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Cheapest Cruise in Singapore - Aegean Paradise Cruise Vacation with Soon Soon

2/23/2019

5 Comments

 
This is the cheapest cruise available in Singapore!

​If you enjoy cruises, where you can watch the sunrise and sunsets in their full glory without buildings blocking your your view, this cruise is fast and east to get to, with all food and non alcoholic drinks included. You are also able to order alcohol at lower prices, as well as ala carte food anytime you want.

So how do you book?
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Book a casino cruise with https://www.aegeanparadisecruise.com/
Booking a cruise is fast and easy with the agent, AP-Soon. https://www.aegeanparadisecruise.com/

Book Argean Paradise Cruise to nowhere from Singapore

Easy to book via whatsapp! When I found 
http://www.aponline.com.sg, booking was a dream because of the whatsapp link. Clicking on the whatsapp link opened whatsapp on my phone rightaway and I was able to start a conversation with the agent immediately. 

Kosey Low who answered is also known as Ah Soon, and he was quick and efficient in the handling of the booking. He asked how many would like to book, asked for a photo of the passport, and told me where to collect the tickets at the counter in Tanah merah Ferry Terminal. 

Aegean Paradise Cruise Rates 2019

Adults (18 years old and above)         
Everyday: $48
Last Ferry, Sunday - Thursday (Except for the eve of public holidays and public holidays) 8.30pm departure: $28

Children (Below 18 years old)
$48 on all days

Senior Citizens ( Above 55 years old )
Monday to friday: $28
Saturday, Sunday and eve of public holidays and holidays: $48
Last Ferry, Sunday - Thursday (Except for the eve of public holidays and public holidays) 8.30pm departure: $28

Some interesting information about Aegean Paradise

Built for a Japanese Cruise company and named Orient Venus in 1990, it was last deployed by a Turkish Cruise Operator who renamed her Aegean Paradise and sailed to the Greek Islands. Now bought over by New Century Cruise Lines, she has become a casino ship off the island of Batam. Beginning her cruise ship life at 3 stars, she was renovated to 4 stars by the Turkish Cruise Operator.  Retaining her former glory, she boasts of a swimming pool, a jacuzzi pool, hair salon, massage center, a pool bar, a karaoke lounge, one restaurant and one live entertainment lounge.

More information at: Wikipedia

So how was the experience?


Ah Soon, the premier agent of the Aegean Paradise Cruise To Nowhere
Get your Aegean Paradise Cruise Tickets from the people with a red shirt, with the word "Soon' printed on it.
Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
The New Century Tours Cruise Counter is in front of the taxi drop off at the "Departure" Terminal
Mangrove trees near the Nongsapura Ferry Terminal
Disembarking cruise passengers
Officers will collect your transit pass, you are not allowed to go into Batam.
The Small Ferry that will take you alongside the Aegean Paradise
First sight of the Aegean Paradise after a 15min small ferry ride.
 First you get your tickets from The New Century Tours Counter, from anyone in a red shirt with the words "Soon" with the chinese character that means "Smooth Sailing'. After collecting your tickets, you wait for the departure of the Batam Fast Ferry. It takes 30mins to arrive at Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam. 

After you disembark from the first Batam Fast Ferry, you will embark onto another smaller ferry. Those who want to go to Batam, please note that you are unable to enter Batam, you will need to go back to Singapore and get another Ferry to Batam. 

The smaller ferry will take you to Aegean Paradise, where your cruise adventure begins. This takes about 15mins, and the smaller ferry with berth alongside with the cruise ship, allowing you to board.

Embarking on the Aegean Paradise

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Ladies in red tshirts will greet you at the boarding area, and they will help you get the cabin as well as give you more information on the ferry rebate. If you gamble, you change $500 for a $20 ferry rebate, $800 for a $40 rebate. If you play slots, adding $500 into your slot card give you a $25 rebate and $800 into your slot card gives you a $45 rebate. Please note that both are non-negotiable chips and credit that you will get, which means it can only be changed to cash if you play.

If you don't gamble, you only pay $48 for the whole cruise, quite a bargain, I'll say! There is plenty to do on board without gambling at the tables or playing at the slot machines. If you arrived on the last ferry, you only pay $28 for the cruise, which is even more worthwhile. However, do remember that if you stay past 2.45pm the next day, you have to pay $20 per person to stay on.

