MV Leisure World
It was the 21st anniversary celebrations of MV Leisure World. The ship was built in 1969 and named MV Skyward. She then went through various name changes over the years until her present name in 1993. Today, New Century Tours is her sales handling agent and operator. I boarded the MV Leisure World recently. Unlike her namesake, she isn't a cruise ship for leisure. She is a floating casino. The theme of the anniversary celebrations was "Live to Love" and all sales proceeds from entertainment that week goes to the Assisi Hospice for cancer patients. So that's for a good cause.
To get to the ship, I boarded a smaller ferry at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Nongsapura, Batam island. That takes about 40 minutes. And then a transfer to a larger ferry to the cruise ship, another 20 minutes. As understand the larger ferry will consolidate guests from Malaysia and Indonesia. So the two rides were the cruising on the high seas, whereas once you are onboard the cruise ship, she lays "as is where she is". She wasn't moving at all. She is anchored in international waters somewhere off Indonesia. To be exact, the ship is permanently moored at (N01°13.768' E104°07.768'). Which is about 21KM away from East Coast Park of Singapore and 5.2KM away from Tanjung Bulu of Batam Island.
Maybe, guests doesn't like the tables and chairs to rock and roll when they played. They need stability and comfort. Imagine your bets on the table moving with the waves. You either scream or swear with your moving bets. I am not too sure about gaming rules onboard ship during rough weather conditions when things started moving on its own.
Though the ship was stationary during my stay, but she can move on her own power. There's an active crew onboard. There was this organization chart with photographs where the Captain and the Chief Engineer were stated as Ukrainian nationals and rest of crew a mix of Myanmese, Filippinos, Malaysian and Chinese nationals. I believe when guests looked at the Caucasian photos of the Captain, they have the feel good factor. Ahem! must be an experienced master, the ship is in safe hands. So they can concentrate on their game, come what may be it on the high seas.
There were regular ferry shuttles to the cruise ship from Pasir Gudang, Malaysia and Singapore and Batam. So you find majority of guests onboard were Malaysians, Chinese nationals, Indonesians and Singaporeans.
From Singapore, the ferry tickets to the ship was S$13 for a two way transfer and if it's your birthday month, you travel free. The ferry tickets could be the reason that you see many onboard, because all meals are inclusive and you don't pay any casinos levies. You can have four meals onboard, breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper and for as many days as you chose to stay. The lunch looks fitting for the anniversary celebrations. Supper and breakfast were simple but alright. That's the three meals I had. As for lodging, you can book a cabin, and that's S$40 a night for a 3 bedder. I guessed some guests went without accommodation. You can find them resting at the walkways and corridors and everywhere. They eat, gambled and it repeats.
It's also a smoker haven onboard because you can smoke anywhere you like.
According to marine statistics, the average lifespan of a cruise ship is about 30 years. The MV Leisure World is 45 years old this year since she was built in 1969. Probably, she has an extended life span due to the her various name changes and so her new lives. However, the truth being an old vessel, the ship's conditions is really old. Everything looks and feels old. There were signs of a new coat of paintings here and there. But it still smells old albeit the smells of new paint-works. The cabin is old, the bathroom is old, the restaurant is old and the lounge is old. The singers at the lounge were not so old but they sang old songs to be in sync with the audience. And you can still hear odd voices in your cabins long after the band has stopped playing. You can hear voices from your neighbors next door. The walls of the ship must be thin as you can actually hear voices through the walls.
Gambling was never on my mind. I wasn't there for gaming but to experience a bit of adventures on the high sea. I have never been on a floating casino. The only regrets was the ship wasn't sailing when I was onboard. She was just floating as is and where she is. It was calm sea for that whole night despite the North Eastern monsoon season. There wasn't any rolling of the ship, it was just like on dry land. I read that the ship will move from its anchorage near Batam in the night to another anchorage at Pulau Tekam in Malaysia and then back in the morning. But I have my doubts in that. I was once a sailor boy and I am sure there wasn't any movements. My cabin has no window and it was on deck level four, just one level above the crew members cabins. There was not a sound of the main engine running. No vibrations of any sorts from a grand old dame on the move and not a single bit of rock and roll. Perhaps I should have checked that out on deck in the night to prove myself right but I didn't. I guessed I was worried. What if I come face to face with sea pirates? A slow moving and especially a stationary ship is an easy target for pirates on the high sea and I supposed there are lots of them lurking around in the Indonesian archipelago, in international water and in a no man's land so near to so many remote islands. And there's a rich target of rich uncles and aunties and bankers onboard this treasure island. Even the jackpots are loaded with cash money. I have seen many smiling faces of past winners of grand jackpot prizes on the ship's poster board where there's almost a winner for every month of this year. Their prize money ranges from $10k to 59k. That's many good wins for many winners.
Sometime in 2011, there were news reports that casino ships businesses were badly affected by our new IRs. Somehow or rather, I think they still managed to attract gamblers who doesn't mind the inconveniences of traveling the distance. The ferry tickets is never a concern as there's free food onboard and if you like that old nostalgic feel of being on a grand old ship on the deep blue sea. It's still very much an attraction. For smokers, you are in paradise.