IWantToLiveOverTheSea

Glad you got it straightened out. I was going to suggest a few things, but I guess it's no longer needed. And when we traveled to Bali in 2019, no visas were required or asked for, so I don't know what the experience is like. But I do know that there's at least one port in Asia which requires a separate procedure for obtaining a visa for a seaport than for entry at an airport. And I do know that some countries are very particular about the size of photos (in MBs, not physical size) which means you have to be able to "compress" a photo), so that's frequently problematic. And if something needs to be in landscape that is generally portrait (or vice versa) that can be tricky. And I know that some cruise lines offer to do visas for you (through GenVisa or other visa company), but you normally pay half to two thirds more for them to do visas for you. Getting visas for my recent 15 day cruise in SE Asia on a competing line wore me out. And for one country (the one alluded to above), evisas for the seaport could not be obtained for the 3 months before our visit. So we and many, many others got on the ship and had to pay for the cruise line to work its expensive magic. Yes, visas are maddening....and then there are landing cards, and entry cards, and this and that, and occasionally an in-person face to face immigration meeting like we had to do for the Philippines. I was exhausted.

We did the pre-extension in Singapore last month. We made our own flight reservations and came in a day early. We booked our own hotel for one night. In this case, we needed to get our own transportation from the airport to our hotel, and then the next day get to the Oceania-used hotel on our own to check in. So if you're doing something unusual, on your own, you will likely not get transportation from Oceania. But taxis were plentiful and reasonably-priced in Singapore, so it was easy to just get our own transport. And Oceania outlined just what to expect (transportation or not, itinerary, etc.) in the pre-extension material they sent us early on.

OK, my Brunei experience Jan. 30, 2024 on Riviera: Port is Muara, 30-45 minutes from capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Muara is a small town with a beach that we passed coming in, and some bus (van) service to BSB. The port doesn't allow cars/walkers/taxis, so we all took a short shuttle ride to a terminal which had a number of vendors (nice things, reasonably priced, and I believe some took USD and/or credit cards). More importantly, there was a little kiosk with someone from Dart Brunei, a ride sharing company that offers rides to BSR. We got off the ship promptly to be able to ensure we could get a rideshare with them. They have a website. Generally you can book in advance, but when the cruise day rolled around, they did kiosk sign ups only. The cost to go to BSB and be dropped off was reasonable, but we decided to simply book one of their hourly "tours" in which you paid for a particular number of hours (3 to 5 I think) to have a driver take you wherever you wished. I think they accepted credit cards, but I don't remember for sure. We had Singapore dollars left over and used that, I believe. So credit card would have been accepted if their app was used, and possibly in the port/bus terminal. Or Brunei or Singapore dollars were accepted. I wanted to see the two mosques in BSB, plus the stilt village, and drive around a little in the city. The drivers aren't tour guides, but speak English. We enjoyed our 3 or 4 hour adventure. You can pay $35 to add on an hour tour of the stilt village and a boat ride to look for probiscus monkeys on the river. I'm not sure I'd recommend that, as sightings are iffy and so is the river. But I did want to see the stilt village, so we paid for the $35. In the end, we probably spent almost as much as we would have spent for an Oceania excursion to see roughly the same things. But I enjoyed having the flexibility of going where we wanted, when we wanted. You can apparently pay a boat man to take you to the stilt village from the waterfront, but that sounded just a little more unreliable than I wanted; hence the additional $35 per person paid to Dart. Of course there were Oceania excursions offered, though I didn't really hear what people thought of them. Brunei only gets a few cruise ships every year, so there isn't much tourist infrastructure. But I found it a pretty interesting place, with beautiful mosques and some modest but basic other things of interest to tourists. But it's definitely the kind of place where you won't be able to just get off the ship and amuse/entertain/educate yourself for more than possibly an hour. And some people may wonder why Oceania even bothers to go there. I'd recommend either a ship's excursion or use of the Dart service. I had lined up a rare Tours by Local excursion but the person had to cancel a couple weeks before the arrival of my ship. I think the hours we were there (11 AM to 9 PM) and the uncertainty/complexity of getting people to BSB in a timely fashion for tours made him nervous. And he told me that most people in Brunei have cars, so public transportation and taxis aren't all that common or even desirable. Enjoy your visit there. And if you're going to Borneo, Philippines or Vietnam, and want info on the ports there or what we did, just ask. There were shuttles. There were commercial ports. There were arrival cards. SE Asia was complicated. If you get a Vietnam evisa on your own, give it to Oceania or they may charge you for one. There was a note in the Currents paper about that, but I missed it. Get ready to see, do, and sweat a lot!

