Cruise to Bali
On the 30th of November 2025, Genting Dream Cruise made a 6 days and 5 nights maiden voyage to Bali, Indonesia from Singapore which I booked through travel online portal Klook. I was among more than 3,000 passengers who were part of this maiden voyage. Yea that’s quite a lot of people! Check-in at Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCC) even though busy with more than 3,000 pax was relatively smooth. Add another 1,800 staffs or so, so the cruise ship was indeed sailing at full capacity.
A staff informed me that there were about 4,000 passengers though not sure if the information given was accurate as from googling, the ship capacity is up to 3,400 passengers and 2,000 staffs. The ship looked to be at full capacity but not particularly overwhelming thus a figure of 3,000 and a bit seemed about right. The bottle necks were mostly during disembarkation at port of calls in Bali and at MBCC with long lines of passengers in the ship waiting to disembark. Otherwise everything else was fine. During mealtimes, at times there were queues but the wait was never long.
The lounge chairs on the open decks were empty most of time. Well, Singaporeans and asians in general are not particularly known to like lounging under the sun. Most passengers in the ship spent most of their time in the cool but brightly coloured gaming areas i.e., at the jackpot machines, which were busy most of the times but did not feel particularly overwhelming either. Well I passed by it occasionally to see or ‘kaypoh’ what’s going on as my room was on the same floor as the main jackpot machine area! More about that later.
At MBCC, Everyone waited for their turn patiently divided into rows to check into the ship after going through immigration and collecting room badges or card. The cruise ship will keep your passport till towards the end of stay. Thus the room card was like our passport too when we disembarked at the port of calls. Each passenger was given a credit card size card with our name and room number printed on it which was a multi-purpose card for the room, dining, onboard shopping, paying gratuities, etc., and you settled the bill towards the end of the stay either in person or online.
Gratuities are compulsory, the price depending on the type of room but is to be paid at towards the end of trip. Not sure why it was not included in the initial cost as the price was fixed but it was not an issue as we were well aware of the yet to be included cost. The ship that they used was the same one that typically goes to Melaka, Penang or Phuket. Or simply cruise to nowhere sailing around on high seas. But these typical itineraries are shorter routes with 3 or 4 days at most. The cruise to Bali offers longer routes that made two port of calls at south and north Bali. For a full 5 nights and 6 days cruise to Bali at a cost of $140 per night per pax (based on two pax in an interior stateroom) is a pretty good price, that included 3 scrumptious buffet meals each day with tea breaks plus snacks in between.
As someone who does not play games, where practically half the floor in the middle deck are occupied by jackot machines, I was entertained by the myriad of outdoor-ish activities that included table-tennis or ping-pong, pickle-ball, floor chess, wall climbing and mini-golf. There are swimming pool, water slides, zipline with a view and jacuzzis as well.
I picked up some new skills playing table-tennis and pickle ball with fellow cruise passengers. There was also an indoor gym and an outdoor running track at the top deck. While the gym and the jacuzzis looked well utilised I did not see a single person running around on the open deck in my six days there!
There were various shows in the evening, though cruise entertainment can be on the cheesy side, but they were fun nonetheless. There is also a big screen that showed movies. The room has a TV with selection of movies and news channels that can keep you occupied during periods of sailing on high seas and in-between shore break at port of calls. Or when you simply just want to chill in your room. The TV also acted like an information counter where you can check out the various activities offered like showtimes. And they also have live video that shows the sea view outside so great especially for those with no balconies or potholes. The room is for you to rest, shower and sleep afterall.
The stateroom is comfortable with the usual hotel facilities such as kettle with sachets of tea and coffee and a fridge. Not that tea or coffee were needed as at the dining areas, there were tea and coffee and juices. The multi-purpose shampoo in the shower was the same one used for hand wash so I used my own shampoo which I usually carry when travelling. If you need cocoa or Milo drinks, I found it at a jackpot machine area, where there was a beverage machine dispensing cocoa drinks.
I have learned during my 6-day stay in the huge cruise ship that many passengers were regulars on Genting cruises and they were members with different tiers and they played games to collect or accumulate points for free boarding, excluding port charges and gratuities. Not sure if they really saved money for future onboard trips by playing the jackpot machines continuously but that is a question that they will not answer.
Sometimes the sight of ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ punching endlessly at the buttons were both amusing and disturbing at the same time. But we are not going to delve into it. We know that cruises generally tend to attract travellers in the older age bracket and groups of families of different generations travelling together some complete with their helper, so everyone of all ages have things to be occupied with.
Among the highlights were two stops at port of calls at Port of Benoa at Denpasar in South Bali and Celukan Bawang port at Singarajah in North Bali. Though when we arrived at Benoa it was 5pm, the immigration clearance took a bit of time with large amounts of passengers and the crews wanting to leave the ship. The cruise ship organised various shore excursion at cost and we decided to join one of them in South Bali due to limited time and potential logistical constraints.
