Which Asian itinerary is most appealing?

[Iamthesea]

Looking towards 2017. For anyone that has traveled to Asian countries, which of these two itineraries would be best in terms of port stops, timing, port embarkation/debarkation, etc.?

 

The second cruise listed also has an itinerary that runs in reverse the following cruise. Is there an advantage of beginning or ending out of Hong Kong or Singapore?

 

Cost is the same for all 3 and all sail on Millennium class ships. ;)

 

14 Night Vietnam and Philippines Cruise from Singapore

Celebrity Constellation - Sunday, Feb 5, 2017

 

Day 1:

Singapore

Day 2:

At Sea

Day 3:

Phu My

Day 4:

At Sea

Day 5:

Chan May

Day 6:

At Sea

Day 7:

Hong Kong

Day 8:

At Sea

Day 9:

Manila

Day 10:

Boracay

Day 11:

At Sea

Day 12:

Kota Kinabalu

Day 13:

At Sea

Day 14:

Singapore

Day 15:

Singapore

 

OR

 

14 Night Southeast Asia Immersion Cruise from Hong Kong

Celebrity Millennium - Saturday, Feb 11, 2017 (Reverse Feb 25, 2017)

 

Day 1:

Hong Kong

Day 2:

Hong Kong

Day 3:

At Sea

Day 4:

Ha Long

Day 5:

Ha Long

Day 6:

Chan May

Day 7:

At Sea

Day 8:

Phu My

Day 9:

At Sea

Day 10:

Bangkok (Laem Chabang)

Day 11:

Bangkok (Laem Chabang)

Day 12:

At Sea

Day 13:

At Sea

Day 14:

Singapore

Day 15:

Singapore

[Project_gal]

Definitely the second itinerary. Ha Long Bay is an absolute must in my opinion. We booked a tour boat to ourselves for a day and it was wonderful. We had the whole boat, the captain, a guide and a cook for the two of us.

[1982CruzStart]

I would choose the Southeast Asia immersion one as I loved Ha Long Bay and Bangkok. As well over-nighting in Hong Kong would be fun. My preference would be to do the reverse to end in Hong Kong as it is an easier flight home.

Enjoy whichever one you chose.

[ghstudio]

I would not do a cruise to Vietnam that missed Halong Bay and Hanoi....you will never get back to see them. I'd definitely pick cruise 2 and I would stay overnight in Hanoi and Bangkok hotels.

 

Since it's so far to fly, I'd really recommend b2b cruises that included cruise #2...which is what we did....we coupled the indonesia cruise with the vietnam cruise for a wonderful 28 days.

[fortinweb]

Another vote for selection 2. In fact, we are leaving in less than two weeks for our cruise to the same ports, but in the opposite direction.

Edited January 12, 2015 by fortinweb

[ghstudio]

I forgot to mention that the second cruise gives you a chance to spend more time in both Singapore and Hong Kong...and you should take advantage of that on both ends. Personally, I find Hong Kong more interesting than Singapore but both are worth extra time, both have outstanding sites, food and nightlife and both are easy to get around on your own.

Edited January 12, 2015 by ghstudio

[Iamthesea]

I would not do a cruise to Vietnam that missed Halong Bay and Hanoi....you will never get back to see them. I'd definitely pick cruise 2 and I would stay overnight in Hanoi and Bangkok hotels.

 

Since it's so far to fly, I'd really recommend b2b cruises that included cruise #2...which is what we did....we coupled the indonesia cruise with the vietnam cruise for a wonderful 28 days.

 

Interesting suggestion about the overnight stay in a hotel instead of the ship. :cool:

 

As much as I would like to do a longer cruise, I just could not stay away from my children, grandbabies and dog for a whole month. 2+ weeks is about all that I can handle.

 

Thank you for the vote and all the suggestions! :) We were think Cruise #2 might be the best, but had not done any research other than deciding we wanted to try an Asian cruise.

