Adler Hostel in Singapore offers luxury hostel stay

Hostel in Singapore was a rarity just until a few years ago but thanks to increased number of budget travelers and runaway cost of renting a simple hotel room in Singapore, many hostels emerged in the past few years. With the opening of  The Matchbox Concept Hostel and Wink Hostel, we have also started to see increasing number of relatively luxurious hostels offering some privacy to its guests in the form of cabins or pots.

One of these luxury hostels offering much more than basic bed + shower combination of a standard hostel is Adler Hostel in Chinatown. The hostel calls itself "The First Luxurious Hostel in Singapore". I have doubts about that they are the "first" but the property is really luxurious for a hostel. In fact, Adler Hostel has been at the top of "the best value for money" accommodation in Singapore list in Asia's leading hotel booking site Agoda.com with a rating of Fantastic (9.0).

Adler Hostel occupies a newly renovated traditional shop-house which is conveniently located in Chinatown, just behind the Temple Street. It is a short walk away from Chinatown MRT Station. The hostel features cabins dorm beds separated by panels from each other. The beds in Adler Hostel are housed in two 16-bed dorms. Add these dormitory beds a curtain that can be pulled, they provide a lot of privacy while sleeping. The comfort level it provides to its guests in its class has also put the hostel in the best room comfort/standard list in agoda.

He could have actually squeezed in 46 beds in the Chinatown hostel but Adler Hostel’s young founder, Mr Adler Poh, 25, decided to have a conservative 32 beds. This decision provides extra space for the hostel guests with more privacy and quiet environment:

"Adler Hostel is not your usual hostel, and it is our aim to create a niche that other hostels cannot replicate. Adler Hostel is deliberately kept small to offer a boutique feel. Differentiation also lies in our guest services. For instance, we have a concierge that will recommend off-the-beaten-track attractions and activities in Singapore, tailor travel itineraries and offer attraction tickets at discounted rates" says Adler Poh (source : Adler Hostel makes debut in luxury scene).

Adler Hostel in Singapore provides private cabins with curtains. In this photo the Ivory Room at Adler Hostel 

Daily rates are S$60 (US$49) per night, which is higher than what other hostels in Singapore are charging but since no-frills budget hotels in Chinatown can easily fetch 100++ SGD per night per room, if you really want to stretch your dollars and save on accommodation in Singapore while not downgrading so much, Adler Hostel provides a very good alternative for you in Chinatown.

"For instance, there’s a hostel in this area that charges S$50 per night. Despite the higher rate, occupancy has been very good. We welcomed our first guest on November 12, and up till (mid-December) the hostel is running at 70 per cent occupancy" says Adler Poh (source : Adler Hostel makes debut in luxury scene).

Here is how to get to Adler Hostel

• Take MRT Purple Line and alight at Chinatown MRT Station.
• Exit from Exit A (towards Pagoda Street).
• Walk straight out to the main road of South Bridge Road 
• Turn right when you see Temple Street
• Adler Hostel is on the left.

Customers book direct with the property or through OTAs such as Agoda. “Due to the demographic of our target market, it is natural that we work more closely with OTAs,” says Poh.

Adler Hostel is one of the nicest hostels in Singapore with a great location, classy facilities and value for money. You can read some reviews of the hostel here.

Here are some other boutique style hostels in Singapore.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2	Wink Hostel	Bunc hostel	Beary Nice!

HDB has launched 6,463 BTO flats for sale on November 21st 2012

Housing Development board (HDB), the statutory board of the Ministry of National Development responsible for public housing in Singapore, has launched 6,463 units of Studio Apartments, 3-, 4- and 5-room flats in various locations today. The flats are in seven new Build-To-Order projects – Keat Hong Mirage in Choa Chu Kang, Compassvale Mast and Rivervale Delta in Sengkang, Fengshan GreenVille in Bedok, Ghim Moh Edge in Queenstown, Joo Seng Green and Toa Payoh Crest in Toa Payoh.

With these flats, total number of new BTO (public housing units) released will be 27,084, which is the largest BTO supply in a year since the system was introduced in 2002. Add the 7,153 Sale of Balance flats released in March 2012 and September 2012, HDB has launched a total of 34,237 public housing flats this year.

