Vietnam and Thailand

[hobgoblin]

Having never ventured to the Far East before and seriously considering it, I wonder if anyone has been on the cruise stopping in Singapore,Hong Kong,Vietnam and Thailand ?

Just wondering what the excursions were like and if you could venture off on your own at any of the ports on this itinerary?

Any advice on best time to go for best weather ?

My husbands a bit reluctant to go off without a tour guide as we don't speak any of the languages !

Is it easy to DIY at least in some of the places? and where did you recommend it was best to take the ships tour (if any)

Any advice much appreciated 

 

 

 

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, hobgoblin said:

Having never ventured to the Far East before and seriously considering it, I wonder if anyone has been on the cruise stopping in Singapore,Hong Kong,Vietnam and Thailand ?

Just wondering what the excursions were like and if you could venture off on your own at any of the ports on this itinerary?

Any advice on best time to go for best weather ?

My husbands a bit reluctant to go off without a tour guide as we don't speak any of the languages !

Is it easy to DIY at least in some of the places? and where did you recommend it was best to take the ships tour (if any)

Any advice much appreciated 

 

 

 

 

We are going on our first Asia cruise (Singapore to Hong Kong) over Christmas/New Year and we are very much looking forward to it.

 

Here are the shore excursions being offered on these 12 night HKG/SIN itineraries: link.  Be sure that you are not logged into the Celebrity website when you click on the link.  There are a lot of independent guides or tour companies that you can book instead of going through Celebrity.  

 

Some of the cities such as Bangkok are very far from the pier.  So keep that in mind.  

[emmas gran]

Hi been to Asia many times friends used to live in Hong Kong but now in Singapore, both cities are OK to explore on your own. Celebrity did run an excursion to go into Bangkok”On your Own” which was a good way to see the city. Bangkok is about 90 minutes to 2=hours from Laem Chabang port.

Happy to give advice but I think you will get many replies 

Edited July 31, 2023 by emmas gran

[Mark_T]

20 minutes ago, hobgoblin said:

Is it easy to DIY at least in some of the places? and where did you recommend it was best to take the ships tour (if any)

Any advice much appreciated 

We cruised from Hong Kong to Singapore in December 2019, weather was great. 
 

In most cases though, the ports are not where you will want to be from a tourist perspective, so local DIY isn’t really practical. 
 

There are lots of independent tour operators available though if you don’t want to use the ships tours. 
 

I would caution that tours like the one to Siem Reap as best done on a land tour rather than from a cruise as there is much to see there but the distances make it arduous from the ship and very expensive. We had already done a Mekong River cruise a year or two before so not a problem for us.

 

Also be prepared for last minute changes in Thailand as the current King is much more of a traditionalist than his father before him and tourists take a very distant last place behind his daily whims so it is not uncommon to arrive at a temple or palace and find it is closed. 
 

 

[hobgoblin]

13 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

We are going on our first Asia cruise (Singapore to Hong Kong) over Christmas/New Year and we are very much looking forward to it.

 

Here are the shore excursions being offered on these 12 night HKG/SIN itineraries: link.  Be sure that you are not logged into the Celebrity website when you click on the link.  There are a lot of independent guides or tour companies that you can book instead of going through Celebrity.  

 

Some of the cities such as Bangkok are very far from the pier.  So keep that in mind.  

Thanks so much for your advice .

I will look forward to your post cruise update!

[hobgoblin]

Has anyone been to any of the Vietnam War sites/museums/graves ?

Do any of the tours go there ?

My husband is very interested in this history period but  think he might be  disapointed if its not on any itineraries .

[emmas gran]

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) my husband was going to take a photo of the old US Embassy and a Vietnamese soldier threatened him with a rifle.

It is a city you can do “on your Own” where Celebrity drops you at a central point for drop off and pick up 4/5 hours later

Edited July 31, 2023 by emmas gran

[diesel1973]

Been to Thailand on 10 day land tour and no problem with finding people who speak English. Beautiful country !  Have a problem with going to Vietnam as I had 3 older brothers over there during war.

