BTS fans recreate Swim music video scenes aboard S’pore’s first themed fan ‘cruise’
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Fans of South Korean boy band BTS on board the Royal Albatross, a luxury tall ship, for a July 11 “cruise” themed around the music video of the band’s song Swim.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
- Singapore hosted its first BTS-themed fan cruise, Beyond The Shore: An Army Voyage, on July 11, attracting over 100 fans.
- The event was organised by local fan community The Bora Dot and travel agency Azza Travel & Tours in collaboration with Royal Albatross.
- The event was inspired by BTS' Swim music video and featured photo zones where fans could recreate scenes from the music video.
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Singaporean senior finance executive Rin Ki, 40, had the time of her life on July 11 when she and her friends recreated their favourite scenes from Swim, the lead single off South Korean boy band BTS’ latest album Arirang, released in March.
They were among more than 100 fans, known as Army, on a two-hour BTS-themed fan “cruise” aboard the Royal Albatross, a luxury tall ship in Singapore. The cruise was themed around Swim’s music video.
Ki, a BTS fan since 2018, said: “This feels like I am in the Swim music video itself. It is a lot more immersive than previous fan events I attended in cafes.”
One of her friends, administrative assistant Tan Si Jin, 33, added that holding the event on a ship on the water made it very unique. “It feels like we are all on holiday overseas,” said the Singaporean.
In many areas of the ship, including its grand salon, owner’s cabin and pin rails, fans recreated scenes from the Swim music video, including one where BTS’ seven members – Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – pull on a rope while on deck.
Fans could also pose like Jung Kook gripping the ship’s wheel, lean beside a porthole window like V, or pose with a telegraph key similar to the one RM used in the music video. Royal Albatross provided props such as a map, magnifying glass and telegraph key, which can be used to transmit text messages in Morse code.
At a stamp station, fans created layered stamps by stamping the same image multiple times in different ink shades to produce a multicoloured design. The ship was also decorated with images of the band members.
BTS fans (from left) Gwen Ng, Rin Ki, Jan Lim and Tan Si Jin recreating a scene from the Swim music video.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Each participant received a goodie bag containing merchandise such as a compass pin, face towel, bracelet, coaster and love lock, and enjoyed a buffet lunch on board.
The activity was organised by The Bora Dot, a local BTS fan base, and Singapore-based travel agency Azza Travel & Tours, in collaboration with Royal Albatross. Tickets cost $128 for adults and $88.80 for children.
Although marketed as a cruise, it took place on the Royal Albatross when the ship was anchored off Lazarus Island. Participants took a speedboat from Resorts World Sentosa to the ship.
The idea for the event was conceived in April by Nursyazwana Anwar, a director at Azza Travel and a BTS fan. The company had partnered Royal Albatross on previous cruises, including those with a nautical or Arabian theme.
Security officer Tarmizi Hamid (front, left) and learning support officer Nurul Shafiqa taking a wefie in the Royal Albatross’ owner’s cabin in front of a standee showing BTS members (from left) Suga, Jimin and J-Hope.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Nursyazwana, 37, said: “When I saw the music video, I immediately thought of Royal Albatross because it had a similar vibe as the ship on-screen. So I wrote to The Bora Dot to see if they were keen to co-organise an event, and was so glad that they were on board with the idea.”
Sabrina Effendy, a co-founder of The Bora Dot, which has organised BTS-themed events such as movie screenings, cafe events and raves, said: “Since the Swim music video was released in March, there have already been Swim-themed cruises overseas, such as in Seoul, but not in Singapore. So we wanted to give the same experience to the Army here.”
The group put up decorations, including a BTS-themed mirror, standees and signs, and packed goodie bags for attendees, said the 35-year-old, who works as a business development executive.
Operations manager Annika Lau (right, foreground), 44, posing beside a BTS-themed mirror in the Royal Albatross’ owner’s cabin.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
“It is amazing to see so many fans have fun, live our fantasies and make new friends at the same time. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the Army’s 13th anniversary, which fell on July 9,” she added.
Calvin Ng, 35, assistant chief executive of Royal Albatross, said this was its first fan club event, and first “cruise” themed after a band or music artiste.
He added: “Fan communities are highly passionate and attentive to how their idols and events are represented, so every detail had to be carefully considered.”
During the Beyond The Shore: An Army Voyage event, fans could pose with a telegraph key, similar to the one used by BTS member RM in the Swim music video.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Singaporean BTS fan Shiela Tanttey, 31, said the experience was worth the $128 she paid because of the many photo opportunities. She particularly liked one photo spot by a bed that featured an image of Suga, her bias – a term fans use for a favoured band member.
BTS fan Shiela Tanttey, 31, an investment manager, said the experience was worth the $128 she paid for a ticket.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
The investment manager previously joined the BTS The City Arirang Busan Yacht Tour in June, which cruised around the South Korean city, but said the Royal Albatross event was “bigger and better”.
She said: “I really hope there will be another round, so I can bring my sister along. She could not come today at the last minute because she had to work, and really missed out.”