azamara vs oceania SE Asia

[bgp]

Planning to go to SE(Thailand, Vietnam etc) Jan Feb 2011. Which is preferred Azamara or Oceania. Have traveled on Azamara in Europe. Which month is better Jan or Feb?

 

Is Seabourne worth difference in price(2x)?

BGP

[susiesan]

Planning to go to SE(Thailand, Vietnam etc) Jan Feb 2011. Which is preferred Azamara or Oceania. Have traveled on Azamara in Europe. Which month is better Jan or Feb?

 

Is Seabourne worth difference in price(2x)?

BGP

 

The best way to experience SE Asia is NOT on a cruise. I'm flying to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand this coming Feb. 2010 for 2 1/2 weeks. SE Asia is always hot and humid, the hottest places I've ever traveled to. Jan. will be slightly cooler than Feb. Go as early in the year as you can.

[MightyQuinn]

The best way to experience SE Asia is NOT on a cruise.

We're coming to the same conclusion. We've poured over itineraries of our Holy Trinity (HAL, Oceania, Azamara) & have decided that we really can't do justice to SE Asia by ship, even with extended overnites in ports. But there are some very interesting repositioning cruises that we still may consider. Bummer really, as you just can't beat the cost or convenience of cruising compared to land travel.

[susiesan]

We're coming to the same conclusion. We've poured over itineraries of our Holy Trinity (HAL, Oceania, Azamara) & have decided that we really can't do justice to SE Asia by ship, even with extended overnites in ports. But there are some very interesting repositioning cruises that we still may consider. Bummer really, as you just can't beat the cost or convenience of cruising compared to land travel.

 

On the contrary. Costs in SE Asia are amongst the cheapest on the planet. As an example,

I put together a trip for my husband and I and am paying for all the components separately. I used FF miles to fly into Phnom Penh, Cambodia first. Stay 3 nights in the #1 hotel on TripAdvisor for $65 a night. Use a local guide at $35 a day. Then fly to Siem Riep for 4 nights, $80 a night in a lovely small local hotel, private guide and driver at $50 a day to visit the temples. Then fly to Luang Prabang for 3 nights, $35 a night in a local small guesthouse hotel. Then fly to Bangkok and $80 a night in a 5 star serviced apartment hotel. The airpass to fly around these cities was only $400 each.

 

4 years ago we visited Vietnam on a private tour for 2 put together by a Vietnamese company for $1000 for 2 weeks for everything, including our very own guide who traveled with us.

 

Good luck planning an Asian adventure.

[MightyQuinn]

Costs in SE Asia are amongst the cheapest on the planet.

Good for you Susiesan! Sounds like your trip is an amazing deal. Our pricing is nothing like you quoted, but then again, we’re not interested in planning every travel detail ourselves. Cruising has spoiled us somewhat. ;);)

 

We’re considering a 3-week land trip to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand & Vietnam with an adventure travel company. We’ve previously traveled with them to several developing countries & always had a great experience. They have small groups (max 12), use local hotels rather than international chains, provide transport, handle on-the-ground logistics & use local guides at the destination. They really deliver a first-class experience. But for a price of course. Per diems are actually higher than for a similar cruise, although the routes really can’t be compared. So I guess it all depends on how/what/where you plan a trip to SE Asia.

[susiesan]

From what I've seen the cost of a ship shore excursion to visit Siem Riep to see Angkor Wat for only 2 days is more than my whole 2 1/2 weeks in SE Asia is going to cost!

 

I looked at some of those adventure companies but was able to plan this out on my own. it took a long time and a lot of research but I'm happy with the results and hope this will be an incredible vacation!

[wripro]

For some people a cruise is just easier and not everybody counts every penny down to the last detail. So different strokes........

[world~citizen]

From what I've seen the cost of a ship shore excursion to visit Siem Riep to see Angkor Wat for only 2 days is more than my whole 2 1/2 weeks in SE Asia is going to cost!

 

I looked at some of those adventure companies but was able to plan this out on my own. it took a long time and a lot of research but I'm happy with the results and hope this will be an incredible vacation!

 

Sadly this is exactly the case.

 

If you factor into this, owing to the length of time it takes to get to SE Asia, you must pony-up for business class fare unless you can deal with chipmunk class, the cost adds up.

 

We were going to sail the Quest but it's itinerary was too Viet-Nam intensive for us and the Siem Reap excursion was way way over the top, as I say, given the cost of business airfare to begin the vacation in the first place.

 

So we are doing Thailand, Siem Reap and Singapore the old fashioned way and even with 5 star accommodation we are saving a great deal. We will pick-up a 9 day World Cruise segment on HAL from Singapore to Hong Kong (one third the price of Azamara) with a couple of ports in Viet-Nam and get a much bigger bang for the dollar.

