Singapore to Hong Kong in January

[The Odd Couple]

We are looking at this cruise and wonder whether it sails at the right time of the year weather-wise.  Apparently, it could be foggy and damp in Singapore, it is the wettest month in Koh Samui and it will only be around 14 degrees in Hong Kong.  I know you can't rely on the weather these days in any part of the world, so would appreciate your advice.  We're not worried so much about it being cool, but whether it could be too wet to sightsee.  Thanks for your help.  

[travelholics]

3 hours ago, The Odd Couple said:

We are looking at this cruise and wonder whether it sails at the right time of the year weather-wise.  Apparently, it could be foggy and damp in Singapore, it is the wettest month in Koh Samui and it will only be around 14 degrees in Hong Kong.  I know you can't rely on the weather these days in any part of the world, so would appreciate your advice.  We're not worried so much about it being cool, but whether it could be too wet to sightsee.  Thanks for your help.  

We took this cruse this year and loved it. We spent an extra 4 nights in Singapore before sailing and wished we had stayed longer! Weather was overcast with a few heavy downpours, but we spent a lot of time walking and never got wet.

Once on the cruise, the weather only impacted waiting for tenders to return to the ship on Koh Samui. There was a very downpour and everyone was soaked, but spirits remained high as it was hot and the rain was refreshing! We all dried out! 

The highlights of our cruise came as a result of joining our cc group. We took tours with them everywhere except Koi Samui and Bangkok. We saw so much of the local communities and particularly enjoyed a cooking class in the guide/chef's own garden!

We had visited Hong Kong before in February and had a week of cloudy weather. This time we arrived on 2 Feb and had 3  days of perfect clear skies and temperatures around 20C. We were able to climb the Peak twice and visited and walked across an offshore island.

We had an aft balcony cabin, which we loved, but we did not spend a lot of time on it as days of exploration were long and it was dark before 6pm.

Recommend this cruiseand plan to take it again in the future

 

 

[The Odd Couple]

Thank you so much for a very detailed reply.  This is just the sort of info I was hoping to receive.  It makes it a lot easier to plan if you get feedback from someone who has done the cruise, so thanks ago.

[highland cruiser]

7 hours ago, travelholics said:

We took this cruse this year and loved it. We spent an extra 4 nights in Singapore before sailing and wished we had stayed longer! Weather was overcast with a few heavy downpours, but we spent a lot of time walking and never got wet.

Once on the cruise, the weather only impacted waiting for tenders to return to the ship on Koh Samui. There was a very downpour and everyone was soaked, but spirits remained high as it was hot and the rain was refreshing! We all dried out! 

The highlights of our cruise came as a result of joining our cc group. We took tours with them everywhere except Koi Samui and Bangkok. We saw so much of the local communities and particularly enjoyed a cooking class in the guide/chef's own garden!

We had visited Hong Kong before in February and had a week of cloudy weather. This time we arrived on 2 Feb and had 3  days of perfect clear skies and temperatures around 20C. We were able to climb the Peak twice and visited and walked across an offshore island.

We had an aft balcony cabin, which we loved, but we did not spend a lot of time on it as days of exploration were long and it was dark before 6pm.

Recommend this cruiseand plan to take it again in the future

 

 

Travelholics!!  Great to hear you on cruise critic.

I can agree with all they said about the weather.  It was nice to have a light rain jacket with us.  Layer your clothing and you will be fine.  Rain was warm in Koi Samui.  It was great weather in Bangkok.  Humid but not unbearable.  

I hope your roll call is as active and fun as ours was.  It made the trip.

Enjoy this itinerary.  We have done it twice and enjoyed it immensely each time.

 

[The Odd Couple]

Thank you!  You're making it easier to decide on this cruise.

[SeaDog-46]

The northern winter is the best time in Singapore as the NE Monsoon should be in full force & the rain cools things down & the locals bring out there sweaters!  

Hong Kong will be coldish & there could be pollution & haze from China

[The Odd Couple]

13 hours ago, SeaDog-46 said:

The northern winter is the best time in Singapore as the NE Monsoon should be in full force & the rain cools things down & the locals bring out there sweaters!  

Hong Kong will be coldish & there could be pollution & haze from China

Ah .....  Well, the cruise is booked now, so we'll just have to go with the flow.  Thanks for your advice.

[highland cruiser]

I haven’t looked at your itinerary. Do you have any ports in Vietnam.  Weather for us was great there.  Halong Bay was cooler and we needed jackets on our bay trip.  Rest of Vietnam was perfect weather. 

You will enjoy this cruise a lot. 

 

 

[The Odd Couple]

16 hours ago, highland cruiser said:

I haven’t looked at your itinerary. Do you have any ports in Vietnam.  Weather for us was great there.  Halong Bay was cooler and we needed jackets on our bay trip.  Rest of Vietnam was perfect weather. 