Checking Into Aegean Paradise Cruise

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Click on this image to enlarge all the information about the Aegean Paradise Cruise Ship
At the check-in counter, they have listed all the opening hours, buffet times as well as information about their facilities in one sheet of laminated paper. 

This is where you can purchase WiFi if you wish - but bear in mind that you can only get the WIFI signals in the restaurant and in the casino area.

This is where you collect your keys and check out at 12noon.

Massage booking is easy, you just need to decide the type of massage you want, and book the therapists at the same counter. For Indonesian ( With lemongrass oil ) and Thai Massage, you can opt to have the therapists go to your cabin.

The rest of the massages are available in their wellness center on Deck 1, along with Sauna if you are looking to sit in a sauna room for a fee.

Foot Massage
$15 an hour

Foot and Shoulder Massage
$20 an hour

Indonesian Massage
$25 an hour

Thai Massage 
$50 an hour

The Balcony Room

The balcony room features a king sized bed, a sofa, a writing desk, a shower and a vanity desk. Life jackets are available in the cupboards, together with a safe. Toothbrushes can be bought at the gift shop, which is similar to a provision shop with drinks, food, snacks and toiletries available for a price lower than that of supermarkets in Singapore. Shampoo, shower foam and conditioner is available as a 3-in-one dispenser in the shower room.

Thankfully, I brought my own toiletries!
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This was the view from my cabin - the balcony in the balcony room was so narrow only one chair was placed out there - there is simply no room for more than that. Sitting here, writing and enjoying the breeze is a luxury, and on the night I arrived, (so my cruise was just $28 + cabin $80 ) there was a super full moon.

Look at how bright the moon is, and it was to keep shinning in the morning even with the sunrise.

The slow lapping of waves were so theraputic I fell asleep with the balcony door open.

 The Golden Balcony Room - Only 4 Available

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Chilling out on the balcony was my favourite on deck, as you could feel the gentle movements of the waves lapping against the ship.
I switched to the Golden Balcony room the next time I headed to the cruise, thinking that at $120, there would be more amenities, but it wasn't that different. 

The room is bigger, with 3 chairs on the balcony which is wider, a sofa bed was in the room, but other than that, there weren't any toiletries at all, not even a soap dispenser at the shower area. 

There are only 4 Golden Balcony Rooms available, and they are pretty near the back of the ship where the engines are, so you get this almost constant vibration, though it wasn't noisy.

Felt like a vibrating massage bed because of all the engine vibrations, which isn't so often, only when the ship had to move to realign itself on the high seas.

The Buffet Included in your cruise

Buffet Timings:

Breakfast: 5.30am - 9.30am

Lunch: 11.30am - 2.3opm

Dinner: 5.30pm - 9.00pm

​Supper: 10.00pm - 1.30am
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Supper! All buffet style! If that isn't enough, there are ala carte dishes that you can order, and even bird's nest! The pool bar is also a great option for alfresco dining, with Theme Nights and you will find alot of staff at the pool bar chilling out after work. Snacks like fries and chicken wings are available 24 hours and you can order them anywhere, even at the Panorama Karaoke Lounge. My least favourite meal was lunch, but the rest were great for me. The food is divided into a halal and non halal section, with the non halal food clearly labelled. 

The Pool Bar on the Aegean Paradise

Open from 10am - 3am, you can always get something to eat or drink right here and enjoy the cool sea breeze. Grill and Filipino Food nights are the most popular here - you have been warned! The swimming pool opens at 12noon to 3am if you feel like swimming while your friends sip on cocktails!

Panorama Lounge on the Aegean Paradise

Every friday they have disco night! Sometimes they get guest DJs and parties - this lounge is where many companies hold their corporate parties at, and the sound system here is pretty decent, with BMG speakers and good microphones. The Panorama lounge is only open from 7pm to 3am, with a $10 charge for karaoke the whole night long. The $10 fee covers one drink as well - this has to be the cheapest karaoke I've ever been to! A good selection of songs - English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, Hokkien, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai and even Japanese.

