Help in deciding 2018 Asia vrs. Australia

We have two Oceania cruise deposits for 2018 and are having issues deciding. I am reaching out to all my fellow Oceania cruisers for help. We have previously been on 6 cruises with Oceania, Nautica, Regatta, Marina all in Baltics and mostly Med.

So...please give us an idea of your pros and cons on the following

Tasman Pearls Sydney to Aukland 13 days Regatta.

Vrs.

Imperial Awakenings Bankok to Shanghai 15 days.

Thanks!!!

How about at least posting the two itineraries? Or a link to the itineraries.

As it is, we have to take the time to check them out in order to answer your questions.

Mura

Tasman pearls

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Australia-cruises/sydney-to-auckland-REG180123/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F

Imperial Awakening

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Asia-cruises/bangkok-to-shanghai-NAU180219/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F

My choice would be the Imperial awakenings - although it's a close call.

Several overnights in good ports and a chance to visit Bangkok pre cruise and China after.

Also a somewhat shorter flights than flying to Oz.

The Sydney-Auckland cruise is similar to what we did in 2008, although in the reverse. Most of the ports are the same. We loved it. Paul is right that flights down under can be difficult, but at about the same time we did a Viking China cruise and the flight to Beijing from NY wasn't any easier than our flight to Auckland from L.A.

For me, it would be hard to decide. Both look wonderful. We have booked a few Far East cruises but always had to cancel for one reason or another so we haven't done that part of the world on a cruise.

Mura

We have done the Imperial cruise as part of a longer one and loved it.

Have done parts of the other , once again as part of a longer/different cruise. Loved it too!

I think if I were choosing I would go Imperial. Depends on your comfort level though. In NZ and Australia the language is English, and though very different from NA, much easier to feel comfortable. On our Far East cruise there were many older people who did not leave the ship in some ports, or left only to return within the hour.

We spent extra time in both China and Bangkok, and a land trip to Vietnam and Thailand is definitely in our future. Having said that, we also want to return to Australia. We spent 11 days in NZ prior to our cruise in that area and probably won't plan another land trip there. But a lovely and spectacular country.

In a nutshell, you can't go wrong with either. One is more familiar, the other definitely more exotic.

There, in the end I've been no help at all! I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever one you choose, and then you can do the other in 2019. ;-)

Mo

Hands down .... Imperial Awakenings.

I would tend to go with the the Imperial Awakenings for the same reasons that Paul mentioned. Great to have the overnights, especially if you are going to Saigon - it's a long day. And hopefully you can make the time to do the pre-cruise and the post cruise while you are "in the vicinity." We did not get to see the Warriors and regret that. We also had wanted to spend more time in Shanghai and Bangkok.

We are headed back to AU and NZ in 4 weeks. My comment about that cruise, is that you really don't see much of AU. You get a flavor for NZ because you see both the North and South Islands. When we went the first time, we did a land based tours of AU & NZ so we could go to the Outback and the NZ countryside. This time we are cruising (doing 'O's 34 day circumnavigation) to take in more of AU.

You won't go wrong either way, so enjoy the research process - it's part of the fun!

Meant Hanoi, not Saigon, in the above post!

Cruise from Bangkok but getting to Bangkok from Eastern USA does not seem like fun. Any suggestions, thoughts or comments?

Cruise from Bangkok but getting to Bangkok from Eastern USA does not seem like fun. Any suggestions, thoughts or comments?

Hassle factor is same. US Gateway City (JFK, EWR, IAD, ORD) to NRT then NRT (Tokyo) to BKK.

To AKL or SYD same hassle factor. No non-stops fly thru LAX.

When we flew to New Zealand (return from Sydney) we had a non-stop flight from LAX. But it was still 14 hours. A couple of months later we flew to Beijing from JFK which was through Vancouver. I forget how many hours but surely the total was more than the 14 on Air New Zealand.

No easy way to do either one from the east coast. (By either one of course I mean Thailand or Australia.)

Mura

Cruise from Bangkok but getting to Bangkok from Eastern USA does not seem like fun. Any suggestions, thoughts or comments?

Another alternative is SFO/LAX to SIN to BKK on Singapore Airlines (one of the best around) or SFO/LAX to BKK via Taipei on EVA (also pretty good) or SFO/LAX - HKG - BKK on Cathay (very good)

Would not do Air China though.

Paul,

My news is old news. But we had a fine flight on Air China (business class) to Beijing in May 2008. We were originally booked on another airline but our Air Canada flight from JFK to Vancouver was delayed, and we were able to get a seat on Air China.

But nearly ten years ago is a long time...

Mura

Paul,

 

My news is old news. But we had a fine flight on Air China (business class) to Beijing in May 2008. We were originally booked on another airline but our Air Canada flight from JFK to Vancouver was delayed, and we were able to get a seat on Air China.

 

But nearly ten years ago is a long time...

 

Mura

I only flew with Air China in China and they are not in the class of Singapore, Cathay or Eva.

That said, business class with a fully flat seat on a long haul flight on any airline is OK - just that some are better than others :)

We are traveling JFK- HGK then onto BKK on Cathay Pacific this coming April. Wanted to travel South of the Korean peninsula. Staying away from Soul and Tokyo.

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Take both?? as long as you're in the "area" :D

We are traveling JFK- HGK then onto BKK on Cathay Pacific this coming April. Wanted to travel South of the Korean peninsula. Staying away from Soul and Tokyo.

 

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Have faith.

We are doing a short land trip in South Korea in March before our Nautica cruise out of Tokyo :D

Take both?? as long as you're in the "area" :D

My kind of logic (and I use it, not just preach it) :D

Hassle factor is same. US Gateway City (JFK, EWR, IAD, ORD) to NRT then NRT (Tokyo) to BKK.

To AKL or SYD same hassle factor. No non-stops fly thru LAX.

What is gateway city: IAD, ORD ??

What is gateway city: IAD, ORD ??

DC- Chicago.

first might be also know as Reagan.

This is a follow up to my original post. We did some research and looking at an Emerites flight from Ft. Lauderdale, FL changing planes in Dubai then on to Bangkok. Does any one have experience with this flight.....specifically it is a change of planes in Dubai. 3 hour layover. Easy?