Just in case anyone else is wondering: Our ship (Oceania Riviera) docked at Hiep Phuoc (Tan Cang port) about a 45 minute drive from district 1, HCMC. There was a short shuttle ride to the port gates (no walking or cars in port) and Oceania offered a free shuttle to the Ben Thanh Market. I agree that the city was beautifully decorated for Lunar New Year, and very, very crowded.

It's now been 9 or 10 months since I sailed on Sirena. But I found her to be wonderful, and almost the same as I found her a year before that. I think some people expect perfection on a beer budget and are disappointed.

I just returned from sailing under the old O Life (or no O Life). As edgee says, everyone now gets 2 accounts, regardless of how cruise was booked. The television in your room has instructions on how to initially sign in for free wifi using room number, name, birthdate and maybe something else. It's a lot faster to look at the instructions on the room TV than to queue up to see the Oceania at Sea manager to get things straightened out. Basically, you go to settings on your device to make sure your device has a wifi connection, find Oceania wifi, go to Chrome, sign up, use your account - or something in a similar order. It's suggested that you place your device in airplane/flight mode with Wifi on. Once you're in, you won't need to do much more unless you happen to lose the connection or try to use the account on too many devices.

Oceania Shuttles List Please feel free to copy and paste the list, and add updates or corrections directly to it. ========================================================== Free shuttle buses are generally offered when: The ship is docked a long walk from the main thoroughfare Taxis and or public transportation are not easily accessible from the port. . The port is industrial and not pedestrian-friendly. The decision on whether free buses will be offered will be based on the port used and will be made closer to or during the sailing Once on board, a list of ports that will offer a complimentary shuttle into town will be provided / shown in daily Currents ___________________________________________________________ Abidjan, Ivory Coast.....Shuttle to city business centre (post 647) ... April 2023 Acapulco (Mex)............20 min walk to market, lots tours/taxis outside gates -... 04/2023 Acajutla, El Salv...........Free shuttle to Botanical Gardns half hourly - April 2023 Adelaide Aus...............Tram right at port goes to centre city, no shuttle ...Dec 2019 Agios Nikolaos ............Don't need a shuttle as dock near town centre ......update 2020 Airlie Beach (Aust.) .....Tender, then $5AUD pp each way shuttle Akaroa NZ ...................Tender of centre of town. ...... Dec 2019 Alanya (Turkey) ...........Taxis take you to the top of the hill . . update 2020 Albany West Aus .........Shuttle to town centre ...........Dec 2019 Alesund Norway............Dock at town so no shuttle Alexandria ....................Shuttle to city square Alicante Sp ...................free shuttle .............update 2022 Amalfi .......................... No need for shuttle Antigua..........................dock in town ..no shuttle Antofagasta ................. Free shuttle to town Antwerp ....................... Dock in town - no shuttle needed ... Aug 2017 Aqaba ...........................Shuttle Arica, Chile....................Shuttle out of port, town opposite port...April 2023 Arrecife (Canary Is.)......free shuttle .............................per Currents 2014 Ashdod Israel .............. Shuttle to Sea Mall ... April/June 2022 Astor (Oregan) .............Shuttle to town - the trolley bus to 39th St for $1 is fun 07/2023 Athens (Piraeus)...........Shuttle to outside port area in Piraeus - need tour to Athens (2022) Bangkok (Laem Chab'g. Feb 2024 update: assigned to dock 2 days at Sri Racha part of Laem Chabang port; shuttle provided only to Sri Racha on full day there. Laem Chabang can be 2 hours in traffic to BK. And no shuttles on embark/disembark days per O's policy. Plan accordingly. Banjul, The Gambia......Shuttle to Royal Albert Market, #647 recommend tour...04/2023 Bar Harbor ....................Dock at town so no shuttle Barcelona .....................O ships often dock at World Trade Center (Moll de Barcelona). Private company often offers free or paid shuttle from WTC & other terminals to near Drassanes Metro Basseterre, St. Kitts .....Dock at town so no shuttle Belfast ..........................Free shuttle to town (near City Hall) Bermuda (Hamilton)......dock in town .no shuttle Bermuda (St George)....dock in town Bermuda (Kings Wharf) shopping area Bilbao ...........................Free shuttles reported Apr/May 2023 from Getxo port to Bio's Plaza del Museo near Guggenheim OR Fine Arts Museum near Old Town Bordeaux (city) .............Dock on river, no shuttle, tram close. April 2023 Bordeaux (Le Verdon) ..If ship making technical stop only, need shore excursion in area ending in Bordeaux to leave ship..Some itineraries offer shuttle to nearby Soulac sur Mer. Stop is due to tides. Brisbane (Aus) ..............Free shuttle to town Bozcaada, Turkey..........Short tender to small city, no shuttle needed .... April 2022 Broome (Australia).........Free shuttle to town Bruges (Zeebruge) ........Free shuttle to port gates ... August 2017. see #670 May 2023 Brunei - see Muara, Brunei Burnie Tas Aus...............Shuttle to Makers Workshop (meet tours etc) & to town - 2020 Buenos Aires .................Free shuttle to town / Plaza Hotel .......... update 2020 Busan, South Korea.......Free shuttle all day.....April 2023 Cabo Frio, Brazil............Tender, walk to town ......April 2023 Cadiz .............................Dock at town no shuttle. Need train/transport to Seville 05/2023 Cairns Aus .....................Dock at town so no shuttle Callao (Lima) ................ Free shuttle to town Canary Islands ..............Shuttle to terminal then walk ...update 2020 (Tenerife? unreported). Also see Arrecife Capetown......................NO shuttle - walk or cab. (E berth, Terminal, Duncan Rd 01/2019 Cartegena Columbia.....shuttle to port gates/handicraft village Casablanca ..................Free shuttle to town Castries, St Lucia .........Dock at town so no shuttle Chania (Hania), Crete (Greece)....shuttle to city center April 2022 Civitavecchia (for Rome)...Free shuttle to Civitavecchia Cobh.............................Dock at town so no shuttle Colombo ......................Free from ship to Port Gate 1. (local taxis available there) Jan 2019 Concarneau .................Dock at town so no shuttle Copenhagen ................Free shuttle to town – but reports of it being difficult see #301 Coquimbo ....................Free shuttle to a hotel in town...updated April 2023 Corfu ............................Free shuttle to town Corner Brook ...............Dock at town so no shuttle Coron............................Dock in town; took Oceania boat excursion, not sure if walk-off tours possible Cotonou, Benin............Shuttle to town April 2023 Crete............................Shuttle ....Update 2020 ...Oceania stops in several places in Crete; see Chania Daka, Senegal.............Shuttle to Independence Square......April 2023 Dar es Salaam.............Free shuttle from pier to Hyatt Regency in City Center. Long walk from ship to exit gate. There are several gates which may be confusing. Very busy working port (Jan 2019) Darwin Aus .................Free shuttle to town Dubai ..........................Free shuttle from the port to the Dubai Mall Dublin .........................No shuttle provided (June 2023) Dubrovnik ...................Free shuttle to town Dunedin NZ ................Free shuttle to town East London, SA ........Free shuttle from pier to the Hemingsway Mall (Jan 2019) Edinburgh (Leith) .......No shuttle - Closest port to town but still a distance to city centre. Edinburgh (Newhaven)...Free shuttle from pier to Leith terminal see #701- July 2023 Eden Aus ...................Tender then shuttle but only short walk Ensenada Mexico.......20 min. walk into townwith wheelchair, shuttle $4 April 2023. Ephesus (see Kusadasi) .....Quite a drive from Kusadasi - need a tour ..update 2023 Esmeraldas .................Shuttle to Playa de las Palmas (docked or tender) Mar 2019 Exmouth (Aus) ............Free shuttle to town Flam Norway................No shuttle needed - dock in town July 2018 Forteleza, Brazil...........Shuttle to downtown hotel opposite beautiful beach....April 2023 Fremantle/Perth ..........unsure, nearby ferry dock, train station very close to dock..... update Dec 2019 Gdansk (Gydnia).........Shuttle to Gydnia but Gdansk required excur/transport (date unknown, but old) Geiranger ....................No shuttle needed - Dock at town Geraldton West Aus ...Shuttle .................Update Dec 2019 Gijon SP .....................Shuttle to Rodriquez San Pedro ("Las Letronas"), then 5m walk to old town Gisbourne NZ .............Free shuttle to town but short walk Gothenburg ...............Free Shuttle to Gustave Adolf Square.......September 2023 Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas) - tender to island. No shuttle needed. Greenock ...................No shuttle needed - Dock at town (15-20 minute walk to train to Glasgow) Haifa ..........................shuttle to port entrance only (April 2022) Halifax ........................No shuttle needed - Dock at town Halifax pier 31 shuttle to Pier 22 pavillion April 2019 Hamburg ....................Shuttle provided by Port to City Hall ....Aug 2017 Harvest Caye..............ferry to mainland *not* operating for independents when there Mar 2019 Havana, Cuba ............Dock in city. walk off on main street.... April 2017. Helsinki .....................Free shuttle to reach Market Square September 2023 Hiroshima....................Free shuttle all day......updated July 2023 Hobart (aus) ...............Dock at town so no shuttle ... Sep 2017 Ho Chi Minh City (Sai).Docked at Hiep Phuoc Feb. 2024, 5m shuttle to exit (only cruise tour buses allowed in port; drivers = outside gate). 45m shuttle available to Ben Thanh Market, HCMC Distr 1. Holyhead ....................Free shuttle to town (really to end of dock) ... Aug 2017 Hososhima..................Free shuttle all day.....April 2023 Hue (Chan May port)...Shuttle=Lang Co Beach Resort (need excurs or transport to Hue, Hoi An etc.) Imzir (Turkey)...............Shuttle to town .......July 2023 Invergordon ................Dock at town so no shuttle .... August 2017 Kirkwall (Orkney Is)....Shuttle to visitors centre Castle St .... update July 2023 Killybegs, Ireland......Dock at town no shuttle August 2023 Kobe (japan) ..............Shuttle to town July 2023 Koper .........................Dock at town so no shuttle Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) Shuttle to Wisma Merdecka Mall Jan 2024 Kotor ..........................Dock at town so no shuttle Kristiansand ...............Walking distance to town ...