Massage Massage and More Massage

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The call this hot cream, and it is great for tired muscles and it feels cool even after the massage.
Indonesian Massage $25 an hour

I opted to have the massage in the cabin, and the therapists were amazing. Easing out the knots in my muscles, the therapist in red even steped on me to "crack" my back, first asking me to lie down on the floor covered with a blanket. 

This is available 24 hours a day, but for Indonesian Massage, they only have two therapists available, so do book when you embark.
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Foot and Shoulder Massage
$20 an hour
The wellness center has two chairs  for foot massage and one chair massage for your shoulder. The therapists are very skilled, and there are two male therapists from Batam. Fitted with a TV, you can watch while you relax.
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Chair Massage is available!
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After the slightly painful foot reflexology, I loved the sholder and back massage!

If you made it this far down in the blog post, here is a big tip for you! Try the wash and blow services available on board at the Hair Salon on Level One, next to the Wellness Center. This is the first time I've had head massage, shoulder massage, facial massage all during my hair wash and blow treatment! I felt so relaxed after the treatment, and my hair felt really soft after the conditioning. $20 and they take between 30mins - 45mins for the whole session.

Finally, their enitre menu available on board

So did I enjoy the experience? 
Yes I did, I was eating like almost the entire time, getting massages, singing my heart out at the Panorama Lounge and chilling out at the pool deck. I went with a book and an open mind, totally "switching off" due to the lack of internet connectivity. 

For those who need to be connected, there is WIFI on board. I was able to also receive signals every now and then on Circles Life, my friends were able to connect using DIGI, Singtel, Starhub and M1 at the pool bar and Panorama Lounge.

Getting the cruise tickets via Ah Soon was also fast and easy, and their service is simply the best. For those who gamble, you might find that the casino area is quite small, with less than 40 tables and less than 200 slot machines. If you gamble, rolling with Ah Soon is great because you get $1 back for every $100 cash chip that is changed. My friend got back close to $200 as he was winning and changing the cash chips for the non negotiable ( NN ) chips that Ah Soon's rolling girl provided. That's over 20k in chips changed! Min bet is $10, Max bet is $300 per box.

For families, is this family friendly? I would say not, as this is a smoking cruise, with all areas available for smokers, even in air condition and at all the food areas. However, they have air purifiers onboard, so it wasn't all that smokey.

Booking Information

Book at http://www.aponline.com.sg
Tel / Whatsapp / Call: +65 9834 7998
​Address: ​50 Tanah Merah Ferry Rd, Singapore 498833
How to get there:

https://www.singaporecruise.com.sg/index.php/terminals/scctanah-merah/transport-network/
Regular Sailing Times
​Monday - Friday
Cruise Embarkation: 
8.00am
​10.00am

11.00am
12.00pm
2.20pm
4.20pm
6.30pm
8.30pm
Cruise Disembarkation:
6.15am
12.30pm
2.45pm
5.00pm
6.45pm
​8.30pm
Extra Timings for Sat and Sun
Cruise Embarkation:
​8.55am 
​
Cruise Disembarkation:
6.15am (Sat)
​8.00am (Sun and PH)

5 Comments
Jasmine tok
9/6/2019 01:09:24 pm

Should i bring passport?
Can i go in in morning and back on evening?

Reply
Vivien Goh link
9/6/2019 01:19:37 pm

Yes you need your passport, and yes, you can go for a day cruise too.

Reply
Cal
12/9/2019 02:19:20 am

Thank you for this article
I was just checking info on this cruise and found your piece.
It was very detailed and a good read. Thanks again.
Just want to check that the boat is anchored permanently in the sea? As in it doesn’t move?

Reply
Mike
1/25/2020 08:49:49 pm

Do you think possible to bring own alcohol onboard? Is there any bag check?

Reply
LILAWATI DEVI
7/7/2022 03:05:22 pm

what is the last ferry departing time on Saturday night ? how much the cabin cost for a queen size bed ? where do I board the ferry from ? can I purchase the ticket on line ? Do I use a mask in the ferry ?

Reply



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    Author

    Vivien Goh travels alot, and she loves getting onto the plane and exploring the world when she arrives alone. There is something enticing about being able to discover new ideas, cultures and food that excites her. She travels light, with just one bag, but comes back to Singapore with loads. Be it for clothes, instant noodles, or game prizes for her show, she has to travel with extra bags in her little backpack.


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