 

Good point about the flight home, 1982CruzStart. ;) We will have to do some research on figuring out how best to get there and back. :D

Edited January 12, 2015 by Iamthesea

[Northern Aurora]

Thank you to Iamthesea for asking this question -- we are also looking at the Millennium itinerary! We almost always do B2B or B2B2B cruises, so in our case it will be part of a B2B.

[Iamthesea]

You're welcome! ;)

[westcoastcruiser]

Definitely your second option. And highly recommend going in early and staying longer in your embarkation and debarkation ports. We loved Singapore amd found plenty to do for a couple days before getting on board in Singapore. And we spent several days in Hong Kong both times we debarked there. It is an amazing city. First time we did a structured tour; second time we managed to tour on our own.

 

We did all small group tours at the ports and recommend the same for you. You will be more immersed in the culture if you do so.

 

You will love this cruise.

[nekzaadvakil]

Another vote for the 2nd one! Starting in Hong Kong and ending in Singapore gives you the opportunity to stay on in these 2 amazing cities for another couple of days pre & post cruise. You definitely need 3-4 nights in each of these cities. The overnight in Bangkok is also great fun (don't miss the Asiatique night market on the riverfront).

 

Also 1 sea day after 2 port days is ideal. Gives you the opportunity to stay out, see the ports as much as you can and then enjoy the ship and unwind after 2 tiring days.

 

See if you can do this itinerary in Dec/January. Hong Kong on NYE is THE city to be in!

[need2bespoiled]

I've never been to the three ports on the first option, but Halong Bay was simply amazing. We chose to do an overnight on Halong bay and skip Hanoi as we had many location far from the part. It is really hard to do both fully, but you could do a shorter cruise in Halong Bay, just hard to do it justice.

 

Due the distance and overnight in Bangkok is an absolute must in our opinion, and not that expensive if you want to see Bangkok due to traffic. The only thing really to do in Laem Chabang (where the ship will dock) is go to Pattaya (beach town).

 

I also recommend time in Singapore and Hong Kong. Both wonderful cities where you can tour for 4 or 5 days and not run out of new sites to see and things to do.

 

I did the second itinerary in Nov and you can read all about it (see link below).

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[4774Papa]

They both look good. I would avoid the cruise that focuses on Indonesia and Bali. A recent cruise was a real disaster since they cancelled Bali due to locals wanting too much payola.

[Iamthesea]

We are going to book this cruise onboard the Equinox next month. :)

 

nekzaadvakil - December and January are not good months for us to cruise, but sounds fun!

 

Definitely your second option. And highly recommend going in early and staying longer in your embarkation and debarkation ports. We loved Singapore amd found plenty to do for a couple days before getting on board in Singapore. And we spent several days in Hong Kong both times we debarked there. It is an amazing city. First time we did a structured tour; second time we managed to tour on our own.

 

We did all small group tours at the ports and recommend the same for you. You will be more immersed in the culture if you do so.

 

You will love this cruise.

 

We do plan to stay longer on both ends and also book smaller tours with Roll Call members. ;)

 

I've never been to the three ports on the first option, but Halong Bay was simply amazing. We chose to do an overnight on Halong bay and skip Hanoi as we had many location far from the part. It is really hard to do both fully, but you could do a shorter cruise in Halong Bay, just hard to do it justice.

 

Due the distance and overnight in Bangkok is an absolute must in our opinion, and not that expensive if you want to see Bangkok due to traffic. The only thing really to do in Laem Chabang (where the ship will dock) is go to Pattaya (beach town).

 

I also recommend time in Singapore and Hong Kong. Both wonderful cities where you can tour for 4 or 5 days and not run out of new sites to see and things to do.

 

I did the second itinerary in Nov and you can read all about it (see link below).

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Thank you for the information and link to your review. Looking forward to reading it. ;)

[ghstudio]

I've never been to the three ports on the first option, but Halong Bay was simply amazing. We chose to do an overnight on Halong bay and skip Hanoi as we had many location far from the part. It is really hard to do both fully, but you could do a shorter cruise in Halong Bay, just hard to do it justice.

