IWantToLiveOverTheSea

Thank you. That is quite a good site.

Thank you for this information. I especially appreciate the warning about the local number to use Grab, as I wasn't aware of that. And I don't think I can put a sim card in my phone, although in Europe I didn't need one to be able to make calls (T Mobile service, Samsung phone). But I guess if I have service in KK, I WILL be able to order a Grab???

I haven't heard about Pantai Berakas beach, but I didn't look at too much other than what is in Bandar Seri Begawan, and a little about Muara, as I was exploring how I could get to BSB.

Our itinerary calls for tendering in the two ports mentioned in the title of my post. I was curious if anyone has an idea of where we might be tendered to, and what's around that area. Any info would be appreciated, as there doesn't seem to be much information available on these ports.

I looked at U.S. CDCP recommendations. There's a chart you can use to get recommendations by age, medical situation, etc. And there are notes about each country. But basically, it sounds like Hepatitis A and B are recommended for SE Asia countries, plus staying current on routine vaccinations such as Tetanus, flu, shingles, and Covid. Yellow fever and malaria generally are not recommended unless you'll be in a lot of rural areas. Cholera is widespread in the Philippines but rare in travelers, so not recommended. In general, typhoid isn't an issue. But as Torfamm indicated, if you've recently been in countries with yellow fever, you may need a yellow fever vaccine to get in the country. Some U.S. states have databases in which you can look up when you were last vaccinated for a particular disease.

I haven't been to Muara, but should be there in a few months on a cruise. From what I've read (which isn't a lot!!), if you're there on a cruise, you may have to wait for a taxi, or call for a ride with the local ridesharing company, which is Dart. They have a helpful website. There's also apparently a bus that stops at Muara Beach, but I don't know if it comes to the cruise ship area. I'm attaching a map to show you in general where cruise ships dock, ferries dock, the beach, etc. But it is not exactly a booming metropolis with much in the way of taxis, ridesharing, etc., and the buses sound like they are a little bit unreliable, so I plan to be cautious. I'm hoping to get down to the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan to sightsee, and it's a bit complicated. But it's nice to hear from the posters above that there are at least a few things at the beach. Of course, if your on a cruise (Norwegian or Oceania?), there will no doubt be excursions to take, so transportation isn't an issue. But I don't think any excursions on our cruise go to the beach. I'd love to hear more about Muara if you get there before I do!

This is probably too much info (for Westiesheepie), but i was curious and looked at some notes I took about ships going to HCMC. The big ships dock way far from the city. One of Oceania's smaller ships (670 passengers, I think) went way up the Song (river) Tau and tied up beneath the Ho Chi Minh Museum on the south end of the city. Marine Traffic showed the location as VN NHA. Silver Whisper (around same size or a little smaller) tied up at the Hiep Phuoc location I mentioned. Viking Orion (about the size of Oceania's larger ships) also tied up at Hiep Phuoc. Norwegian Jewel is headed to Vietnam now, though I forget if she is going to HCMC or not. I'll see where she ends up.

For HCMC, a few Oceania ships have been docking at a commercial container port called Hiep Phuoc. I don't know if that's where Seabourn will dock, and haven't gotten my Vietnam evisa for Oceania Riviera yet. But if you see that port listed on the evisa site, it MAY be where you'll be. The port is called Saigon Premier Container Terminal Hiep Phuoc Port, Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, Nha Be District. I'm told it's about a 45 minute drive south of HCMC. But at least one of Oceania's smaller ships stopped closer to HCMC, though I don't know what the port was called. So it may be best to get the answer to where Encore has been assigned to dock. There are 5 or 6 different locations for cruise ships. But after a brief look at the evisa site instructions, I can't see anything that specifically asked for incoming and outgoing ports, or even dates for that matter. So now I'm back to square one - confused! As for Halong Bay and Da Nang, I'm thinking cruise ships going to Halong Bay MAY dock at the Chan May port, where Oceania Riviera is scheduled to dock for our visit to Hue . Our itinerary shows Hue (Chan May). Chan May is a large but somewhat isolated port in the same general area of Vietnam. Good luck. I've been scratching my head, figuring out where we'll dock. But now I wonder if I even need to know.....

When Oceania was in HCMC a few months ago, someone reported there was a shuttle to district 1 near the market (not far from Opera House). That should help with transportation concerns. But I've learned to never assume that just because one ship docked a particular place, or people on one cruise had use of a shuttle, or one ship tendered instead of docked, what has been reported is what I'll experience on MY cruise. But I will definitely get the actual address firmed up, and in Vietnamese if necessary, before I leave any dock in the Saigon area! Now in Thailand, whew! I am really having a tough time looking at place names on a map.

