Singapore musician Nathan Hartono’s song to soundtrack Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas ship

SINGAPORE –Singaporean singer Nathan Hartono’s first cruise holiday in mid-2025 left such an impression on him that he wrote a song about it.

The 34-year-old’s maiden voyage on global cruise line Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas ship, which was part of a media trip, sailed out of Los Angeles, United States.

Hartono tells The Straits Times: “Every sight and sound was brand new and indelible to this day. My partner joined me, and since it was also her first Royal Caribbean holiday, there was this romantic sense of adventure that we carried throughout this experience.”

A collaboration with the Florida-headquartered Royal Caribbean to mark Ovation of the Seas’ return to Singapore on Oct 23, the jazz-tinged song, Come On Board With Me, will be played on the 4,182-passenger vessel throughout its October 2025 to March 2026 sailing season.

Royal Caribbean launched Ovation of the Seas in 2016. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, the ship’s “godmother”, presided over its naming ceremony in Tianjin, China.

“I knew I wanted to evoke this sense of nostalgia and connection in the music, thus the jazzier foundation of the song. But it also evolves into a bossa/house vibe which brings forth that unmatched joy of being surrounded by good vibes, cool winds and the open sea,” Hartono says.

“It’s been a while since I’ve returned to this genre, as it was how I got my start in music. But the feeling fit like a glove once I started reminiscing about my time on Ovation of the Seas,” says the artiste, who made his debut as a teenage jazz singer in 2005 before switching to pop and R&B.

Besides praising Ovation of the Seas staff’s remarkable care and attention, Hartono also enjoyed interacting with the ship’s crew.

“One of my favourite moments was getting to know the crew, many of whom I was surprised to find out were Indonesian. Considering that I boarded the ship in California, I got a real kick out of speaking my second mother tongue with them and hearing all kinds of stories,” says the musician, whose parents are Indonesian Chinese.

Mr Chad Grospe, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president and managing director for Asia-Pacific, tells ST that the partnership with Hartono was a unique way to celebrate Ovation of the Seas’ comeback. The ship last homeported in Singapore in 2017.

“We are also proud to support local artistes and showcase the creativity of home-grown talent.”

In 2019, the cruise company engaged Singapore musicians Jon Chua and Vanessa Fernandez to produce an original song titled Weekend Swap as part of a marketing campaign. The song’s music video was released on Royal Caribbean’s social media platforms.