In January 2013, HDB will offer about 3,320 BTO flats in Ang Mo Kio, Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, Kallang Whampoa, Tampines and Yishun. HDB is planning for at least 20,000 BTO flats in 2013.

BTO stands for Build-To-Order and the system originally released projects after a predefined number of preorders were collected (this build to order). But since last year, in response to a severe public housing supply crunch, HDB has changed strategy to release BTO flats without waiting for the orders or ahead of the orders.

Artist's impression of Fengshan GreenVille in Bedok,
one of the BTO projects, launched in November 2012

According to HDB's press release, first-timers will continue to have priority flat allocation with at least 95% and 85% of the BTO flat supply (excluding Studio Apartments) set aside for them in mature towns and non-mature towns respectively. The Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS) will be available to those applying for flats at Fengshan GreenVille, Ghim Moh Edge and Toa Payoh Crest. Elderly flat owners in Bedok, Queenstown and Toa Payoh will also enjoy doubled balloting chances under the Ageing-In-Place Priority Scheme (APPS) when they apply for a Studio Apartment in Fengshan GreenVille, Ghim Moh Edge and Toa Payoh Crest.

In The Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS), married individuals can submit a joint application with their parents to purchase a studio apartment or two-room flat with another flat of at least two rooms in the same project. In The Ageing-in-Place Priority Scheme (APPS), elderly flat owners get doubled balloting chances.

Applications for new flats launched can be submitted online from today, 21 Nov 2012 (Wednesday) to 27 Nov 2012 (Tuesday).

Resorts World Sentosa Marine Life Park Ticket Prices

Singapore's highly anticipated oceanarium Resorts World Sentosa Marine Life Park is opening its doors on November 22nd 2012. Not all the attractions will be opened until the grand opening on December 7th 2012 but still a lot of attractions are ready for the visitors. This largest oceanarium in the world,  is a 8-hectare (20-acre) park and will feature exhibits containing a total of 60,000,000 litres (13,000,000 imp gal; 16,000,000 US gal) of water for 100,000 aquatic residents representing more than 800 species. The park houses two attractions, the S.E.A Aquarium and the Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Here are the ticket prices for these 2 attractions.

S.E.A. Aquarium Ticket Prices 

Resorts World Sentosa S.E.A. Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium and has the world's largest acrylic panel in its Ocean Gallery. The S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore houses more than 80,000 animals of over 800 species in 42.8 million litres of water.


One Day Pass

Here are the One Day Pass ticket prices:

Adults	:	29 SGD
Child (4 to 12 years)	:	20 SGD
Senior (60 years old and above)	:	20 SGD
Student	:	20 SGD

Student rates for entrance are available on-site only and you must show a valid student ID card to have this discount. The One Day Pass does not include admission to Typhoon Theatre at The Maritime Experiential Museum.

Annual Pass
For those a one time pass is not enough, an annual pass is available with unlimited one year access to S.E.A. Aquarium which also enables use of Priority Lane for admission to the S.E.A. Aquarium.

Adults	:	88 SGD
Child (4 to 12 years)	:	58 SGD
Senior (60 years old and above)	:	58 SGD

Adventure Cove Waterpark


One Day Pass

Here are the One Day Pass ticket prices:

Adults	:	29 SGD
Child (4 to 12 years)	:	20 SGD
Senior (60 years old and above)	:	20 SGD

Student rates for entrance are available on-site only and you must show a valid student ID card to have this discount. The One Day Pass does not include admission to Typhoon Theatre at The Maritime Experiential Museum.

Annual Pass
For those a one time pass is not enough, an annual pass is available with unlimited one year access to S.E.A. Aquarium which also enables use of Priority Lane for admission to the S.E.A. Aquarium.

Adults	:	88 SGD
Child (4 to 12 years)	:	58 SGD
Senior (60 years old and above)	:	58 SGD

How to get to Resorts World Sentosa

There are many ways to get to Resort World Sentosa. Buses are the most convenient options. Below are public buses operating to Resort World Sentosa.