You will enjoy this cruise a lot. 

 

 

It's Noordam's itinerary on 17 January 2021(!!), so yes, we do have ports in Vietnam.  As it will be winter in UK when we leave, we will definitely have our jackets with us so we'll be prepared.  I don't want to wish the time away, but I'm really looking forward to it.  Thanks for your advice.  

[ger_77]

We did a SE Asia cruise in February this year and did have rain and cooler weather than we ever imagined for those locations.  (Note:  when you come from the "frozen tundra", you expect SE Asia to be hot and steamy all the time)  

 

I suggest you bring lightweight rain jackets that you can layer with a sweater underneath.  We talked about umbrellas, but having a jacket frees up both hands and is less cumbersome.  We brought along our "puffy jackets" - super lightweight downfill, as we were coming from mid-Western Canada in the winter, and actually put them to use, both in Hong Kong and Vietnam.  Enjoy your cruise!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[The Odd Couple]

Thanks to everyone for their comments.  You can never rely on the weather anywhere in the world these days.  We were on a Caribbean cruise including New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year where it was 4 degrees!   To add insult to injury, the previous Tuesday it had been 17 degrees.  We just weren't prepared for it clothes-wise and I ended up wearing about 6 layers of my Caribbean wardrobe at once!!

[iancal]

Our experience, after spending five of the past seven winters in Thailand is that January seems to be getting progressively more rainy days- at  least in the southern part of the country where we primarily travel.   To the point where last year we did not leave our winter weather until the third week of January.   Our hosts in various areas have made the same comment to us.  Not constant rainfall though, often simply outbursts in the afternoon with lots of water running down the streets.   There is a reason for those deep gullies along some of the streets.

 

I would not be too concerned about your dates.  

Edited May 24, 2019 by iancal

[bennybear]

If one were to choose to do a Singapore to Hong Kong cruise,  would November or April be better?   

[SempreMare]

On 5/22/2019 at 7:09 PM, SeaDog-46 said:

The northern winter is the best time in Singapore as the NE Monsoon should be in full force & the rain cools things down & the locals bring out there sweaters!  

Hong Kong will be coldish & there could be pollution & haze from China

 

I was in both places for work this year for 2 weeks at end of February and early March. 

 

I found Singapore unbearably hot+humid. Being from Texas and Florida I didn't think it would bother me as much just looking at the forecast, but it did.  I would walk outside and feel like I needed a shower 6 min later.   Loved Hong Kong's relative cool.   

 

I SO want to return to Singapore but only in the coolest + least humid month possible.  Someone told me this was November.  True?  

 

@The Odd Couple, I discovered my favorite citrus fruit ever in Hong Kong - Pomelo

https://chefspencil.com/recipe/peeling-pomelo/

I grew up with 12 citrus trees in our yard, but pomelo outshines them all. 

It was THE best thing to eat on the flight home. 

 

I discovered it at the Langham Hotel where I was staying in their breakfast buffet.

The server said I could find it in the City Super grocery store inside the Harbor City mall that is connected to Ocean Terminal (very close to the Langham).   In the Langham Club area I talked each night with couples about to debark on the Regent version of this cruise.

 

That City Super grocery was gloriously close to 2 stores with unique products that I discovered on a different work trip to Dubai -

Royce Chocolate

https://order.royceconfectusa.com/collections/wafers

those wafers are like no other you've tasted

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Royce'+Chocolate/@22.2966545,114.165972,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x340400f2abe44ae1:0xcc16da21f63a1f94!2sRoyce'+Chocolate!8m2!3d22.2983575!4d114.168379!3m4!1s0x340400f2abe44ae1:0xcc16da21f63a1f94!8m2!3d22.2983575!4d114.168379

 

Lady M crepe cakes

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lady+M/@22.2950393,114.1648424,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3404008cda0d71db:0x7ac40e5f6c184b92!8m2!3d22.2950393!4d114.1670311

I've since had her crepe cakes in NYC and can see why they made Oprah's favorite things list.

 

But the best thing above is truly the Pomelo.  

 

That Harbor City mall was fun to explore but easy to get lost in.  Not great signage.  The Harbor City iPhone app does help.  To navigate I needed both the "guide" and the "map".   The second time I went, I prepared well the night before using the app and google maps to know exactly what floor and part of the mall (it winds around) I needed to be on to go to the store I wanted to see.

 

[SeaDog-46]

Singapore is ALWAYS hot & humid.

You would need to check the met. records to find the least humid month.

[The Odd Couple]

Thanks again to everyone who has replied to this topic.  I would have preferred to do this itinerary around April, but HAL isn't sailing that month.  I think the experience of being in the Far East for the first time will far outweigh the vagaries of the weather - well, that's what I'm hoping for at least!!