Excursion prices in Asia

[HELENPSL]

We have booked the 28 day China, Japan and Far East Collector cruise for Feb. 2017 (a million years from now). I have heard that the excursions in Asia are very expensive. I'm trying to get some idea of the costs but can't seem to locate this information. Does anyone have knowledge of where I can find pricing for excursions in Vietnam, China, Singapore, etc.?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

 

Helen

[RuthC]

I hate to be one of those posters who sends someone to another forum, but with this question I think it may be a good idea.

That area of the world just doesn't get the same amount of traffic that the posters here can furnish a great deal of information.

 

I suggest you ask about this over on the ports of call forum. There will be people who have cruised there on more lines than just HAL, and probably have more info simply because they are on that forum.

 

I was on the Hong Kong to Kobe, followed by the Kobe to Vancouver cruises last spring, and loved every minute of them. I don't know if the excursions could be called "expensive" or not, but I felt the price was worth it, considering that it's unlikely I will get there again.

If you are going to Beijing, and have an overnight, do stay in the city! It's one heck of a long ride, and you can put the time to better use.

[taxmantoo]

Agree with Ruth that the ports of call forum is an excellent resource when planning a cruise in Asia.

 

We used Thi of Smile Tours for tours in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Da Nang. Highly recommended on the CC forum but be careful and make sure it is Thi as many other tour guides have names based on the popularity of "Smile Tours" with different variations.

 

Singapore is best done on your own. The Hop-On Hop-Off bus system is one of the best we have encountered anywhere.

 

Have to disagree a bit with Ruth on Beijing. While the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are certainly worth the time, a visit to Beijing without going to the Great Wall is a missed opportunity to see one of the world's wonders. We were very satisfied with http://www.beijingtourtansy.com who took us to the Wall in the morning and the Summer Palace after lunch. A long and tiring day but well worth the money and effort.

[HELENPSL]

Hi Ruth and Louis,

 

Thanks so much for the quick responses. You have both given me a starting point and that's greatly appreciated. I'll go over to the boards for each port.

 

Again...thanks!!

 

Helen

[RuthC]

Have to disagree a bit with Ruth on Beijing. While the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are certainly worth the time, a visit to Beijing without going to the Great Wall is a missed opportunity to see one of the world's wonders.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. :confused: I said that it's better not to return to the port for the overnight, but use the time in Beijing, staying overnight there.

My group went to the Great Wall, as well as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We used China Highlights, who did a good job in both Shanghai and Beijing.

 

Because there were disabled people in the group (including me), we planned to go slowly, and not attempt to see everything there was to see.

[rkacruiser]

Just a suggestion that may or may not work: On the HAL website's, look for Shore Excursions for Asia cruises that will be sailing sooner than yours. While the costs and descriptions may change from 2015/2016 until 2017, you may be able to get some idea as to there current costs.

[Scrapnana]

I did a cruise last year on Cunard that visited the far East. The excursions in Japan were the priciest - most in the $90-100 range. The Chinese excursions averaged about $10 less. Vietnam prices were about $70-90. Singapore ran $56-82. There were of course, pricier ones which included meals and/or smaller vehicles. Actually these areas were not significantly higher than most other parts of the world.

[Keith1010]

We have booked the 28 day China, Japan and Far East Collector cruise for Feb. 2017 (a million years from now). I have heard that the excursions in Asia are very expensive. I'm trying to get some idea of the costs but can't seem to locate this information. Does anyone have knowledge of where I can find pricing for excursions in Vietnam, China, Singapore, etc.?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

 

Helen

 

Helen, the price of excursions will vary based on where you are sailing.

 

Vietnam will be fairly reasonable both ships excursions and private ones. In Saigon I used Zoom for a private excursion who is one of the people mentioned often on the ports of call board. His e mail address is: dungzoom@gmail.com

 

He can send you the tours he offers and current pricing.

 

For China, where you are you visiting on the cruise?

 

If Beijing is on the itinerary how many days?

 

The drive is about 3 hours each way.