Bus Number	Board/Alight	Availability	Fare	Departing RWS
RWS 8	Outside VivoCity and HarbourFront Station bus stops	Daily	S$2.00(round trip)	6am to 11:30pm
188R	Choa Chu Kang Interchange and or any 188R bus stops	Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays	S$1.50 -S$2.20	8:30am to 11:30pm
963R	Woodlands Regional Interchange and or any 963R bus stops		S$1.50 -S$2.35	8:30am to 11:30pm
NR1	Selected bus stops from Marina to Yishun	Fridays, Saturdays & eve of Public Holidays	S$4.50	11:30pm to 4:25am
NR6	Selected bus stops from Marina to Sengkang			11:30pm to 4:35am

See also here for the other ways to get to Resort World Sentosa. See here if you are looking for hotels near Resort World Sentosa.

Ernst & Young to hire 20,000 people in EMEIA in 2013

2012 was not the best year for banking and finance jobs. Tens of thousands of financial services jobs were lost (UBS alone has cutt several thousand people). But there are some bright spots. According to eFinanceCareers.com, Ernst & Young, one of the largest professional service firms in the world and one of the "Big Four" accounting firms, is hiring. Shirley Young, director of recruitment for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) at Ernst & Young in an interview said that they are looking at hiring  10,500 new graduates in 2013:

"We hired over 10,500 last year, and expect that we will hire a broadly similar number this year.  In addition to this, we hired over 5,000 interns. Again, I would expect at least this number in 2013." - Source : Q&A: Shirley Young, director of Ernst & Young’s EMEIA hiring, says they’re looking for 10,500 graduates for 2013

According to Shirley Young, referrals from existing staff or alumni of Ernst & Young in EMEIA last financial year for experienced hires were over 28%. And these are only graduate hires. The company is also planning to hire almost 10,000 experienced staff:

Who will these 10,000 experienced staff be? And more to the point, might E&Y be interested in recruiting some ex-investment bankers? 

Shirley Jackson, global recruitment leader at E&Y, says 5,000 of the new hires will be for assurance services, which includes audit, accounting compliance and reporting and accounting advisory services. Within this area, new recruits will be directed particularly towards risk and performance management. “Heavy” recruitment is also expected for the advisory (consulting business). 

How many of the hires will be in London? Jackson declined to say. However, last month she suggested that E&Ys forthcoming recruitment would be particularly focused on Germany, Turkey and Africa.  

How many of the hires will be for financial services-related roles? Jackson declined to elaborate, but in early October E&Y was looking for people with a product control-type background for its wholesale banking performance improvement team. Right now, it’s also looking for a quantitative developer to provide quantitative risk modelling services to its financial services advisory business. - Source : Ernst & Young is actually hiring 20,000 people in EMEIA in 2013

Singapore taxi driver returns $1.1 million to Thai couple

Sia Ka Tian, a 70 years old taxi driver in Singapore made his way to the headlines after he has he returned S$1.1 million (900,000 USD) in cash which was forgotten by a vacationing in his cab. "The money is unimportant to me. It doesn't belong to me, so how can I use it?",  hero uncle told to the newspapers.

The Thai couple, who are on vacation here, took the taxi from Sail The Sail @ Marina Bay Condominium to Golden Mile Complex. After dropping the customers, Sia Ka Tian drove to a car park for a toilet break and has only saw the black package at the back seat when he returned back to the taxi. He was shocked to see 1,000 SGD bills in the package : "When I saw the money, I thought, trouble is here. I was sure there was at least $200,000 in the bag," the Straits Times quoted the 31-year veteran in the taxi business as saying.

With all doors locked, the driver took the taxi to ComfortDelGro's lost-and-found office where he was stunned to know that the amount in the package was $1.1 million. At the same time, the couple has reported the loss via a friend to the company and Sia was waiting for them when they arrived to claim the money.

The driver received an undisclosed cash reward from the grateful couple, whose names have been withheld, and the company also plans to give him an award for good service. The couple declined to answer why they were carrying such a big amount of cash around, according to The Straits Times.

Photo of Singaporean taxi driver Sia Ka Tian (70) in front of Comfort Delgro.

Sia Ka Tian has been heralded as a hero and his story was covered worldwide in the media.

Back in 2009, another taxi driver in Singapore returned fives kilos of gold bars worth $377,000.

Resorts World Sentosa Marine Life Park opens on 22nd November 2012

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) announced today that S.E.A. Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark, the two attractions of the Marine Life Park, will open its doors on 22 November at 10 am.