(South coast Norway) August 2017 Kristiansund................No shuttle - dock in town (West coast of Norway) July 2018 Kusadasi (for Ephesus) - no shuttle, shopping available nearby in city. April 2022 Kyoto/Kobe..................Free shuttle all day......April 2023 La Coruna ...................Dock at town so no shuttle Langkawi......................Free shuttle from pier to Cenang Duty free Mall Jan 2019 La Rochelle .................Free shuttle to town Le Havre (for Paris)......Free shuttle to city center (Le Havre)... September 2023 Le Verdon ....................Free shuttle to town (Soulac Sur Mer) sometimes offered. Take excursion if not. Also see Bordeaux above Lerwick, Shetland Is...Dock Mair's Pier, free shuttle to town near Tourist Ctr/Victoria Pier. Aug 2023 Lima ...........................Free shuttle to Marriott at Larcomar (Miraflores area) 03/2019 Lisbon .........................Free shuttle reported for some cruises; none for others. Dock below Alfama near transportation/walk opportunities (updated Apr 2022) Liverpool ......................Dock at town so no shuttle ... August 2017 Livorno (for Florence).. Free shuttle to town but need transport if going to Florence Londonderry Nth Ire ...No shuttle provided (June 2023) Luderitz, Namibia.....No shuttle needed - town an easy walk.......April 2023 Male, Maldives.........tender port.... guides waiting + tours there. Walk in town Jan 2019 Mahe, Seychelles.....no shuttle . Jan 2019 Malaga ....................Shuttle ..............update 2022 Manila......................Shuttle to Robinson Mall or do longish walk from port to Rizal Park & Intramuros Manta Ecuador .......Shuttle to main square (longish walk); drops at port gate Mar 2019 Manzanillo Mexico...Long walk to shuttle bus cost $3 (see post 647) April 2023 Maputo ...................Free shuttle from pier to City Center (feima market) Jan 2019 Marcello, Brazil.......Shuttle ->town, shopping, need taxi for interesting places .. 2023 Marseille ................Free shuttle to town (Fort Saint John) Melbourne Vic Aus ...Tram 109 is 5-10 min walk from port, buy ticket at convenience store, no shuttle. Trams within City Centre free, no shuttle ...... update Dec 2019 Messina (Italy) - ship docks at City Center; no shuttle needed. Miami ......................... Free shuttle to Bayside Marketplace (*not* on embarkation day) Mar 2019 Mindelo, Cape Verde Shuttle to Marina Mindelo (downtown.....April 2023 Mitilini..........................This is tender port near town centre....... update 2020 Monte Carlo ............... Dock at town so no shuttle Muara, Brunei..............Muara=30-40 minutes from capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Inter-port shuttle to outside port (no walking/taxis), bus terminal & Muara Town. Dart Service to BSB arranged at desk in terminal; limited taxis/buses in Muara. Tours probably best option (Jan. 2024) Murmansk .................. Need to book a tour either O or private for visa Muscat ........................Free shuttle to the Souk Mykonos.......................No shuttle needed, dock in town ...update 2020 Naha (Japan) ..............Free shuttle to town .........July 2023 Napier NZ....................Shuttle to ISite info centre on Marine Parade .... update Dec 2019 Nassau, Bahamas ......dock in town Natal, Brazil ................Shuttle to building with some shops -taxis - NB security see post 647.. Apr 2023. New York .....................no shuttle (Manhattan cruise terminal) Mar 2019 Newcastle ....................Free shuttle to nearest metro station (limited timing) Nha Trang.....................After tendering, shuttle to TTC Hotel 5 mins. from Dam Market Nosy be, Madagascar...Free shuttle (tender port) from pier to Town Market Jan 2019 Okinawa (Japan) ..........Free shuttle to town ....... July 2023 Oporto (Porto)...............Free shuttle to Parque de Alfandega (riverfront transport parking lot) Apr 2023. Walk left as face water about 10 minutes to get to Ribeira/bridge Oslo .............................Dock in town so no shuttle .... Aug 2017 Paphos, Cyprus ......... ? no shuttle. About 10 minutes walk to shops etc April 2022 Palma de Mallorca......Free shuttle to town (cathedral) Paris - see Le Havre Patmos........................Dock in town - no shuttle needed .... update 2020 Perth see Fremantle Phillip Is Vic Aus.........long tender ride in, shuttle to beach /boardwalk, limited car hire/taxis....Dec 2019 Phuket, Thailand........no shuttle Jan 2019 Picton NZ ..................Dock at town so no shuttle Piraeus (Port for Athens)...Shuttle to outside port in Piraeus, need tour to Athens (2022) Pisco ....................... Free shuttle to town Pointe Seraphine..... Walking distance (500 metres) or harbour water taxi to main area town..April 2023 Port Arthur Tas Aus . Tender in to PA Penal Settlement - (no real town so a guess) no shuttle needed updated 2022 Port Elizabeth, South Africa....Free shuttle from pier to the Boardwalk Jan 2019 Port Klang................... Shuttle to Bukit Tinggi Mall. Break from 11:45 - 1:30. Jan 19 Port Stanley (Falklands) Dock visitors center - 10 min. walk through town.....April 2023 Porto - see Oporto Portofino ................... No need for shuttle Puerto Limon............. No shuttle, tours by the local taxis & shops on the pier, walk to town Mar 2019 Portland UK ...............Free shuttle to town Praislin .............. ........No shuttle . Jan 2019 Puerto Arenas.............Shuttle to Handicraft Market....April 2023 Puntarenas Costa Rica no shuttle ride only to port gates Puerto Chacabuco......Tender then shuttle to get out of port...April 2023 Puerto Chiapas Mex....