[John Bull]

Firstly, can I suggest that you give yourselves a few days in your embarkation and disembarkation ports. All are worthwhile, but some (eg Hong Kong or Bangkok) are more worth-while than others.

When you know which ports we can give stax of ideas.

 

Language is generally not a big problem in any of those countries, especially with folk who regularly deal with tourists. But one tip - if you go off anywhere on your own, take with you the location of your ship in local script or on a map. (do as I say, not as I do - we had a real struggle explaining to a Saigon taxi driver that we wanted to go back to our ship, which was ported in the city). 

 

Singapore. Can't help we only saw the tarmac between airport and port.

 

Hong Kong is the easiest to DIY, and a great place to visit.

For local colour, instead of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) use the Star Ferries to cross the harbour to the island, and on the island take at least one ride on the trams. 

If you have a spare day, there are group day-tours from HK to Guangzhou (Canton), in "Red" China. By ferry then coach then back by train. All done on an included group visa - well worthwhile if you've not been or expecting ever to go to China.

 

Vietnam.

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Most ships berth at Phu My, over an hour from the city, and no suitable public transport . So fix up a tour or simple transfer in advance - for simplicity ship's "Saigon on your own" transfer as done by @ emmas gran.  From where transfers drop you (somewhere near the Rex Hotel) the main sights are easily DIY and walkable, including Reunification Hall, War Remnants Museum, HCM Museum. But crossing roads can be ....errr ...... umm..... fun.😃  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmOVAPxg9v4

@hobgoblin The only sites that I know are the War Remnants Museum (but beware, this sees the war from the Vietnamese perspective - some Americans are offended),  Re-unification Hall, and about an hour north of the city the Cu Chi Tunnels. Plenty of minibus tours to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

And try to fit in a water puppets show, eg http://www.goldendragonwaterpuppet.vn/

 

Ha Long Bay (if you're going there). A decently-long (4 to 6 hour) privately-booked junk cruise amongst the limestone karsts is well worthwhile, but a 2-hour cruise (which is all that most cruise lines offer) won't get you into solitude. The mist which usually hangs over the bay adds to the eeriness of this watery moonscape.

Cruise lines' itineraries often say "Hanoi (Ha Long Bay)" - Hanoi is over 3 slow and boring hours from Ha ong Bay.

 

Other good DIY ports in Vietnam include Da Nang. Tours from there can be negotiated at the port.

 

Thailand

As has already been mentioned, most ships berth at Laem Chabang, some 90 minutes from Bangkok (but allow at least 2 hours to return to the port). 

There's no suitable public transport to Bangkok, and taxis available on-spec at the port are in a cartel - they know hat those who've not booked anything have no choice and they gouge as much money as they can. So it's important to fix something up in advance, whether that's a tour or just a transfer and through the ship or privately-booked. 

If you want to DIY you'll need to research where to go or what to do in the city. Grand Palace is a must. I also rate a long-tail boat ride thro the klongs (canals) as a must  - renting a boat just for yourselves is way better (and better value) than being lumped into a boatful of tourists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ2EACRtttQ

Transport n the city is most fun by ferry and tuk-tuk, but there's also the skytrain and taxis.

 

Cambodia.

Sihanoukville is the only port

It's been mentioned that Siem Reap isn't worth the distance (in fact its actually impossible on a port-of-call day) but even Phnom Penh isn't worth the very long journey. Sihanoukville isn't up to much but we had a  great day  on a van tour from there.

And Cambodia is still in the 18th century. Very backward, very grubby in places. Some folk are appalled, didn't like it. But it's  a very worthwhile experience.

 

Overnights in port are a big bonus.

 

When you've chosen & booked a cruise, join that cruise's Cruise Critic RollCall and look for tour-sharing opportunities.

 

We've been there in late winter, weather was ideal tho' of course it can't be guaranteed

 

Great part of the world to explore, and mostly very DIY-able

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by John Bull

[hobgoblin]

Thank you so much for all your advice and port information, very useful and informative .

