Millenium Singapore/Singapore cruise

[namest]

Any comments on anyone who has done the cruise starting and ending in Singapore? Bali etc. we have put a deposit on this trip and I am on the fence about actually going. The flight seems to be a deal breaker. I am traveling from Cleveland and need to return to Los Angeles.

[Gig103]

No cruise experience, but I would highly recommend Singapore as a city worth visiting. I had a week of work (so just evenings free) and then three nights on my own after, and it was great. I took public transit and walked all over, and it's very easy to get assistance since signs and the locals speak English.

 

I could never do that flight in economy, so I understand your hesitation. I recommend you look at a one-way CLE to LAX flight, then a round-trip LAX-SIN flight. Out of LAX there is a lot more competition and should help you with a better price on premium economy or business class. For example, for an upcoming trip, Biz out of Phoenix was $5600 round trip. But out of LAX we scored $3800, and it's only a $150 flight to California for us r/t.

 

And check Choice Air from Celebrity, they sometimes have good deals (again look at R/T from LAX and get yourself there from Cleveland).

[4774Papa]

We did a great cruise out of Singapore in March/April. It was Singapore to Dubai and a great cruise.

 

Our airfare from Jacksonville, FLA was $1750 in coach. We broke up the trip to Singapore with an overnight in Paris, which was great. We did it on Air France.

 

We have stopped in Bali on a cruise around the north end of Australia. Bali was interesting, but our tendering was a disaster. We were delayed over two hours by the locals (probably wanting a payoff). Other cruises have had problems like this in Bali.

 

I am not sure what your other ports are, but I would never pay to go back to Bali.

[chemmo]

We have cruised from Singapore although not on Celebrity. Airport and port very efficient. As someone has said Singapore is a destination in its own right. The straights of Malacca is one of the busiest ocean areas in the world. We loved sitting out on the balcony watching all the ships pass by.

 

We stayed in Bali for a few days and although we enjoyed I do not understand the Millie's three day stop.....A one day sightseeing and a one day beach would be fine. We also have looked before at the Millie's itinerary visiting the Philipines and nearly booked that but then settled on the Connies Singapore to Abu Dhabi which called at more new ports of call for us.

 

Despite the cost and travel time, cruising in the Far East is amazing...we have managed some reasonable cost business flights by being flexible re which airline we use and doing lots of looking!

 

Good Luck with your cruise, even if you decide your present cruise is not the one for you, keep looking in the Far East, you will not regret it.

[ghstudio]

We took B2B cruises from Singapore a couple of years ago on the Millenium.....first was singapore south to Bali then Singapore to hong kong...28 days. It was a terrific cruise. I'd make a couple of points though....

 

1) I would not fly to asia from the US for one 14 day (or less) cruise...it's a long flight so if you're only considering one cruise, combine it with some additional stays/etc. We have always flown business class on air miles...and it's worth it if you are on a plane with real lie flat seats such as Cathay Pacific. Picking the plane is important on those flights.

 

2) Our Singapore south cruise had additional stops including Komodo Island. We did not think Benoa was worth more than the one day we spent there. Kuala Lampur was, frankly, just a boring big city not worth the stop.

 

3) If you are only considering one cruise, I'd suggest you consider the one that goes to Komodo....or you consider any of the cruises that visit vietnam and/or the Philippines. and return from Hong Kong or Singapore depending on the cruise. Hong Kong is a wonderful City to spend time in as is Singapore.

 

4) If you do take one of the cruises that overnights in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, stay in town overnight (off the ship). All are a long way between the port and the city and you will get a completely different experience at night....We actually spent Tet (new years) eve in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City...fantastic fireworks and street decorations.

