Navigator of the Seas Leaves Los Angeles for Asia Through 2027

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas has departed Los Angeles for Asia, ending nearly five years of year-round West Coast operations. The ship will remain in Asia through October 2027 before returning to California for a winter season of Mexican Riviera and Baja California cruises.

The extended Asian deployment replaces a previously planned return to Los Angeles for summer 2027. Navigator will instead operate from Yokohama and Singapore during that period, following its initial winter season in Southeast Asia.

“Asia remains one of the most compelling long-term growth opportunities in the global cruise industry,” said Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean’s president of Greater China and managing director of Asia, in an interview with Cruise Passenger. He said the company was seeing greater awareness of cruising across the region, including among first-time passengers.

Japan calls precede Singapore sailings

Navigator began its Pacific crossing in early October on a 15-night repositioning cruise ending in Tokyo. The itinerary also includes Hakodate, Muroran and Shimizu in Japan.

A subsequent 11-night repositioning voyage toward Southeast Asia will call in Japan, South Korea, China and Vietnam. That sailing includes Nagasaki and a 17-hour stay in Hong Kong.

Regular departures from Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre begin in late October, with cruises ranging from two to ten nights to destinations in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Selected dates also offer one-way itineraries between Singapore and Japan.

Bouldin said those open-jaw sailings allow passengers to combine cruises with longer stays in Asian cities. For Australian travelers, he cited options ranging from a Singapore stay followed by a four-night cruise to Malaysia and Thailand to longer voyages beginning and ending in different ports.

Navigator’s Los Angeles years

Navigator began year-round Los Angeles service in November 2021 after resuming operations following the pandemic shutdown. The deployment restored Royal Caribbean service from the homeport after an absence of more than a decade.

The approximately 142,000-gross-ton Voyager-class ship entered service in 2002 and underwent a major refurbishment in 2019. It has a stated passenger capacity of 3,348.

Building out the Asian program

“Australia is a key market for fly-cruise holidays in Asia,” Bouldin said. He pointed to flight connections, journey times and time zones as factors making Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai accessible departure points for that market. He also cited familiarity with Royal Caribbean among Australians, with Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas returning to Australia for the 2026–27 season.

“Singapore plays an important role as a regional cruise hub, providing a strong homeport for exploring the wider region,” Bouldin said.

The company is also examining additional Southeast Asian destinations with ports, governments, tourism authorities and local partners. Assessments consider port infrastructure, accessibility, the range and quality of passenger experiences, and destinations’ ability to handle cruise visitors, he said.

Further regional deployment will follow with Voyager of the Seas, whose Asian schedule includes Tokyo. Bouldin said the ship will begin offering departures from Singapore and Hong Kong in early 2028.

See current Navigator of the Seas fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.