[Over from NZ]

On 8/1/2023 at 12:27 AM, hobgoblin said:

Having never ventured to the Far East before and seriously considering it, I wonder if anyone has been on the cruise stopping in Singapore,Hong Kong,Vietnam and Thailand ?

Just wondering what the excursions were like and if you could venture off on your own at any of the ports on this itinerary?

Any advice on best time to go for best weather ?

My husbands a bit reluctant to go off without a tour guide as we don't speak any of the languages !

Is it easy to DIY at least in some of the places? and where did you recommend it was best to take the ships tour (if any)

Any advice much appreciated 

 

 

 

Nah.. I'd give it a miss. It's not a good way to see Asia at all. The cities you're wanting to see are too far away from the ports. Ho Chi Minh City for example.. we were 2.5 hours in a 40-seat bus down one long highway.. then about 4-hours at max in the city.. before back on the bus for 2.5 hours back to the ship. It's rubbish. If you want to see those places.. fly over there instead. 

[John Bull]

7 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Nah.. I'd give it a miss. It's not a good way to see Asia at all. The cities you're wanting to see are too far away from the ports. Ho Chi Minh City for example.. we were 2.5 hours in a 40-seat bus down one long highway.. then about 4-hours at max in the city.. before back on the bus for 2.5 hours back to the ship. It's rubbish. If you want to see those places.. fly over there instead. 

 

Hi @Over from NZ

 

The logistics of a SE Asia cruise are not a lot different to many European cruises, my Kiwi friend.

Yes, some long journeys from port are less-worthwhile in SE Asia, but the same applies elsewhere in the world, including Europe .............

 

Saigon from Phu My is actually about 90 minutes by bus

whereas Florence from Livorno, Granada from Malaga, Seville from Cadiz, London from Southampton, Stonehenge or Bath from Portland, and multiple other European journeys all take marginally longer 

 

Hanoi from Halong Bay is just over 3 hours

whereas Luxor from Safaga is just under 3 hours.

 

Bangkok from Laem Chabang is about 2 hours

whereas Paris from Le Havre is over 2 hrs 30 mins.

 

And none of them take longer the daddy of them all, Berlin from Warnemunde at about 3 hrs 30 mins .

 

Also, that applies only to a proportion of cruises in SE Asia, same as elsewhere in the world.

The ports are in - or very close to - Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpar, Phuket etc. 

 

And many cruises include overnights for Saigon, Bangkok and Halong Bay

...............................

 

Because flights are short and relatively cheap, when asked by Europeans about places like Berlin, Paris & Luxor, I take the same attitude as you - it's better to go visit by air and spend a few days there.

But when asked by inter-continental visitors I acknowledge that involves very long & expensive flights for just one place, or a fraught and expensive series of flights & transfers & hotels to visit a few.

So altho I suggest that on a cruise they skip the long drives to those cities and visit them in some future land-based trip, if that's not possible I rate 4 hours in an iconic city as far better than never seeing it.

 

Because it's on the other side of the world, SE Asia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many North Americans & Europeans - and cruising is the simplest, cheapest and easiest way to see a big chunk of SE Asia in one hit.

And it gives a snap-shot of many countries, so those who have the time & money to return can re-visit the places they liked best.

 

JB 🙂

 

[RetiredandTravel]

On 8/1/2023 at 5:39 PM, diesel1973 said:

Been to Thailand on 10 day land tour and no problem with finding people who speak English. Beautiful country !  Have a problem with going to Vietnam as I had 3 older brothers over there during war.

 

My oldest brother was in combat in Vietnam (Tet).  I have mixed emotions about going.  I certainly don't want to offend my brother but it would be interesting seeing where he was.

 

[Over from NZ]

14 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Hi @Over from NZ

 

The logistics of a SE Asia cruise are not a lot different to many European cruises, my Kiwi friend.

Yes, some long journeys from port are less-worthwhile in SE Asia, but the same applies elsewhere in the world, including Europe .............

