mocrimlaw

Thank you for the helpful apps Laurence.  Yes this is our first time in Hong Kong as well as first time in Asia.  I hired a private guide for a few things when we first planned the trip, prior to any riots.  Now I am really glad I did.  (We are doing Singapore on our own).  The guide will pick us up at the port and show us around HKI mostly the first day (the Peak, Aberdeen, Stanley), then a night food tour of Mong Kok, and one day on Lantau at the Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village.  He is flexible, and will tell us about any demonstrations or problem areas for when we are on our own.  I have some mobility issues - severe arthritis in my feet - so I like to have access to a car for at least part of any trip.  I never know how it will feel day to day. Some days I can walk just fine, although slower than I would like to be!  We plan to spend a day in Macau, and a day exploring Kowloon on our own.  

I do tons of research before our trips, but I learned several things from your post and the responses that were so helpful.  For one thing, I did not know that Singapore Air does not participate in the luggage drop off at the MTR.  That will certainly alter our plans for getting to the airport.  Our plane is at night so now I will plan to leave the luggage at the hotel for the day and take a taxi to the airport.  We are at the Intercontinental on the water in Kowloon.  

Chi Lin Nunnery and the gardens looks great, and the evening tour of the harbour.  Any other must sees anyone recommends?  Our cruise goes from Singapore to Ko Samui Thailand, Bangkok, then we are getting off and flying to Angkor Wat and then re-connecting with the ship in Saigon, then Hoi An, Ha Long Bay and Hanoi, then Hong Kong.  I am getting very excited!

Very helpful posts - thank you!  We are going in February from Singapore to Hong Kong on Crystal, then spending 5 days in HK.  I can't figure out which is the official MTR app which gives you the alerts you were talking about?  There are several apps on iTunes but none seem to be "official".  Can you tell me which one it is?  Thanks.

We absolutely loved AMAWaterways when we went on the Danube from Budapest to Prague last year (really to Vilshofen Germany but I hired a driver to take us to Prague, with a fabulous stop in Cesky Krumlov where we wished we had stayed for a night!).  We liked AMA so much that we are going to Africa with them in September, and I just booked a 2021 cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest with them on the fantastic new AMA Magna, which is twice the size of the other ships.

Jamieandsam - I got confused - - we are not on that cruise.  We are on a Crystal cruise to Hong Kong on March 1. We are on Regent in September in Spain.  Sorry we won't be on your cruise!

We are on that cruise too, JamieandSam, and I have been worrying about that too.  Hopefully it will settle down soon.

HI DeepFreeze - we will look forward to meeting you - we are Maureen & Fred from the Denver area.  We have heard from many people on our travels that this itinerary was their favorite cruise, and have never been to any of the places except London. We have been on Oceania and other lines but never Regent.  I am getting very excited for this trip!  We are spending 2 days in London first (where we have tickets to Mamma Mia the Party, a new interactive experience), then have private guides to Mt St Michel and in Bordeaux.  We plan to take part of the Bilbao tour and then go on our own, and do the same in San Sebastian.  Going to Santiago de Compostela.  Then in Porto we will take the tub-tuk tour and hopefully be able to exit it in town and stay there on our own.  I hired a private guide in Lisbon to be able to see more as our time is so short.  Then taking the ship bus to Seville and trying (!) to see the Alcazar & Cathedral on our own in the 4 short hours we have there.  We met people in Gibraltar on a prior cruise so are meeting them there - so fun to see people we know!  I also hired a private guide in Algeria to take us to Cabo de Gata and have lunch there.  In Majorca we are taking the ship tour on the train to Soller.  We are staying 4 days in Barcelona and flying on our own back to London because I figured otherwise Regent would only put us on business class to the East Coast and I wanted to fly straight back to Denver and be able to sleep!  Hopefully I have planned on enough time to not miss our Denver flight, knowing Heathrow can be a nightmare, but it's the same airline. Hope we all including your DW stay healthy for this trip!

Thank you all for the responses.  Yes we will of course tell the guide we are leaving early. I just wanted to make sure it would not cause a huge issue if we did that as I don't want to bother any other passengers.

We will be on Explorer in Spain and Portugal in September.  There are a few places where I would like to start on the excursion and then go off on our own and return to the ship on our own.  For example, in Bilbao I would like to go with the excursion to the museum & then to the Old Town, and then stay there on our own.  Does Regent let you do that?  Thanks!