Daily admissions to S.E.A Aquarium are priced at 29 Singapore Dollars per adult; 20 Singapore Dollars per child and 20 per senior citizen. One-day admission fees to Adventure Cove Waterpark are priced similarly. Since some of the attractions in S.E.A. Aquarium  and Adventure Cove Waterpark will be ready for viewing  only  at  a later date, ticket prices will be partially rebated by a $5 meal voucher, valid for use at Resorts World Sentosa.

Tickets for Marine Life Park may be purchased online at www.rwsentosa.com; via RWS reservation hotline at +65 6577 8899; at the RWS Ticketing and Membership Hub and RWS Invites Guest Service Centre; or ticketing booths at Universal Studios Singapore and the Maritime Experiential Museum. Tickets will also be available for purchase on-site when the attractions of Marine Life Park open.

Not all attractions at the park will be opened on November 22.  The park is set to have its grand opening on Dec 7 2012. Until  then, for example, dolphins section will not be opened.

S.E.A Aquarium

S.E.A. Aquarium is the world’s largest aquarium  and will be home to 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species in 45 million litres of water. Comprising 10 different zones with 49 habitats, the aquarium takes guests on an underwater voyage beginning from Southeast Asia, and continues through the Arabian Gulf and the Open Ocean. Along the way, guests can expect to meet majestic manta rays, hammerhead sharks, bottlenose dolphins and other marine creatures.

S.E.A. Aquarium Senior Curator Grant Willis said: “S.E.A. Aquarium offers not only a stunning display
of habitats, but also education and conservation programmes in which families and guests can participate. Younger guests will be thrilled to know that we have specially-designed exhibits such as the Discovery Touch Pool, the Lens Aquarium and Floor Aquarium, to provide them up-close encounters with our marine residents.”

The centerpiece of the Aquarium is the  Open Ocean habitat, seen through the world’s largest viewing panel, at 36 metres wide by 8.3 metres tall; Guests viewing the habitat could experience the feeling of being on a cavernous ocean floor. The habitat is flanked by an Ocean Dome –an all-round viewing area and the  Ocean Restaurant, an outlet propagating sustainable seafood principles. Eleven  Ocean Suites  occupy the opposite site of the habitat, offering a twist to the proposition of sea-view by providing guests the experience of waking to an under-the-sea vista.

S$34 for Marine Life Park’s SEA Aquarium, Resort World Sentosa 
+ Gardens by the Bay or Amphibious DUKW Tour combo - Limited Time deal

Adventure Cove Waterpark

The Adventure Cove Waterpark is a splashing affair for thrill-seekers. Guests can choose to get their adrenaline pumping with six water slides, including the region’s first hydro-magnetic coaster  – Riptide Rocket; chill out at the Bluwater Bay wave pool; or relax while tubing along the Adventure River.  One of the world’s longest lazy-rivers, the 620-meter river meanders through 14 themed scenes of tropical jungles, grottos, a surround aquarium and more.

The waterpark is also the only of its kind in the region to have marine life. Guests will have the opportunity to snorkel among thousands of fish at the colourful Rainbow Reef, or to sign up for rayfeeding and interaction programmes with sharks and dolphins, which will be introduced next year.

Mr. Edmond Quah, Director of Park Operations at Adventure Cove Waterpark said: “Adventure Cove
Waterpark will add a whole new dimension to water-based attractions in the region. We have gathered some of the most exciting and thrilling waterslides, and combined them with educational programmes on some of the ocean’s most inspiring creatures. Guests interacting with the rays, for example, will learn more about the animal from an aquarist. We hope these experiences will move guests to take action to protect the oceans when they leave the park.”

Opening hours for both the S.E.A. Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark will be 10am to 6pm until 7 December 2012. S.E.A. Aquarium opening hours will extend to 10am to 7pm from 8 December.  Limited tickets are offered for Adventure Cove Waterpark each day and guests are encouraged to reserve their tickets in advance. More details on the attractions and offerings are available in the attached fact sheets.

