 😁❤️
We were on the inaugural cruise in 2019. It is a very beautiful ship. It was clearly designed for the south Asian market and, we understood, as a gambling orientated cruise. We had a lovely holiday but haven’t sought it out. Even though RC was our usual go to cruise line we have tried other lines post pandemic as the general ambience didn’t suit us.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Emma, my husband and I love watching your videos. We never had the opportunity to go on a cruise and seeing your videos is almost as if we were on it ❤❤❤ it would be awesome if we had the chance to travel with you
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
WOW as usual what a brilliant review, thankyou for taking the time to go into such detail, I really want to go on that ship now. I'm sailing around Japan with Celebrity in March I cant wait...again thanks Em ;o)
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
I am always impressed by how well you speak on these videos. I do not see any obvious edits.
Thanks so much 🥹❤️ This videos almost 1000 separate clips ha ha.
Thanks so much for mentioning about vegetarian options, Emma. That's really important to me as a longtime veggie. I want to pick holidays where I can be catered to.
Yes! Of course. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@Littleonesmicrosanctuary thanks! I will check that out.
It's so funny that you were confused by donuts as a breakfast food. As an American, it's other other way around, I wouldn't want a doughnut unless it's breakfast time and I was having it with coffee. Americans have a strong sense of breakfast foods (scrambled eggs, French toast, pancakes, sausage links, orange juice) and non breakfast foods (meatloaf, burgers, spaghetti, literally any vegetables lol) and donuts are definitely in the breakfast food category!
One of the main reasons America is in the throes of an obesity epidemic, plus diabetes and all the other preventable diseases.
Getting worse every year, and the same eating patterns spreading to other countries. Krispee Kream donuts ... Yum!
so basically anything goes for breakfast for Americansmakes so much sense.
What a kind, comprehensive review!
Thank you! 😁❤️
OUTSTANDING REVIEW! LOVE IT!! 🖤❤️🤎🍁🎃🍃🛳️🧡💛🧡🍂❤️🍃
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
Interesting point on the lighting differences for the restaurants! I do feel like Western restaurants value darker atmospheres whereas Chinese culture tends to prefer brighter restaurants to better read the menu and see the food.
I lived in Tokyo many years ago 🥰 I think I would love this cruise!
😀❤️
I'm going on this ship in 2 weeks and I'm so glad you made this video!
Hope you enjoyed it 😊
I love your sense of adventure!!
emma you've inspired me to book a cruise for mine and my fiancé's honeymoon! thank you and love the videos! ❤
Yesss 😁🙌 Have a great time! 🥳🥳
I don't think coke plus has any laxatives in it. It's just fiber and some artificial sweeteners. While some artificial sweeteners do have a laxative effect, the ones used in it don't.
love you video, thank for all that you do.
Thank you! 😁❤️
I like the style of your videos. You've gained a new subscriber.
Thank you! 😁❤️
I would love to take this cruise someday
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Chinese ism equivalent to chock-a-block: People mountain people sea 😂
😂😂😂
人山人海 (rénshānrénhǎi）
To say the least about your review, you did a great job pointing out some cultural differences I didn't even know about as a Singaporean!
I did remember Royal Carribbean International running adverts in Singapore when they started offering a cruise here, but forgot about that until I watched this video. If I recall correctly, I think the only other cruise line that offer cruises that depart from and arrive in Singapore is Resorts World Cruises.
While I do live in Singapore, I have never been on an actual cruise before for reasons I can't easily explain in a TH-cam comment, but as someone who saw TH-cam videos about cruises that mostly covered North American and European routes (because the hosts live in those parts of the world), and previously a TV programme I can't remember the name of that covered European cruises, I'm honestly surprised about the cultural differences and, based on what I've seen in this video, RCI have done a great job adapting for our side of the world.
I've noticed some cultural differences through some media I've read/watched/played and through social media comments (including TH-cam video comments), but you mentioned some additional differences that I previously wasn't aware of!
(To be fair, as part of me writing fiction stories on the side, one of my ideas would feature a character who would've been portrayed as living in the UK and being accustomed to living there)
(0:47) i thought that was done for all cruises, but didn't know it was only really done for Asian cruises.
(1:10) "Singaporean"
I feel seen.
(1:32) Yep. While trying my best not to go too far off-topic, what I can say is that a decently large chunk of the Singaporean population do speak Chinese. (I'm not one of those, though)
(1:53) Yep, that's correct and is why I don't go out often. If I do go out, I try to stay indoors as I have sensitive skin. The hot climate is also why you'd see lots of public outdoor areas having fans installed, and public indoor areas having air conditioning always powered on during business hours.
(2:37) Yep, at least from my perspective as a Singaporean, you're right. We prefer to sit down (at a table) and eat, not walk and eat.
(5:48) Interestingly, if I recall correctly, Coke Plus is a Japanese exclusive Coke flavour that isn't officially sold here but, at one point in time, it was unofficially imported.
We do have Coke "no sugar" (previously Coke Zero and Coke Light (Diet Coke)) here in Singapore, so I think the waiter who served you didn't natively speak English and/or misheard you, sort of like how some people would mishear my name as and/or call me 'Kelvin' instead of 'Kevin', though that mostly happened because of my childhood accent and is less of a problem with my adult accent.
On a side note, Pepsi Max is instead called Pepsi Black here, and I didn't bother to look up the reason why as my mind would just autocorrect the name anyway.
