October 19, 2010 Voyage 3029 Shadow Hong Kong to Bangkok

[chicagogal]

Hi. We are going on this trip with another couple from cruise critic. Is anyone else joining us?

[cruisenebraska]

Yes, my husband and I are booked on that sailing. We are also on the Shadow departure on Oct 10 from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Our first time on Silversea, and we are looking forward to it.

[chicagogal]

Yes, my husband and I are booked on that sailing. We are also on the Shadow departure on Oct 10 from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Our first time on Silversea, and we are looking forward to it.

 

Hi! Welcome to cruisecritic! (I see this is your first post.)

 

We are Patty and Bill from Chicago. So glad to hear that someone else is going. We were just on the Shadow in Alaska in September and have also sailed the Shadow in the Baltic a few years ago. I think you will love it.

 

Our friends, Kim and Paul, (kimiata and austinbond on cruisecritic) are going, too. They are from CA.

 

We did a land/Yangtze River cruise in China last year and really enjoyed Shanghai and all of China.

 

On this trip we are trying to work it out to stay after the cruise and go to Siem Reap and see Angkor Wat while we are so close in Bangkok.

[cruisenebraska]

Hi, good to hear from you. We are Lynn and Rick from Omaha. We have done a little bit of cruising on HAL and Regent, but this is our first time with Silversea.

 

We have the same thoughts as you about the end of the cruise. We are planning to tour Bangkok on the 28th and 29th, and will spend the night of the 29th in Bangkok. We are still working on the details, but our current thought is to fly to Siem Reap the afternoon of the 30th and stay for 3 nights. Then a flight back to Bangkok on the afternoon of the 2nd. We will stay at an airport hotel before our 6:30 AM departure on the 3rd.

[chicagogal]

 

We have the same thoughts as you about the end of the cruise. We are planning to tour Bangkok on the 28th and 29th, and will spend the night of the 29th in Bangkok. We are still working on the details, but our current thought is to fly to Siem Reap the afternoon of the 30th and stay for 3 nights. Then a flight back to Bangkok on the afternoon of the 2nd. We will stay at an airport hotel before our 6:30 AM departure on the 3rd.

 

Your plans sound great. I am not sure we will have enough vacation to stay that long. (We are both still working.) I think Kim and Paul are planning about the same schedule as you mentioned though. We talked about flying straight to Siem Reap on the 29th though, after we disembark the Shadow and then coming back to Bangkok. Right now, our return flight is on the 1st but we can change it (if available) because we booked with miles.

[cruisenebraska]

Yes, even though we are fortunate to have lots of flexibility in our schedules, there still never seems to be enough time to do and see all that we would like to. We are looking forward to the cruise as a chance to see places that we might never get to otherwise. And as long as we are already in Bangkok, we could not miss the opportunity to go on to Siem Reap.

[chicagogal]

Yes, even though we are fortunate to have lots of flexibility in our schedules, there still never seems to be enough time to do and see all that we would like to.

 

I couldn't agree more. I just hope that once we retire and have more time, we still have some money to travel! :)

[travelingduo]

Hello everyone. we are Les & Tom and we are on this cruise as well. We are traveling with friends from Scotland whom we met on another Silver Shadow cruise. Chicagogal: thanks for starting this thread. We are originally from Chicago!

 

This will be our 6th Silversea cruise and our 3rd on Silver Shadow. We are on the Spirit this April and are hoping things are all worked out by then! We are flying into Hong Kong on the 15th and meeting up with our friends from Scotland. Following the cruise, we are all flying to Siem Reap to go to Ankgor Wat.

 

Lynn and Rick: we are also on a flight from Bangkok on Nov. 2 to SFO. Is that the flight you are on? Are you staying at the Novotel at the airport? Also, if you liked Regent --IMO, you will LOVE Silversea. We just sailed on the Mariner from Auckland to LA and we thought Silversea was superior-- just our own opinion and experience.

 

I am writing from our condo (timeshare) in Maui where it is a balmy 82 with wonderful trade winds blowing. All you mid-west and easterners stay warm and safe! Les

[chicagogal]

Hello everyone. we are Les & Tom and we are on this cruise as well. We are traveling with friends from Scotland whom we met on another Silver Shadow cruise. Chicagogal: thanks for starting this thread. We are originally from Chicago!

 

This will be our 6th Silversea cruise and our 3rd on Silver Shadow. We are on the Spirit this April and are hoping things are all worked out by then! We are flying into Hong Kong on the 15th and meeting up with our friends from Scotland. Following the cruise, we are all flying to Siem Reap to go to Ankgor Wat.

 

Lynn and Rick: we are also on a flight from Bangkok on Nov. 2 to SFO. Is that the flight you are on? Are you staying at the Novotel at the airport? Also, if you liked Regent --IMO, you will LOVE Silversea. We just sailed on the Mariner from Auckland to LA and we thought Silversea was superior-- just our own opinion and experience.

 

I am writing from our condo (timeshare) in Maui where it is a balmy 82 with wonderful trade winds blowing. All you mid-west and easterners stay warm and safe! Les

 

Hi Les and Tom. Welcome to our roll call! You are making a snowbound Chicago person VERY jealous writing from Maui! We just had major snow here yesterday.