$10 RT shuttle or $60 RT for 45 min. drive to town (post 647)...April 2023 Puerto Limon...............No shuttle, tours by local taxis & shops on pier, walk to town.....March 2019 Puerto Montt Chile.......Tender to tours & taxis, suggest early tender (post 647) .. 2023 Puerto Princesa............No info on shuttle; we took excursion so not sure of other options (Feb 2024) Punta del Este.............Tender docks right in centre of town........April 2023 Quetzal, Guatemala.....No shuttle, many tour operators, small souvenir shops... 2023 Recife, Brazil................Shuttle to terminal where many tours/taxis available....April 2023 Reykjavik, Iceland........Shuttle to Harpa Conference Center, even on disembarkation day...July 2023 Rhodes ........................Dock in town. no shuttle - longish walk to port gates. .April 2022 Roatan ........................No shuttle, Oceania docks in Coxen Hole, many port shops etc Mar 2019; can also dock at Mahogany Bay resort port Richards Bay............... Free shuttle from pier to Boardwalk Mall. (Jan 2019) Riga.............................?no shuttle; easy walk to HoHo bus/Rifleman Statue Rio ...............................?? Free shuttle to town. Terminal with tours & taxis outside....update 2023 Rome ..........................(see Civitavecchia) Ronne, Denmark........Free Shuttle to St. Nicolai Church.......September 2023 Rotterdam...................Free shuttle to Markethal, Rotterdam ....September 2023 Safaga ,Egypt .............Shuttle to downtown Saint John NB .............Dock at town so no shuttle Salalah, Oman ............shuttle to the Souk Salaverry......................shuttle to Trujillo/or shuttle to port gate - private tours. Tours in Trujillo Mar 2019 Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.....Walk off ship, tours & taxis at terminal....April 2023 San Antonio de Chile.....Shuttle out of port, then 10 min. walk to town (huge market) post 647 Apr 2023 San Sebastion de la Gomera ...........None needed ........ update 2020 Santa Cruz De Teneriffe ........Shuttle to terminal ....................update 2019 Santander SP docked along waterfront Almirante Quay near Botin Center Apr 2023, no shuttle needed Santiago de Compostela SP - see Vilagarcia Santo Tomas, ...............no shuttle, tours in the terminal, walk into town Mar 2019 Sao Tome & Principe....Tender, shuttle to main square, taxis available....Apr 2023 Santos ..........................Free shuttle to town - San Paulo (1hour drive). ? 2017 Seward .........................Loop shuttle ARR station and around town - July 2023 Shimizu.........................Free shuttle all day......update July 2023 Sihanoukville................Short port shuttle to gate (no walking) & shuttle to Psar Lu market Feb. 2024 Singapore.................... Embark/disembark day, so no shuttle. But taxis/public transport nearby. Note are 2 cruise ports; Riviera Jan. 2024 was assigned to Singapore Cruise Center near Sentosa Island Skagan Denmark..........free shuttle to town Sorrento .......................Free shuttle to town Split ..............................Dock at town so no shuttle Stavanger ....................dock in town July 2018 Storoway, Scotland....Tender port. August 2023 St Barts ....................... tender to town..no shuttle St. Lucia ..................... Castries: Dock at town so no shuttle. Pointe Seraphine: ........walking (500 metres) or harbour water taxi to main area town. St Malo ........................Dock at town so no shuttle St Jean De Luz ...........Dock at town so no shuttle St Petersburg ..............Need to book a tour - either O or private for required visa Stockholm...................Free shuttle bus to Stromgatan.......September 2023 Sydney N.S. ................Dock at town so no shuttle Sydney Cove/ Circular Quay Aus ......Free shuttle to Darling Harbour centre ..... 2018 Sydney White Bay (Aus) ...turnaround day . no shuttles, taxis available ..... Dec 2019 Tallinn, Estonia..........Free shuttle to reach Mere Boulevard ...September 2023 Tauranga /Rotorua......Believe was shuttle to Tauranga city center; Rotorua requires excursion or transport ..............Dec 2019 Tokyo........................Free shuttle (July 2023) Trapani, Sicily ..........No shuttle; docked very near downtown June 2022 Ushuaia....................Shuttle to town (also walkable) see post 647.............April 2023 Valencia .................. Free shuttle to town Valletta .....................Dock below town. Take elevator return for €1-€2. April 2022 Venice ......................Free shuttle to town (may be outdated; ships not allowed in city May 2023, but may be possible to dock in nearby Fusina, Maghera now or soon?) Vilagarcia (port for Santiago de Compostela) Port authority provided free shuttle Apr 2023 to tourist info center downtown at O Cavadelo (closed at 9 AM). Local buses & cab stand nearby but not much open/few people around. I took cab to train, train to Santiago, walked back to shuttle, shuttle to ship. Walvis Bay, Namibia..Shuttle to Dune Mall (shopping).......April 2023 Warnemunde, Germany.....Short walk to town & train for Rostock & Berlin September 2023 Wellington NZ..............Free shuttle to several places city centre ...... Dec 2019 Zakynthos, Greece .....Tender port, no shuttle, smallish island. Walk to small town - 2022 Zanzibar.......................Free shuttle from pier to Kelele Square (Jan 2019) Zeebruge (for Bruges)..Shuttle to port gates ... Aug 2017 Zihuatanejo.Mexico......Easy walk off pier & you are in town...............April 2023 (Updated Feb. 2024 with info on SE Asia ports.)

