IWantToLiveOverTheSea

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.

I'm about to post a separate question, but saw this & decided to post here in case anyone has the answer. We'll be embarking in Singapore in January on an Oceania ship. I'm trying to find out which cruise center we'll be assigned, as I like to do things independently using public transport an taxi. I thought it would be the Marina Bay cruise center, but now I'm wondering if it will be the other one - across from Sentosa Island. I found a port website and schedule for Marina Bay and no Oceania ships are listed there. I can't find a port website/schedule for Singapore Cruise Center. I believe a Silverseas ship and Viking Orion just used the Singapore Cruise Center near Sentosa. I will try to contact Viking to ask which port we're likely to be using, but I know they don't always, or can't always, know or tell cruisers this information until closer to cruise time. So I'm trying to get all the info I can now. So does anyone know if there's a rhyme or reason as to which cruise center a ship is assigned to? And if the latter one (Sentosa, west part of city), is there a shuttle to somewhere more "center city" from the port terminal, like there is for Marina Bay? And is there a website that describes what's available? Thanks.

Will you be at Benoa port, I assume? Or are you there now? We were there on another cruise line (Oceania, with a smaller ship) in Dec. 2019. We embarked from there. I can tell you there's not much there at the cruise port, unless it has changed since 2019. But docking is usually better than tendering, so that's a good thing We flew to Bali early and stayed 2 or 3 nights before boarding our ship. We hired a driver (Dewa, wonderful man; contact me if you'd like to hire him for your day there). He's not expensive at all, has lived there his whole life, and has a good airconditioned, spacious vehicle. He speaks fairly good English, and while his writing fabulous he doesn't mind you contacting him by email. And I can give you his phone numbers. We loved Bali, especially the city of Ubud. But the heat and humidity were a challenge. But I'd recommend you do and see more than just the beach. The temples are pretty amazing, and I oved the rice fields. Anyway, enjoy being the biggest ship to visit Benoa.

I think I heard that Viking missed Rome that day also. Ouch!

I'm finding that Solent Richard's blogs are good. Not all places you may be going are covered, of course. But I found the few I've looked at are pretty good. And if you're going to Asia, Docked Discoveries doesn't have a lot of ports covered, but at least it's a start: And there's https://www.iqcruising.com/index.html

I don't remember where I got this, but I wrote this in my notes: If have difficulties email Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security: foreigners@immigration.gov.vn or +84.24.382.640.26

I think I saw Skagway on the link provided above (web archive).

There are different docking locations for Ho Chi Minh City, so people need to make sure they know or find out where their ship is likely to dock. Chan May is often for itineraries listed as Hue or Hue (Chan May).

I would just make sure that the taxi driver knows, or can ask, where to drop you for embarkation. The driver will likely have to go inside the building containing the port offices and place where you check in. Ours found a guarded entrance on the side, but the basement area is cavernous and he had no help in finding a door for passengers. We were there soon after the port opened and it wasn't clearly marked. Finally he found a couple guys heading walking through the garage and asked for help. They sent him to a door. Yes, it was a door. But it was not the right place to enter for embarkation, with luggage. We struggled inside and found a turnstile. Soon someone came up to us with a radio and asked for our key card. She spoke little English and we spoke no Turkish. Eventually we made it upstairs via multiple escalators, asked someone where embarkation was, and did check in. Then I went back out into the city and my key card wouldn't work in the turnstiles to get out - or back in. Hmm. But hopefully now that the port has been open a year or more, they'll have the hiccups ironed out. One good thing was that the port personnel/contractors were pretty good at getting people checked in, including having our checked bags sniffed by a dog, and we were on our way to the two long ramps up to Sirena pretty quickly. And the views from the ship were pretty nice. As for timing, we checked in maybe 12:30 or 1, and there was only a very small line then.. KBrote, you may not have any line if you come in the afternoon. And they may still have the Terrace buffet open late then too. But don't cut things too short, as getting over the Galata Bridge can take longer than you might think - lots of traffic. The sail out is quite nice - pretty!