 

What Spirit cruise are you on in April? We are doing the crossing from NY to Southampton on April 23rd.

 

The Hong Kong - Bangkok trip will also be our third on the Shadow. Can't wait to get back to Asia. I really hope we can work out timing to get to Angkor Wat with the rest of you. It would be a shame to miss it. I hate how work gets in the way of fun!

[cruisenebraska]

Hi Les and Tom. Nice to hear from you. Maui sounds wonderful. It has been a long winter in Nebraska.

 

It sounds like we might be returning home a day after you. We will spend one night in Bangkok at the end of the cruise, then fly to Siem Reap. We return to Bangkok late afternoon on Nov 2 (yes, we plan to stay at the Novotel) and then have an early flight on the 3rd. Because of the options available with miles when we booked, we will fly Bangkok-Tokyo-Chicago-Omaha.

[travelingduo]

Lynn & Rick- We are doing the exact same thing: staying one night in Bangkok after the cruise before flying to Siem Reap, then flying back to Bangkok on the 2nd in the afternoon as well. We are staying at the Novotel the night of the 2nd (our friends are going back to Bangkok to stay for a few more days) and flying on United at 6:30 am on the 3rd. We are on the flight Bangkok/Tokyo/San Francisco, so I think we will be on the same first leg. We may be on the same flights to and from Siem Reap as well! We'll have lots of time to talk about what we plan to do. Stay warm and dry. Les

[cruisenebraska]

Les and Tom - Funny how alike our plans are. We are still working out some of the details, but it does sound like we will be at the Novatel together and also on the first leg of the flight home. As you say, there will be plenty of time to compare plans.

[chicagogal]

We are starting to think more seriously about our planning for this trip. Has anyone else decided to go, or has anyone else already on this thread got their plans laid out in the various ports? Most of the discussion has been about pre and post cruise plans.

[cruisenebraska]

For the most part, we have been waiting to see what excursions will be offered in the various ports. The exceptions are Hong Kong, where we expect to explore on our own. We have been there before, transportation is easy, and we have even found some self-guided walking tours online. We have arranged our own guide for Bangkok, based on recommendations here and on some other chat boards. I would be happy to share the itinerary if you are interested. There is room to add others to the tour.

[chicagogal]

For the most part, we have been waiting to see what excursions will be offered in the various ports. The exceptions are Hong Kong, where we expect to explore on our own. We have been there before, transportation is easy, and we have even found some self-guided walking tours online. We have arranged our own guide for Bangkok, based on recommendations here and on some other chat boards. I would be happy to share the itinerary if you are interested. There is room to add others to the tour.

 

Yes - love to hear what you are doing in Bangkok, thanks. What day would it be? We haven't yet worked out our timing for Angkor Wat.

[cruisenebraska]

Patty --

 

This is the tour programme that we worked out with Bangkok Day Tours. I'm sure we can make adjustments. (They were in the process of moving to a new website, so I have emailed them to ask for the current link.) Price varies based on the number of people. Let me know what you think.

 

 

Day 1: Thursday 28th October 2010

14:00 Pick up dockside Klong Toey Port

We'll be waiting for you when you get off the ship. Your guide will have a sign with your name on it. The sooner you get off the sooner we can leave. More...

15:00 Longtail Boat Trip through Canals

We'll go straight from the ship to the Chao Phraya River where we'll take a longtail boat ride through the maze of waterways, stopping at the Royal Barges Museum and passing Wat Arun on the way back. More...

17:00 Suan Lum Night Bazaar

Suan Lum has a wonderful mix of markets, pubs, restaurants, open air entertainment and the world-renowned Joe Louis Puppet Theater. Dinner is not included but you'll find lots of choices around the night bazaar. More...

20:00 Return to the Ship

The driver will leave for the ship at 8:00pm. Please don't be late as it's a long walk back!

 

Day 2: Friday 29th October 2010

07:00 Depart for Floating Market

Early start this morning so you can see the floating market at its best. You can also get an idea of rural life in Thailand along the way. More...

11:00 Grand Palace

The Grand Palace has been home to generations of Thai Kings, although the current King Rama IX does not live here. More...

12:00 Wat Phra Kaeo

Wat Phra Kaeo or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located within the walls of the Grand Palace and is Thailand's most revered temple. Please dress accordingly. More...

13:00 Lunch beside Chao Phraya River

You'll be able to enjoy some delicious Thai food in a restaurant alongside the Chao Phraya River. Don't worry, not all Thai food is spicy! More...

14:30 Wat Pho & Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho is considered to be Thailand's first university, because it was the centre for education and learning when the city was first established. This is a good place for a massage as it’s the original home of Thai massage. (Cost of massage is not included in the tour because there are many options and many prices) More...

17:30 Drop off at your hotel

You can expect to be at your hotel around 5:30pm depending on the traffic.

[cruisenebraska]

Patty --

 

Here is a link to the tour information on the Bangkok Day Tours website.

