'There's nothing much to do': Passengers complain about poor facilities, power outages on World Legacy cruise

It has hardly been smooth sailing for World Legacy, a new flagship cruise operated by World Cruises, after passengers aboard its maiden voyage complained of clogged toilets, power failures and water outages.

World Legacy welcomed its first guests on Dec 23, after previously cancelling its first cruise just two days before it was scheduled to depart Singapore on Dec 19.

It was sailing from Singapore to Puteri Harbour, Johor.

Described on its website as a "new-generation cruise resort designed as a flexible offshore leisure destination", the cruise is marketed as a one-stop vessel with a "growing selection of dining, entertainment, and nightlife experiences". 

'Basic facilities non-existent'

Many passengers shared their experiences on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, criticising lack of proper management and quality of the purported facilities.

A passenger named Liu (transliterated), told Chinese publication Shin Min Daily News that she faced difficulties even before boarding the cruise, as proper instructions were not provided when she booked the trip.

She had to approach ground staff before finding a boarding area where she boarded a ferry bound for the cruise.

Liu said she had to board a separate ferry at Harbourfront Ferry Terminal that took passengers to the cruise which was docked further out at sea.

"We embarked at around 10.20am, but were told we could only check in at 3pm," she said.

One Xiaohongshu user also lamented that "basic facilities are non-existent", saying that the air conditioning was not working in some areas of the ship, and that the Wi-Fi signal was so poor that it was only good enough to send text messages.

Other users shared pictures of their assigned bedrooms, with some others complaining about the rooms being "so small you couldn't sit up straight".

At the same time, some shared about the poor hygiene on the cruise where toilets were clogged due to a lack of water supply.

'Gambling boat'

While the cruise was marketed to feature selected speciality dining concepts, private karaoke suites, live music and performance spaces, and open-air entertainment areas, passengers reported that most of the facilities apart from the casino were closed.

The karaoke facilities were under renovation, and only a handful of basic entertainment activities were available, according to passengers.

"The ship isn't big, and besides gambling, there's nothing much to do," said one user in her review on Xiaohongshu.

World Legacy noted on its website that "some facilities and experiences are being introduced progressively and will become available after the preview sailing period", and that guests are encouraged to check the website for the latest updates.

"I think expectations play a big role here. The advertising may have exaggerated the experience," said KingTohoku, a passenger who uploaded a review of his experience on YouTube.

"Personally, I came prepared. I understood that this is essentially a rebranded casino cruise with unlimited food, basic entertainment and some gambling options," he added.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for World Legacy said that the cruise line is in its testing phase and has yet to become fully operational.

"This approach allows our teams to validate systems, onboard workflows, and service delivery in a controlled manner before full deployment," she said.

The spokesperson acknowledged that certain aspects in terms of facilities and services may fall short of expectations during this period, and that the relevant teams have already been dispatched to address the various complaints it has received.

"Our priority remains the comfort and overall experience of our passengers. We appreciate all the feedback received so far and will continue refining operations during this preview period before transitioning into full-scale operations," she said, thanking guests for their patience and understanding.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com