 

Singapore is very easy to do on your own so if you do some research you can see the sites easily by foot and by using their subway and taxis.

 

For Japan I would use the ports of call board for recommendations. We did take a tour that we found using tours by local web site.

 

Keith

[take us away]

Some recommendations:

1. find a cruise similar to yours but in 2015 or 2016, then go to their CC roll call and check for tours they have organized.

2. HAL tours - it really varies even within the $ to $$$$ categories.

3. Another avenue is tripadvisor dot com or similar web sites - which actually may be your best source. You can look at individual ports and get a real idea of what to expect for pricing. I use these sites to see what there is to do/see and go from there.

4. If your port has a Hop On Hop Off bus - may be a good way to get an overview of the city, i.e. Hong Kong has an excellent HOHO bus system (have used this 2x now) as does Singapore - just google your port. Love the commentary and being able to get off when I want and for how long I want to stay

5. many ports have a tourist website that can give you excellent information.

 

Vietnam is moderately priced, Japan is expensive (btw, the Kobe beef is worth the money) but has excellent and inexpensive public transportation, Singapore is easy as great public transportation, China is fairly expensive as Beijing is hours from the port.

[wander]

I agree with many other posters, but did want to reenforce some of the comments for you consideration. I have been to Beijing several times by cruise ship and one time for a land trip.

 

I really did not find the tour prices out of line with many other parts of the world, both those from HAL and private sources. Regardless of where you cruise, the shore ex. costs can creep-up on you.

 

For Beijing - I strongly support Ruth's comment about taking an overnight tour to Beijing! (For port stops that necessitate a long bus ride to get to the tour site, I personally usually stick with HAL tours*, but whatever tour source you chose, find an overnight in Beijing that includes a visit to the Great Wall (a necessity in my mind) either on the way to or home (ship) from the city. Of course, sightseeing in Beijing is also important IMO. If you find a good tour including both the City and the Great Wall you will arrive back at the ship ready for some relaxation, but hopefully happy.

 

On our first Cruise to China (and other parts of Asia) we splurged and did all that we had time for regardless of the costs (well, there were limits) as we had no idea we would be back there. Do not regret that at all, because each time we go back we find some new things to see without the heavy, intensive touring we did the first time.

 

*Stops with "distant" overnight destinations are the ones where "HAL waits for their own delayed tours - or somehow will get you to the next port" come in handy IMO. Yes, in one stop for Beijing I did see this happen. One bus broke down on the way back to the ship from the Great Wall - we waited a number of hours for them as their break-down was in a rather rural area where it took time to get a replacement bus.

Edited August 25, 2015 by wander

[Keith1010]

If you do have an overnight for Beijing, my recommendation is to do the cruise ship tour and if you don't to be very careful who you select and to build a lot of pad in the schedule to get back to the ship.

 

It can be rather difficult to find where the ship docks if you don't have someone who knows how to find it. I would want a driver and guide because the drivers usually speak very little to no english. The port itself is one of the largest in the world. For the cruise shop terminal you drive 20 or minutes passing tends of thousands of containers before you are out of the port.

 

Keith

[HELENPSL]

This is why I love cruise critic. So much great info from all of you...thanks.

 

I was looking at HAL's 30 day trip in 2016 and it's a little different from our 2017 trip. The excursion that really caught my attention was a 4 day/ 3 night tour from Shanghai that goes to the Terra Cotta warriors and ends in Xian. It shows $$$$ but who really knows what that means. I believe that unless I can put in a booking number for that particular trip I am unable to check the actual cost. Might have to go to the roll call for the 2016 trip and see if someone knows this info.

[chefestelle]

Try looking on the site that starts with V and sounds like aviator. It had all sorts of excursions and should give you an idea of what the $$$$ would be...

[take us away]

This is why I love cruise critic. So much great info from all of you...thanks.

