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The open sea beckons—it’s time to dip your toe in the world of travel with staycation cruises or superyacht charters

Imagine the warm sun on your skin and the ocean breeze on your face—it's hard to find a more relaxing travel experience than being out at sea. It wasn’t long ago that cruises seemed like a cautionary tale, but they are now poised to be one of the first holiday offerings to fully resume operations. Even with travel bubbles like that of Singapore-Hong Kong announced, leisure travel will still be slow to return with flights limited to once a day.

Those searching for a hassle-free holiday experience that's well within social distancing rules would be best served by going out to sea. From themed sailings like the world's first dog cruise on the Royal Albatross in Singapore to the regional itineraries departing this month, here are three ways to sail away:

Staycation Cruises

Pilot programmes such as the “Cruise to Nowhere” onboard Genting Cruise Lines’ World Dream and Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas in Singapore have jumpstarted the trend of staycation cruises (or 'cruisecations' as others call it), where guests enjoy all a ship has to offer while sailing on international waters. The success of the offering in Singapore has led to an extension of the programme to October; similar ventures are being rolled out in Australia and in the UK in June, the latter to be operated by Cunard Line.

Related: Why Staycation Cruises Could be a Huge Travel Trend in 2021

Tatler Asia
Above The decadent bar of the Silver Moon, the new vessel of Silversea Cruises launching this year

Regional Itineraries

There’s a lot of excitement ahead of the world’s first multi-country cruise trip post-pandemic happening in May, travelling from Israel to Cyprus and Greece. This paves the way for other cruise companies to embark on regional sailings.

One of the most anticipated vessels this year is Silver Moon, Silversea Cruises’ newest ship, which debuts next month in Portugal. It arrives in Asia in November, offering sailings within India and from Hong Kong to Singapore. The vessel features brand new additions such as the S.A.L,T culinary programme (the acronym stands for “Sea And Land Taste”), which offers guests market trips and special dinners that showcase a true taste of every local destination. 

Related: What It's Really Like On An Ultra-Luxury Cruise Aboard The Silver Muse

It's not too early to book, and we found this interesting roundtrip: a 12-day itinerary departing from Hong Kong in January 2022. It sails through Southeast Asia and stops at six ports including the stunning Coron in Palawan, Philippines and the iconic Da Nang in Northern Vietnam before returning to Hong Kong on the eve of Chinese New Year. Perfect timing? We think so. 

Tatler Asia
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Above The superyacht Lind, available for charter at Burgess

Superyacht Charters

While commercial cruises ground to a halt in 2020, it was a banner year for yacht charters and sales. The freedom of travelling at one’s own pace has fostered more interest in yachting across Asia; Thailand has even approved yachts for quarantine.

For the ultimate out-of-office experience, charter company Burgess Asia recommends disconnecting with a weeklong trip to Indonesia, Phuket, and the Maldives. Choose from the massive 74.5-metre Amels Lady E, the 44.2 Pendennis Hemisphere, the world’s largest sailing catamaran, or the 52.3-metre Lind, a superyacht with a super-sleek exterior design by Tim Heywood.

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