Fancy jumping aboard a Tall Ship for a 1.5 hour buffet cruise with a spot of wicked pirate education? Aye mateys! And we sailed under fine skies on the Royal Albatross for a taste of its family-friendly Pirates Ahoy! sailing experience, launched in May 2023.
Royal Albatross’ Pirates Ahoy: Heave Ho and Board the Pirate Ship
“It is not the destination so much as the journey, they say,” said Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean show On Stranger Tides.
For Pirates Ahoy on the Royal Albatross, the journey starts at Resorts World Sentosa.
We followed the signages toward the S.E.A. Aquarium and continued past its entrance along the waterfront toward the Adventure Cove Waterpark entrance.
And there she was: The Royal Albatross. The vision that greeted us. A magnificent, fierce and huge-ish ship indeed.
A unique, grand Barquentine (foremast square-rigged sailing vessel) Class A and the only Tall Ship in the Asia Pacific, she is clad in hardwood and sports four types of high aluminum masts, 22 sails, more than 200 working ropes and a prominent bow spirit extending 10 metres out at the front.
With sails and rigging designed by Hollywood Master Rigger Jim Barry, who also designed the rigging on ships used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the Royal Albatross is a thing of beauty – it looks and operates like an old-world galleon.
Did you know that there are less than a hundred Tall Ships left in the world?
The Royal Albatross was originally built in 2001 as Windy II and operated on the Great Lakes in North America before being renamed in 2011. The ship even cameoed in a Batman film – “The Dark Knight” (2008) as Bruce Wayne’s private yacht where he absconded with the entire ballet company!
Earn Your Sea Legs, Me Hearties!
After a quick check in with photo identifications at the registration desk near the ticketing office, we made our way down the gangway toward the ship.
We were required to remove our shoes before boarding to keep the deck clean.
Among the rookie pirates-in-training on the day of our cruise, there was a good mix of younger and older children aged from four to twelve.
A maximum of two children need to be accompanied by one adult on the Pirates Ahoy! cruise.
Some kids were raring to go and all dressed up in their full pirate attire! Arrr, Arrgh, Yarr, Gar.
We were greeted by a highly energetic buccaneer crew who beamed at all kid pirates who were given individual name tags. Kids were gifted a huge chocolate gold coin as a welcome treat! The young rookie pirates raised a loud piratey cheer as they celebrated their easily-gained booty!
Hearty Pirate Buffet and Sail Away!
First we feasted!
Up the stairs and we were on the open deck where dining tables and chairs were arrayed in simple festive finery. Friendly waitstaff served us a continuous free flow of coffee, tea and cold fruit juice.
The cruise was off to a hearty start with a delectable buffet filled with selection of freshly baked pastries and breads, Western and Asian hot and cold fare served in the Welldeck and the Grand Salon.
The kids heaped their plates with golden tater tots, crisp beef bacon, savoury chipolata sausages and creamy cheese slices with crackers which went very well with fresh fruit platters.
Following a warm welcome by the Captain and crew, and a safety briefing at the Helm Station, we were ready to weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen – that’s “set sail” for you landlubbers!
Seafaring Sailing Route
The Pirates Ahoy cruise took us past Harbourfront Centre and Keppel Bay toward the dark green humps of the Southern Islands (Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Tekukor, St John’s Island, Sentosa and the two Sisters’ Islands) on the Singapore Strait, before turning back to Sentosa.
Cruising the green-blue waters, with sun glitter sparkling the waves and a light sea breeze blowing through our hair, it was lovely to explore the ship from bow to stern.
The sound of the wind was complemented with the music of sea shantys and popular pirate songs playing the background.
Yo-ho-ho, it’s a Pirate’s Life for Me!
All Hand Hoy! Everyone get on deck!
Highlights for the kids were the fun, curated programme by our lovely pirate crew-hosts who first pitched two competitive teams of young pirates against each other to raise the sails on the Upper Deck.
It was “Heave Ho lads and lassies” without having to swab the decks!
The older kids especially were all bright-eyed and ready to hoist the mizzen!
Then off to the air-conditioned cabin they went, for a pirate party in the posh Grand Salon with their new mateys and more eats for the rest of the activities!
The pirate cadets had a blast as they were treated to an hour of fun playing pirates, including swashbuckling fights with balloon woodlogs and cutlasses, pirate-themed crafts and education, rope-tying skills, dance jigs and unlocking the treasure chest for a booty of scrummy snack packs.
Aye, Aye, Captain! Pirate Cadet Award Ceremony and Goodie Bags
Kudos to the tireless, warm and friendly pirate crew aboard the ship with their witty banter, patience and enthusiasm engaging with the kids pirates, effectively coaxing the more reclusive personalities to join in the fun.
After much merrymaking, the young scallywags were each awarded a special Pirate Cadet certificate by the Captain for successfully completing their tasks. The haul of booty was completed with the handing out of goodie bags and refreshing frozen mocktails before the ship returned to port.
We had a remarkable ride aboard the Royal Albatross and enjoyed the entertaining Pirates Ahoy! family-oriented adventure, leaving with lovely memories.
The kids enjoyed the cruise tremendously for the food, fun, personable friendly pirate crew and new friends made during pirate-training while heading out to sea with a generous booty of snacks and games!
Farewell and fair winds, Royal Albatross, until our next seafaring adventure with you!
Get more information on Pirates Ahoy! on Royal Albatross.
Pirates Ahoy! Sailing Adventure on Royal Albatross
Recommended for:
Adults aged 13+,
Children ages 4 to 12. Each child will need to be accompanied by a paying Adult aged 18+.
Maximum of 2 Children per Parent or Guardian.
Cost: Adult $125++/ Child $95++. Tickets are changeable, transferable, valid for 6 months and non-refundable.
Sailing Time: Every Sunday 3 pm (Starting 23 July 2023)
Duration: 1.5 Hours Sail Out at Sea & Pirates Hearty Feast with fun Pirate Activities for the kids
Bonus: Young Cadet Certificate and Photo Op With The Captain & Crew
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