Holiday at Sea: Cruising Aboard SuperStar Gemini

"The sea once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."

- Jacques Cousteau

The sea casting its spell

We only dreamed of dipping our toes into the experience of cruising. But with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, we were able to do it. Here's what we experienced.

Flying in to Singapore
We arrived in Singapore a day before our cruise. It can be an option to arrive on the same day since the ship's departure is at 3:00 PM but considering Manila's reputation of air traffic congestion and flight delays, the downside of missing the cruise is so huge that it is wise to add extra time. This also allowed us to relax, de-stress from all the preparations, wind down from work, and be in the mood for a vacation.

With a one-night stay before the cruise, we chose to stay at Harbour Ville Hotel. This is a budget-friendly accommodation that is a mere 3-minute drive away from Singapore Cruise Centre and 5-minute drive from Chinatown and the Central Business District. Moreover, most of the hotel staff are Filipinos so there's always someone you can approach to answer your questions and to help make your stay comfortable and delightful.

Check-in and Embarkation
The next day we had early breakfast in Sentosa Island before heading back to the hotel to check out for our cruise. 

Check-in for the cruise usually commences 4 hours before the scheduled sailing time. So make sure to arrive early to avoid the long queues. We arrived at the cruise centre at around 12:00 NN. Note that check-in and embarkation varies depending on your cabin class. For Admiral Class guests, a Star Cruises Guest Services Coordinator will meet and assist you with the check-in and embarkation. For Balcony Class guests, you will get to enjoy priority check-in and embarkation. And for World Cruisers, like us, you will go through the regular check-in and embarkation process. 

Upon arrival at the check-in counter, we presented our confirmation letter and passports to the cruise staff and completed the immigration forms. After verification, we were given our Access Cards while our passports were retained. The Access Card is very important as it serves as the boarding pass, cabin key and charge card on board. Make sure to keep it safe as it is needed for embarkation and disembarkation and for collection of your passport after the cruise.

For baggage, they will be checked-in and will be brought by a steward outside your cabin door. The total baggage allowance is 30kg per guest. We recommend bringing one large suitcase per guest as no baggage will be stored in the ship's hold. This will also ensure that you will not waste space inside your cabin for bags.  

After checking-in, we went through security screening and proceeded to boarding.

The gangway to board the ship

Settling In
During boarding, we crossed a gangway to the SuperStar Gemini. We were welcomed by a crew and directed to our cabin. We chose an Oceanview Stateroom with a large picture window.

Our comfortable beds

The view from inside the cabin

After settling in our cabin, an announcement was made for the muster drill. A muster drill is a mandatory exercise done to familiarize all guests with the things to do during an emergency. We were also told to grab our life vests and to proceed to our muster station. The muster station location will be indicated in your Access Card. The drill took around 30 minutes to complete and was done simultaneously throughout the ship before it sailed.

After the drill, we enjoyed the views first then went back to our cabin to have a quick rest. 

Resorts World Sentosa as seen from the ship

Singapore's Harbourfront Cruise Centre

The scenic Keppel Bay Bridge

Star Navigator
One of the first few things you need to do upon settling in is look for a copy of the ship's daily schedule. For SuperStar Gemini it is called the "Star Navigator". Daily copies are delivered outside your cabin door early in the morning. It includes information on:

• Safety Policy
• Weather Forecast
• Phone Directory
• Port/Destination information and schedule
• Restaurants and their cuisine, location and operating hours
• Outlet information, location and operating hours
• Scheduled on board activities
• Entertainment highlights
• Promotions
• Disembarkation and check-out reminders

The Star Navigator

We always had a copy on hand whenever we left our cabin. It helped us maximize our time inside the ship.

Gala Dinner 
Within our first afternoon, we also made sure to place a reservation for the Gala Dinner. The Gala Dinner is the cruise's formal night. What makes it exceptional? It is the night on board the ship where guests have the opportunity to dress up elegantly, taste the most sumptuous and luxurious dishes offered by the ship's chefs, witness the most elaborate shows, and mingle with the ship's officers.