I did think about that JB, and it would be a good idea but unfortunately we just don't have any more time for this trip as all of us are still working!

Thanks JB - that is on my list to figure out about visas!  And vaccinations.  I usually do my research on destinations first & figure out what I  want to see,  and then book hotels and guides, then get to the more mundane things like visas!

We just booked a cruise that looks awesome on Crystal.  It leaves March 1st from Singapore to Hong Kong for 15 nights, and fares start at an amazing $4500 pp, which includes all drinks and tips too.  It stops at Ko Samui (an island in Thailand), then Bangkok (port is apparently about 2 hours away) overnight, so we will stay in Bangkok that night.  It then goes to Sihanoukville Cambodia, which is the kickoff to Angkor Wat but you have to fly (a 50 minute flight).  Crystal wants a lot of money for the 2 night excursion so we will do it on our own.  We will stay one night in Angkor Wat, where the hotels look awesome and cheap, then the second day we will fly in the afternoon to Saigon and stay one night in a hotel there so as to have more time there.  The ship tour stays 2 nights at Angkor Wat and flies to Saigon the third day and takes you to the ship, but this really limits your time in Saigon where there is a lot to do.  The 3 way flight seems to be about $350-400.  I think we can have an afternoon and the next morning at Angkor Wat before flying out in the afternoon as the airport is close.  

Then the cruise continues through Vietnam, going to Danang (from which you can go to either Hoi An or Hue for the day), then overnight in Hongai, which they call Hanoi but is actually somewhere between 2 1/2 and 4 hours from Hanoi. It is right in Ha Long Bay though, but doesn't arrive till 1 pm and leaves the next evening.  Hopefully the ship will have excursions that will include a boat trip through Ha Long Bay and a trip to Hanoi, because both seem difficult to do on your own with those time constraints.  Finally it ends up in Hong Kong.  There are several sea days, but you  miss one if you go to Angkor Wat.  

Hope to see you there -we can't wait!

Thanks for all the wonderful photos, Keith!  Getting me excited for our visit there in September on a Regent Seven Seas cruise, sadly for only one short day.

We did the Glow Worm Caves but at the Bay of Islands.

Those are different glowworm caves that are near the Bay of Islands, and supposedly not as good as the ones at Waitomo.

A bloody long time to spend on a bus from Auckalnd guys. With traffic 3 hours could be a bit lite in timings also. A great site to see but not for at least 6 hours of bus travel. Better sights to see in and around Auckland perhaps

 

 

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Waitomo are the premiere glow worm caves from what I understand, but there are some other ones closer to Bay of Islands if that is on your itinerary,

U.S. citizens must have an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) in order to enter Australia. The ETA can be obtained online and it is attached electronically to your passport, so there’s no “visa stamp”. The ETA is generally granted in a matter of minutes, but some applications can be flagged so you should apply early in case there’s a problem. The cost is AUD 20 and you should only apply through the official Australian government website. Do not apply through a 3rd party website even if they claim it costs less.

 

Here’s a link to the official Australian government website:

https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETAS3/etas

Is there a problem with the visas from the 3rd party website? I accidentally got my boyfriend's visa there before I realized it was not the official website - and it cost almost $100 instead of $20. I figured it out and got mine through the official website but is there something wrong with the one I got through the wrong website? We go in November but I don;t want any issues! Thanks.

I apologize in advance for the length of this post but my husband and I are are in a quandary trying to choose between 2 cruises to Austrailia/New Zealand next year. It is between a 14 night Holland America Noordham, Nov. 2019 and a 12 night Celebrity Solstice, Oct 2019. We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary but are not as old as we sound as we married young.

Both itineraries sail from Sydney to Auckland. The ports on Holland America are Melbourne, Hobart, Milford Sound, Fiorland Natl Park (1 day), Dunedin, Acaroa, Picton, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga with 4 sea days.

Celebrity ports are Hobart, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, (1 day), Dunedin Akaroa, Picton, Tauranga and Bay of Islands with 4 sea days. We would take the overnight shore excursion on either cruise when cruising the sounds, so this is not an issue.