 

Due the distance and overnight in Bangkok is an absolute must in our opinion, and not that expensive if you want to see Bangkok due to traffic. The only thing really to do in Laem Chabang (where the ship will dock) is go to Pattaya (beach town).

 

 

Comments for the OP. You actually will sail into halong bay on the ship, but you need to get on a small boat to really cruise into the more picturesque parts. The ships are (being kind) old and not up to the safety standards we are all used to. Each year, it seems that a ship with overnight guests sinks in the middle of the night. Do some research before you take that option. On the other hand, an afternoon on halong bay is incredible. I would not miss Hanoi though, even though a long drive. Our cruise arrived at the port just about noon...we did an afternoon Halong Bay cruise and then drove to our pre-booked hotel in Hanoi...the Hanoi hilton...not to be confused with the hanoi hilton you heard about during the war...which is a must see tourist site. We toured the next day and drove back to the ship. We used Smile Tours throughout Vietnam and they did a great job.

 

Bangkok...if you haven't been to Bangkok, it's a must do...and you really should stay in a hotel overnight...Bangkok is a very lively city at night ... If you go to the night market, your wife can shop for clothes as you (mentally) shop for the more prurient delights for which Bangkok is so well known (the two are adjacent). Too much to see during the day to waste on a bus.

 

If you decide, for whatever reason not to go to Bangkok, there is an incredible zoo where you can have your picture taken with a (live) baby tiger, with a (live) full grown tiger and so on. If you love animals, it's an incredible experience (how many places in the world can you have your arm around a fully grown tiger?).

Edited January 14, 2015 by ghstudio

[jmlh]

I think we will overnight in Bangkok. Does anyone have any recommendations for hotels? Would you recommend touring on our own or hiring a guide?

[fortinweb]

I think we will overnight in Bangkok. Does anyone have any recommendations for hotels? Would you recommend touring on our own or hiring a guide?

 

We are four adults doing the reverse cruise in a couple of weeks. We hired a private guide and driver to show us around over the two days. We are using http://www.thaitourguide.com/. Since the day we are there is a 60th birthday for one of our group, we chose the Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Bangkok to celebrate the special occasion. It is very well located on the main river through town. http://www.shangri-la.com/bangkok/shangrila/about/

 

Enjoy your cruise and visit to Bangkok.

Edited January 14, 2015 by fortinweb

[PNW Traveler]

I've just booked the Feb. 19, 2017 Asia cruise on the Constellation. There are three full days and two overnights in Bangkok. The cruise is round trip out of Singapore. The itinerary also includes Brunei, an interesting port that doesn't get much press.

[Iamthesea]

fortinweb - Wonderful information on Bangkok. I am getting much more than I asked for with this thread. :)

 

Comments for the OP. You actually will sail into halong bay on the ship, but you need to get on a small boat to really cruise into the more picturesque parts. The ships are (being kind) old and not up to the safety standards we are all used to. Each year, it seems that a ship with overnight guests sinks in the middle of the night. Do some research before you take that option. On the other hand, an afternoon on halong bay is incredible. I would not miss Hanoi though, even though a long drive. Our cruise arrived at the port just about noon...we did an afternoon Halong Bay cruise and then drove to our pre-booked hotel in Hanoi...the Hanoi hilton...not to be confused with the hanoi hilton you heard about during the war...which is a must see tourist site. We toured the next day and drove back to the ship. We used Smile Tours throughout Vietnam and they did a great job.

 

Bangkok...if you haven't been to Bangkok, it's a must do...and you really should stay in a hotel overnight...Bangkok is a very lively city at night ... If you go to the night market, your wife can shop for clothes as you (mentally) shop for the more prurient delights for which Bangkok is so well known (the two are adjacent). Too much to see during the day to waste on a bus.