Sumptuous and delicious choices

The Gala Dinner is on a first come first served basis. For our cruise, it was scheduled for two restaurants and two seatings, 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM respectively. We reserved a table for the first seating at the ship's fine dining restaurant, Bella Vista. 

Eating On Board
SuperStar Gemini has three inclusive restaurants - Dynasty, Mariners and Bella Vista. These are the restaurants where guests can eat for free (included in the cruise price). 

Bella Vista (c/o Star Cruises website)

Dynasty is the ship's Chinese buffet restaurant. It serves breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Mariners is the International and Indian buffet restaurant. It serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. Bella Vista is the Western fine dining restaurant. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our favorite was Bella Vista, hands down. 

Stuffed chicken breast with spinach and ricotta cheese

Herb crusted Alaskan Salmon fillet and grilled King Prawn

Eating on board was really not a problem. In fact, we were astonished that we can walk in freely to these restaurants and treat ourselves any time from breakfast to late-night snacks. 

Tempting food

There are also a la carte restaurants where moderate charges apply. These are the Blue Lagoon All Day Dining Restaurant, Taipan Restaurant and Topsiders Snack Bar.

Shore Excursion
Half the fun of cruising are the shore activities available in the ship's destinations. Cruise lines offer organized shore activities for an additional fee. For SuperStar Gemini, shore excursion leaflets were placed inside our cabin. We reviewed it and found them to be really expensive. Prices ranged from SGD47 to SGD212 per person. 

Relaxing by the beach

So we decided to skip the tours and just go ashore free and easy. It is a lot cheaper to just google a map of the destination and do your own shore activity. Note: When you do your own excursion make sure you get back to the ship on time as it will not wait for any late returning guests.

Berjaya Tioman Resort

Laguna Redang Island Resort

Other Activities
SuperStar Gemini offers numerous activities on board so you're sure to find something you can enjoy. 

Here are some of the interesting activities featured during our cruise:

• Game Shows such as Novel Quests, Name That Tune, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Family Feud and The Price is Right
• Arts and Crafts activities such as Beer Mug Making, Wreath Making and Hat Making
• Classes such as Hip Hop Dance, Line Dance and Napkin Folding
• Kid-Friendly Workshops such as Cake Decoration, Balloon Twisting and Pizza Making
• Themed Get Togethers such as Ice Cream Party, Disco Party, Pyjama Party and Hawaiian Party
• Board Games
• Film Showings
• Beauty and Wellness Talks
• Fitness Activities
• Adult Only Show
• Featured Shows and Concerts in Stardust Lounge

Breathtaking shows at the Stardust Lounge

Breathtaking shows at the Stardust Lounge

The ship even features Star Illusions at Sea which is the first 3D art museum at sea.

Star Illusions at Sea

Star Illusions at Sea

Star Illusions at Sea

Check-out and Disembarkation

For your expenses outside the cruise inclusion, it needs to be settled at the Reception Counter in the morning before disembarkation. All baggage will need to be left outside your cabin from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, otherwise the baggage will not be collected and you will be the one to carry it when disembarking from the ship. Travel documents distribution schedule and location will be announced so make sure to collect them within the specified time otherwise your passports will be endorsed to the Shore Excursion Counter for further checking. Depending on your deck, you will be instructed to assemble in a common area for disembarkation.

We had early lunch at Bella Vista and made sure no valuables were left behind inside the cabin. We then followed all check-out instructions, proceeded to our assembly area at the Stardust Lounge and disembarked without any trouble. 

Once back in the cruise center, we collected our baggage and passed through Immigration and Customs for re-entry to Singapore. 

Post-Cruise Fun

As with all good things, the cruise came to an end. But we still had a couple more days in our itinerary to explore Singapore. So we returned to Harbour Ville Hotel and recharged ourselves for two days of fun at Universal Studios and sightseeing/shopping in the fine city.

For more information on Star Cruises and SuperStar Gemini, visit their website here.