cruise Nautica Bangkok -> Beijing : any info welcome re ports

[dhoogheralf]

Hi,

 

We’ve just booked the Nautica cruise ( Bangkok 01 march 2010 -> Beijing 25 march 2010 ) and we’re very happy to be again on a Oceania Cruises ship.

( In 2006 we were on the Insignia and we liked what O offered ! )

 

A question for the cruisers, who were already on this itinerary:

Do any of you remember

-if the ship was docked or was it a tender port ?

-the name of the actual port and if the port was really nearby the city or was it a far drive ?

 

We’ll be cruising :

Bangkok

Ko Samui

Ho Chi Minh City ( Saigon )

Da Nang

Ha Long Bay

Hong Kong

Keelung ( for visiting Taipei )

Kagoshima

Nagasaki

Shanghai

Inchon ( for visiting Seoul )

Beijing (Tianjin) ( PS I know it’s a +- 2,5 hours drive )

 

I like to thank you all already now for your help and information !

 

And if you think of any information that is helpful, don’t hesitate to mention it .

 

Kind regards,

 

Ralf

BELGIUM

[kathy16]

Hello Ralf,

We are also on this sailing, and are interested in info about ports, too.

Kathy

[JoePDX]

Hi Ralf & Kathy,

 

We were on Nautica in 2006 for a cruise from Hong Kong to Bangkok.

 

Here are details on the same ports we visited and where the shipped docked:

 

Bangkok: Docked in Laem Chabang which is a container port about 2+ hours from Bangkok. In Bangkok visit the Royal Palace, Wat Arun, The National Museum, Temple of the Reclining Buddha. If staying several days, consider a day trip to Ayuthaya. If arriving early - I would suggest staying at The Peninsula (very affordable by US standards). Don't worry about it being "across the River". It's easy to cross the river on The Peninsula's fleet of boats and the views are INCREDIBLE! Get a foot massage which is heavenly...have shirts made to order.

 

Ko Samui: Tender port. Ship used local tenders and it was all handled very efficiently. If available do the Land Rover excursion (Elephant ride, visit to waterfall, etc.). This is one of the best excursions I have ever taken. There was so much packed into that one day.

 

Ho Chi Minh City ( Saigon ): Docked in Downtown Saigon. A tour of the Meekong Delta is a must. If there two days (we were) then do Saigon on the second day.

 

Hong Kong: Docked in Kowloon at Ocean Terminal which is part of a shopping mall and walking distance to The Peninsula Hotel. http://www.oceanterminal.com.hk/ I would suggest seeing the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island. Of course Victoria Peak is a must too for the views. Shopping for Antiques on Hollywood Road. I love Hong Kong!

 

Joe

[coldinreno]

The post by JoePDX gives very good information, I will add a little.

 

Rather than take ship tours we normally negotiate an hourly rate with a taxi at the dock. We guarantee 2 hours to establish the rate ( negotiation a must to get a fair deal) then stay as long as we need to. At all ports you list the taxi rate is very inexpensive compared to European or US standards. They should range from $10 to not much more than $20 per hour. The cheapest should be Bangkok, Saigon & Shanghai.

 

BANGKOK. The ship sometimes docks in Leam Chabang as stated above but this past February it was Klong Toey, an industrial section of Bangkok.

There are no waiting taxis here but you can call Mr. Sommai 09 886 5048, he has his own air conditioned taxi & has driven for us several times over the past 12 years. His English is not the best but you can communicate OK with him, if you pay him $10 per hour he will be very happy, I usually pay a bit more. If you are overnight in Bangkok Mr Sommai can take you to the big floating market south of the city the next morning, about a 75 minute drive, well worthwhile.

Ko Samui. Correct information above. Although still in Thailand these taxi drivers will not be as cheap as Bangkok, I paid about $18 per hour.

SAIGON. Dock in town. I second a trip to the Mekong Delta. Also you can take a rickshaw from the ship to the center of town , a fun ride for about $2. Drop off at the historic Rex Hotel, close to interesting shopping.

HA LONG BAY for HANOI. A long day to go to Hanoi, ship tour probably the best option.

KEELUNG. Difficult to find an English speaking driver but I would pre arrange that. My wife is Taiwanese & I have visited dozens of times. 1 don't miss recommendation, the National Palace Museum, you can goggle it if you are not familiar.

