Cartoon Network Cruise Ship - Sailing From Singapore In Late 2018

From reel life to real life, luxury cruise operator Oceanic Group partners Turner
 for the definitive Cartoon Network experience -
 bringing iconic characters from The Powerpuff Girls to We Bare Bears to life on the high seas.

For the first time, some of the world’s most famous cartoon characters will set sail on their very own cruise liner. This fully-branded ship is the result of a partnership between Oceanic Group, Asia-Pacific's leading cruise management company, and Turner, the global media giant behind Cartoon Network.

The two charismatic business leaders - Daniel Chui, CE, Oceanic Group and Ricky Ow, President, Turner Asia Pacific, elaborate on their philosophies behind the novel partnership...

Set to make its maiden voyage from its home port of Singapore in late 2018, the 11 guest-deck, 2,000-guest Cartoon Network Wave will be one vast haven for Toon-loving travellers. This is the first time anywhere that a cruise liner has undergone a full Cartoon Network transformation. With the ocean as a backdrop, families will enjoy the world’s first immersive Toon vacation at sea, and an adventure with their favourite Cartoon Network stars.

And the partnership is launched!

The novel thematic onboard experience of Cartoon Network Wave is inspired by Cartoon Network’s universe of well-loved characters from iconic shows such as Adventure Time, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls and We Bare Bears. This includes a variety of diverse entertainment, activity and recreation features, as well as retail and food and beverage options.

Cosy Cartoon Network-themed furnishings abound -

Triplex Lounge and Kids Room...

Enjoy the sea breeze at Toonix & the outdoor Rope Adventure Park...

Cartoon Network Wave will be docked at the Singapore Cruise Centre and will sail to 13 popular destinations in the Asia Pacific region including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and Japan. Online bookings for Cartoon Network Wave will start later in the year. More details on the booking dates and itineraries will be released on the Cartoon Network Wave website.

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Leura's Little Charms

Leura, Blue Mountains
New South Wales, Australia
June 2012, Autumn

Leura, derived from the Aboriginal word meaning "lava", is a suburb in the City of Blue Mountains Local Government Area 109 km west of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Blue Mountains railway line and Great Western Highway that bisects the Blue Mountains National Park. It is 100 km by road from Sydney and the train journey takes a little under 2 hours. Leura is adjacent to Katoomba, the largest centre in the upper mountains, and the two towns merge along Leura's western edge.

Upon arriving in Leura, you'll disembark into clean Blue Mountains air. The mind stills and the pulse slows. Walk at a leisurely pace, window shopping, making a purchase here and there. Sip morning tea, share a 'flower pot' scone with jam and cream. Sit happily idle on a corner bench labelled "Seat for Bored Husbands".

This was a description extracted from a website, and how apt... Coz Leura is a stone's throw away from Sydney, a short drive away, and yet, like a different time and place from the bustling metropolitan. Over here, there are quaint shops selling all sorts of knick-knacks, grouchy locals who feel intruded by bevy of tourists, an old-style confectionary with traditional cakes and breads, a colourful candy store selling humbugs and boiled sweets, a chocolatier with warm yellowed lighting and wooden shelves, delis which serve piping hot soup and "hand-warming" soup, a toy store with an array of new, old, and not-so old toys...

The main shopping area is located in two lanes after the turning at the "Clock Tower"...

The first shop we saw was this -
A resident who opened his own house to retail designer labels and vintage furniture...

Leura is full of fascinating little shops with interesting names...

 

 

 

In the cold misty rain, a fogged sign like this shows the warmth of this place,
and we couldn't wait to get in to feel the warmth!  

The post office here is a simple one-storeyed building
and the info panel at the bus stop is not chock-a-block with bus service details...

Service here is so personalized! I have not seen such a personal declaration of service standards with the name of the manager and his contact in any other country I've travelled to...

The church is one place where you can seek solace and find forgiveness. To keep in touch with the younger congregation and the tech-savvy, this church has moved beyond the call of Facebook and Twitter with a QR Code...

 

We got to know all the exciting sweet types here -
Milk Duds, Humbugs, Rocks, Aniseed Drops, Boston Baked Beans...

Pets have a good life here -
Going out with the owners for shopping and have a VIP salon opened especially for them...

While walking halfway, there are these adorable signs to tempt you to go inside
to hide from the cold and wet weather...

And of course the sizzling sounds of BBQ Chicken and Beer-Battered Fish & Chips...

Our favourite shop is a traditional confectionery with an antique sign where you want to get hold of all the fragrant breads and colourful cakes you see, where the puddings and strudels are dusted with icing sugar, donuts oozing with fresh jam...

 

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The full album is available at:
Leura's Little Charms

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Sources

• "Leura Blue Mountains Guide". Retrieved from http://www.leurabluemountainsguide.com/ (18 June 2012). 
• "Leura, New South Wales", Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leura,_New_South_Wales (18 June 2012).

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