 

We will be back on Azamara though in August.

 

Did you take malaria meds for Siem Reap?

 

We still love Azamara, but we think as you do that SE Asia is best done outside of a cruise.

 

Smooth sailing...

[Jade13]

From what I've seen the cost of a ship shore excursion to visit Siem Riep to see Angkor Wat for only 2 days is more than my whole 2 1/2 weeks in SE Asia is going to cost!

 

 

It is easy to leave the ship and go there on your own, which we are doing. Flights are about $75.00 from Phnom Penh to REP and $150.00 from REP to BKK. A very good hotel with breakfast is $100.00 to $150.00 for the night and a driver approx. $40.00 for the entire day. The 3 day Angkor pass is $40.00, the dinner show is $22.00 and tuk tuk to go there is $5.00 round trip. One can still do this from a cruise ship. You don't have to pay $1,600.00pp for Azamara's 2 night trip.

[susiesan]

It is easy to leave the ship and go there on your own, which we are doing. Flights are about $75.00 from Phnom Penh to REP and $150.00 from REP to BKK. A very good hotel with breakfast is $100.00 to $150.00 for the night and a driver approx. $40.00 for the entire day. The 3 day Angkor pass is $40.00, the dinner show is $22.00 and tuk tuk to go there is $5.00 round trip. One can still do this from a cruise ship. You don't have to pay $1,600.00pp for Azamara's 2 night trip.

 

True, but that's a lot of rushing around for 1 day at Siem Riep. If you only want to see one temple it would work, but we are staying there for 4 days/5 nights and will see 8-10 different temple complexes. People think Angkor Wat is the only one there, and that is not the case. Now if your cruise begn or ended in Bangkok and you went to Cambodia on your own that's another story. Look into Bangkok Airways. they sell a Discovery Airpass that makes the individual flight segments far less if you have 3 flights on your pass.

 

We are not going to take malaria pills for our time there. We are not going off into the jungle trekking. The side effects from malaria meds can be bad.I'm not worried about it-I got all the hepatitus shots, regular and H1N1 flu shots so I'm good to go.

[Jade13]

True, but that's a lot of rushing around for 1 day at Siem Riep. If you only want to see one temple it would work, but we are staying there for 4 days/5 nights and will see 8-10 different temple complexes. People think Angkor Wat is the only one there, and that is not the case. Now if your cruise begn or ended in Bangkok and you went to Cambodia on your own that's another story. Look into Bangkok Airways. they sell a Discovery Airpass that makes the individual flight segments far less if you have 3 flights on your pass.

 

We are not going to take malaria pills for our time there. We are not going off into the jungle trekking. The side effects from malaria meds can be bad.I'm not worried about it-I got all the hepatitus shots, regular and H1N1 flu shots so I'm good to go.

 

We should have time for 4 temples.

[rdowney]

Now if your cruise begn or ended in Bangkok and you went to Cambodia on your own that's another story.

 

It's also easy if your cruise begins or ends in Singapore. We paid about $125 roundtrip Singapore-Siem Reap on SilkAir.

[world~citizen]

It's also easy if your cruise begins or ends in Singapore. We paid about $125 roundtrip Singapore-Siem Reap on SilkAir.

 

True.

 

At $1600pp for two nights for example, we can have three nights in Bangkok, three in Siem Reap and three in Singapore. This will include food and accommodation in 5 star hotels in all three (Starwood), guides in Siem Reap and air on Bangkok Airways (to Siem Reap) and Silkair (to Singapore). It will not include guides in Bangkok or Singapore but that is not a disadvantage for us.

 

We have only one chance to do Siem Reap and when we saw the cruise ship excursion, then tried to plan our own trip within constraints of the cruise itinerary, we chose this alternative.

 

I can see how this would not be for everyone - no arguments there. Sightseeing within the cruiseship bubble has much to recommend it. On this one occasion for us, the benefits of going alone were more compelling.

 

There is no right or wrong way, just what you feel most comfortable with.

 

Susie-san: we have had experience with malaria meds and couldn't agree more.

 

Smooth sailing to you...

[tgg]

There is no right or wrong way, just what you feel most comfortable with.

Smooth sailing to you...

 

Hi Bill,

 

You are so right! And it covers so many circumstances. A good reminder for the coming year.

 

There is no right or wrong way, just what you feel most comfortable with.

 

 

Smooth sailing to you too,

Toni

[world~citizen]

Hi Bill,

 

You are so right! And it covers so many circumstances. A good reminder for the coming year.

 

There is no right or wrong way, just what you feel most comfortable with.

 

 

Smooth sailing to you too,

Toni

 

Happy New Year, Toni.

 

Bill and Lois