 

Hope this information is helpful. By the way one of my very best friends is living in Zoutleeuw, Belgium, met him in Taiwan 15 years ago.

[dhoogheralf]

Hi Joe, hi Coldinreno,

 

Many thanks for your information on the ports, you visited !

Your information is very appreciated !

 

Hi Kathy,

 

Our cruise is still far away, almost 8 months

but the cruise is taking shape

we'll go for a 4 night pre-cruise in Bangkok and a 3 night post cruise in Bejing, as we've never been in Bzangkok or Beijing.

Our only Asia-experience is Hong Kong , Bali and Java.

But which hotels we'll be staying, we'll decide later

but we're going to book our flights the coming days, as it seems that flight prices are quite reasonable for the moment !

( It's always fun to prepare a holiday :-) )

 

kind regards,

ralf

BELGIUM

[seasoned]

dhoogheralf,

 

I’m not on this itinerary, but I’ve been to many of the places on it and I’ve traveled extensively in China.

 

Because of the size of Oceania’s ships, they can often dock close to a city. This is especially true with Bangkok’s Klong Toey port, which is very convenient compared to the distant Laem Chebang. Koh Samui is a tender port. In Saigon you’ll be right downtown. Da Nang is a tricky port; if it’s windy or foggy, the ship may be unable to negotiate into the bay. Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal is a terrific location in Kowloon, near the Star Ferry. I’m not sure where the ship docks in Shanghai, but I’d guess it’s a central location. And you’re right about Beijing/Tianjin. I’ve not visited the other places you mention.

 

If you are looking for private guides in Bangkok, Saigon, Da Nang, Shanghai or Beijing, I have strong recommendations, some of whom I’ve used several times. If you take a look at the My Travels section of my website (planetsukey.com), especially the Hong Kong-to-Athens 2008 trip, you’ll see our Bangkok guide. On the same itinerary in 2007, check out my overnight adventure from Saigon into the Mekong. I also have great guides for Shanghai and Beijing.

 

Feel free to email with specific questions: sukey2 (at) gmail (dot) com

 

-Sukey-

[Darrell6t]

Have you looked at the Roll Call boards? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420

[doggylover]

We did this tour in 2008, see my details about tour companies, etc. under asia

I did a extensive outline of the trip in three sections.

This is a great cruise, very port intensive.

 

Doggylover

[pondnana]

We did this tour in 2008, see my details about tour companies, etc. under asia

I did a extensive outline of the trip in three sections.

This is a great cruise, very port intensive.

 

Doggylover

 

 

Can you tell me where I can find your review of the Bankok to Beijing cruise. I have been looking for it but have not been successful.

Thanks

Diana

[dhoogheralf]

Hi Suckey, darrel and doggylover,

 

Many thanks for your information and help !

 

It seems I gathered sufficient information to begin with my homework :-)

 

Kind regards,

 

ralf

BELGIUM

[doggylover]

Hi:

 

I posted under Asia in April or May 2008.

 

If you cannot find the info I will be happy to assist you.

 

Doggylover

[vaitape]

ok, please help! Doggylover....have been in the Asia section of Cruse Critic but haven't seen your review. I'm not the most savvy on the web but usually do better than I have with finding your 3 part info. Many thanks....great of you to take the time to post the info...wish I could find it to read it.

[vaitape]

Hey again! Doggylover Just found your posts.....! Many thanks! Will be sure to have questions though...hope you'll be checking in.........

[2kiwis]

Hi Joe, hi Coldinreno,

 

Many thanks for your information on the ports, you visited !

Your information is very appreciated !

 

Hi Kathy,

 

we'll go for a 4 night pre-cruise in Bangkok and a 3 night post cruise in Bejing, as we've never been in Bzangkok or Beijing.

kind regards,

ralf

BELGIUM

 

Hi Ralf

Are you being picked up at the dock for Beijing or making your way from the dock to Beijing

We are looking for people to share a van to go into Shanghai

We are doing a tour starting the day after we arrive

Anyone out there interested - let us know

Cheers

[vaitape]

Hi 2Kiwis! We might be interested in something in Shanghai.....what do you have planned?

Actually, we are cruising on Oceania due to our 4 friends who live in Castor Bay and Milford....you Kiwis like to get around LOL!