 

http://bangkokdaytours.siamservers.net/newsite/tour.asp?tid=123

[chicagogal]

Patty --

 

This is the tour programme that we worked out with Bangkok Day Tours. I'm sure we can make adjustments. (They were in the process of moving to a new website, so I have emailed them to ask for the current link.) Price varies based on the number of people. Let me know what you think.

 

 

Day 1: Thursday 28th October 2010

14:00 Pick up dockside Klong Toey Port

We'll be waiting for you when you get off the ship. Your guide will have a sign with your name on it. The sooner you get off the sooner we can leave. More...

15:00 Longtail Boat Trip through Canals

We'll go straight from the ship to the Chao Phraya River where we'll take a longtail boat ride through the maze of waterways, stopping at the Royal Barges Museum and passing Wat Arun on the way back. More...

17:00 Suan Lum Night Bazaar

Suan Lum has a wonderful mix of markets, pubs, restaurants, open air entertainment and the world-renowned Joe Louis Puppet Theater. Dinner is not included but you'll find lots of choices around the night bazaar. More...

20:00 Return to the Ship

The driver will leave for the ship at 8:00pm. Please don't be late as it's a long walk back!

 

Day 2: Friday 29th October 2010

07:00 Depart for Floating Market

Early start this morning so you can see the floating market at its best. You can also get an idea of rural life in Thailand along the way. More...

11:00 Grand Palace

The Grand Palace has been home to generations of Thai Kings, although the current King Rama IX does not live here. More...

12:00 Wat Phra Kaeo

Wat Phra Kaeo or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located within the walls of the Grand Palace and is Thailand's most revered temple. Please dress accordingly. More...

13:00 Lunch beside Chao Phraya River

You'll be able to enjoy some delicious Thai food in a restaurant alongside the Chao Phraya River. Don't worry, not all Thai food is spicy! More...

14:30 Wat Pho & Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho is considered to be Thailand's first university, because it was the centre for education and learning when the city was first established. This is a good place for a massage as it’s the original home of Thai massage. (Cost of massage is not included in the tour because there are many options and many prices) More...

17:30 Drop off at your hotel

You can expect to be at your hotel around 5:30pm depending on the traffic.

 

Sounds interesting. Thanks very much for sharing it. Isn't the 29th the day we disembark the ship? I doubt we will be ready to tour at 7 am that day. What do you think about the timing? We are travelling with another couple so we need to confer with them. I think we planned to leave for Siem Reap on the 29th but it is all sort of up in the air still. We have another Silversea trip starting next week so we haven't given this October trip enough thought yet.

[cruisenebraska]

Yes, the 29th is the day we disembark. We needed to get an early start that day so we could see the floating market. I checked with Silversea and they said it would not be a problem to disembark that early since we actually arrive in Bangkok the day before.

 

We plan to spend the night of the 29th in Bangkok and then fly to Siem Reap on the 30th. We return to Bangkok on Nov 2, and fly back to the states on the 3rd.

[chicagogal]

Yes, the 29th is the day we disembark. We needed to get an early start that day so we could see the floating market. I checked with Silversea and they said it would not be a problem to disembark that early since we actually arrive in Bangkok the day before.

 

We plan to spend the night of the 29th in Bangkok and then fly to Siem Reap on the 30th. We return to Bangkok on Nov 2, and fly back to the states on the 3rd.

 

OK. I guess that works out. Unfortunately, I don't think we will be able to join you, though, because we go home on the night of the 1st and probably need to go to Siem Reap on the 29th to see everything there. Do you have your inter-country flights booked yet? I am curious how expensive they are, but haven't taken time to look yet. I believe Cambodia also requires another visa, too, right?

[cruisenebraska]

We booked our flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap on Bangkok Air for about $320 per person. If I remember, there will several fare options with different penalties for changes. My understanding is that we will need a visa for Cambodia, but that it is easy to get when we arrive at the airport in Siem Reap. There is also an online visa system to get a visa in advance, but we haven't tried it yet.

[chicagogal]

We booked our flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap on Bangkok Air for about $320 per person. If I remember, there will several fare options with different penalties for changes. My understanding is that we will need a visa for Cambodia, but that it is easy to get when we arrive at the airport in Siem Reap. There is also an online visa system to get a visa in advance, but we haven't tried it yet.

 

Thanks! We started doings some more research this past week-end, too. Have you picked a hotel in Siem Reap yet?

[cruisenebraska]

Yes, we have decided to splurge and stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. It sounds like it is lovely and will offer a nice chance to relax after our days of touring Angkor Wat.

[chicagogal]

Yes, we have decided to splurge and stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. It sounds like it is lovely and will offer a nice chance to relax after our days of touring Angkor Wat.

 

OK - we are looking at same hotel and also thought it looked lovely! Let's ALL splurge!

[morningstar]

Hi all, we will be on the 6 November cruise from Singapore to HK. We are going to Siem Reap on the 31st October and staying 4 days before our we leave on our cruise. Did not want to go to Bangkok because of all the troubles, I am sure they will be resolved by October but my husband does not want to take any chances.