 

Saigon from Phu My is actually about 90 minutes by bus

whereas Florence from Livorno, Granada from Malaga, Seville from Cadiz, London from Southampton, Stonehenge or Bath from Portland, and multiple other European journeys all take marginally longer 

 

Hanoi from Halong Bay is just over 3 hours

whereas Luxor from Safaga is just under 3 hours.

 

Bangkok from Laem Chabang is about 2 hours

whereas Paris from Le Havre is over 2 hrs 30 mins.

 

And none of them take longer the daddy of them all, Berlin from Warnemunde at about 3 hrs 30 mins .

 

Also, that applies only to a proportion of cruises in SE Asia, same as elsewhere in the world.

The ports are in - or very close to - Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpar, Phuket etc. 

 

And many cruises include overnights for Saigon, Bangkok and Halong Bay

...............................

 

Because flights are short and relatively cheap, when asked by Europeans about places like Berlin, Paris & Luxor, I take the same attitude as you - it's better to go visit by air and spend a few days there.

But when asked by inter-continental visitors I acknowledge that involves very long & expensive flights for just one place, or a fraught and expensive series of flights & transfers & hotels to visit a few.

So altho I suggest that on a cruise they skip the long drives to those cities and visit them in some future land-based trip, if that's not possible I rate 4 hours in an iconic city as far better than never seeing it.

 

Because it's on the other side of the world, SE Asia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many North Americans & Europeans - and cruising is the simplest, cheapest and easiest way to see a big chunk of SE Asia in one hit.

And it gives a snap-shot of many countries, so those who have the time & money to return can re-visit the places they liked best.

 

JB 🙂

 

Politely disagree somewhat. You can dock right near the city in Barcelona, Gibraltar, Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Istanbul and quite a number of places in the Mediterranean. Although I do still think land is a better way to go. You can do that type of cruise and see a good number of the instagram bucket-list type places relatively close to where the ship docks. SE Asia - you're never going to see "a big chink of it in one hit". Not close. And if they're coming from the other side of the world for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.. yet doing it this way.. you've really got to question what they're doing. Arguably cruising isn't much cheaper.. and you don't really get to see the place you're coming for - so it doesn't make a lot of sense. You might get a snap-shot in say the Mediterranean.. Aussie, NZ, Alaska.. The Caribbean.. where ports and attractions aren't too far apart (even then, the likes of NZ you don't really get to see what all the fuss is about).. but Asia (and by the sounds of it Norther Europe) you get a very poor experience (albeit a nice cruise). If a nice cruise is the driving factor.. why bother flying round the world for that.. do it local 🙂 

[RetiredandTravel]

Do the cruise line excursion buses have AC and is there access to bathrooms on these longer rides in Thailand & Vietnam?  ty

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Politely disagree somewhat. You can dock right near the city in Barcelona, Gibraltar, Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Istanbul and quite a number of places in the Mediterranean. Although I do still think land is a better way to go. You can do that type of cruise and see a good number of the instagram bucket-list type places relatively close to where the ship docks. SE Asia - you're never going to see "a big chink of it in one hit". Not close. And if they're coming from the other side of the world for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.. yet doing it this way.. you've really got to question what they're doing. Arguably cruising isn't much cheaper.. and you don't really get to see the place you're coming for - so it doesn't make a lot of sense. You might get a snap-shot in say the Mediterranean.. Aussie, NZ, Alaska.. The Caribbean.. where ports and attractions aren't too far apart (even then, the likes of NZ you don't really get to see what all the fuss is about).. but Asia (and by the sounds of it Norther Europe) you get a very poor experience (albeit a nice cruise). If a nice cruise is the driving factor.. why bother flying round the world for that.. do it local 🙂 

 

 

Hi again, @Over from NZ

 

Well, we'll have to agree on some things, but cordially disagree on others 😉

Here's a little more depth to my thoughts.........