I'm back from my cruise which included Brunei. I found it a bit challenging in terms of transportation, but we used the Dart ride service and that worked well. If anyone's interested I'll post more information a little later on what was at the port, in Bandar (main city), things to be aware of, etc. I loved my day there, and was glad I made the effort to get there and explore it. If nothing else, it's certainly an interesting place.

I never book a flight anywhere before 4 hours after the itinerary disembark time, as there is usually some uncertainty as to whether the weather, port and immigration officials and traffic will cooperate well or not so well. But I'm a cautious person, so other people may tell you 3 hours is enough. Also, I've only embarked in Singapore (last month, from cruise terminal near Sentosa Island), so I'm not sure whether that's an easy or not easy port in which to disembark. But I'd definitely consider what time your ship (at this, likely, early point) is scheduled to dock in Singapore. And I might determine which cruise terminal your ship is currently assigned to use (there are two, though both are convenient). Singapore is great because taxis are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. I assume there will be plenty at the dock. Others might be able to give you more specific information. But I wouldn't book a flight that early. And Singapore is fabulous, so I'd try to find a way to at least get a half day tour before leaving.

If you're looking for info on Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), I posted something to a thread called "Saigon" that was started by someone (apparently) called Marsha. Riviera docked at the Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc dock, a container port on the river. There was a shuttle to center city (district 1 of HCMC). I'll try to update the list for shuttles availability in the next few days. (This cruise was from Singapore to Bangkok).

