Christmas Cruising

What was it?

Christmas Day cruising was a boat trip for a group of 27 expats who found themselves away from home and family at Christmas. It was organised by one expat family and they invited their friends. We were the newest expats in the group who had the privilege of being invited along.

How much did it cost?

The boat hire cost S$1610 (£930) and this was divided between the families. As there were 26 of us (plus a baby) this came to $67 (£38.69) per person and was paid in advance. We paid $200 (£115.50) in total for the 3 of us to be on board.

Where

We met at Sentosa Cove Arrival Plaza, One 15 Degree Marina. The meeting point was at Cold Storage supermarket (which was open all day on Christmas Day!). The return taxi fare was S$100.

Schedule

10.45am to 10:55am – Assembly at the Cold Storage Arrival Plaza

10:55am to 11:00am – A call to the Captain in charge and he met us to assist and guide us to the boarding point of the yacht.

11:00am – Departed from ONE º15 Marina Club

11:00am to 11:45am – Island Cruising

11:45am to 2:20pm – anchor at Lazarus Island, phones switched off and activities commenced. The Captain cooked the BBQ whilst everyone was having fun.

2:20pm to 3:00pm – everyone back on board, equipment packed away and headed off back towards Singapore for City Skyline cruising around the Marina Bay South area.

3:00pm to 3:30pm – We cruised back to  ONE º15 Marina Club.

Food on board

Things we had to bring with us:

– Food

– Drinks

– Ice Cubes

– Utensils & Cutlery

We each brought something along to share Which reminded us of Christmas back home. There was a lot of food available. The Captain of the boat cooked up the barbecue.

1. Cheese, Biscuits, Dips platter.

2. Pigs in Blankets

3. Chicken Wings

4. Loaded Nachos

5 BBQ ribs

6. Boerewors bites, Caprese salad on a toothpick and biltong

7. Crisps and snacks

There was a refrigerator and cooler box available for use on board and the boat company provided a free flow of mineral water (bottled) during the charter.  Everyone also brought drinks (both alcoholic and non alcoholic).

We started the day with the traditional glass of champagne immediately after we boarded and listened to the safety briefing glass in hand! We ate and drank all day.

Activities

Swimming

Diving off the boat from both decks proved very popular. I jumped from the top deck once. Once was enough – it was further down than it looked!

Floating mat

Paddle boarding

Canoeing

A thing that looked like a floating exercise bike

Drone flying for Rez

White Elephant gift exchange for the adults. $20 gifts which had to be amusing.

(Official White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules https://www.whiteelephantrules.com)

The Verdict

We all had an absolutely amazing day with new friends. It was such fun. Everyone got along well, the food was fabulous and the weather was perfect. Definitely a Christmas Day to remember for a long time.