 

Trust me, Norway and the Baltic in particular are far better visited by cruise ship

Roads in Norway are tortuous, and non-existent in many fjords  - much like amongst your fiords of South Island. Railway travel is scenic, but the railway system is very limited.  In some fjords the ship will cruise close to land on both sides for many hours - all of the scenery and none of the effort. And Norway is super-expensive, the ship providing your food & lodging isn't as interesting as "properly" visiting Norway but it's much kinder to your pocket. It's one country where folk consider smuggling alcohol off the ship 😉 

And the Baltic is an expensive logistical nightmare by road or air and time-consuming by ferry, but a natural for cruising, much like the Caribbean in reverse - sailing round a big pond instead of island-to-island. Add the road-block that is Russia and the visa-free ship visits to St Petersburg if & when the current grief is over, and cruising is a no-brainer.

 

Yes, the bulk of continental Europe is much better explored by road or rail - not constrained by ships' itineraries and so many sights are far from the sea. But I can understand it's a challenge for those who worry about train travel abroad or driving on foreign roads, the multiple lodging arrangements, and the need for a lot of research. 

A Med. cruise is so much simpler, but for every place where you dock close to the city there's another which involves a transfer. You mentioned Athens - but Piraeus is about 30 minutes away, you mentioned Istanbul - but the re-vamp of the port now means a long walk to the tram, you mentioned Santorini - but just see the Cruise Critic threads about the hours waiting for the cablecar to get from and back to the tender pier. With the possible exception of the pot-luck on Santorini those aren't significant, but I've already listed a number that are. 

 

Having travelled Europe most of my life I don't find the driving or navigation or lodgings or language a problem and most of our European travel has been on road-trips - but I do have those worries in Asia, and wouldn't contemplate touring by road or rail.

.

 

We've visited Asian cities by air & by cruise ship. We 've found by air is fine for a single destination, mebbe two - we've even done a three-centre (HK, Phuket & Bangkok) but that was with a TA  proverbially holding our hands. Our one-and-only Asian cruise was so very much easier and we visited so many places in 28 days. We like to think of ourselves as adventurous, but I guess we're actually woosies - it was  comforting to return to our  little bit of floating UK each evening (that's how many North Americans feel about Europe).  That was on a small ship, so we were able to avoid long transfers by porting in Saigon & Da Nang, but the only other long hike that I'm aware of is Bangkok (and Halong Bay to Hanoi for those who are prepared to miss the unique experience of Halong Bay). Can you think of any other long hauls on a SE Asia cruise?

 

BTW - we had an all-too-brief road-trip around South Island, didn't have time to visit North Island.

Loved it. The only disappointment was two attempts to fly over Dusty & Doubtful thwarted by clouds. And it's too far & too late in life to return & spend more time in NZ  🙁

 

JB 🙂

 

[hubofhockey]

On 8/3/2023 at 3:41 PM, RetiredandTravel said:

 

My oldest brother was in combat in Vietnam (Tet).  I have mixed emotions about going.  I certainly don't want to offend my brother but it would be interesting seeing where he was.

 

 

To be honest, the Vietnam war spooked me as a kid, but I have nothing against the Vietnamese.  You would think they would hate Americans, but that is not the case at all.  It was a great experience.  Being Jewish, I had a tough time going to Berlin, but loved that too.  Right now, I have a tougher time with Hong Kong than I do Vietnam.  Been to St Petersburg too, and wouldn’t go back there either.  

[hubofhockey]

On 8/4/2023 at 7:52 AM, RetiredandTravel said:

Do the cruise line excursion buses have AC and is there access to bathrooms on these longer rides in Thailand & Vietnam?  ty

You can also find local guides who know every back road and will stop anywhere when you need to go.  I highly recommend Water Buffalo Tours if you want to see Mekong Delta (one of my favorite private excursions) and did Saigon is mainly a city tour. Not sure what else is long.  Hoi An fro Denang is not that long. The beach island in Thailand is short, so not sure what you mean by longer rides.  

[RetiredandTravel]

21 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

You can also find local guides who know every back road and will stop anywhere when you need to go.  I highly recommend Water Buffalo Tours if you want to see Mekong Delta (one of my favorite private excursions) and did Saigon is mainly a city tour. Not sure what else is long.  Hoi An fro Denang is not that long. The beach island in Thailand is short, so not sure what you mean by longer rides.  