(6:40) These remind me of some older strata-titled malls here in Singapore, especially those built in the '70s and '80s, as instead of having event spaces on the ground or first floors like modern REIT-owned malls do, they'd have a hole into the first basement where there'd be a food court (or food hall as some people would refer to them). Examples of such malls include People's Park Centre and Golden Mile Complex.
(6:53) I find it interesting that their mobile app hides the iOS status bar and then displays a "ship time" right where iOS would normally display system time. I looked up the Play Store listings and sure enough, they also do it on Android!
(7:54) Hearing about UK themed dinner tickled my mind as someone who's Singaporean but British and Australian influenced.
(9:35) Some of those other languages you couldn't easily identify probably included Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, and/or one or more Indian languages.
(10:36) From what I can tell, there wasn't just watermelon, but pineapple too.
(11:55) Oh ugh, I feel the same way too, and that's worthy of Reddit r/PBSOD, though I also sense a lazy or rushed IT person having set that up.
I also find it interesting that they straight-up just ran the screen off of a dedicated system, likely a Mac mini, but probably so that it'd be easier for staff members to switch out what was being displayed. I initially thought that screen ran off an Apple TV displaying one of its default screensavers.
(13:05) Xbox?! (I won't be surprised if they were older Xbox One consoles with Kinect)
(14:53) The content was sourced through Atmosphere TV (their logo was displayed in the top right corner of the screen) which is a pay TV service designed specifically for businesses and to be played in the background with audio being optional, but that on a cruise ship does seem to imply that they have some sort of offline and automatic DVR capability to automatically download recordings when their Starlink satellite Internet connection isn't congested, though they probably do that as a special arrangement just for cruise lines.
Prior to that part of the video, I had only seen it in a Reddit post where it was shown at a bowling alley somewhere in the US, and as would be confirmed on their website, they use modified Apple TV hardware, presumably locked to their Apple Business account.
(15:13) Yeah, they did, they subscribed to Atmosphere TV which includes those channels shown, and they allow their clients to customise certain things like the advert breaks and such, hence why there was RCI branding (and probably also promos) when automatically switching between channels.
(22:48) That reminded me of the event spaces in REIT-owned malls here. Most of the time, a shop chain like Popular (bookshop) or BHG (department store) would take up the space for a pop-up shop to sell items, often on clearance and/or discounts if I recall correctly, and even if the chain doesn't have a shop in the mall though some would.
(23:39) That made me wonder what they had in mind as a benchmark they would've compared against to consider the cruise restaurant food to be 'ugly'.
(25:51) I can somehow relate.
(26:24) Your mention of rude guests somehow made me imagine they were bullies at one or more points in their lives, kind of like how I was often targeted by bullies in primary school, secondary school, and college, and didn't realise until after I dropped out of college that I had picked up bad influence from them. I also didn't yet realise that getting bullied in primary school were my first experiences of a toxic work environment.
(27:03) Yep! Despite being Singaporean, I would probably be found doing bingo or trivia, probably as the only Singaporean there, but not karaoke.
To be fair, based only on what I had seen (so I may be wrong), I think it's only families of certain ethnicities who do karaoke more often (there are even dedicated karaoke venues here), and probably Chinese-speaking families who are more likely to do it. I rarely sing karaoke but that's only really due to stuff I can't easily explain here.
Karaoke venues here in Singapore have dedicated rooms instead of bars if I recall correctly.
(28:46) I think it was lost on you because the title suggested to me that it was a story that involved our was based on Chinese folklore.
(32:01) The Wi-Fi packages sound like something that would come in handy for me if I too wanted to work, because while Evernote does have offline functionality, Milanote doesn't.
(31:33) I somehow didn't expect them to use SpaceX Starlink internet service. Based on what I've seen from TH-cam users who have residential subscriptions to that, I'm sure it'd be plenty fast enough for my use of Evernote and Milanote when I would need to get some work done. I didn't mention online storage as I would instead bring an external hard drive containing a cache of some of the files from my workstation and/or NAS like I already do for international trips that are longer than 24 hours.
(31:52) Same thing for me. While at port, I would just switch to a phone or router that has a Singaporean SIM card with data roaming packages so that I would get a Singaporean IP address on my devices.
(32:30) Yep, similar thing for me too as I would suggest choosing an interior cabin when discussing with other family members (as the trip would have somewhere around 3-4 adults in total including me).
Just stumbled onto your channel.... a very insightful and informative presentation.
Thank you! 😁❤️
Interesting as I can never imagine doing an ocean cruise, it seemed quite good value. Your soda habit was something of a shock! I gave up my 1-2-a-day Real Thing habit when I moved Down Under 15-yrs ago - I should be rich seeing how much I've saved!! It was also a shock how other travellers seem immune to cultural differences - but I'm still not quite sure where the Chinese vibe was - I sense it was more Asian than American, but I didn't see many Chinese staff or overwhelming Chinese food options....Thanks for sharing.
So interesting to see the differences in the ship for the Chinese market. Very glad to see the warning about the Coke Plus, will steer clear if we're ever in Japan! 😅
Anyone who complained was probably just looking to be reimbursed at least some of their fare. Im very sceptical of folk like them. I always think you are very honest with your reviews
I never knew there was a difference between “quite nice” in the U.K. & US, everydays a learning day
I second your feelings about photos on menus and model food (that’s what I call the presented/resined/preserved/example food they have out). It’s something I’ve always loved about Asian restaurants, in particular. It comes in especially handy when there is a language barrier.
Yesss 😁🙌
The dish at the entrance of restaurants was once typical in Mexico in tourist areas but has become less prevalent since the 90s.
Very informative video ❤❤ really like your content... 👍
Thanks so much 🥹❤️