'Legend of the Seas' a dream cruise to set sail

Vishmi Wijeratne

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) cruise 'Legend of the Seas' which set sail from Sri Lanka recently after its transit was the only ship of RCI to sail the Asian seas from its home port in Singapore. Taking a glimpse of the 'Legend of the seas' is literally a breath of fresh air. Going back to the legend , the 'Legend of the Seas' maiden voyage was on May 16th 1965, having sailed the seas for 47 years it is to bid farewell to the Asian seas they ventured into four years ago. However, the Asian Seas will still be crossed by the RCI's Mariner of the Seas which is 1.5 times bigger than the 'Legend of the seas'.

Speaking of the ship that beheld our eyes the Legend of the sea' is a luxury cruise that was built at Chantiers de L'Antlanique, St. Nazaire, France and registered in the Bahamas. The cruise that is meant to pamper each of its guests in every desirable way has a crew of 726. The crew being of multiple nationalities is the life of the cruise as it is their job to cater to their guests and provide them with the best to suit their needs.

The capacity of the cruise being 69, 130 Gross register tonnage and a length of 867 feet while the width is 105 feet. The cruise could carry a capacity of around 2000 guests and the crew, its average charges per person is US $ 150 per night. The cruise begins each voyage from Singapore and covers areas from Singapore to Thailand. It has packages ranging from three nights to five nights. The Mariner of the seas sets voyage into the Asian seas covering areas from Singapore to Vietnam in packages ranging from three nights to fourteen nights.

Crew of the ‘Legend of the seas’	Sim Kian Tiong and Riza Ahamat

According to the Account Executive, RCI Asia, Sim Kian Tiong, the 'Legend of the seas' caters to people who wish to do everything and people who wish to do nothing. The cruise comprise of eleven guest decks, eleven guest elevators to increase the convenience of travel.

For guests who would like a relaxing on the cruise, the two pools await them . While the guests are free to laze around sunbathing the outdoor movie screen provides them with ample entertainment. In addition to that the cruise comprises of many options for indoor entertainment such and theatres.

The cruise also provides its adventurous guests the Adventure Ocean Youth Area' where they could rock climb, play golf, or jog. The cruise namely comprise of the following facilities, vitality spa and fitness centre, beauty salon, solarium, four whirlpools, rock climbing wall, nine-hole miniature golf course, jogging track, video arcade, boutiques and a medical centre.

For parents who need a break, the cruise provides the 'Royal Babies and Tots nursery which entertains kids right throughout the day free of charge. As RCI is more of a family based cruise it caters to every age limit be it young, old or kids. The Optix teen centre for teens and the conference area for business purposes along with a library, bar and exquisite restaurants fills the brief of luxury living.

Dining options include 'Chops Grille' a signature steak house, 'Izumi Asian Cuisine', for a taste of Asia, and the exclusive 'Chef's table'' that serves only twelve guests. The cruise also provides its guests digital way finders, touchscreens in public areas the show the days programme and other information of the cruise, services and menus are in six different languages which includles English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean and shipwide Wifi.

Speaking to a guest on the ship about her pampered experience, expressed her desire to see more of the destinations they visit. Speaking of the city tour in Sri Lanka she explicitly described that the city tour did not do justice to the country. While their shopping experience within the tour has been a poor experience due to the dishonesty of Sri Lankan tradesman towards foreigners, they further said if a proper cab service was entertained in the Colombo port the visit would have been more desirable.

The Director General Manager, Hemas Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Riza Ahamat , who are the local agents of RCI said that most of these issues were due to the fact that Sri Lanka is only a transit for the cruise. If Sri Lanka becomes a port of call in the future as being discussed with the RCI more developments to cater to the inbound tourists would be made. He also said that the cruises on RCI's ships could be booked for Sri Lankans by Hemas Travels. However, interested parties would have to travel to Singapore to board the cruise. He said that many incentive groups from Sri Lanka are currently interested in this kind of travel and have already set foot on RCI's cruises.

The Mariner of the seas which is literally going to be the next big event on the Asian seas promises its guests more luxury living.

pix by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa