Safe to fly day of cruise from Siam Reap to Hong Kong - 6 pm embarkation

Our cruise (Azamara Quest 10/16/19) embarks from Hong Kong at 6 pm on that Wednesday.

 

We would like to visit Angkor and our flight would arrive in Siem Reap on Sunday morning. After a long flight from Boston to Siem Reap, Sunday would be a tough day to tour. We would relax at the hotel resort in Siem Reap and spend Monday and Tuesday touring Angkor. We would have liked to fly from Siem Reap to Hong Kong for the cruise Wednesday morning. Flights leave around 11 am and arrive in HK at 2:40 pm and 3 pm.

 

We will have luggage for the cruise and I am concerned this makes the connection for the cruise a little tight.

 

Is this worth the risk? I suppose we could leave Boston a day earlier (Friday 1:50 am) and arrive at Siem Reap on Saturday morning.

 

Thank you to any who have done Siem Reap / Angkor pre-cruise.

I would not do it myself. It sounds very tight. With any flight delay or whatever, your cruise maybe at risk. JMHO. If it's an early morning arriving, I may chance it, but not at 2:30 or 3pm.

I concur, definitely will NOT do it ... don't even think about trying it, sorry. What is the ship's boarding time cutoff, 2 hours prior to 4 PM - even it is is 1 hour or 5 PM for 6 PM sailing. The odds are overwhelmingly against OP.

 

HKIA is very efficient & well run, even if this"short" connection is early & wheels down ahead of 2:30 PM, it will still take 15+ minutes to taxi to the gate, set the brakes & connect the jetbridge to deplane, starting with first/business class flyers. Allow a minimum of 45 minutes to get to border control/immigration, wait for luggage, then proceed thru custom to exit for ground transportation ... on a weekday afternoon.

 

Fastest & most direct is probably joining the taxi queue for a straight run to the cruise terminal - Kai Tak CT, most likey ... in about 1 hour, maybe more. Earliest if the earth, moon & sun aligned - and everything cooperated - lucky to be at KT by 4:30 PM. I've also ruled out any consideration for using Airport Express and/or MTR combo ... with luggage in tow.

 

Aren't there any earlier flights for that day, or better yet. fly in a day early to HKG - and get to your first stop sooner - your body clock is upside down & not ideal to start sightseeing, need time & rest to recover from jetlag, I.M.H.O.

We would have liked to fly from Siem Reap to Hong Kong for the cruise Wednesday morning. Flights leave around 11 am and arrive in HK at 2:40 pm and 3 pm.

 

We will have luggage for the cruise and I am concerned this makes the connection for the cruise a little tight.

 

Is this worth the risk?

Never mind the luggage, what would you do if the flight suffered a 1-hour technical delay? A 2-hour delay? A 3-hour delay? How would you catch up with the ship if she sailed without you? Where and when would you next be able to board?

 

And are you sure that your embarkation time is 6 pm? The cruise line's website says that is the sailing time, so you'd be expected to embark rather earlier than that.

 

HKIA is very efficient & well run ...

With one notable exception: baggage delivery. It's been very frustrating over the last couple of years.

As others have said I would not do this.

 

There is way too much risk.

 

Keith

Thank you to all who have responded. We'll fly back to HK a day earlier. We'll also begin our vacation a day earlier to get two full days in Angkor.

 

Our biggest problem now on Saturday going to Siem Reap will be a 12-hour layover in HK in between flights. I see HK airport has great lounges with showers, lounge chairs, televisions, wifi, etc. We're playing this one safe and doing that. We'll get into Siem Reap at 7 pm on Saturday and fly out Tuesday at noon back to HK.

So happy to hear you have adjusted your flights.

 

Keith

So happy to hear you have adjusted your flights.

 

Keith

 

I'm in planning stages and 20 months out. I'm just planning what this vacation will look like. I have never been to Southeast Asia and not sure if I would ever make it back there. One of my first decisions was to include Angkor. The Azamara excursion is an overnight and it would, for the most part, eliminate Bangkok from our itinerary as that is where their excursion goes out from during their 2.5 days in Bangkok. At that point, pre-cruise makes more sense for me (can't take off work more than two weeks).

 

Adding the extra day on this one would have me leaving on a late Thursday night / early Friday morning on a 1:50 am flight. Good advice on this thread, but now I face a 12-hour layover in HK. Quite honestly, after a 15-hour overnight flight, the idea of running out during that layover, which begins at 5:30 am doesn't make much sense. We'll take showers in the lounge and relax.

Thank you to all who have responded. We'll fly back to HK a day earlier. We'll also begin our vacation a day earlier to get two full days in Angkor.

 

Our biggest problem now on Saturday going to Siem Reap will be a 12-hour layover in HK in between flights. I see HK airport has great lounges with showers, lounge chairs, televisions, wifi, etc. We're playing this one safe and doing that. We'll get into Siem Reap at 7 pm on Saturday and fly out Tuesday at noon back to HK.

 

Don't waste 12 hours in the airport. You can take the train into the city and see a lot.

Now that someone mentioned about the luggage delivery delays inside that hall - which didn't matter to us as we travel with carry-on only, but, the wait was nothing like JFK, our hometown. The few times in transit thru HKG, our checked bags connected just fine.

 

With 20 months to go for planning, I would keep a regular "watch" on those flight times and schedule & connections, as they are often changed - especially the regional or intra-Asia flights. Are those connections via a single airline/alliance partner-carrier and one ticket ?

 

If using a T/A to do this, ask & look into different connection options - 12 hours is a lot of time to hangout airside at HKIA, even with a nice shower & lounge access (and airport sleeping by the hour ... it get expensive after 4 to 6 hours. Maybe get a daybed at one of the nearby off-site airport hotel, get some real rest - 15 minutes away by shuttle over at Tung Chung Outlet Mall (and, closer). Taking the Airport Express train (30 minutes each way) into the city for some sightseeing & dining is also a possibility - but ... a 5:30 AM arrival for HK, probably not.

 

Since OP is returning to HK several days later, just get those MTR/Octopus cards ready, local currency exchanged, pickup some guides & maps at the welcome/tourist info desk/kiosk.

So glad you've changed your original plans!

12 hours is a lot of time being spent at the airport, even inside that massive terminal at HKIA. I would get out and see a little bit of HK at least. If you are tired, maybe taking a bus ride on the airport buses should be fun. Take a look at how the city is like from the top deck and get back to the airport on another ride. mking can clarify if this is doable timewise.

Now that someone mentioned about the luggage delivery delays inside that hall - which didn't matter to us as we travel with carry-on only, but, the wait was nothing like JFK, our hometown. The few times in transit thru HKG, our checked bags connected just fine.

 

With 20 months to go for planning, I would keep a regular "watch" on those flight times and schedule & connections, as they are often changed - especially the regional or intra-Asia flights. Are those connections via a single airline/alliance partner-carrier and one ticket ?

 

If using a T/A to do this, ask & look into different connection options - 12 hours is a lot of time to hangout airside at HKIA, even with a nice shower & lounge access (and airport sleeping by the hour ... it get expensive after 4 to 6 hours. Maybe get a daybed at one of the nearby off-site airport hotel, get some real rest - 15 minutes away by shuttle over at Tung Chung Outlet Mall (and, closer). Taking the Airport Express train (30 minutes each way) into the city for some sightseeing & dining is also a possibility - but ... a 5:30 AM arrival for HK, probably not.

 

Since OP is returning to HK several days later, just get those MTR/Octopus cards ready, local currency exchanged, pickup some guides & maps at the welcome/tourist info desk/kiosk.

 

We are a bit out, but I saw no flights out from Honk Kong to Siem Reap until 5:30 pm. Another issue is that Boston to Siem Reap with return to Hong Kong as multiple leg flight (Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon) is so much cheaper than Boston to HK on one ticket and HK to Siem Reap on another with a return. Keeping it on Cathay eliminates any luggage concerns too. As you say, maybe they will add another flight out to SR on Saturday. For now, we are counting on the 12-hour layover.

 

We'll certainly look into spending some time in town after we shower and rest. At the very least, getting lunch in town is probably a good idea. Also good idea on some money exchange but we'll only be in HK for a night before boarding the ship then next afternoon.

 

Thanks for your help.

ROCruiser's idea of taking the air-conditioned double decker (limited stops) Airporter Bus (Cityflyer) is a good one, we've done it with luggage - which you don't need to, except for personal items/cabin bags as essential - A21 route will take you along Nathan Rd into Tsim Sha Tsui, ending at Hung Hom railway/bus depot in about an hour+ with traffic. Other routes will take you to the island side of HK, places like Central, Wan Chai - go ride the 100+ years old open-air electric tram to Causeway Bay. That's your local Big Bus/Ho Ho hop-on/off, without narration but you pretty much see most of it - HK Tourism's App probabably has the App & intro to provide guidance. That, can be done & planned as you get closer - for very little money & at your own pace, and, if you get tired - a quick/short nap on the bus coming into town or back out to the airport.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, Cathy Pacific (mainline/flagship carrier for HK) & Cathy Dragon are related (we flew HKG-PVG and SGN-HKG on Dragon Air, a CX subsidiary/alliance partner) so our flight segments were all on a single ticket/PNR and booking reference # - bags & boarding passes issued and tagged all the way to the final destination & transferred.

 

It's not uncommon for them to firm up and finalize their flight schedules, routes & pricing until about 12 months out ... I wouldn't book anything this far out and consider it confirmed & finalized, and not subject to changes. A 4 to 6 hours layover is ideal, with enough time for lounge visit, shower & catch up, maybe some rest ... as I said, a day room for 2 for 6 to 6 hours get expensive, better off tracking down a day room deal at the Airport Marriott or Regal Airport Hotel at C.L.K. (best to do a int'l IDD call direct to hotel's front desk to ask about it, not with the 800 toll-free #)

 

Since you are in the Boston area, might want to stroll down to Kneeland St, near Tuft U - to see if you can get a Chinatown travel agency to help put together a package ... also, you might be able to exchange some HKD currencies before leaving home, at competitive rates. Another option - besides banks (is there a HSBC around, not sure if they do it for non-account customers) - check to see if you can buy via your local AAA offices.

 

Airport's arrival hall exchange rates are horrible but ... there is also the ATM option for a small fee, our Citibank debit cards worked for withdrawing, as we alerted the issuers before flying.

 

Time is on your side, go slow in planning your trip.

Thanks Mking. I saw the pricing and Cathay Pacific is the best airline for flying out of Boston to Southeast Asia and they have grea prices for Boston to Siem Reap / Singapore to Boston multi-city flights.

 

Chinatown in Boston is a ten minute walk down the street from my office. That sounds like good advice on using a travel agent for flights and hotels. I don't think flights are eligible to be booked for a while. I like to get an idea early of our general plan. I had no idea how important Angkor was to this vacation and wanted to see if logistics worked out before we decided on it. It would be great if a mid-day Saturday HK to Siem Reap flight suddenly appears, but I'm not counting on it. The hotels in Siem Reap look great and have really low prices. It would have been great to get there at lunch time, but we'll make do.

 

Thank you for advice.

Unless I'm mistaken, Cathy Pacific (mainline/flagship carrier for HK) & Cathy Dragon are related (we flew HKG-PVG and SGN-HKG on Dragon Air, a CX subsidiary/alliance partner)

Cathy? Who she? ;)

 

Dragonair has been a wholly-owned Cathay Pacific subsidiary for over a decade now. In November 2016, Dragonair was rebranded Cathay Dragon, with a new livery that is much more closely aligned to the mainline livery (which has itself been refreshed) - although the predominant Cathay Dragon colour is dark red rather than dark green.

 

It's not uncommon for them to firm up and finalize their flight schedules, routes & pricing until about 12 months out ... I wouldn't book anything this far out and consider it confirmed & finalized, and not subject to changes.

Schedules won't necessarily be finalised even 12 months out. That is about when you can normally start booking; I would personally be very wary of any agent who claims to be able to book airline tickets 20 months out.

 

There are two scheduling seasons every year for international flights: northern summer runs from the end of March to the end of October, and northern winter covers the remainder of the year. Most schedules are confirmed in the period about two or three months before the start of the scheduling season. So for mid-October 2019, I would expect a real possibility of schedule changes until about February 2019. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't book if you see a price that is acceptable, but you shouldn't take the times as confirmed (or even the existence of the flight/route, on a thin route, as routes also get cancelled sometimes) until about then - and there is always the possibility of change thereafter.

 

Finally, as always: don't expect necessarily to get the lowest prices the instant that booking opens. The industry just doesn't work that way.

I'm now thinking that it makes more sense to see Angkor after the cruise from Singapore. We dock in Singapore on Wednesday and have an overnight there before cruise ends on Thursday. We'll get an early afternoon flight from there to Siem Reap. It's only a two-hour flight. We'll fly home on Sunday. It will give us time up front not to rush around and enjoy Hong Kong. Making the long flight to Hong Kong and then waiting several hours at an airport is not a great way to start a vacation. We're 18 months away from this vacation, but I think the logistics should make sense.

De-risking the start of the cruise sounds like a good idea.

There are many different airlines flying the stretch HKG-REP, so look into that to maximise your time in Asia.

We personally have good experiences with Hong Kong Express, which is sort of a budget carrier (so make sure you price your flight to include luggage), but excellent quality. Another airline besides Cathay and HK Express who flies the route is Cambodia Angkor Air.

Siem Reap is a very small, but modern airport. Most flights all leave at the same time of the day.

 

From SIN to REP, your options are Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.

There are many different airlines flying the stretch HKG-REP, so look into that to maximise your time in Asia.

We personally have good experiences with Hong Kong Express, which is sort of a budget carrier (so make sure you price your flight to include luggage), but excellent quality. Another airline besides Cathay and HK Express who flies the route is Cambodia Angkor Air.

Siem Reap is a very small, but modern airport. Most flights all leave at the same time of the day.

 

From SIN to REP, your options are Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.

 

There are two direct flights on a Thursday. Singapore Airlines has one at 1 pm arriving at 2:10 pm and Jetstar departs at 2 pm and arrives at 3:15 pm.

 

One of the hotels I was looking at (Borei) has pick up shuttles and is a tripadvisor favorite. I am indifferent to either flight if costs are similar. Cruise is docked in Singapore the day before, so we can literally walk off the ship whenever we want. It's customs/immigration that scares me a bit at Singapore airport.

Your latest plan is the best. It’ll be nice to start your holiday in HK, instead waiting around 12 hours and catching another flight. We did SIN-REP on the 2:15 Jetstar flight and it worked out fine. The time was also very convenient.

 

 

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Cruise is docked in Singapore the day before, so we can literally walk off the ship whenever we want. It's customs/immigration that scares me a bit at Singapore airport.

It's now been some years since I last personally cleared immigration and customs at Singapore airport in either direction, but what I've seen of the immigration areas since then, even at busy times of the day, suggests that the airport continues to live up to its reputation for efficiency in these respects. Personally, this wouldn't feature high on my list of worries about travel hiccups.