01. 38 cruise brands are active in Asian waters in 2018, deploying a total of 78 ships, with Genting Hong Kong and Royal Caribbean International dominating the market.
02. 2.4 million cruise passengers hailed from China, compared to 1.7 million from the rest of Asia in 2017.
03. Naming ceremonies are very important for all cruise lines, as it’s considered bad luck for a ship to enter service without a name.
04. Asia received 7,169 port calls in 2018, 27 calls less than 2017, with Japan seeing the most calls of any destination with 2,601.
05. Between 2012 and 2017, Asian cruise passengers grew from 775,000 to nearly 4.1 million, an estimated 39 per cent compound annual growth rate
06. 46 The average age of the Asian cruise passenger
07. Star Cruises, a pioneer in the Asia-Pacific cruise industry, has been in operation since 1993
08. 4.3 million passengers cruised in Asia in 2018, a one per cent year-on-year increase
09. 9.7 per cent of passengers in Asia prefer four- to six-night sailings, while 26 per cent prefer shorter sailings of two to three nights
10. An increasing number of celebrity chefs, such as Jacques Pépin, Jamie Oliver and Curtis Stone are bringing their restaurants aboard cruise ships
11. A lot of ships do not have a deck 13 due to superstition, as sailors believe the number to be associated with bad luck
12. A long-standing tradition for cruise lines, godmothers are influential women who have been chosen to christen a new ship to bring good luck and protection. Famous godmothers include Fan Bingbing (right), the Duchess of Cambridge and Malala Yousafzai
13. The original Titanic, which was 269m long and 52,310 tons, would be barely half the size of most modern ships today
14. The Genting Dream, currently homeported in Singapore, has become the first cruise ship in Asia to offer halal-certified cuisine options in The Lido restaurant. The halal menu includes popular local favourites such as ayam madu (honey chicken) and tandoori kambing (mutton tandoori)
15. Europe is the leading destination chosen by longhaul cruisers sailing outside of Asia, with 25 per cent of cruisers travelling to the Western Mediterranean, and nine and eight per cent respectively travelling to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Baltics
16. In a span of a three-night Royal Caribbean cruise, guests onboard can consume a total of 10,286 slices of pizza
17. The Caribbean/Bahamas is the world’s most popular cruise destination – more than a third of all cruises sail there
18. Genting Dream carries two small deep sea submarines that can each take four people down to a depth of up to 200m
19. Most cruise ships have a multi-national crew hailing from an average of 64 countries on any given voyage
20. 22,394kg of fresh eggs are consumed on an average three-night Royal Caribbean cruise
21. There are cruise ships designed for permanent residents. Such a life is available on board The World, a luxury ocean liner that offers permanent residence to 165 guests
22. The average cruise ship sails the equivalent of three times around the world each year, covering some 135,196km or (73,000 nautical miles)
23. 
Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas has a 10-deck slide for guests to enjoy
24. Guests sailing on the Sapphire Princess will be able to watch the solar eclipse on December 26, 2019, along the Straits of Malacca, a first at sea in Asia
25. Almost all cruise lines have morgues with space for up to three people on board. If someone dies on board, the ship will hold the body until it ports and further arrangements can be made
26. The departure horn of Majestic Princess, a ship launched in 2017 for the Asian market, is a melody of the song from the TV series The Love Boat
27. Norwegian Bliss brings the biggest race track to sea with the latest two-level electric-car race track – a first for any cruise ship
28. P&O Cruises is the world’s oldest cruise line, with its history tracing back to 1837. The line carried its first passengers from Southampton, the UK to Athens, Gibraltar and Malta in 1844
29. Asian cruise passengers predominantly cruise only within Asia on short sailings, with 91% of Asian cruisers sailing within the region
30. Observation pods on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships rise to 92m above sea level, taller than the height of 11 Merlions
31. Experience flying through the wind with the skydiving simulator onboard selected Royal Caribbean ships. The chamber which is 3.1m wide and 7m high can go up to 257km/hour based on the individual’s weight and skill level
32. Silversea has the world’s most expensive cruise experience. Suites on The World Cruise 2020 aboard the Silver Whisper start from US$62,000 per person
33. Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas is currently the world’s largest cruise ship at 228,081 tons and sporting 18 decks. She has a total of 2,759 staterooms and a maximum capacity of 6,680 guests
34. Expect a fireworks show at sea when on a five-night-long cruise with Dream Cruises – a first in Asia
35. Silversea Cruises allow guests to enjoy free-flowing premium wines and spirits, and in-suite fridges contain guests’ preferred drinks
36. 1,922 cruises and 119 voyages were scheduled in Asia through 2018, a 2.2 per cent dip from the previous year
37. It’s The Ship is a one-of-a-kind Asian electronic music festival onboard a cruise liner for three days and two nights. Departing from the Singapore shores for the fifth time this year, it will be onboard the Genting Dream where renowned DJs will be spinning at the poolside all day and night
38. The surf simulator FlowRider on board Royal Caribbean’s ships pumps water at a rate of up to 100,000 gallons per minute which is 67 times faster than a fire hydrant
RIVER CRUISES
39. Motion sickness will not be a problem on river cruises as vessels do not sail into open oceans with large waves
40. The average length of a river cruise ship is 118m – the length of one football pitch
41. The smaller size of a river ship enables it to dock in locations seagoing vessels cannot reach, offering access to narrow ports and shallow waterways with intimate shore excursions
42. Avalon Waterways is the only company with ships built to sail from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, eliminating about seven hours of travel by road
43. Suites onboard Aqua Expeditions vessels have no TV. Instead, there are wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling windows to allow guests with magnificent views for a fully enjoyable sailing experience
44. With its shallow draft design, Pandaw Expeditions’s Mekong Pandaw is the only ship that can sail up to Stung Treng, Cambodia, to spot the endangered Irrawaddy river dolphins
45. Uniworld is gearing up to launch Mekong Jewel in January 2020, touted to be the most luxurious ship to sail the Mekong
Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts and KMA Hotels Group have signed an MoU to begin the development and renovation of six hotels in Myanmar, all to be managed under Centara brands.
This will see three of KMA Hotels Group’s existing properties located in Inle, Naypyitaw and Taungoo undergo refurbishment prior to reopening, and the development of three new hotels in Bagan and Than Daung, namely Centara Bagan River View Resort & Spa Kaytumadi Dynasty Bagan Resort, Centara Boutique Collection and Shwe Than Daung Resort, and Centara Boutique Collection.
All six hotels will operate under the upscale and upper upscale Centara and Centara Boutique Collection brands. The Centara Paradise Inle Lake Resort & Spa is scheduled open its doors in 4Q this year.
The deal marks Centara’s entry into one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets and enables the company to secure a significant Myanmar foothold.
“Our partnership with KMA Hotels represents a significant milestone for Centara,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO. “It gives us the opportunity to establish a significant presence for Centara in a country with huge potential for tourism development.”
KMA Group of Companies is a privately held company founded and led by Khin Maung Aye, chairman of CB Bank. The group comprises 15 corporate entities operating across a range of industries.