Princess Cruises is stepping up its presence in Southeast Asia, and the Royal Princess is the latest ship to join the effort. After a summer sailing Alaska itineraries, the vessel is finishing a long repositioning journey that will end with a short but appealing debut season based in Singapore.
The ship's path to the region has been a voyage in itself. It left Seattle in late November on a 14-night crossing to Tokyo, calling at ports in Alaska and Japan along the way. From Tokyo, a second leg took it to Singapore over 12 nights, with stops in other Japanese cities plus Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Clever bit: passengers could book both segments together as a single 26-night marathon from Seattle to Singapore — a proper epic for anyone with the time.
Once the 2013-built ship completes a routine drydock in mid-October, the real fun starts. An 11-night roundtrip cruise from Singapore covers three countries in one go: Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The standout is an overnight call at Laem Chabang, Thailand's deepwater port, which gives guests enough time to head inland to Bangkok rather than just skim a beach town. Port Klang serves as the gateway for Kuala Lumpur, while the Vietnamese calls take in Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, with Ko Samui rounding out the beach quotient.
After that sailing, the Royal Princess turns south. Its second and final departure from Singapore is a 15-night repositioning cruise to Sydney in early November, hopping through Indonesia before finishing in Australia — effectively turning one ship's season into three different holiday styles: an Asian loop, an ocean crossing, and an arrival Down Under.
The Royal Princess isn't arriving alone. As part of Princess's expanded regional programme, the Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess will also be based in the area, with the two sisters sailing from Singapore for most of the season on itineraries covering Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and beyond. For travellers, that means far more cabin availability and date flexibility in a region that used to require flying to Tokyo or Shanghai to cruise with this line.
Why it matters: Singapore has quietly become one of Asia's most convenient cruise hubs — excellent flight connections, a compact and efficient cruise terminal at Marina Bay, and three countries within a week's sailing. If you've been waiting for a low-effort way to sample Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur without a string of airport transfers, a roundtrip Southeast Asia cruise from Singapore now fits the bill, whether you want a single week or a multi-week repositioning adventure.
Story via Cruise Industry News.
