My First Time on a Yacht With Blue Star Yachting

Despite the growing popularity of yachting as a leisure activity in Singapore, I had never been on one before – at least not until last week. A press invitation care of Blue Star Yachting changed all that.

Setting sail from the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, I came aboard a luxury catamaran that could accommodate as many as 37 people. It’s just the sort of boat that people hire for corporate activities, to entertain clients or simply to chill with friends. For that evening, however, I counted folks from the media as my fellow passengers as we cruised around the southern part of the Singapore coast.

the interiors of our luxury catamaran

Led by captain Celine Flamain, our luxury catamaran has a cozy and air conditioned hall/saloon perfect for meals or on a longer cruise, a round of poker or two. It’s also fitted with Harman Kardon speakers, an LCD TV and a DVD player. Beneath it, the sleeping quarters make for a comfortable place for some shut-eye.

What’s great about our sunset cruise is that I got to see facets of the island that I never normally get to see on the ground. The Singapore skyline looked denser from afar, and I managed to capture glimpses of the typically off-limits heavy industry in some of the outlying islands. We were also lucky to have witnessed a magnificent sunset that day.

glorious sunset

Aside from tracing the Singapore coast, our cruise also took us around Kusu, St. John’s and Lazarus islands, places that I last visited a while back and wouldn’t mind visiting again. On longer cruises, it’s actually possible to drop anchor in order to explore some of these islands. On our way back, we even chanced upon the fireworks show over at Sentosa.

Blue Star Yachting offers a myriad of packages, including some fascinating ones that extend to as far as Pulau Tioman and allows ample time for snorkeling or even diving. A short 3-hour cruise around Singapore’s Marina area and the outlying islands like the one we had can be done for as little as $100 per person. Add another $25 and you get food as well! Or you can bring your own.

arjen blom, owner of wine directions, pouring the wine

For our cruise that night, we had the cold cuts ($30 per pax) and cheese platter ($20 per pax) which was a perfect accompaniment to the wines provided by Wine Directions, an exclusive distributor of several Australian branded wines.

Overall, I enjoyed my first time on the yacht. It offers just the type of relaxation that’s much needed in a hectic environment like Singapore. For a few hours, one gets the rare chance to escape the hustle and bustle and be surrounded instead by no less than the open sea. With a dozen or two friends along, it’s a great way to spend 3 hours of one’s time.

You can find more information about Blue Star Yachting here.

I was hosted by Blue Star Yachting on a press trip. However, all opinions are my own.