Asian Cruises for Australians and NZers?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Any thoughts on the best cruise lines in Asia?

I have been told that some of the cruises are devoted to heavy gambling sessions and not much else.:eek:

 

 

 

[Aussieflyer]

Do you mean lines that are permanently based there like Star Cruises or others that have a season of Asian itineraries?

We did a Superstar Virgo cruise out of Singapore many years ago - the ship seemed almost deserted but we discovered that the reason was that the casino was full. When we disembarked there was a very long line of people paying their onboard accounts in cash and wanting currency exchange etc.

Whilst we love the big ships, for many Asian ports IMO you need a smaller vessel to be able to dock close to town - Azamara for example.

[marquisite]

I've just come off the Voyager of the Seas on the repositioning cruise from Australia to Asia, and from what the crew told me the Asian cruises departing Singapore generally have a lower percentage of local Asian cruisers and more foreign tourists. So much so that the "Eastern" dinner menus aren't used when leaving from Singapore but they are when leaving from other ports in the area.

 

The size of Voyager meant having to dock well away from Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. I'm not sure if Legend/Rhapsody are able to sail right up to Bangkok or not, although our Bangkok tour guide suggested ships of about 900 to 1000 passengers (+ crew) should be OK. Anymore, probably not.

 

I'm not much of a gambler so I can't really give you any better information than this, sorry :D.

[kuldalai]

Star Cruises product is excellent with sailings out of Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong BUT they are all "mickey mouse" itineraries of 3 - 4 days primarily aimed at the Asian gambling market .

 

Costa offers a range of good itineraries in Asia year round .

 

Princess offers an extensive range of good itineraries departing from Japan between April and July both 2013 and 2014 .

 

Ocean Princess offers itineraries through Asia on way to & from South Pacific each year, in November & April .

 

Diamond Princess offers placement cruises from Alaska to/from Australia through Asia each year .

 

Princess also offers ex Fremantle round trip cruises to Asia in the Australian winter months .

[Aussieflyer]

Star Cruises product is excellent with sailings out of Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong BUT they are all "mickey mouse" itineraries of 3 - 4 days primarily aimed at the Asian gambling market .

With the casino in Singapore now (since we cruised) I thought Star may have changed but it sounds not.

[Bellamariya]

Any thoughts on the best cruise lines in Asia?

I have been told that some of the cruises are devoted to heavy gambling sessions and not much else.:eek:

 

 

 

 

After I booked an RCI Asian cruise for this year I heard a few warnings about that and was worried that I made a mistake, so I have done as much research as I can.

The current RCI ship doing the Asian circuit is Legend of the Seas and there are lots of reviews and thankfully very few that seem to complain about a lack of activities.

I will be on Mariner but assume the ship activities and ports/tours will be the same.

[dizzy1948]

With the casino in Singapore now (since we cruised) I thought Star may have changed but it sounds not.

 

The locals have to pay $100.00 "tax" each and every time they go into the Casino - (International visitors just show their passport - no charge) so consequently - the gambling ships are still thriving. beautiful casino's by the way. ;)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

After I booked an RCI Asian cruise for this year I heard a few warnings about that and was worried that I made a mistake, so I have done as much research as I can.

The current RCI ship doing the Asian circuit is Legend of the Seas and there are lots of reviews and thankfully very few that seem to complain about a lack of activities.

I will be on Mariner but assume the ship activities and ports/tours will be the same.

 

Mariner of the Seas was the one i was thinking about. Friends asked me about the ship ,as the cruise line has some very good deals going .

I was wondering if it was being aimed at the local Asian market...eg only local languages and menus on board?

 

 

 

[bobhsv]

Celebrity Millennium also does the HK to Sing and vice versa.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

They are wanting to get a cruise that leaves and returns from the same port , so they only have to buy a return air fare.

 

 

[fishtaco]

Do as much research as possible!

 

If the ship had to have Chinese speaking staff it would mean Chinese staff working onboard:eek:

 

Just back today from SingaBORE after the Voyager cruise and had some real problems with the Chinese staff,there is in general a pretty bad language barrier with not one being able to take a correct food or drink order! they come across to me as rude and argumentative which is a total contrast to the other staffs attitude and what some are used to (self included)

 

Many times I ordered drinks in a lounge and the only resemblance to the drink order was the first letter of each drink,when sent back for correct drinks they still on each occasion charged for "both" correct and incorrect drinks and this was without signing for the incorrect drinks:mad:

 

Dinning room staff would argue when they presented the wrong food order but head waiters were on to it! more than a few times Chinese waiters were removed from breakfast and lunch tables by head waiters or supervisors to alleviate the tensions caused and replaced buy other staff (not my doing by the way:) )

 

I am sure some try their best but in my opinion they just dont understand some westerners needs or concerns on a cruise! and it isnt all inexperience,one bar person I spoke to was amused at me thinking he was new to the job and professed to have been working cruise ships over 3 years which left me wondering how he could be so inefficient and still be working a cruise ship bar:confused:

 

 

After the Voyager experience We both decided we would not consider an Asian cruise that may be staffed with Chinese nationals.

 

 

Den

[Aussieflyer]

The locals have to pay $100.00 "tax" each and every time they go into the Casino - (International visitors just show their passport - no charge) so consequently - the gambling ships are still thriving. beautiful casino's by the way. ;)

Oh yeah, I remember hearing that now. Thanks for the information.

[rugbypopsie]

While its not my personal favourite cruise ship the "Cherry blossom" cruise on the sun/dawn or sea princess means you can get right up the river to Shanghai etc.. and the comprehensive list of ports gives you a wonderful trip through Asia and Japan. I thought the itinerary was great. Plus its Sydney to Sydney

 

Sue

[Bellamariya]

Mariner of the Seas was the one i was thinking about. Friends asked me about the ship ,as the cruise line has some very good deals going .

I was wondering if it was being aimed at the local Asian market...eg only local languages and menus on board?

 

 

 

From what I can gather the menus are similar with a few Asian choices (which one Singaporean reviewer said didn't resemble Asian food at all lol). Haven't heard anything about only local languages and all the people I have chatted to on the roll call seem to be unconcerned.

I have found some negative reviews for Asian cruises but they don't seem to be about the things you have mentioned but mainly about the difference in customs and manners.

As someone that lives in a foreign country I am pretty tolerant of those things now ;)

I am really looking forward to this trip as it's a new ship and all new ports for me :)

[Harrieta]

We went on the second half of the Cherry Blossom in March 2011 and we did not go up the river, we had to bus in from a fairly remote coastal dock. We did see a very small cruise ship from one of the luxury lines tht was docked at the river cruise port, but I don't think large cruise ships are permitted to dock there.

Our cruise unexpectedly did not go to Japan (due to the disastrous earthquake and tsunami) but went to Tianjin instead, so our itinerary was quite different from the usual Cherry Blossom one. We did get to see some blossoms near the Great Wall though.