Thanks. That sounds likely. But I was a little worried that we were too large. A Regent Seven Seas ship just docked there, or even higher "up," but she is more like Regatta, etc. in size/weight etc. Also, the Hiep Phuoc SPCT port website mentions smaller size figures too, which made me even more curious/nervous! Silverseas Whisper sailed WAY up (down?) the Saigon River and I was so jealous, looking at that on Marine Traffic. Then again, some ships have stopped WAY south of HCMC. But who knows? Some things surprise me. This spring both O's smaller and larger ships sailed down the river to Bordeaux and docked right in the heart of Bordeaux. But the river wasn't all that curvy.... Regatta was just in Sihanoukville. I'd love to hear how that was. It sounds like an interesting port.

Thank you. I'm trying to figure out where to break up the longish drive from Laem Chabang. The driver suggested the Sanctuary, but it just seems too out of the way. So I'll probably look further. There's so much in Bangkok.....

Oceania has one similar to the Holland America cruise above, but in late January. Regent Seven Seas (on the expensive side) also has one in December, and I know Norwegian Jewel does one, but forget the dates. Viking Orion also does that part of Asia, though they're a little more pricey than HAL, Norwegian (Jewel) and Oceania. I'd look for one that has 2 days in Laem Chabang for Bangkok (or stay there pre-or post-cruise - 1 day isn't enough). Or stay overnight in Bangkok as suggested above if you're there for 2 days on the cruise. And probably I'd look for 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), just due to distance you'll likely be from port. At least Oceania's smaller ships, and Seven Seas ships., go closer to Saigon that many cruise ships do. In Cambodia, Sihanoukville seems to be the most prevalent stop visited, perhaps because some people do overnights to Siem Reap. But that's (obviously) only good for that if you have two full days there. And one in Sihanoukville, from what I've heard, has some interesting temples and nice beaches. But otherwise I don't know if it's all that interesting to most people. Docking in Hue, Vietnam (port is usually Chan May) is good for visiting the imperial city of Hue or the charming city of Hoi An. I would love to visit Halong Bay, but don't know how easy/hard it is to do this via cruise ship. I opted for something without it. Asia seems a little tough for cruisers, with some of the stops being pretty far from the ports. That makes for more sea days than I generally like, so I am avoiding the larger ships and cruise lines that already seem to make too few stops for my preference. But of course everyone's different. And you don't mention Singapore, but Singapore seems to be a fabulous place for starting a cruise, and not terribly far from either the Philippines or Vietnam.

I've been trying unsuccessfully to find out where Oceania's ship Riviera may be assigned to dock in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in February. I know that a few of the smaller ships have docked close to the city (Hiep Phuoc, container port on Saigon River not terribly far south of HCMC). That is what a well known tour guide thinks is correct, but I'm no so sure a ship of Riviera's size can be handled there. Would anyone know how to find out? Or has anyone been there on a larger ship that's been there?

I've been trying unsuccessfully to find out where the Riviera may be assigned to dock in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in February. I know that a few of the smaller ships have docked close to the city (Hiep Phuoc, container port on Saigon River not terribly far south of HCMC). That is what a well known tour guide thinks is correct, but I'm no so sure a ship of Riviera's size can be handled there. Would anyone know how to find out? Or has anyone been there on a larger ship that's been there?

So did you decide? Are you on my cruise, Singapore to Bangkok?

We spent the night in Sanur, a beach that's not terribly far from the airport (Denpasar), maybe a half hour, and not too far from Benoa port It has a reputation as a fairly quiet beach for the somewhat older crowd. And we had our driver pick us up the next morning, so didn't do much more than just walk up and down the modest beach boardwalk. We enjoyed it, but we don't know what the other beaches are like, so can't really say if we'd recommend it or not. It's my understanding that the beaches west of the port are more lively, younger, etc. I suppose it depends upon what else, if anything, you want to see in Bali. My focus was the Ubud area, and sightseeing rather than beach time. And I didn't really want a very resorty area, so Sanur was perfect.

I'm curious about the Sanctuary of Truth. I'd like to stop somewhere between Laem Chabang and Bangkok. But can anyone offer a guess as to how much time that would add to a trip from the port to the Sanctuary, quick look around, and on to Bangkok center city?

I'm not sure, but I think I read that the evisa is not accepted at Sihanoukville port, only at certain other ports in Cambodia. So I'd see if you can confirm that what I read is true. I'm looking into getting my visas from the Cambodian embassy in Washington DC. They have something on their website that indicates people can get a regular sticker visa attached to their passports that allows one-time entry into Cambodia for 30 days. It's $30 and you must go in person, with money order, photo, copy of your passport, passport, etc. You can't apply until 2 months prior to your visit. But at least it's reasonably-priced, and no mailing or keeping of passports is required. So if you have a Cambodian embassy or consulate anywhere close by, you may want to explore that option. Otherwise, you may need to pay the cruise line to get a visa for you from GenVisa, Visa Central, or a similar company. As for actually having to have a visa for Sihanoukville, for Sihanhoukville officials or the cruise line, I have no clue. I've also read that the city is not what it used to be. Nevertheless, the temples there sound worth visiting, and I don't need much to be happy in a new port, so I don't want to stay on the ship that day.