I love the small ships. But this year, Riviera had a wonderful itinerary, so off I went. We made it to all ports, which made me quite happy. Seas were rough from Singapore to Brunei, though. The Sultan there controls a lot, but apparently his reach outside the country is limited.

Hi. I was on Riviera in Hiep Phuoc Feb. 7. The port name is Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc. You can see it on Google, south of HCMC, on the Soi Rap River (I think?). Buses for tours were maybe 1-2 minute walk from ship. Some vendors were setting up outside when we got in early; more came later. They were there at night with some decent, fun souvenirs. I don't remember a local greeting like the ones we got in Borneo and the Philippines ports. A short port shuttle was required for everyone not taking a ship excursion -- bus was kind of hidden and not as well marked as those in some ports I've visited, so make sure you get on the right one if you're going to the port entrance to meet a non-Oceania vendor. The trip to the port entrance was fast, with no waiting, at least for us. The other shuttle buses took people to the Ben Thanh Market in center city HCMC (I think near Opera House in District 1, a great location for exploration). It was reported as leaving every half hour the first day from noon to 10 PM. (We were scheduled to arrive 11:30 the first day. We actually were tied up and cleared a bit earlier than projected, but I don't know if any of the shuttles left early.) The ride was reported as taking up to an hour, though with the madness of Tet, I imagine it took at least an hour. On the second day, I got off the ship and met a pre-arranged driver to take me to a floating temple up north. Then we came back to the city for a short while and then he took me back to the port. I saw the market, but didn't really pay much attention. But I'd suggest making sure you know exactly where to find the shuttle coming back (same place it drops?) And check to see if they run all day without a long lunch break, as there was a somewhat confusing note in the daily Currents paper about no service 1-3 PM. In a city of 9 million during Tet, the market (and whole city) was really hopping. There were some, but not many, taxi drivers outside the port. They didn't speak much English, so if you're not taking the shuttle, be prepared with written info on where you want to go, and what you're prepared to pay. And be aware that Saigon traffic is horrendous, so take patience with you on the ride. As for Nha Trang (Nha Trang Port, Vietnam) first we tendered - a crowded but efficient 10-15 minute ride. I think some smaller ships dock there, but Riviera is one of O's large ships, and she was assigned to anchor. Everyone tendered to a place where many taxi drivers (some with tours) congregated, outside a couple small coffee shops. You could apparently then take a shuttle to the TTC Hotel but I didn't look to see where that was. Shuttles ran every half hour. If you're meeting a vendor, I'd make sure the person uses a sign board, as it's a very busy, crowded place. And in Hue (Chan May port) you'll likely have a shuttle to Lang Co Beach Resort. Lang Co lagoon is a beautiful place, but I imagine many people will find this shuttle very limiting. I personally would take an excursion (ship or non-ship). You'll spend time on a coach, but at least have an enlightening, fulfilling experience. Oceania had a lot of good excursions. One advantage of taking an O tour was that in this port, the tour buses were a lot closer to the ship than where people had to go to meet non-ship excursions. 800 meter walks in SE Asia heat aren't fun. We did it for a TourwithXuan excursion, but be forewarned that the walk to the meeting place was long and sunny. I don't know if any vendors are allowed to actually come into the port, so clarify that if you're not up for a sweaty walk. We loved Hoi An, and the countryside ride was scenic (maybe an hour? I forget). I don't remember if there were any taxis outside the port, but probably there were a few. And some roaming cattle too. Hope this helps prepared you for what you'll encounter. But keep in mind that any of it could be different for YOUR cruise, especially since this was Riviera's first trip to Asia, and things seemed a little fluid. And it was during Tet, which is a huge (and long lasting) celebration. Happy year of the dragon!

