My First VIP Cruise Trip With My Family

By Awliya

When I was 16 years old during my school holiday, I went on my very first cruise vacation with my family. We boarded the famous Genting Dream from Port Klang to Singapore for 4 days and 3 nights. It was honestly one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life.

Before boarding the cruise, we arrived at the cruise terminal for registration. Since my family booked a VIP package called The Palace, we were given fast access without needing to wait in the long queue like other passengers. We also received special gold lanyards and cards that showed we were VIP guests. I felt so excited already even before entering the cruise. The VIP experience on Genting Dream includes priority check-in, private dining, luxury suites, and exclusive facilities.

 
After the registration process, one of the workers personally guided us to the cruise. From far away, I could already see how huge the ship was. It honestly looked like a giant building floating on the ocean. The cruise itself has 18 decks and can carry thousands of passengers, which explains why it felt like an entire city on water.

 
Our suite was located in a different section from the standard rooms. The room was much bigger, more private, and very luxurious. As soon as we entered, the television displayed a welcome message for us. There were also complimentary coffee and fresh fruits prepared as a welcome gift. I was truly amazed by the balcony view facing the sea. Even the bed was arranged facing the balcony, so we could relax while enjoying the beautiful ocean view directly from the bed.

The VIP facilities were also very special. We had access to exclusive restaurants without needing to queue for food. That night, my family decided to have dinner at a western restaurant. Before the main course arrived, we were served a small dessert and juice. I ordered salmon, my mother chose steak, my younger sibling had a burger set, and my father ordered lamb chop. Everything tasted extremely fresh and delicious.

Later that night, we visited the VIP swimming pool area. Besides the pool, there was also a round jacuzzi that could fit around six people. We spent quite a long time there because the warm bubbling water felt so relaxing, almost like a body massage after a tiring day.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the VIP buffet restaurant. There were so many food choices such as nasi lemak, fried noodles, croissants, pastries, toast, sausages, eggs, and many more. The atmosphere honestly felt like eating breakfast in a luxury café.

After breakfast, we returned to our room to get ready before stopping at Penang. We were allowed to explore outside for around eight hours. My family and I went shopping and visited H&M to look for clothes and shoes. After a few hours of shopping, we returned to the cruise and explored more areas inside the ship.

Inside the cruise, there were many duty-free shops selling perfumes, skincare, makeup products, chocolates, and souvenirs. There were also entertainment areas and cafés everywhere. Later, we visited the standard pool area, which looked like a mini waterpark because it had very tall water slides and several jacuzzis.

At night, we attended a live performance show inside the theatre. Since we were VIP guests, we could enter earlier and sit near the front stage without waiting in line. I was extremely happy because I could watch the performances closely. There were gymnastics, ballet, magic shows, singing, dancing, and storytelling performances.

                                                                                                        

My favourite performance was the Cinderella-themed dance. The dancer wore a beautiful sparkling blue gown, and the entire performance felt like I was inside a Disney movie. I was completely mesmerized by how magical everything looked.

After the show, we went upstairs near the pool with the giant slides to take family pictures with the cruise in the background as memories. Later, we had dinner at a Malay restaurant.We enjoyed white rice with asam pedas fish, giant prawns cooked in coconut gravy, spicy red prawns, chicken soup, tom yum seafood soup, spicy beef, mixed vegetables, and kerabu. The food tasted amazing and really suited our Malaysian taste buds.

The next morning, we woke up early again for breakfast. I repeated eating nasi lemak with rendang because it was seriously so good. After breakfast, we explored more activities around the cruise. There was a water park, mini golf, playgrounds, and even a rope course adventure activity where participants wore safety harnesses while completing obstacles high above the deck. Genting Dream is known for its many onboard attractions including waterslides, rope courses, live performances, and luxury dining experiences.

After exploring, we changed into our swimsuits and spent time at the waterpark. I tried every water slide available. The slides were extremely fast and long, almost like riding a roller coaster. I enjoyed them so much that I repeated some slides around five times. I also accompanied my younger sibling to the kids’ water play area and smaller slides.

That night, we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant where the chef cooked directly in front of us. We were served salad, chicken, vegetables, and eggs. The chef even performed entertaining tricks while cooking, such as spinning and tossing eggs in the air. It was very impressive and fun to watch. The food had a healthy and lighter taste, so we adjusted the flavours ourselves using black pepper and salt provided on the table.

After dinner, we returned to our suite to rest because the next day was our final morning on the cruise.

On the last day, we woke up early because the cruise would arrive back at Port Klang around 10 AM. After having breakfast one final time, we returned to our room, packed our belongings, and checked out.

This trip will always remain one of the most beautiful memories in my life because it was my first time boarding such a huge luxury cruise ship. Everything felt magical — from the ocean view and delicious food to the entertainment and VIP experience. I truly hope that one day in the future, I can return again with my own future family and create even more beautiful memories together.