Differences between a cruise in Asia and the Caribbean

[2big2zip]

What are some of differences, besides the obvious geographic, between a cruise in Asia and a cruise in the Caribbean?  I have read a number of reviews that are critical of other passengers on Asian cruises.  It seems ironic to me that a person would cruise in Asia and be upset that there were lots of Asians on the cruise.  My wife and I are looking forward to our Asian cruise to see new things, meet new people, and explore a part of the world that I briefly passed through a long time ago. 

 

My questions are two fold 1) I am assuming that a cruise in Asia is similar to a cruise in the Caribbean, just with different people, places and cultures.  If I am wrong about that assumption, how are they different?

 

2) I am not trying to be political, but generally, how are Americans viewed in Asia ports?  I am certain the answer may vary from country to country, but if there are any generalizations that can be made I would be interested in hearing them.  Thank you in advance.   

[PetB]

Asia is a very big place and it is impossible to generalise.  What works well on the shores of the Bosphorus might not be a good idea in Bali. If you visit an Onsen in Japan you are expected to get naked.  Get naked in the Maldives and you are headed for jail.

 

I can’t answer Q1 because I’ve never visited the Caribbean.

 

i agree with your comment about it being odd that a person would cruise in Asia and be upset that there were lots of Asians on the cruise.  People thus upset would be considered racists.  However it is possible to be upset about another passenger’s actions without being racist.  If I visit country X I find out about local customs and try not to give offence.  If someone from country X visits my country I expect him or her to do likewise.

 

The trouble with cruising is there’s no easy way to know which cultural norms are to be observed on the ship.  This causes uncertainty and people don’t like uncertainty.

 

 

In relation to Q2 I can say that throughout the Asian countries I have visited most locals don’t display antagonism based on race or nationality, but expect visitors to conduct themselves with courtesy and respect for local customs.  Learn about these things and you will have a good time.

 

 

[Hoyaheel]

I am not much for beaches and haven't cruised in the Caribbean since 2006. I have cruised a few other places since then, and all the other cruises (AK, Europe, Asia, Panama Canal) are more focused on destination and the ports and less on amenities on a ship. Caribbean is often focused more on relaxation, sun & beaches. That is a HUGE generalization, but that is what you are asking for in your OP.

 

I've also done land trips to all the places I've cruised. I actually mostly prefer a land trip, but we cruise as a nice intro to a new region so we can see where we want to explore more, and sometimes it's just an easy way to vacation (though I LOVE travel research & planning).  I believe the generalization extends to land trips as well, though of course - MANY people do relaxing beach trips in Asia & Europe as well as the Caribbean 😉

 

As PetB notes, it's impossible to further lump all of "Asia" into one category - countries, ports, cultures - climate! are so different from each other. I adore the places I've visited so far in Asia and can't wait to see more. To me, an itinerary choice in Asia is far more important than an itinerary choice would be in the Caribbean - the differences between ports are more stark (to me, because, as noted, I'm not much into beaches. Or snorkeling. Or...whatever else one wants to do in the Caribbean 😉

Edited January 25, 2019 by Hoyaheel

[smtcan]

I would generally agree with the previous replies.  We have taken cruises and land tours, as well as combinations of the two, in several countries in Asia and enjoy them more than Caribbean cruises because of the varied, interesting places.

 

One of our cruises was on Quantum of the Seas out of Shanghai.  This particular ship is mainly marketed to Chinese cruisers.  We were aware of this when we booked, so were not surprised at the passenger demographic.  Anyone who booked this expecting a regular Royal Caribbean cruise would probably find it challenging because  Western guests were a very small minority.  Food had a definite Chinese slant although Western dishes were always available.  We enjoyed the cruise and found that as 'International Guests' we were well looked after, but we met people who found the experience daunting because of the different concept of personal space and the lack of orderly line ups.  Getting on and off elevators was definitely challenging.  

 

Most Asian cruises have a more varied clientele.  We are going on Millennium this spring and the roll call is mainly North American and European.  I know this is not representative of the total passenger mix, but based on previous experience i wouldn't anticipate much variation.

 

Sheila

[Philob]

Quantum of the Seas was specifically designed and marketed to the Chinese market.

 

 

[2big2zip]

Thanks for all of the responses.  In hindsight, I recognize what an unfair question it was.  We are on Voyager of the Seas in March out of Singapore with stops in Malaysia and Thailand.  I have enjoyed learning about each of these cultures in our planning for the cruise.  

 

I appreciate each of you taking the time to reply to my vague and overly broad questions.