 

5) Check out the Celebrity itinerary maps. Clearly, Celebrity's marketing department has no clue where Ho Chi Minh is relative to Hue/Denang because the cruise itinerary maps show it both north and south of Hue/Denang. Hopefully, the ship captain will find it though :)

Edited August 10, 2015 by ghstudio

[loeb]

We took a 14 day cruise on the Millennium in January 2015 starting and ending in Singapore stopping in Bali (2 1/2 days), Komodo Island, Phuket, Langkawi and Port Kelang. As mentioned above, Komodo Island is something to see and there any many sites to see in Singapore and it's easy to get around on your own. Other than Kuala Lumpur (which is a big city) most of the other ports are beach resorts. We also didn't think you need 2 1/2 days in Bali.

 

We enjoyed a HAL cruise much more, (Celebrity has a similar cruise) that starts in Singapore, stopping at Ko Samu, Laem Chaband (Bangkok), Phy My, Nha Tran, Sanya, Hainan Island that I think most cruise lines have stopped going to, Halong Bay and ending in Hong Kong. However, note that some of the ports are far from the tourist site - Bangkok for examples is about a 90 minute or more drive from the port. Some passengers stayed overnight in Bangkok rather than coming back to the ship. Since we had been to Bangkok before we did excursions close to the port.

 

We took Cathay Pacific to Singapore round trip from LAX, they have premium economy and I got mileage on American, but you have to stop in Hong Kong both ways. Singapore airlines might be better since I don't think you have to stop, it's a direct flight from LAX. Eva air is an alternative, but you have to stop in Taipei Both JAL and ANA require a stop in Tokyo (Narita) and tend to be more expensive. Korean Air or Air China might be cheaper, we did not look into these airlines. We are going on a cruise in October starting in Yokohama and ending in Hong Kong. I just made economy plane reservations on American Airlines for $749per person from LAX. Returning we have to fly from Hong Kong to Narita on Cathay Pacific and then on American to LAX. Note that the American flights are on older Boeing 777-200's. However, they have 2x5x2 seating so we got window and aisle seats on the American flights.

 

Hope this helps.

[ghstudio]

If you decide to do a Singapore to Singapore cruise, you might want to fly Cathay Pacific because, unless things have changed recently, Cathay allows you to make a free stopover (multiple days...not hours) in Hong Kong...so you can see Singapore, do the cruise and see Hong Kong for no additional flight cost. It's a great deal

[Nachosdelux]

 

 

 

We took Cathay Pacific to Singapore round trip from LAX, they have premium economy and I got mileage on American, but you have to stop in Hong Kong both ways. Singapore airlines might be better since I don't think you have to stop, it's a direct flight from LAX. ]

 

Hope this helps.

 

Singapore Airlines no longer flies non-stop to/from Singapore and the USA.

 

They have a direct, 1-stop flight (no plane change) to/from LAX that stops in Tokyo Narita.

 

They have direct, 1-stop flights (no plane change) to/from SFO that stops in either Hong Kong or Incheon (Seoul), Korea

Edited August 10, 2015 by Nachosdelux

[Maligator]

If you have to break it anyway, your options are exponentially greater. You have Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur.... And these are just a few off the top of my head. There are tons of options. Sometimes the least expensive can surprise you. I was looking at airfare to Venice and Turkish was the cheapest, by far. It all depends.

 

Also, non-round-trips are almost always more expensive.

[gergles]

Singapore Airlines no longer flies non-stop to/from Singapore and the USA.

 

They have a direct, 1-stop flight (no plane change) to/from LAX that stops in Tokyo Narita.

 

They have direct, 1-stop flights (no plane change) to/from SFO that stops in either Hong Kong or Incheon (Seoul), Korea

 

They also have a 1-stop flight from JFK via Frankfurt.

[Nachosdelux]

They also have a 1-stop flight from JFK via Frankfurt.

 

forgot about East-bound.

 

Also you can go IAH-DME-SIN

[TeaBag]

I agree it's a long way to Singapore (2 flights). We are sailing Singapore to Vancouver to avoid the long flight back home again. As GH says, it's too far away to go for just a 14 day cruise.

