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Southeast Asia cruises.....Hong Kong/Vietnam/Singapore


cece50
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Whilst I have not done this cruise on a Seabourn ship, the joy will be if and where the ship docks in these Asian Ports. The smaller ships eg under 1000 pax usually get closer to the Cities. I noticed recently that Seabourn quotes for Bangkok the Port is Laem Chabang instead of Klong Toey which is a bit of trek. It is however usually an over night stay.

 

We have cruised this itinerary a few times, concluding that the 600 pax ship was the best voyage. Specific questions would allow more elaboration, otherwise, the itinerary is good, excursions plenty to explore.

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I did this cruise on Sojourn a few years ago and it was one of my favourite cruises. I enjoyed it so much that I'll be doing it again in the opposite direction later this year on Ovation.

 

Even on Sojourn we docked at Laem Chabang for Bangkok,the drive to the city was around 90 minutes, and we docked right in the city for Ho Chi Minh. The journey up the river to the city is one not to miss if your cruise is able to dock there. I don't know if Encore/Ovation will be able to, not sure if they're too big.

 

As koalapanda suggested, specific questions would help us to know what information you're looking for. I will say that I felt that SB did a great job on this cruise of bringing as much local flavour as possible onboard, not just in the food selections but also with local entertainers etc. Plus, Hong Kong and Singapore are both great cities and it's a wonderful opportunity to spend a few days there pre- and post-cruise.

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We did SIN-HKG on Azamara and it was wonderful to be able to sail right up to Bangkok and HCMC. What a shame that Seabourn might not be able to do both. We thoroughly enjoyed the itinerary as an introduction to those places - we hadn't been to any of the ports before (we don't cruise often - really enjoy it as an introduction to a new location to scout out where we want to do more in depth exploring). I would definitely recommend such an itinerary!!

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The on;y way I'd accept the ship docking at Laem Chabang instead of Klong Toey is if there was an overnight, Then I could leave the ship, take a hotel for the night and actually have some time to see the city rather than spending half my day on a bus.

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The on;y way I'd accept the ship docking at Laem Chabang instead of Klong Toey is if there was an overnight, Then I could leave the ship, take a hotel for the night and actually have some time to see the city rather than spending half my day on a bus.

 

Indeed.

The cruise I've just booked on Ovation is in Laem Chabang for just one day and only from 8am to 6pm. IMO that's a complete waste of the day given the distance, traffic and so on. First time visitors to Bangkok will likely be disappointed. It will be a stationary sea day for me!

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Indeed.

The cruise I've just booked on Ovation is in Laem Chabang for just one day and only from 8am to 6pm. IMO that's a complete waste of the day given the distance, traffic and so on. First time visitors to Bangkok will likely be disappointed. It will be a stationary sea day for me!

Go to Pattaya, it's just 40 minutes away from Laem Chabang, and a lot more fun than Bangkok.

Visit the nearby Sriracha Tiger zoo or Million years stone park or Pattaya floating market.

Check out Walking street, Pattaya jumping tower, Mini Siam, Nong Nooch village, etc.

Or take a speedboat to Coral island for a beautiful beach, jet skiing, banana boat ride, parasailing and undersea walk

(You will need 5 full days for all the above)

Try the 1 hour traditional Thai massage (full body, assisted stretching, no oil) or the 1 hour foot massage. Only 100 bahts ($3) for 1 hour.

Edited by drsel
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Go to Pattaya, it's just 40 minutes away from Laem Chabang, and a lot more fun than Bangkok.

Visit the nearby Sriracha Tiger zoo or Million years stone park or Pattaya floating market.

Check out Walking street, Pattaya jumping tower, Mini Siam, Nong Nooch village, etc.

Or take a speedboat to Coral island for a beautiful beach, jet skiing, banana boat ride, parasailing and undersea walk

(You will need 5 full days for all the above)

Try the 1 hour traditional Thai massage (full body, assisted stretching, no oil) or the 1 hour foot massage. Only 100 bahts ($3) for 1 hour.

 

 

Pattaya? Tiger zoo? No thanks!

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It's a shame because one of the attractions of the itinerary is seeing Bangkok. Docking in Laem Chabang from 8AM to 6PM leaves you two options.

 

1. Half your day on the bus and a whirlwind overview with no chance to experience the food, culture or feeling of the city.

 

2. Staying on the ship and missing the city entirely.

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Sounds like a deal - along with the coral island! :D
Also try the 1 hour ,full body traditional Thai massage (assisted stretching, no oil) for 150 bahts ($4.50),

On a Saturday night, go to Hard Rock Cafe on Beach road, Pattaya and try the foam dancing. It's better than La Tomatina in Spain.

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We did Singapore to Bali (16 days) on Sojourn in March this year. The weather was far too hot and steamy for these two Aussies coming out of a southern summer. First cruise on Seabourn, ever, when we have not eaten on the outside decks, it was just too hot, even for an early breakfast.

Admittedly it was unseasonable, according to the locals in Bali where we stayed for a few days before flying home.

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We’ve seen the “vibrant culture” of Pattaya and if you like ladyboy cabaret or ping pong bars you’ll have a great time. It’s very much a party town where pretty much anything goes. We were amused by the Husband Daycare Centre where the pretty staff will take good care of the menfolk while their ladies go shopping. Such entrepreneurs!

 

I think it’s fair to say that while some SE Asia destinations are easy to explore from a cruise ship, eg, Singapore, others are really too far from the port to be able to do them justice in only one day, eg, Bangkok. There are some drawbacks to cruising and this is one of them.

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We’ve seen the “vibrant culture” of Pattaya and if you like ladyboy cabaret or ping pong bars you’ll have a great time. It’s very much a party town where pretty much anything goes. We were amused by the Husband Daycare Centre where the pretty staff will take good care of the menfolk while their ladies go shopping. Such entrepreneurs!

 

I think it’s fair to say that while some SE Asia destinations are easy to explore from a cruise ship, eg, Singapore, others are really too far from the port to be able to do them justice in only one day, eg, Bangkok. There are some drawbacks to cruising and this is one of them.

Agreed. Thailand deserves an extended land tour.

To experience the best of Thailand, (which in my experience is the BEST VALUE holiday destination in the world); you will need 7 nights each in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui, 4 nights in Koh Lanta, 3 nights in Koh Chang and 2 nights in Koh Samet.

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