And no, I wouldn't be walking to/from the port with luggage. I may, however, want to walk out of the port and spend a few hours in the city before returning to the ship. But I may just take a taxi, since they seem to be reasonably priced and widely available. I don't live in Florida (no, no, never) but I AM pretty heat/humidity tolerant, so I'll be fine.

You may not have a choice, but just for the record, I never use a service offered by the cruise line unless I have to. But I live in a U.S. metropolitan area with a lot of foreign consulates, which isn't the case for many travelers. So it's usually easier, and lots cheaper, to use an official government online website for evisas, which are sometimes called visas on arrival. As far as I know, what I've gotten is always the same as what a visa service/cruise line offers. Sihanoukville, Cambodia, however, is more complicated for anyone going there now on a cruise. That's because of what was mentioned in a previous post. So I guess it's coming down to a choice of paying Oceania to have VisaCentral get the visa, or go to a Cambodian embassy/consulate to get a tourist visa. (The T-1 tourist visa is only good for one entry, but you can stay 30 days. It's a sticker visa that is attached to passport. You must provide a picture, copy of passport bio page, $30 money order or cashier check. You can't apply earlier than 2 months pre-visit.) Of course, whether a cruise passenger will actually be asked to show one at the port, or prove to the cruise line that he or she has obtained one, is another question. But it sounds like Oceania does plan to check.

Yes, I did. But thank you anyway! And I do have some more questions about Singapore, but I'll wait until I'm a little bit more organized and can ask a few in one sitting before I ask away.

Thank you both for the replies. I googled, and it appears that from the Singapore Cruise Center to the MRT stations (Northeast & Circle lines' HarbourFront stops is about a 10 minute walk. Here's where it appears I need to go, which I assume is through the port terminal (level 2) then the Maritime Walk, through a section of the Mall to the street and to the station near Telok Blangah Road. That walk sounds doable for me, but just wanted a second pair of eyes to tell me if routing/timing sound about right. I don't plan to do that from the airport or hotel, but if I have enough time/energy/interest come cruise day, I may want to go back out for a few hours after I check into the cruise line/ship. As for planning routes, can you recommend a good app for that (for Android phones)? I'm trying to use something at home on my computer (http://journey.smrt.com.sg/ ) and it's acting buggy. Perhaps I need to try it once I get to Singapore, or try it on my phone instead of desktop computer? And I'm planning to look at the SMRT Connect app on my phone. Thank you!

Well, I have found the website I was looking for, and found my ship reflected on the schedule.. (It wasn't when I looked before.) So now I know we'll be porting on the western side of Singapore. But if anyone else has any information on what's in and around the port, and whether there's a shuttle or public bus, etc., I'd appreciate any info you have.

I understand there are two cruise ship terminals in Singapore. We'll be embarking an Oceania ship in January and I was wondering which cruise terminal we'll likely use. I know we'll get this information later from Oceania, but am trying to do some initial research now. I found a good amount of information for the newish (I think) Marina Bay Cruise Center, but now I'm wondering if we'll be at the other one, as Silverseas and Viking ships recently used that one. I'm hoping for Marina Bay, as it seems more central (to the far east of city) to where I want to explore for a few hours after checking in. So does anyone know if there's a rhyme or reason as to which cruise center a ship is assigned to? And if it's the "Singapore Cruise Center" across from Sentosa Island, does anyone know if there's a bus or shuttle to a place more "center city," as there is from the Marina Bay Cruise Center? And is there a website that describes what's available at or near the terminal like taxis or tourist info or ATM? Thanks for any info you can give me.

Thank you so much for posting that. I've been struggling with how I can get to the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, on my own, even though it's an hour away. And I know there are supposed to be a few public mini buses which go from there to Muara. But it's awfully complicated. sasswjo, we're probably on your cruise. I've been looking at Trip Advisor, and there appear to be some tours offered there as well. But they're not inexpensive. And I don't think they will pick up from Muara port. There are a few excursions that interest me, but I'm a pretty independent person and like to customize a little too, if possible, so I'd prefer to do something on my own. But I may just "cave" and take an excursion, or wait and see what I can do once we get there. It's bad that we aren't scheduled to arrive until 11, but kind of nice that we don't leave until 9 - although we'd obviously want to leave BSR early unless transport was guaranteed to be better than I'm thinking it will be! Ah, the down sides of cruising. Sometimes it's a challenge. At times I'm very thankful for those excursions arranged by the ship. I once went somewhere in which a ship's excursion was literally the only way to get to see something other than the inside of a port. Anyway, thank you Malemew, for the information. And sasswjo, if you find anything good, please let me know. I'm at howardruthalliejoey at gmail dot com I'm also on the Cruise Critic Roll Call. I have not seen any indication that a Brunei visa is needed, at least not for Americans. Cambodia is a little strange from what I've read. It appears we either need to go to a Cambodian embassy/consulate for that or need to use a visa service, as an evisa is not accepted when arriving at the Sihanoukville port. Going to an embassy isn't a problem for me, but may be for others.