Dream Cruises said that it’s celebrating a new milestone this November with the World Dream as the ship approaches its first anniversary of cruise resumption in Singapore. According to a press release, Dream Cruises pioneered safe cruising in Singapore and, since its inception on Nov. 6, 2020, World Dream has welcomed close to 200,000 Singapore residents aboard with over 150 “Super Seacation” voyages to date.
Bookings for the World Dream continue to show a positive trend, Dream Cruises said, as most sailings for the remaining months of 2021 are almost sold out, complemented by strong momentum in the early months of 2022.
“It’s been a remarkable journey and memorable experience so far for many of us here at Dream Cruises and on the World Dream. This month is truly special as we celebrate Dream Cruises’ fifth anniversary as a brand and also our one-year milestone of cruise resumption in Singapore. We are deeply appreciative of the continuous support from the Singapore Tourism Board, the local authorities, and the general public, which enabled us to provide Singapore residents with an alternative and safe vacation experience over the past year in these unique circumstances,” said Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises.
Dream Cruises said that it’s continuing to support and re-activate the local tourism sector in Singapore across the various tourism networks, including vendors for provisioning to bunkering, engaging cruise terminals, medical sectors, travel partners with promotional expenditures, staffing and creating new job opportunities, including for Singaporeans. Second Officer Zachary Loh, 31, was one of the first few Singaporeans to join the World Dream at the start of the resumption last year said “It’s been truly a valuable experience over this past year for me, both on a personal and career level, to be able to be part of the crew and to contribute towards achieving these milestones together in Singapore.”
Dream Cruises said that it also launched and supported a series of initiatives to revitalize the tourism sector. According to the press release, the World Dream in Singapore became the first Halal-friendly cruise ship in Asia Pacific to receive certifications from both the United World Halal Development (UNWHD) and the Global Vegetarian Certification Services (GVCS) in December 2020. Dream Cruises was also the first cruise line to support and provide a new platform on the World Dream for selected local lifestyle brands to showcase their merchandise and experiences. Dream Cruises also partnered with KrisFlyer for a special World Dream chartered cruise exclusively for KrisFlyer members, as well as the option to earn KrisFlyer miles on Dream Cruises packages.
“We would like to congratulate Dream Cruises on reaching this momentous milestone. They have been our trusted partners, especially over the past year as we navigated the evolving challenges of the pandemic together. As we journey towards being a COVID-resilient nation, we look forward to continuing this partnership to offer more safe voyages and introduce more people to the wonders of cruising,” said Annie Chang, director of cruise at Singapore Tourism Board.
According to the press release, the current situation, coupled with travel restrictions, has created “unique challenges but also incredible new opportunities” for Dream Cruises. The World Dream had successfully introduced and launched a series of global thematic cruises such as “Rhythm of Korea,” “Amazing Thailand,” “Wonders of Japan” and most recently, “Markets of the World” in its attempt to bring the various cultures and cuisines of the world onto the ship. The World Dream’s thematic cruises and offerings are becoming the ship’s unique selling point for Singaporeans, the cruise line said.
In the lead up to the upcoming year-end school holidays and the festive season, Dream Cruises is hosting A Nordic Christmas Adventure sailing onboard the World Dream on Nov. 17, 2021-Jan. 1, 2022. Guest will enjoy the festive traditions of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The cruise will showcase a specially created Nordic Village with a chance to meet Santa and other popular Christmas characters, Nordic baking and a variety of festive attractions at the Nordic Market – including roast turkey, lobsters, salmon and other Scandinavian food – as well as Christmas arts and craft workshops and much more.
Dream Cruises said that these various initiatives have led to “a rise and expansion of markets, as more Singapore residents become receptive, well-informed and open to the idea and value of cruising.” Cruise demand for the World Dream in Singapore has been on the rise from younger travelers, including Millennials and Gen X-ers, as well as couples with no children or families with non-school-going young children, the cruise line said. With a wider market demographic, guests’ onboard spending on the World Dream in Singapore has also increased by 37.5 percent in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic in 2019.
“Having achieved this one-year milestone in Singapore with the World Dream, we are looking forward to continuing to provide our guests with safe cruises, as well as exciting and unique offerings as we approach the year-end and usher in the New Year to welcome more guests in 2022,” said Goh.
