It is the weekend and you want to do something fun with family or group of friends. Do you have any suggestions? We wanted something different and new. Probably a little bit of touristy experience that adults & kids would love to do.
Hmmmm….. Universal Studios? Done already. Singapore Zoo or Night Safari? Done already. Wild Wild Wet or Adventure Cove? Done already. River Cruise? Done already. We also thought of bbq fun at East Coast Park or just touring around Sentosa Island but we had done that several times. We wanted to do more fun & interesting activities on our off days here in Singapore.
Then we discovered another option of family fun here in Singapore: a yacht cruise! I went my eldest son and my dear blogger friend, Farrah of My Farrahdise abroad a catamaran named Kucinta (named after a Singapore cat). I wanted to try it out and see if it could be added in one of our list of activities I can with my little family especially when my husband’s and my schedule would coincide to bring along the two little ones. I also wanted to test it out if it is something that we can recommend to our friends living here in Singapore or our friends vacationing in Singapore.
Kucinta is one of the four yachts by Bbboats, a local yacht charter company. We piled on our sunblocks generously on our skin, brought along our sunnies and we were ready for an afternoon cruise along Johor Straits. We arrived at Raffles Marina a little after lunch time and was ushered to board the spacious Kucinta.
All the people joining the cruise gathered on the top deck where we were given safety instructions and a little introduction about Kucinta. The weather was just perfect. It was slightly sunny with friendly winds dancing through our hair and skin.
We got a little tour of Kucinta. It is a 45 feet beauty that was just launched in 2018. It has twin hulls which creates spacious area for guests to lounge & relax and this minimises the rocking motion & provides greater stability. It is great for people who are prone to sea-sickness. Kucinta has kitchenette and audio-visual amenities including a Bluetooth-enabled entertainment system and a touchscreen karaoke system. It looks like a perfect venue for a fun party.
There are 4 comfortable cabins with 2 bathrooms in the yacht. Naj just enjoyed going back and forth exploring the different cabins. He love lying down the soft bed. He thought we were sleeping on the boat. He asked me to lie down with him, say our evening prayers & tell him a bedtime story which I happily obliged but I told him that “No, we are not sleeping on the boat tonight, haha.”
Then we started sailing. We relaxed in the audio-visual area listening to the audio tour showcasing the sights along the Straits while we enjoy our ice cream on stick & Naj drinking his favorite drink, Yakult. Naj was listening intently at the audio narration that he learned some World War II history and famous Singapore & Malaysian landmarks. He excitedly would tell me with bright wide inquisitive eyes, “Mommy, the boat say there used to be fighting there!” and “Mommy, there is a fish farm there!”
Naj with his new friend, K
The sites that were featured during the cruise were:
1. Raffles Marina
2. Sempit Puteri/ Puteri Harbour (the narrowest part of the straits)
3. Pulau Sarimbun
4. Tuas Second Link
5. Sarimbun Beach Landing Site
6. Lim Chu Kang Fish Farms
7. Singapore Coast Guard Post
8. Cashin House
9. Dataran Bandaraya (Johor Side)
10. Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar (Johor Side)
11. Istana Besar (Johor Side)
12. Woodlands Causeway
It was nice to see areas that are historically significant but cannot be access in land like the mangroves area where Japanese troops first arrived during World War II, the Cashin House, a heritage building that used to be the home of the prominent Cashin family and Istana Besar, a regal seafront Johor royal palace. Naj was excited to see a glimpse of Puteri Harbour because he knows that is near Thomas & Friends Indoor Playground. The cruise was a wonderful relaxing and educational trip for us.
On the 4-hour cruise, Farrah and I managed to take some fun OOTD shots. It was just lovely to bask under the sun and enjoying the wind playing with our hair & skin.
Some tips to enjoy a yacht cruise:
1. Bring along your favorite people to hang out with you
2. Lather on lots of sunscreen and bring your dark sunglasses
3. Bring your fabulous dresses or gowns with props and take lots of OOTD shots because you have the perfect background when you are on a yacht.
(I had some OOTD photos taken using different nursing tops by Milky Way. Keep a look out for those in my instagram account: www.instagram.com/littlemisshoney)
4. Pop an anti-vertigo or anti-emetic pill before the trip if you have severe motion sickness
5. Bring a bandanna or hairband to tame your hair from the wind
6. Practice your favorite song for a possible impromptu karaoke contest
7. Bring your favorite bathing suit if you want to get some tan on the deck
8. Paint your toenails because you would be walking barefoot around the yacht
9. Have a potluck party or a bring-your-favorite-chips party
10. Think of a fun group game for everyone to enjoy or quiz each other on the historical landmarks throughout the cruise
I am sure there are a lot more fun activities to do in the yacht. It is a great way to have a relaxing mini-expedition with your family, a birthday party or bachelor/bachelorette party or an interesting activity to do with your tourist friends. Each cruise can take up to 27 guests and rates start at $1,600 for a 4-hour charter.
After 4-hours of cruising, we were back at Raffles Marina by 6 PM. And like a cue from the sky, the rain started falling hard. It waited for us to arrived safely, enjoying the afternoon with gentle waves and lots of fun.
If you are interested in experiencing the Kucinta Johor Strait Cruise, head to www.bbboats.com for more information.
Great news! There is a 10% discount off the charter rates of the Kucinta, as well as an additional hour of ride which is worth up to $250 on a weekend by quoting “Honey” and following Bbboats Instagram & Facebook Page. This offer is valid between January – March 2019 . Those interested may contact Bbboats for booking and quote “Honey” to avail the discount.
