Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas has officially ended its five-year run as the West Coast's year-round cruise ship. After sailing from Los Angeles since November 2021, the Voyager-class vessel departed on a repositioning cruise in early October, crossing the Pacific towards a new homeport in Asia.

The 15-night voyage to Tokyo doubles as a mini-Japan sampler, with stops in Hakodate, Muroran and Shimizu before the ship reaches Japan. From there it heads south on an 11-night Southeast Asia repositioning sailing that covers Japan, South Korea, China and Vietnam — the standout being a lengthy 17-hour call in Hong Kong, plus a visit to Nagasaki.

Once in Singapore, the real programme begins. From late October, the 3,348-passenger ship operates two- to ten-night cruises from the Marina Bay Cruise Center, ticking off Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Short breaks and longer itineraries mix, and on select dates there are open-jaw sailings running between Singapore and Japan — handy if you fancy a one-way route rather than a there-and-back loop.

Here's the bigger picture: earlier this year Royal Caribbean announced a redeployment that keeps the Navigator in Asia well beyond the winter. Instead of returning to Los Angeles, it will sail from Yokohama and Singapore through October 2027. Only after that does the ship head back to California, where it will spend a winter doing the classic Mexican Riviera and Baja California runs.

The LA deployment was itself a comeback story. When the Navigator resumed service there in November 2021 after the pandemic layup, it marked Royal Caribbean's return to the port after more than a decade away. The 142,000-ton ship entered service for the line back in 2002, when it ranked among the largest cruise ships afloat.

For travellers, the shift matters on two fronts. If you've been using Los Angeles as a lazy option for a quick cruise holiday, that year-round convenience is gone for now. But if you're based in — or heading to — Asia, the Navigator brings big-ship cruising to Singapore's doorstep with genuinely varied itineraries, from short Thailand hops to a fortnight linking Japan and Southeast Asia. It also gives you a rare chance to pair a city stay in Singapore with a sea leg through three countries, all on one booking.