[dhoogheralf]

Hi 2kiwi's,

 

We're thinking of having one travel agency in Bejing, who will take care of our travel arrangements in Bejing ( i.e. pick-up in the port, drive to the hotel in the center of Bejing, in the afternoon start of the sightseeing, ... ) ( while we book ourselves our hotel )

PS we'll be staying 3 nights after-cruise in Beijing

 

In Shanghai we'll probably contact a guide ( without a car ) and do the sightseeing using the public transport / taxis for the transfers ( with the help of the guide ).

 

kind regards,

 

ralf

Belgium

[seasoned]

Ralf,

 

Any word from ShenShen?

 

Also the Mag-Lev train in Shanghai to/from the Pudong airport is a thrill, and subways are fairly easy in both Shanghai and Beijing.

 

-Sukey-

[sandyeiz]

Hi Doggylover,

Thank you so much for your report on your Oceania Asia trip. We have found it very informative and helpful. We enjoyed reading about your adventures and you have made us more comfortable about our upcoming one. We are going on the March,2010 Bangkok to Beijing cruise, and wondered about your trip from your Bangkok hotel to the ship. I believe you said that the taxi was $15 to the pier. We have read on other postings here that the Laem Chabang docks are two and a half hours away from the city. Is it possible that Nautica used a different dock when you took this trip? We ask because we will not take the ship offered transfers if that is really the cost for the trip from hotels in Bangkok to the ship. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.

Sandy

[seasoned]

sandyeiz,

 

For the past couple of years, Oceania has been docking at Klong Toey port right on the river and close to the city. (See my post below.) That's the beauty of the smaller ships. In 2007 the Nautica docked at Laem Chebang, near Pattaya, which is indeed 1.5-2.5 hours out of Bangkok, depending on traffic. But fortunately the port changed in 2008.

 

-Sukey-

[sandyeiz]

Thanks, Sukey, for the information. It is confusing because the itinerary lists Laem Chebang as the port. I suppose I could call Oceania (or send an e-mail) to confirm that it is going to be Klong Toey this trip. Having never sailed with them, how responsive are they to inquiries?

At least this clarifies the transfer issue. :)

[seasoned]

sandiez,

 

If Oceania is listing Laem Chebang, then perhaps you should check with Oceania. Sometimes the port is not final until close to sailing. Are the shore excursions listed yet for this cruise? I don't mean the ones on the O website, but usually your T.A. can send you a PDF file once the document is available. When you get that document, you are close to final information. If you see ship transfers offered from Laem Chebang, that would be a bad sign that you'll be docked far out of Bangkok.

 

-Sukey-

[dhoogheralf]

Hi Sukey,

 

Thank you for following up on our case with shenshen.

Unfortunately, we still haven't heard of him.

 

So I'm thinking of looking out for an alternative.

 

kind regards,

ralf

[Asian Paradise]

We are from Toronto and will be on the March 1, 2010 cruise from Bangkok to Beijing. We will be staying in Beijing at the end of the cruise. What is the best way to get to our hotel in Beijing from the port? What is the cost and the alternatives? What is the best hotel? Any advice on guides in Beijing for the Forbidden City? Any recommendations for a fine restaurant?

I welcome your reply - Asian Paradise :)

[doggylover]

If you search the tour information pages from previous cruisers you will find a good reputable tour company to pick you at the pier, it is a few hours from Beijing. I would not recommend the co. I used.

They will also take you on tour in Beijing.

Doggylover

[seasoned]

Oceania might provide, for a per-person fee, transfer from the port into Beijing.

 

In several visits to Beijing, I have used independent guide Jane Yeo: janelyeo@hotmail.com

 

Her website is http://www.beijingguide.co.uk/

 

Jane's English is excellent, her knowledge of Beijing is formidable, and she will customize a tour so that you will see what you want, even if it's a bit off the tourist path. I've had her take me and friends to the old astronomy center, for instance. She's also taken friends, on my recommendation, to the Great Wall at Badaling, and everyone thought she was superb.

 

She also knows wonderful places to eat, best if you have a few friends with you so you can try many dishes. If you want to shop, she'll do the bargaining for you, to get the best prices. If Jane is already booked when you will visit Beijing, she'll provide you with an equally good guide. She will arrange pickup at your hotel, or perhaps even at the port at Tianjin. Her rates are most reasonable, but do check around.

 

-Sukey-