Resort World Sentosa Marine Life Park Adventure Cove Waterpark

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Singapore’s first integrated resort is located on the resort island of Sentosa. Spanning 49 hectares, the resort opened in January 2010 and welcomed over 30 million visitors in its first two years of opening. RWS is home to the region’s first-and-only Universal Studios theme park, the Maritime Experiential Museum, a casino, luxurious accommodation in six unique hotels, the Resorts World Convention Centre, celebrity chef restaurants, a world-class spa as well as specialty retail outlets. The resort also offers entertainment including public attractions such as the Crane Dance and the Lake of Dreams. Opening soon is the world’s largest oceanarium  - the Marine Life Park. Resorts World Sentosa is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group.

Below is a short video featuring Resort World Sentosa's Marine Life Park.


Marine Life Park will be an oceanarium located in Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Island, Singapore.[1] It is set to debut as the largest oceanarium in the world when it opens on 22 November 2012.[2] The 8-hectare (20-acre)[3] park will feature exhibits containing a total of 60,000,000 litres (13,000,000 imp gal; 16,000,000 US gal) of water for 100,000 aquatic residents representing more than 800 species. The park houses two attractions, the S.E.A Aquarium and the Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Singapore Airlines And Aegean Airlines will start code-sharing by December 2012

Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers will be able to Greek cities of Athens and Thessaloniki through a code-share agreement with Star Alliance partner Aegean Airlines, starting from December 1st 2012. Under the code-sharing agreement, SIA will add its ‘SQ’ code to Aegean-operated flights serving the Greek capital Athens from Frankfurt, London, Milan and Munich, as well as to flights serving Greece’s second-largest city Thessaloniki from Frankfurt and Munich.

On a reciprocal basis, Aegean will add its ‘A3’ code to SIA-operated flights serving Singapore from Frankfurt, Milan and Munich, and flights beyond Singapore to Melbourne and Sydney. Aegean’s codeshare on SIA-operated flights will commence once regulatory approvals have been obtained.

“This new codeshare arrangement with our Star Alliance partner Aegean Airlines will provide our customers convenient connections to Greece and broaden our network for both business and leisure travellers,” said Singapore Airlines Acting Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mr Chin Yau Seng. 

Aegean Airlines’ Planning & Alliances Director, Mr Tassos Raftopoulos, added: “Aegean Airlines are delighted to team up with Singapore Airlines whose high quality product and service ethics closely match our own customer proposition, with an expansion that aligns very well to the further growth of our Star Alliance partnerships. Thanks to this new partnership we can now offer Greek passengers a great travel solution to Singapore and via Singapore to all countries in Southeast Asia and Australia. Connecting flights via Singapore, a major hub in Southeast Asia, will facilitate incoming tourism from these important markets.” Source : Singapore Airlines And Aegean Airlines Sign Codeshare Agreement

Tickets for the codeshare flights are now open for sale, for travel from 1 December 2012. Details of the codeshare services are shown below. Customers are advised to check singaporeair.com for updates to flight schedules.

Singapore Airlines codeshare on flights operated by Aegean Airlines:
Between Frankfurt (FRA) and Athens (ATH)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
A3 830	SQ 2860	ATH-FRA	Daily
Between London (LHR) and Athens (ATH)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
A3 602	SQ 2862	ATH-LHR	Mon/Tues/Thur/Sat/Sun
A3 603	SQ 2863	LHR-ATH	Mon/Tues/Thur/Sat/Sun
Between Milan (MXP) and Athens (ATH)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
A3 660	SQ 2856	ATH-MXP	Mon/Tues/Wed/Thur/Sat
A3 661	SQ 2857	MXP-ATH	Mon/Tues/Wed/Thur/Sat
A3 665	SQ 2865	MXP-ATH	Thur/Fri/Sun
Between Munich (MUC) and Athens (ATH)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
A3 802	SQ 2858	ATH-MUC	Daily
A3 803	SQ 2859	MUC-ATH	Daily
Between Frankfurt (FRA) and Thessaloniki (SKG)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
A3 530	SQ 2852	SKG-FRA	Daily
A3 531	SQ 2853	FRA-SKG	Daily
Between Munich (MUC) and Thessaloniki (SKG)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
A3 500	SQ 2850	SKG-MUC	Daily
A3 501	SQ 2851	MUC-SKG	Daily
Aegean Airlines codeshare on flights operated by Singapore Airlines:
Between Singapore (SIN) and Frankfurt (FRA)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
SQ 26	A3 1201	SIN-FRA	Daily
SQ 25	A3 1202	FRA-SIN	Daily
SQ 325	A3 1204	FRA-SIN	Daily
Between Singapore (SIN) and Milan (MXP)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
SQ 378	A3 1203	SIN-MXP	Tues/Sun
SQ 368	A3 1205	SIN-MXP	Mon/Thur/Sat
SQ 367	A3 1206	MXP-SIN	Mon/Thur/Sat
SQ 377	A3 1208	MXP-SIN	Wed/Sun
Between Singapore (SIN) and Munich (MUC)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
SQ 328	A3 1207	SIN-MUC	Daily
SQ 327	A3 1210	MUC-SIN	Daily
Between Singapore (SIN) and Melbourne (MEL)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
SQ 217	A3 1215	SIN-MEL	Daily
SQ 227	A3 1217	SIN-MEL	Daily
SQ 228	A3 1216	MEL-SIN	Daily
Between Singapore (SIN) and Sydney (SYD)
Operating Flight	Codeshare Flight	Sector	Days of Operation
SQ 241	A3 1209	SIN-SYD	Daily
SQ 211	A3 1211	SIN-SYD	Daily
SQ 221	A3 1213	SIN-SYD	Daily
SQ 222	A3 1212	SYD-SIN	Daily
SQ 212	A3 1214	SYD-SIN	Daily