I didn't ask or try, but I think the answer is yes. But I think you have to ask your room steward to unlock them.

Ignore. Ended up with 2 posts.

Hi. W

I haven't seen any ships there, unless that's where a recent Seabourn ship berthed. But I think they are even smaller than the R ships, so maybe they can make an extra river turn or two. But at least Hiep Phuoc goes up the river a ways, just not all the way to Saigon district 1! I'm curious if the travel from the sea to Hiep Phuoc will be scenic - delta land?

If you post back after February 10 I can tell you if Riviera was assigned/docked at Hiep Phuoc and docked there, as opposed to the other ports - and there are quite a few! I do know that one of Oceania's smaller ships docked there a month or two ago, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Riviera will end up there. From what I've read but not confirmed, it's 45-60 minutes to center city HCMC/Saigon, with a short shuttle ride to outside the commercial port, and then perhaps a shuttle to a location near the Opera House (Municipal Theater). And perhaps taxis outside the port.

In Barbados, were there taxis? When we were there, transportation wasn't a problem. But that was a while ago, and it was not embarkation/disembarkation day, not a holiday, and no other ships were in town, so my experience may have been different. It's probably too late for this info, but here's what the IQCruising site says: Shuttle bus Most luxury cruise lines (like Regent or Crystal) offer complimentary shuttle buses. If your cruise line doesn't offer a shuttle bus, there is also a paid bus - US $2.00 per person, each way - right outside the terminal. Taxis are also available but it doesn't make much sense to pay extra unless you really need to. In the Cruise Terminal of Barbados Port in Bridgetown, cruise passegers will find all services and amenities needed to explore the island-nation on your own. Photo © IQCruising taken in April 2022 What's at the cruise terminal

I haven't been to Laem Chabang or Pattaya. But I've been told by a few couple companies/people that vendors must get a permit to enter the port. So that, plus the taxi group mentioned above, may account for the fact that there don't seem to be many eager vendors offering their services. I am taking a chance on a man named Jack Kosol, for our transportation between LC and a Bangkok hotel. He was recommended on a Facebook group I browse on occasion. His communication has so far been quite good. We disembark in LC and he appears to know there is a port charge. He also is aware that we may take longer to disembark as we are leaving our cruise a day early in LC and will likely have to go through immigration on the ship before leaving. He says he'll wait. He is not requiring a deposit. He isn't cheap, but we indicated we wanted to stop one or two places on the way to Bangkok or to the hotel once in BK and he seemed very agreeable, with a price a bit less than what the taxi price board above indicates for this kind of thing one way in a car with sightseeing.

As a "P.S" of sorts, I know it may not be totally reliable/useful, but someone on a Facebook group just posted the instructions that a Royal Caribbean Line guest received from RCL on how to fill out the form. It suggests reflecting the entry date as two days prior to the scheduled arrival date for first port, and the exit date at least a week after the date of the last port visit. It stated that the cruiser should apply for a one-time visa unless they anticipated going back to Viet Nam. It listed the ports their cruises might use, and told guests to refer to their itinerary. It mentioned that a hard copy of the visa must be presented when a person checks in for embarkation. the mice, I think you're on the cruise after mine. We disembark in Bangkok. Post again if you have questions and hopefully I'll see it and answer if can.

I still don't know for sure that the visa I have will be accepted. However, both my and my spouse's visas do say "Good for single/multiple entries" so I hope it's fine for a cruise visit. But the entry and exit dates on MY visa reflect "Good for entry valid from" a day before we're scheduled to dock in our first Vietnamese port (not what I put) and the "until" date about a week or so after we depart our last port. My spouse's visa, however, (applied/paid for same U.S. day but slightly different time as mine) is a little different. It has the date we're scheduled to visit our first port as the "entry valid from" date, and one day earlier than MY "until" date. I'm assuming both of these things are due to timing and/or their policy of leaving some room for early/late visits, as I checked these applications several times. There IS a number to call to ask questions, and an email address that I saw on the Vietnamese Evisa website (https://xuatnhapacanh.gov.vn). I may email or call them just to make sure. All I can say is good luck with your Asian visas!

Does anyone have any experience with using their onboard credit to pay for a visa they've asked Oceania to obtain for a passenger? If it matters, in my case it would be Oceania loyalty credit for doing a particular number of cruises. .