 

If you decide, for whatever reason not to go to Bangkok, there is an incredible zoo where you can have your picture taken with a (live) baby tiger, with a (live) full grown tiger and so on. If you love animals, it's an incredible experience (how many places in the world can you have your arm around a fully grown tiger?).

 

ghstudio - Thank you for the added information re why we should overnight. :rolleyes:

 

BTW- I am the wife and my husband will be tied to my side the entire time we are in Bangkok! :eek::D We were in Amsterdam last Spring and DH really didn't show much interest, except perhaps disgust, when we were there. :o

 

We have never been to Bangkok, but I do love animals. Now sure I would want to take a chance having a photo made with a real full grown tiger, though.

 

PNW Traveler - We looked at that cruise, also, but it didn't have Hong Kong. DH really wants to go to HK.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Iamthesea

[CathyCruises]

fortinweb - Wonderful information on Bangkok. I am getting much more than I asked for with this thread. :)

 

 

 

ghstudio - Thank you for the added information re why we should overnight. :rolleyes:

 

BTW- I am the wife and my husband will be tied to my side the entire time we are in Bangkok! :eek::D We were in Amsterdam last Spring and DH really didn't show much interest, except perhaps disgust, when we were there. :o

 

We have never been to Bangkok, but I do love animals. Now sure I would want to take a chance having a photo made with a real full grown tiger, though.

Very curious why your DH was disgusted in Amsterdam??

[villauk]

 

See if you can do this itinerary in Dec/January. Hong Kong on NYE is THE city to be in!

 

We've booked for Christmas 2016, can't wait - especially as we have a FV cabin :cool:! Won't be in HK for NYE though :(, we begin our itinerary there and end in Singapore ;).

 

My last memory of Singapore was of our ride on the Flyer; I even stood up and walked around the capsule - giant step for me :D. The night safari is also a must. Hong Kong will be a new experience for us, as well as Bangkok and Vietnam ;).

[We're The Groupnors]

We did the second itinerary, but in reverse. We wanted to be in Singapore at the beginning to spend time with friends who live there, and also had the added benefit of the shorter trip on the way home.

 

We loved every single stop on that itinerary! We did private tours for HCMC and Bangkok, which were worth every penny. We took the ship's junk tour in Halong Bay for 1/2 a day, and it was awesome. We also loved Hoi An, which was very easy to do on our own, but used the ship transfer to get there and back.

[ghstudio]

 

BTW- I am the wife and my husband will be tied to my side the entire time we are in Bangkok! :eek::D We were in Amsterdam last Spring and DH really didn't show much interest, except perhaps disgust, when we were there. :o

 

We have never been to Bangkok, but I do love animals. Now sure I would want to take a chance having a photo made with a real full grown tiger, though.

 

 

Don't tell your husband, but Bangkok makes Amsterdam look like being at a church social :)

 

I was OK with putting my arm around the tiger......my wife wasn't quite as happy when invited into the cage to take pictures....

[C 2 C]

Very curious why your DH was disgusted in Amsterdam??

 

My guess...

It's real capitalism at work.....

The "coffee" shops ;)

 

The touristy window-shopping of a fleshy nature.... ;)

 

To the OP..

 

We completed the trip to Vietnam and Thailand in November.... stunning.. would love to do it again. 5 star choice.

[Iamthesea]

Yes, Arno. You would be correct. Although, I thought the "coffee shops" offered weed, not women. :confused:

 

Very curious why your DH was disgusted in Amsterdam??

 

Cathy, not disgusted with Amsterdam. We liked Amsterdam proper. It was the Red Light district "ladies" that he thought distasteful. After seeing a couple of them in their "acts", he said he felt like he was getting a disease. LOL :D I just looked the other way as much as I could. Anyway, that's another subject. ;)

 

 

Don't tell your husband, but Bangkok makes Amsterdam look like being at a church social :)

 

I was OK with putting my arm around the tiger......my wife wasn't quite as happy when invited into the cage to take pictures....

 

:eek: That's it...we are not going shopping! :D