Singapore Airlines And Virgin Australia expand codeshare

Singapore Airlines (SIA),  the flag carrier airline of Singapore, and Australia's second-largest airline Virgin Australia (VOZ) has announced the expansion of their codeshare agreement to cover further destinations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

With immediate effect to all domestic destinations, Virgin Australia is now offering access to 32 Australian cities to Singapore Airlines customers. SIA will also expand codesharing to include trans-Tasman flights between Australia and the New Zealand cities of Dunedin, Queenstown and Wellington, subject to regulatory approval, in the coming months.

In the first quarter of 2013, Virgin Australia will in turn extend its current codeshare with SIA to cover connections from the East Coast of Australia to Europe, the United Kingdom and additional cities in Asia, via SIA’s hub in Singapore. Virgin Australia currently codeshares on SIA flights to Europe and the United Kingdom from Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. In total, Virgin Australia customers will now have access to 64 destinations in Asia and 12 destinations[1] in Europe on the SIA and SilkAir networks from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.

“This codeshare expansion is a major step forward in our deepening partnership. With more cities covered, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia can together offer even better connections for our customers between Singapore and Australia, as well as through our Singapore hub to many more points around the world,” said SIA Executive Vice President Commercial, Mr Mak Swee Wah.

Virgin Australia Group Executive of Alliances, Network and Yield, Ms Merren McArthur, said: “There is strong demand from our customers to be able to travel onwards from Asia to Europe. We currently offer this option to customers from Adelaide, Perth and Darwin, and today’s announcement will see this expanded to include the East Coast of Australia. We also welcome the expansion of Singapore Airlines’ codeshare on our domestic services as it will help to promote tourism in Australia.” Source : SIA And Virgin Australia Announce Codeshare Expansion

A codeshare agreement is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code. The term "code" refers to the identifier used in flight schedule, generally the two-character IATA airline designator code and flight number.

Singapore Airlines And Virgin Australia entered into
a wide-ranging partnership last year

Based in Singapore Changi Airport with strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets, Singapore Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Based in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Virgin Australia Airlines, formerly Virgin Blue Airlines, is Australia's second-largest airline as well as the largest by fleet size to use the Virgin brand. Both airlines have entered into a wide-ranging partnership last year. Last month, Singapore Airlines bought Virgin Australia Stake and Virgin Australia announced that it will use the proceeds to buy 60% of budget carrier Tiger Australia for A$35 million from Singapore's Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd.

 In addition to codesharing, the alliance covers reciprocal frequent-flyer programme benefits and lounge access, coordinated schedules to provide seamless connections, and joint sales, marketing and distribution activities. SIA and subsidiary SilkAir together serve 97 destinations in 36 countries across six continents. Virgin Australia serves 49 destinations in 14 countries.