[ghstudio]

If you have to break it anyway, your options are exponentially greater. You have Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur.... And these are just a few off the top of my head. There are tons of options. Sometimes the least expensive can surprise you. I was looking at airfare to Venice and Turkish was the cheapest, by far. It all depends.

 

Also, non-round-trips are almost always more expensive.

 

The key message in my post was that Cathay Pacific, like Icelandair allows you to stop for many days at their hub (not sure of the limit on Cathay but icelandair lets you stay up to 7 days with no additional airfare...we're doing this between boston and the UK later this year.) It's possible that some of the others allow longer layovers, but in most cases if you stay more than 8-24 hours it's considered a stop and you essentially have to buy two legs at a higher price.

[minz56]

... but in most cases if you stay more than 8-24 hours it's considered a stop and you essentially have to buy two legs at a higher price.

 

That's not entirely true. An airfare Singapore to Los Angeles via Tokyo will have a stopover condition. Sometimes you can stopover for free, other times there is a charge (say $50 or $100). Also some airlines, as noted, limit the amount of time you can spend in the stopover city. However, rarely would the airfare end up being two separate airfares, particularly when a single airline is involved.

[Gig103]

I agree it's a long way to Singapore (2 flights). We are sailing Singapore to Vancouver to avoid the long flight back home again. As GH says, it's too far away to go for just a 14 day cruise.

How long is that cruise? I love repositioning cruises and that sounds like a great one. Plus a nice way to, as you said, avoid the flight home.

[TeaBag]

How long is that cruise? I love repositioning cruises and that sounds like a great one. Plus a nice way to, as you said, avoid the flight home.

It's actually 3 for us and some are doing 4! We are sailing Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Honolulu and Honolulu to Vancouver. 44 days. Those doing 4 are starting in Hong Kong. Some prices have come down lately. Join us!:)

[Gig103]

It's actually 3 for us and some are doing 4! We are sailing Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Honolulu and Honolulu to Vancouver. 44 days. Those doing 4 are starting in Hong Kong. Some prices have come down lately. Join us!:)

Wow, I wish! I'm lucky to have 15 paid vacation days though.

[namest]

thanks Mike. great suggestion. I think I may have looked into that in one of my searches, but will revisit it. I can't possibly fly that in economy. It was hard enough flying the other day in exit row from Lax-Cle with a 500 lb smelly man next to me. UGH. I did call Celebrity about flights but the way they were routing us was terrible. They can't do the upgrade to business either. Will keep you posted.

[ghstudio]

You kind of do what you have to do. We fly to Asia business class with air miles which to us is the only rational way to pay the price of business class. We have also flown Chicago to Delhi which is 15+ hours in economy. Yeah, it's not as comfortable, but aside from that discomfort, you're now in a country that you might not have been able to afford to go to if you insisted on your comfort in Business Class. Net...it sounds good to say never in economy, but sometimes you do what you have to do.....

[rogfam]

I will be on the cruise that you are asking about. Been to Asia a few times before, but this itinerary is "off the beaten path". Lots of great and interesting ports to visit. Agree with the previous posts that Komodo is must. Looking forward to seeing the dragons there!

 

Bali is a lot for 2 nights so we will leave the ship and spend one night in a resort hotel on the beach. Why drive around the island to look at beaches, just easier to stay there overnight.

 

Flights are long as you know. We live on the East Coast and are flying Emirates. Arriving a few days early in Singapore, which happens to be New Year's Eve. It should be a great experience that night! Breaking up our return with 3 nights in Dubai.

 

Hope to see you on board!!

[GranthamMommy]

We were on the same Singapore to Singapore cruise as ghstudio. We weren’t lucky enough to have vacation time to do the b2b. We wanted to do something exotic, so off we went. And we are so happy we did.

 

It is a long flight. We left from Boston, truly half way around the world. We had a short flight to NYC and flew Cathay Pacific. We aren’t lucky enough to fly Business or First. The cruise line included the airfare and the night before at a hotel.