We are partial to Celebrity and have never taken a Holland America cruise. On one hand, we feel the Holland America itinerary is better but on the other hand, we are elite members on Celebrity and the perks offered (includes beverage package, OBC, gratuities) and in a cc cabin vs. balcony cabin on Noordham may add to the overall experience and enjoyment on our special occasion. We are also able to make reservations for select dining on Celebrity before we cruise so that we are assured to get the time we want to dine. I tend to get seasick in very rough waters and wonder if the Solstice will handle it better since it is larger. We will add days on both ends of either cruise to explore Sydney and Auckland. I apologize again for this long post, but I would value the opinions of Cruise Critic members.

I prefer Celebrity and we are going on the Auckland to Sydney cruise with them in November. I went on one Holland America cruise (to Mexico) and felt the population was just so old and not diverse - we don't mind that but it was really overwhelming with many many people with wheelchairs and walkers and we felt out of place somewhat.

Thanks, because I am married to someone who wants everything planned right up front so we will be looking to book as soon as we board. Boarding - when does that start? (Our documents have not arrived yet, I am sure they will tell us)

I am like that too! We were staying in Budapest prior to the cruise, so we checked out at 11:00 and went to the ship, dropped out luggage and then went back out to the city. They had a free shuttle bus for that too.

Thank you very much for your quick response - I had been thinking of then, so long as its not booked up when we board.

You need to go immediately to book it when you board.

As a first time river cruiser, we are completing our research for our Melodies of the Danube from Budapest to Vilshofen next month. Do any readers who have done this itinerary have any suggestions as to which night would be the best for the Chefs Table. Thanks

We went on the second night - the day you leave Budapest - and thought that was a perfect time to do it. You will love it!!

crimlaw - I'm so happy to know you found the blogs helpful! Sydney is such a beautiful city – have a wonderful trip!

 

Ann - I just now saw your comment and apologize for not responding! Thanks for the kind words. I'm really glad to know you enjoyed the blogs.

 

zonacruiser25 - So sorry I missed your comment. Thank you! I hope you had a terrific trip...and made it to the top of the bridge :)

 

Mary

Mary - I realized your blog had lots of other great info on it, and have just enjoyed your trips to New Zealand (where we are going along with Australia in November) and , Spain, Portugal & France as well, as we are going there next year. Your writing is fantastic and your pictures are wonderful, and you have the greatest smile! Just wanted you to know how appreciated your info is.

I thought CC readers who will be traveling to Sydney might be interested in my latest blog posts. My husband and I recently spent three fabulous days there before boarding a cruise that disembarked in Auckland. We did an all-day tour to the Hunter Valley (wineries & animal sanctuary; link is in blog) and toured on our own (city highlights and Bondi/Coogee Beach walk) before boarding the ship.

 

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/australias-hunter-valley-wine-wallabies-a-koala-named-kamballa/

 

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/a-day-in-sydney-harbour-bridge-opera-house-a-wonderful-walk/

 

Mary

Travel Blog: www.themodernpostcard.com

Fabulous blogs Mary - thank you! Those are the best pictures of the walk around Sydney that I have seen, and will really help when we go in November.

Good tip.

Used them for a few winery tours that were great fun

Check out Blue Diamond tours to Blue Mountains & Featherdale Animal Sanctuary - we are booked on them in November so I can't say if they are good, but I haven't seen a bad review on them yet on Tripadvisor.

We ate lunch on the ship most days. From Linz we took the train to Salzburg for the day because we wanted to do the Sound of Music tour, so we ate there.

Just so you all know - you can ask AMA to send the documents directly to you and bypass sending them to your travel agent. Ours were delayed 2 weeks by them sending to our agent, which aggravated me to no end as we are leaving in 1 week and I just got them. There is a lovely book about the places we are going but now rushing to read it before we leave. As we are planning the Africa cruise trip with them in the future, I emailed them and asked them to change that reservation to eliminate sending the docs to our agent and they said sure, no problem.

Check out Reef Magic. I have not been as I am planning a trip, but they get good reviews on TripAdvisor. They take you out to a platform where you can snorkel, go in a glass bottom boat, or a semi-submersible, or they even have an underwater viewing area. You can also scuba or SNUBA or helmet dive. I also heard that the coral on Green Island is pretty washed out.