Costa Cruises named best for Asia-Pacific and Mediterranean Itineraries

Costa Cruises, the largest Italian travel group and Europe’s number 1 cruise company, received top billing in Porthole Cruise Magazine’s 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards. The Italian cruise line was cited in two categories: “Best Asia-Pacific Itineraries” and “Best Mediterranean Itineraries”.

Porthole is one of the most important US cruise magazine. Porthole Cruise Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards are determined, each year, by thousands of the publication’s readers who vote on their favorite cruise lines in a variety of categories.


Best Asia-Pacific Itineraries
As the first international cruise line to enter the Chinese market, Costa has become one of the best recognized and most popular tourism brands in Asia. Since the line began operations in Asia in 2006, Costa has carried more than 400,000 guests in the region.

From November 2012 to January 2013 Costa Victoria is based in Singapore, offering eight-day cruises to Malaysia and Thailand, and four- or five-day cruises to Malaysia. Until October 2013 Costa Victoria will depart from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin for short cruises to Taiwan or South Korea, Japan and Vietnam.

From May 2013, a second Costa ship will be deployed in the region: Costa Atlantica will depart till June 2013 from Singapore on eight-day cruises to Malaysia and Thailand, and on four- or five-day cruises to Malaysia. From June through October, Costa Atlantica will depart from Shanghai on short cruises to South Korea and Japan.

Costa Atlantica cruise ship (seen above) will depart till June 2013 from Singapore on eight-day
cruises to Malaysia and Thailand, and on four- or five-day cruises to Malaysia.

Top Mediterranean Itineraries

Costa Cruises is the undisputed leader in the Mediterranean, where it boasts a tradition spanning more than six decades and was the first cruise line to operate cruises all year round. In 2013, the Costa will deploy 12 ships across the eastern and western Mediterranean on itineraries ranging from four to fourteen days.

Departing from several countries and ports, Costa cruises allow guests to explore some of the most popular, historical and cultural cities in the Mediterranean. Starting from 2012 Costa introduced many new itineraries in the Mediterranean Sea: an exciting beach oriented fly&cruise eight-day program, homeporting in Heraklion / Crete Island, in the Aegean Sea, with 6 different Greek islands; eight-day cruises with an overnight call in Ibiza (Balearic islands) - where it is possible to reach also the beautiful island of Formentera; a eight-day itinerary including the wonderful Dalmatian coast and a full day in Dubrovnik that will allow excursions to Medjugorje, which is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world and represents a absolute highlight.

Furthermore, designed for those who would like to experience a Costa cruise without having a full week available, Costa ships offers three/four/five-night mini-cruises in the Western Med, allowing embarkation from Savona, Barcelona and Marseille.

Silversea’s ultra-luxurious Silver Shadow in Singapore

Silver Shadow, Silversea’s ultra-luxurious Millennium Class ship made its inaugural call-to-port at the newly-opened Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore on November 2012. The 382-guest ship is on the first leg of its nine-day voyage to Hong Kong, with stops at various ports in Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang, Chan May, Ha Long Bay and Cai Lan before arriving in Hong Kong on 23 November.

To mark the special occasion, a plaque exchange ceremony was held at the cruise ship. Steve Odell, Silversea’s President for Europe and Asia Pacific and Melvin Vu, CEO of SATS-Creuers Cruise Services took part in the ceremony. “We’re excited to be here at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, and we congratulate SATS-Creuers on this new facility. Its location with the Singapore skyline backdrop is truly stunning” said Mr. Odell.

The newly opened Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) is received its first ship, the "Voyager of the Seas", on 26 May 2012 (officially opened in October 22nd 2012). MBCCS effectively doubles Singapore’s berth capacity and allows for more cruise ships to call on and homeport in Singapore. MBCCS can also accommodate the new generation of larger cruise ships, such as Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships. It will be a key enabler towards realizing Singapore’s potential as a gateway to cruising in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Silversea’s Millennium Class ship Silver Shadow

Silversea Cruises is a luxury cruise line that operates six luxury, all-suite cruise ships that sail itineraries all around the world throughout the year. The line maintains branch offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore. The company's headquarters are based in Monaco and is owned by the Lefebvre Family of Rome, Italy.  Millennium Class ship Silver Shadow is the third in the Silversea fleet and provides Silversea’s award-winning, all-suite luxury and trademark intimate ambience to its guests.