 

I was looking at HAL's 30 day trip in 2016 and it's a little different from our 2017 trip. The excursion that really caught my attention was a 4 day/ 3 night tour from Shanghai that goes to the Terra Cotta warriors and ends in Xian. It shows $$$$ but who really knows what that means. I believe that unless I can put in a booking number for that particular trip I am unable to check the actual cost. Might have to go to the roll call for the 2016 trip and see if someone knows this info.

 

On the Grand Asia maybe 2-3 years past, this HAL tour was either $2999 or $3999 per person with double occupancy. Really wanted to see the warriors and after choking, thought - okay it is going to cost. It started in Beijing, then on to Xian for the warriors, then we picked up the ship again in Shanghai. When I looked on line and for the same money, we could have flown RT 1st class from the US, stayed in 4 to 5* hotels plus had a several day cruise done the river. Maybe it has gotten cheaper so going to the 2016 roll call is a great idea as hopefully their excursions have been published complete with costs.

 

Hate to say this but the Xian warrior time is about half a day and that includes the .museum. Much is off on display or still being excavated, so you do not get to see as much as you would want.

Edited August 25, 2015 by take us away

[rkacruiser]

With HAL, I did the multi-day overland tour that included the long bus ride into Beijing and sightseeing that day, an overnight at a great hotel near the Forbidden City, another day of sightseeing in Beijing, flight to Xian and overnight there, tour of Xian which included the Terra Cotta Warriors, of course (loved that site!), another Xian overnight, flight the next morning to Shanghai and a tour of several sites in the city including the interesting Museum (one could spend an entire day there), then re-joining the Volendam. All meals were included with a Peking Duck dinner in "Peking" with Western and Eastern cuisine options available. (This was my first experience with Congee for breakfast.)

 

2002 was the year and I have not a clue as to its cost. But, as take us away indicated, the price was 'breathtaking". As wander said, I spent the money not knowing what the future held and the trip was worth every cent. My tour group had excellent, compatible fellow cruisers and one of the leaders of the group was a distinguished gentleman, an expert on China and the Orient, who has the onboard lecturer during part of the cruise. He was on my tour bus (there were 2) and he provided additional commentary to us as we traveled along our routes.

 

I agree with wander that a visit to the Great Wall is a must. The only site in Beijing that I did not see that I regret not visiting was the Summer Palace.

[RuthC]

The excursion that really caught my attention was a 4 day/ 3 night tour from Shanghai that goes to the Terra Cotta warriors and ends in Xian.

I know that tour can be done privately, as my friends did it a few years ago. Guides were with them practically all the way: one would put them on a train, and another was there at the end to pick them up.

I looked into doing it this year (Shanghai to Beijing was our route, though), but just don't have the stamina. I knew I couldn't walk through the Warriors, so didn't see the point of making the attempt.

 

I do want to encourage you to do this tour, either through HAL or privately, if you think you can manage it. It has got to be awesome.

[AncientWanderer]

This is why I love cruise critic. So much great info from all of you...thanks.

 

I was looking at HAL's 30 day trip in 2016 and it's a little different from our 2017 trip. The excursion that really caught my attention was a 4 day/ 3 night tour from Shanghai that goes to the Terra Cotta warriors and ends in Xian. It shows $$$$ but who really knows what that means. I believe that unless I can put in a booking number for that particular trip I am unable to check the actual cost. Might have to go to the roll call for the 2016 trip and see if someone knows this info.

 

$2,899 for a double or $3,399 for a single.

 

We are booked on the spring 2016 cruise. What I've found to be the case is that the excursion prices for Asia are about the same as everywhere else, but they add up because we feel we need to book more of them, just because we are unfamiliar with languages and cultures, not so comfortable with independent travel as we might be elsewhere. I'm not sure that we will end up on this cruise, but we're in the planning stages.

[HELENPSL]

Just a suggestion that may or may not work: On the HAL website's, look for Shore Excursions for Asia cruises that will be sailing sooner than yours. While the costs and descriptions may change from 2015/2016 until 2017, you may be able to get some idea as to there current costs.