[PetB]

Singapore is a fascinating city.  I hope your flights permit you to spend some time there before or after your cruise. It’s clean, safe and friendly. The food is fantastic.  You can eat quite cheaply and safely at the hawker centres.  Lau Pa Sat and Kampong Glam are on my must see list every time I go there.  Don’t leave town without trying the Hainan Chicken Rice and the Chilli Crab.  Everyone speaks English. 

 

Peninsular Malaysia is similar, but with more of an Islamic accent.  Most people speak English. Good food.  Food and drinks are cheap but in places you will find restaurants which neither serve alcohol nor permit you to bring it in.  I have found these places often serve the best food so don’t be afraid to try.

 

Phuket is interesting.  Cheap food and drinks.  Most people speak English. 

 

You’ll have a great time!

Edited January 25, 2019 by PetB
Typo

[iancal]

We have spent winters in SE Asia...we are in Thailand at the moment.

 

We often look for, and buy, last minute cruise when we are on extended land trips.  So far we have not done so in SE Asia.  Many of the cruises we have looked at spend time in Thailand and Vietnam.  The challenge with ports in these countries is that they are often a good distance away from the sight. Plus you miss out on evenings, which can be special in some cities.  We would however be interested in a cruise around Japan as a component of a land trip.

[cruising cockroach]

9 hours ago, Philob said:

Quantum of the Seas was specifically designed and marketed to the Chinese market.

 

I seem to remember a lot of people being upset a brand-new ship was not deployed in the U.S but went straight to China.

[Philob]

14 minutes ago, cruising cockroach said:

 

I seem to remember a lot of people being upset a brand-new ship was not deployed in the U.S but went straight to China.

 

NCL Joy was another ship that was designated for the Chinese market,  Red Chinese Dragon on the hull art and all.  After doing shake down cruises around Europe and the US East Coast it went to Asia.  Along the way the signage/menus went multi-lingual.  I think after a short season in Asia NCL (for whatever their reasons) sent it back to the US market.

Edited January 26, 2019 by Philob

[Joseph2017China]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 10:03 AM, Philob said:

Quantum of the Seas was specifically designed and marketed to the Chinese market.

 

 

Being on Quantum of the Seas myself, I can tell you the ship was not designed any different than the other sister ships.  You can take any ship, and change signs into local languages, and you can take any restaurant and rename it.  Changing a hamburger joint to a noodle bar is not a design change, just reusing a space.  Many ships within the same class, have different named restaurants on board. 

 

Back to the question, you will have a different type of cruise in Asia, which is the main reason for doing it.  Entertainment is different.  Port of calls, is more for exploring their history, instead of finding a beach activity. Food choices will also be different, but will be both Asian, and normal cruise line food. 

 

But remember, you are in Asia, and the ship is a closed loop cruise from Asia, expect that the ship, is an extension of the local market.  I highly enjoyed my last rip, and going again in May. 

[bonsai3s]

On 1/25/2019 at 8:34 AM, 2big2zip said:

Thanks for all of the responses.  In hindsight, I recognize what an unfair question it was.  We are on Voyager of the Seas in March out of Singapore with stops in Malaysia and Thailand.  I have enjoyed learning about each of these cultures in our planning for the cruise.  

 

I appreciate each of you taking the time to reply to my vague and overly broad questions.

We've sailed on the Voyager and this same itinerary.

No worries...you'll be fine.  It's the old saying "Treat others as you want to be treated"...and don't forget to smile.  Happy Sailing!

[Expat Cruise]

Yes the Asian cruises are different,  I'm from Boston but I have lived in SE Asia for the last 20 years with several cruises and other travel each year.  You need to break down Asian Cruises into two groups; China and the rest of Asia.  

 

If a cruise starts and ends in mainland China it will be very different. The China market highlights areas that are not done for the non China Market. First the staff will all speak Chinese (Standard Mandarin, Cantonese). Gaming & Shopping are highlights of these cruises. Many shows and events are not in English. The ships seemed to be very loud and rude compared to other cruises. In general I did not like the Mainland China Cruises. At times I have trouble getting basic American Western food, eggs & bacon for breakfast for example.  Honk Kong should not be counted as China, it is part of China but operates like the Western Countries.  Also the River Cruises that are marketed in English are very Western in standards. If you want to do a cruise in China pick one that goes to other places also in SE Asia, Japan, or South Korea.  

