Info required for Asia cruise

[Diver Widow]

Although I have cruised with RC before this will be my first cruise to this part of the world. We are on Mariner sailing 22 October and are due to have an overnight stop in Phuket. Does anyone know exactly where the ship will dock? I have read a couple of possibilities ie Patong or Phuket Town.

 

Also, will I need local currency for all the ports of call or will US dollars cover everything?

 

Thanks

[Keith1010]

Some places in Thailand take USA currency but others don't including places that have entrance fees.

 

I sailed there on another line and we overnighted at Patong.

 

Shuttles are not allowed to be provided but taxis are available.

 

Keith

[MJN1]

In Thailand you will always find local money changers to take your $$S and give you Thai Baht. Just check the rates, negotiate a bit and make sure the math is correct when you swap the bills....

[sugarbird]

Generally you will need local currency--some small vendors might take US dollars---Credit Cards are accepted almost everywhere--

[reedy8]

Although I have cruised with RC before this will be my first cruise to this part of the world. We are on Mariner sailing 22 October and are due to have an overnight stop in Phuket. Does anyone know exactly where the ship will dock? I have read a couple of possibilities ie Patong or Phuket Town.

 

Also, will I need local currency for all the ports of call or will US dollars cover everything?

 

Thanks

Our Aust travel agent was quite definite that our Explorer cruise would be tendered off Patong on 6 November. If you google earth Patong Bay and zoom into the bottom end you can see the temporary jetty made of pontoons. In fact if you look left and follow the trail of tender boats further out into the bay you can see a moored ship.

That said, Sept & Oct are south west monsoon season, hot and wet and when I googled

cruise ports in Phuket cruiseportwiki said:

Cruise ships could anchor and tender to a temporary pier at the south end of Patong (removed during rainy season May-Oct) or dock at Ao Makham Deep Sea Port approximately five miles south of Phuket Town.

cruisetimetables.com also says it could be one of either, it is quite detailed and showed all the port stops for your cruise. Makes it difficult to plan things doesn't it.

I've been to Phuket a couple of times and have only smaller expensive shops like jewellers in Patong that will take US dollars. It is very easy to change money there, but using google maps (yes again) I found a couple of Bank owned exchange booths along the beach road just north of the tender dock. There are also lots of other exchange places, I just prefer the security of bank exchanges. I would however suggest you get a few dollars exchanged to Baht before you leave home if you can. Your current exchange . rate according to xe is around 36 Baht to the US $1

Edited September 10, 2015 by reedy8
highlighting important bit

[Iluvcruising2]

I have never sailed to Phuket so I don't know for sure where the Mariner will dock. My friends who have done so told me that it is usually a tender process, off Patong beach probably. Maybe you want to check with Royal Caribbean directly.

 

My parents have sailed to Phuket on Costa cruises (Costa Victoria) and theirs was a tender off Patong beach. This video shows you the ship from the beach as well as some footage of their time there.

 

[YOUTUBE]KEIkPLBCCZ8[/YOUTUBE]