 

What a treat that was. We flew Cathay Pacific out of NYC. We flew overnight to Vancouver, and then landed in Hong Kong in the early morning. Then one more flight to Singapore. The airline was amazing. The flight attendants were great, the food was awesome. And we were in coach! I’m comparing this to a fight to Australia one time, where I was stuck in the middle and the service was pretty much non existent.

 

Trays of yummy sandwiches avaiable all night. Get the Asian meals. Hot noodle soup. Oh I'm saving my miles to fly back some day in Business.

 

If you go, at least spend a few days in Singapore. Wish we had more time. We only had a day and it rained most of that time.

 

The flight home was on Singapore Airlines. We enjoyed flight, but they flew us United from SFO to Boston. I knew I was back in the states and the service was awful.

We thought Bali was going to be our favorite stop. Not so much, but we had a good time. Komodo Island was a day we still talk about. Book a private tour to really have a once in a lifetime experience.

[baldercash]

rogfam There is much more to see then beaches in Bali.

They have amazing ocean temples. http://bali.mehthesheep.com/bali-sea-temples/

 

They have 3 Unesco sites the rice terraces were spectacular.

http://blog.villa-bali.com/2013/07/unesco-world-heritage-sites-bali

 

 

Two days is not enough time and that is without seeing a beach we were fortunate to stubble across a marriage parade in one of the villages and our guide had us join in the festivities it was very memorable.

 

If you are staying in Singapore spend one night in the Marina Bay Sands it is an amazing Hotel with an unbelievable infinity pool, it is pricey but it costs $50.00 just to take the elevator to the observation deck if you are not a guest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itqRB-ZSPAw more impressive then building a ship.

Edited September 5, 2015 by baldercash

[need2bespoiled]

We did this cruse in November. We did get to Bali, but unfortunately missed Komodo. I wouldn't book the trip for one port and take as long as you can in that part of the world.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2121466

 

 

Sent from my iPad using fat fingers and Tapatalk

[GaryfmCol]

Not sure of the itinerary of this cruise, but, we took the MILLENNIUM from Hong Kong to Singapore via Viet-nam, Bangkok. The tours of North Viet-nam, South Viet-nam made the ntire trip worthwhile. We visited Hong Kong a few days pre-cruise, we stayed in Singapore post cruise several days. We also, stayed in Hanoi, and, HCMC (Saigon, and, went down the Mekong River...a most fantastic cruise.

Out of all of our cruises this one ranks as our very favorite....

 

We flew from DEN to SFO, and, a n/s direct to Hong Kong.

We had 2 seats side by-side, on a Boeing 747-800 to Hong Kong.

I was surprised what a comfortable ride it was in coach.....

 

Our return, we flew Delta, on a Boeing 777, via Tokyo to Minneapolis-St. Paul to DEN. Again a very easy comfy ride in coach, although, I bought up-graded Economy Plus seating....

 

I wish I could take that cruise all over again...

Did not even care for Bangkok. (Although we did ride elephants and, that made the Bangkok over-night worthwhile.)

[rogfam]

rogfam There is much more to see then beaches in Bali.

They have amazing ocean temples. http://bali.mehthesheep.com/bali-sea-temples/

 

They have 3 Unesco sites the rice terraces were spectacular.

http://blog.villa-bali.com/2013/07/unesco-world-heritage-sites-bali

 

 

Two days is not enough time and that is without seeing a beach we were fortunate to stubble across a marriage parade in one of the villages and our guide had us join in the festivities it was very memorable.

 

If you are staying in Singapore spend one night in the Marina Bay Sands it is an amazing Hotel with an unbelievable infinity pool, it is pricey but it costs $50.00 just to take the elevator to the observation deck if you are not a guest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itqRB-ZSPAw more impressive then building a ship.

 

Thanks so much for the suggestions! Are the ocean temples and Unesco sights near the port we tender (Benoa)?