 

For the rest of SE & Eastern Asia you will find cruises much more like what is in the United States but with Asian flair. The food will be mixed western and Asia, the ships will use English as the main language, and the entertainment will be much more to Western taste. As a American or Foreigner in SE Asia you will be welcome and liked. Never had any anti America feelings in any country here,  some countries you will be liked because you are consider to be a rich tourist.  But it really is not a issue if you are just visiting.  In SE Asia, Hong Kong & Singapore are World Class Cities, with complete services very much like any big city around the World. In smaller less developed countries you will need to make some adjustments, and respect local customs & rules. 

 

Overall it is a great area to cruise and I believe everyone should consider Asia. 

[karoo]

I've done both types of cruises mainly through NCL, but not on the Joy that was targeted for the Mainland China market. I've been on Norwegian Star and the Jewel to these areas. Yes the demographic is probably different to the Caribbean Cruises, but it is very varied, but I would have to say English speaking passengers were in the majority. A lot from the US, UK and Aus as well as Asian and European cultures. Just an observation too-on  my last cruise many of the passengers who were of Asian appearance actually resided in the US, Canada, Aus, NZ etc. 

The big difference to me though is in many of the Caribbean ports you just walk off the ship and the town is there with tour guides offering tours etc. Many ports in the Asian region are a fair distance often from the town/tourist attractions. Often the ports are small, so tender service is required or they are industrial which means you need a shuttle out of the port. Sometimes the transfers are organised through the ship, sometimes the port insists on doing the tenders/shuttles etc. You will need to apply for a travel visa if visiting Mainland China or India prior to embarkation and it needs to be a multi entry one if visiting at least two ports in that country. All other visas can be processed onboard by the ship. Going in and out of countries you are dealing with their border control so often you will arrive at a port on time, but that particular country might take a while to clear the ship etc. Your passport sometimes has to be collected as the officials will often come onboard and process your entry/exit into their country. The ship has it all organised and you get a lot of notices etc informing you of the processes, forms to fill out that you are required to put in the drop box by a specified time. They also include instructions on how to fill the form out. Sometimes the border officials change their mind -they're in control. The cruises to me are worth it though as I've seen many cities/countries that I would probably not have visited otherwise. 

[angeez]

We went on Voyager in June 2018. Thoroughly enjoyable cruise. We have also cruised Caribbean on Liberty also great but for different reasons. 

 

Main differences we found were that in Asian ports you are generally going into an industrial type port and probably need to have an excursion or tour arranged before hand. On the Caribbean cruise we found we didn't need that. Most Asian ports we stopped at on Voyager were a fair distance from towns. Although most did have small markets at the port, to get a proper experience of the town you needed at least transport organised. If you have children with you they may find the ports a little intimidating as they can be noisy, especially if you are stopping in Phuket. This is one location I would say have a tour or guide organised.

 

When we were on the ship there were heaps of different nationalities on board. The wait staff in the MDR are fantastic and absolutely nothing was a problem for them, including the night our severely food allergic child came in late for dinner and only wanted the ice-cream that they serve in there because she knew it was safe. 

 

Be prepared for how hot and blazing the sun can get. Sometimes most of the day can be cloud cover but the sun will still burn badly.

Enjoy your cruise.

[ROCruiser]

Check the roll call to find out if your cruise will be mostly locals from the embarkation port. If there are not many responses on the roll call, that means most of your fellow passengers will be locals.

[new_cruiser]

People haven't said much about the weather differences. Asia is a pretty large area. Some parts are in the tropics like much of the Caribbean but other areas are in the subtropics or temperate regions. 

 

I did a spring time cruise with Windstar with several ports in Japan going north from Yokohama before crossing to Alaska. In this case, all the Japan ports were located in towns and it was easy to get to the tourist areas in town on your own if you didn't want to do an excursion. The weather was fairly cool, often overcast. It was more like cruising in Europe or New England / Canada or even Alaska. It isn't a trip for relaxing on beaches and playing in the water - too cold for that. It is about seeing interesting sites (e.g. Goryokaku Fort), nature (volcanoes, national parks) and different cultures. It was much more similar to the spring time cruise we did from Lisbon to Barcelona (too early in the year for sunning on the beach even in the ports with beaches). 

 

On Windstar, the passenger mix was pretty much the same as my other Windstar cruises - mostly US, Canada, UK and Australians. 

 

I've booked a cruise out of Phuket on Star Clipper in April. This is a small ship and doesn't need an official port. I expect that will be more like a Caribbean cruise. Most of the stops are small islands. This is a trip for enjoying the beaches and playing in the water. They don't need a formal port, I expect many of the stops to be wet landings where you go from the tender into shallow water at the beach.