In North Bali with slightly longer shore break as we arrived in the morning, we decided to go free and easy. There were many taxi drivers waiting at the port and we negotiated with one of them to bring us around North Bali for few hours. Disembarkation at Celukan Bawang took much longer than anticipated as we had to transfer to smaller boats to land on the port due to the size of the cruise ship. Crews kept us entertained while waiting in the multi-functional theater.
The ship gave priorities to passengers who booked shore excursions to disembark first for the obvious reasons. There were groups that made their own arrangement for a 12-seater van or bus and it probably would make sense if they come in larger groups as shore excursions were quite expensive between $80 to $160 per person depending whether lunch was included or not and it also depends on the itinerary. But they were properly organised and you can leave all the planning to them for peace of mind. Also be aware that cruise insurance will only cover shore excursions which are arranged through the cruise thus this may factor on the pricing.
Once we landed on shore we were greeted by a row of traditional dance and percussion beats and souvenir shops. Embarkation back into the ship at both ports of call were smoother as passengers returned at different time from their various sightseeing or shopping just across the ship and people were also more relaxed by then. There were large souvenirs markets at both ports of call so passengers do not have to travel far if they did not wish to. This is especially convenient for families with very young children or the elderly. When we embarked into the ship, the sunset views from the ship at Celukan Bawang was a sight to behold.
The weather was surprisingly perfect throughout given we were sailing during the monsoon season. We got a room in the most forward section known generally to have more motion but we hardly felt it probably because it was at mid-level and due to the size of the ship. And fortunately we were not the the sea-sick type. The room card came with various colours. Blue coloured cards for the interior staterooms.
The room card did not come with a landyard, some passengers brought their own so they can hang the card around their neck, apparently it came with land yard previously, from conversations with regulars, maybe the cruise operator did not wish to distinguish between the various classes. We were all eating at the same buffet restaurant and using the same facilities. There are paid specialty restaurants in the ships too.
Alcohol and soft drinks is not included but you can order them with your meals or go to one of the bars in the ship. The only ‘advantage’ of higher classes rooms were front row seats in their theater for entertainment and dedicated lane during check-in. And of course the views of the sea from the room if that is important to you. For balcony rooms you can smoke outside at the balconies separated by glass panels in between. And the rooms are larger too so could be more ideal for families. We are non-smokers thus interior staterooms were perfectly fine.
The cruise/room card can easily be put into your wallet just like any other card. As the name implies, interior means there is no window or potholes. Hey, we only need the room to sleep, rest, shower and to watch a bit of news or movies in between. There is no CNA which would be great given the passengers were mostly from Singapore, but there were BBC News and CNN. And a couple of other languages that probably catered to the crews.
The pillows and comforter were hotel grade thus were comfortable. So was the air-conditioner that you can adjust (better than most hotels that I have been too when the thermostats were not working and the room was always freezing cold). You get to keep the cruise card after the stay as a souvenir.
All in all I spent a total of SGD691 for the 6 days cruise which works out to be about $138 per night including room, port charges, gratuities, Bali tax, cruise insurance, included buffet meals and tea breaks, onboard sporting activities, a dip in the outdoor jacuzzi and pool, the amazing views and land transportations in Bali. Not too bad at all.
Excluding a bit of souvenirs shopping in Bali and onboard souvenir shop, two scoops of ice-cream in Ubud, a fresh coconut drink at Lovina beach, a foot massage and a facial also in Ubud. We all know pretty well that spas cost a fraction in Singapore and even in JB! Some good souvenirs to pick up in Bali include salak (snake) fruit, blocks of palm sugar, coffee beans or powder and the ubiquitous Bali pyjamas. Just like the weather, traffic has been kind to us and transfers to and from Ubud from Denpasar took about an hour or probably less each way.
We were told to expect up to two hours given how notorious Bali traffic can be. But we were determined to go there knowing Ubud is one of the main attractions of Bali. The only bummer was the main market was closed as its was almost 8pm when we reached there but otherwise restaurants and massage places were still open and we enjoyed a bit of sight too while travelling in the bus and walking a bit in the evening.
There were also transfer services to the touristy Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbaran and a mall in Bali, and they were closer to the port but we have decided to head to Ubud. Well, Ubud is equally touristy too and actually most towns in Bali look alike with their pleasant streets cafes and stores that practically sell similar products. And dotted with spas in between. The main reason to go on a cruise is to cruise! A bit of exploring in places like Bali is a bonus. Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip that didn’t burn my pocket too much!
And here’s the breakdown of the cost in SGD:
The lounge chairs on the open decks were empty most of time. Well, Singaporeans and asians in general are not particularly known to like lounging under the sun. Most passengers in the ship spent most of their time in the cool but brightly coloured gaming areas i.e., at the jackpot machines, which were busy most of the times but did not feel particularly overwhelming either. Well I passed by it occasionally to see or ‘kaypoh’ what’s going on as my room was on the same floor as the main jackpot machine area! More about that later.