 

Just wanted to thank you for pointing me to the right place on the HAL website. I've been there a thousand times and never noticed that little blue button that took me to the excursions brochure. As you said, I found the similar cruise going in 2016 and have been able to get very good information regarding the tours and approximate costs. It's a fabulous resource.

 

Thanks again,

Helen

[rkacruiser]

Just wanted to thank you for pointing me to the right place on the HAL website. I've been there a thousand times and never noticed that little blue button that took me to the excursions brochure. As you said, I found the similar cruise going in 2016 and have been able to get very good information regarding the tours and approximate costs. It's a fabulous resource.

 

Thanks again,

Helen

 

Helen,

 

I am glad that I was able to be of help to you. And, I appreciate very much that you let me know that.

 

I see that you live in an area where an unwelcome guest may be coming for a visit. I have a good friend living in Fort Pierce and I worry about her when I see a tropical storm/hurricane bearing down on the area. Stay safe!

 

And, enjoy your planning for Asia!

[Bowie MeMe]

We have booked the 28 day China, Japan and Far East Collector cruise for Feb. 2017 (a million years from now). I have heard that the excursions in Asia are very expensive. I'm trying to get some idea of the costs but can't seem to locate this information. Does anyone have knowledge of where I can find pricing for excursions in Vietnam, China, Singapore, etc.?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

 

Helen

 

 

We travel as 3 so we fit in a car with a driver very well. We have hired private guides (mostly for pre cruise and post cruise land tours) in Japan, Indonesia, China and Taiwan and all were of the highest caliber and added more to the journey than we could count. A great guide makes every moment and experience really count and the interaction just as you experience things together is great! I also find now that I am a bit older that I can use all my energy for touring and don't have to worry about details like parking and finding the entrance and counting out entrance fees -- the guide does that as well as finds a good place to eat and shows you the things you are interested in that might not be on regular tours (like puppet making and Honda robot engineering demonstrations and panda bear exhibit in the Beijing zoo). Bear in mind that the language and customs are very different. Signs give you NO clue of where you are and traffic patterns even for walking are challenging !!:eek: Do go to trip advisor for the cities you are visiting and also check out cruise critic threads on Asia. The information that you gather and the names you will find are like gold to a miser -- very valuable and something you can rely on. Have a marvelous time and remember the obsession in the months before the trip is very enjoyable to some of us:D

[HELENPSL]

We travel as 3 so we fit in a car with a driver very well. We have hired private guides (mostly for pre cruise and post cruise land tours) in Japan, Indonesia, China and Taiwan and all were of the highest caliber and added more to the journey than we could count. A great guide makes every moment and experience really count and the interaction just as you experience things together is great! I also find now that I am a bit older that I can use all my energy for touring and don't have to worry about details like parking and finding the entrance and counting out entrance fees -- the guide does that as well as finds a good place to eat and shows you the things you are interested in that might not be on regular tours (like puppet making and Honda robot engineering demonstrations and panda bear exhibit in the Beijing zoo). Bear in mind that the language and customs are very different. Signs give you NO clue of where you are and traffic patterns even for walking are challenging !!:eek: Do go to trip advisor for the cities you are visiting and also check out cruise critic threads on Asia. The information that you gather and the names you will find are like gold to a miser -- very valuable and something you can rely on. Have a marvelous time and remember the obsession in the months before the trip is very enjoyable to some of us:D

 

Obsession you say!! I would actually call that an understatement!! I LOVE doing all the planning for my cruises no matter how far out the trip may be. I'm all done with the cruise in January (partial Panama Canal) but that one was easy. Also doing the Canada-Ft. Lauderdale in Oct. 2016. Haven't started looking at anything for that cruise but have truly become obsessed over the Feb. 2017 trip to Asia.

 

I had to laugh when you spoke about having no clue where you are because of the language. We were in St. Petersburg earlier this year. I was outside and looked at one of the street signs and said "Please God - don't let me get lost. I can't even read the alphabet." Thankfully, I stayed with the group but had that moment of terror on a street corner in St. Petersburg, Russia!!

 

Helen