Gratuities are compulsory, the price depending on the type of room but is to be paid at towards the end of trip. Not sure why it was not included in the initial cost as the price was fixed but it was not an issue as we were well aware of the yet to be included cost. The ship that they used was the same one that typically goes to Melaka, Penang or Phuket. Or simply cruise to nowhere sailing around on high seas. But these typical itineraries are shorter routes with 3 or 4 days at most. The cruise to Bali offers longer routes that made two port of calls at south and north Bali. For a full 5 nights and 6 days cruise to Bali at a cost of $140 per night per pax (based on two pax in an interior stateroom) is a pretty good price, that included 3 scrumptious buffet meals each day with tea breaks plus snacks in between.
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| Playing pickle ball on ship |
I picked up some new skills playing table-tennis and pickle ball with fellow cruise passengers. There was also an indoor gym and an outdoor running track at the top deck. While the gym and the jacuzzis looked well utilised I did not see a single person running around on the open deck in my six days there!
There were various shows in the evening, though cruise entertainment can be on the cheesy side, but they were fun nonetheless. There is also a big screen that showed movies. The room has a TV with selection of movies and news channels that can keep you occupied during periods of sailing on high seas and in-between shore break at port of calls. Or when you simply just want to chill in your room. The TV also acted like an information counter where you can check out the various activities offered like showtimes. And they also have live video that shows the sea view outside so great especially for those with no balconies or potholes. The room is for you to rest, shower and sleep afterall.
 |
| Room facilities |
I have learned during my 6-day stay in the huge cruise ship that many passengers were regulars on Genting cruises and they were members with different tiers and they played games to collect or accumulate points for free boarding, excluding port charges and gratuities. Not sure if they really saved money for future onboard trips by playing the jackpot machines continuously but that is a question that they will not answer.
Sometimes the sight of ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ punching endlessly at the buttons were both amusing and disturbing at the same time. But we are not going to delve into it. We know that cruises generally tend to attract travellers in the older age bracket and groups of families of different generations travelling together some complete with their helper, so everyone of all ages have things to be occupied with.
 |
| Port of Benoa, South Bali |
In North Bali with slightly longer shore break as we arrived in the morning, we decided to go free and easy. There were many taxi drivers waiting at the port and we negotiated with one of them to bring us around North Bali for few hours. Disembarkation at Celukan Bawang took much longer than anticipated as we had to transfer to smaller boats to land on the port due to the size of the cruise ship. Crews kept us entertained while waiting in the multi-functional theater.
 |
| Lovina Beach, North Bali |
Once we landed on shore we were greeted by a row of traditional dance and percussion beats and souvenir shops. Embarkation back into the ship at both ports of call were smoother as passengers returned at different time from their various sightseeing or shopping just across the ship and people were also more relaxed by then. There were large souvenirs markets at both ports of call so passengers do not have to travel far if they did not wish to. This is especially convenient for families with very young children or the elderly. When we embarked into the ship, the sunset views from the ship at Celukan Bawang was a sight to behold.
 |
| Ship docking in North Bali |
The room card did not come with a landyard, some passengers brought their own so they can hang the card around their neck, apparently it came with land yard previously, from conversations with regulars, maybe the cruise operator did not wish to distinguish between the various classes. We were all eating at the same buffet restaurant and using the same facilities. There are paid specialty restaurants in the ships too.
Alcohol and soft drinks is not included but you can order them with your meals or go to one of the bars in the ship. The only ‘advantage’ of higher classes rooms were front row seats in their theater for entertainment and dedicated lane during check-in. And of course the views of the sea from the room if that is important to you. For balcony rooms you can smoke outside at the balconies separated by glass panels in between. And the rooms are larger too so could be more ideal for families. We are non-smokers thus interior staterooms were perfectly fine.
 |
| Cruise/ room card |
The pillows and comforter were hotel grade thus were comfortable. So was the air-conditioner that you can adjust (better than most hotels that I have been too when the thermostats were not working and the room was always freezing cold). You get to keep the cruise card after the stay as a souvenir.
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| Pool slides on top deck |
Excluding a bit of souvenirs shopping in Bali and onboard souvenir shop, two scoops of ice-cream in Ubud, a fresh coconut drink at Lovina beach, a foot massage and a facial also in Ubud. We all know pretty well that spas cost a fraction in Singapore and even in JB! Some good souvenirs to pick up in Bali include salak (snake) fruit, blocks of palm sugar, coffee beans or powder and the ubiquitous Bali pyjamas. Just like the weather, traffic has been kind to us and transfers to and from Ubud from Denpasar took about an hour or probably less each way.
 |
| North Bali |
There were also transfer services to the touristy Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbaran and a mall in Bali, and they were closer to the port but we have decided to head to Ubud. Well, Ubud is equally touristy too and actually most towns in Bali look alike with their pleasant streets cafes and stores that practically sell similar products. And dotted with spas in between. The main reason to go on a cruise is to cruise! A bit of exploring in places like Bali is a bonus. Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip that didn’t burn my pocket too much!
And here’s the breakdown of the cost in SGD:
5-night stay in interior stateroom per pax (based on double occupancy) = $311
Port charges = $150
Cruise Insurance = $22.50
Gratuities = $135 (at $27/ night)
Bali Tax = ~ $12 (150,000 IDR)
Arranged shore transfer in South Bali = $40
Own shore arrangement in North Bali = $20
Total = $690.50
Average per night = $138
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