 

 

thank you hubofhockey.  My niece and her husband (Boston) are huge Bruin Fans.  Honestly I'm trying to figure this out.  My cruise stops in Bangkok (Laem), Ho Chi Ming City, Chang May & Ha Long Bay.  I've read that the Bangkok (2 days) and Mo Chi Ming (3 days) are 2 - 2 1/2 hour rides.  Not sure about the other two.  We will be taking the basic cruise line tours, they are included.  I am an aging male and the thought of going 2 1/2 hours w/o a  bathroom break is frightening.  Also we are going in Feb so would want AC in the bus.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again.

 

[RetiredandTravel]

35 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

 

To be honest, the Vietnam war spooked me as a kid, but I have nothing against the Vietnamese.  You would think they would hate Americans, but that is not the case at all.  It was a great experience.  Being Jewish, I had a tough time going to Berlin, but loved that too.  Right now, I have a tougher time with Hong Kong than I do Vietnam.  Been to St Petersburg too, and wouldn’t go back there either.  

 

My brother was an 19 year old farm boy from a small town that got drafted and sent to Vietnam (Artillery).  Just imagine that.  Today my brother is fine, loves his grandkids. I love my country but honestly I personally have more problems with how our (US) country handled the Vietnam war than the North Vietnamese.  My issue is more out of respect for my brother.  If I ask him he'll say he doesn't care but that might not be the truth.   I will say I spent the ages of 7-8 praying hard for my brother and watching the horrifying reports on the nightly news that always included with the number dead and injured.  If we do go it will be very emotional for me.

 

[hubofhockey]

57 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

My brother was an 19 year old farm boy from a small town that got drafted and sent to Vietnam (Artillery).  Just imagine that.  Today my brother is fine, loves his grandkids. I love my country but honestly I personally have more problems with how our (US) country handled the Vietnam war than the North Vietnamese.  My issue is more out of respect for my brother.  If I ask him he'll say he doesn't care but that might not be the truth.   I will say I spent the ages of 7-8 praying hard for my brother and watching the horrifying reports on the nightly news that always included with the number dead and injured.  If we do go it will be very emotional for me.

 

 

Sometimes, it's the emotional trips that are the best.  Agree that we were fighting a proxy war against the Soviet Union.  The VC were nasty, but they're not around.  I do think it's a great trip.  I enjoyed Vietnam more than Thailand.  We went to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) after the cruise (which ended in Singapore) and that was also a once in a lifetime trip. We did SE Asia on Azamara and ported in cities and had an overnight in Ha Long Bay and we did an overnight cruise in on a indochinese junk with Bhaya Cruises, which was amazing.  We also loved Hoi An.  Saigon was cool too.  No bad spots on the cruise.  Just a great itinerary. It drove us to book Japan next.  We did quite a few in Europe.  The western cultures are somewhat similar.  I've enjoyed them, but love the different culture in the East.  

[hubofhockey]

1 hour ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

thank you hubofhockey.  My niece and her husband (Boston) are huge Bruin Fans.  Honestly I'm trying to figure this out.  My cruise stops in Bangkok (Laem), Ho Chi Ming City, Chang May & Ha Long Bay.  I've read that the Bangkok (2 days) and Mo Chi Ming (3 days) are 2 - 2 1/2 hour rides.  Not sure about the other two.  We will be taking the basic cruise line tours, they are included.  I am an aging male and the thought of going 2 1/2 hours w/o a  bathroom break is frightening.  Also we are going in Feb so would want AC in the bus.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again.

 

I love the Patriots and Bruins, but went with the Bruins as CC avatar way back when.

 

We went on Azamara, with a beautiful small ship, which ported right in cities.  If it's not too late, you might want to look at that line.  Best cruise of my life.  We did not go to China though.  

 

It was Hong Kong-Ha Long Bay (two days) - Denang (for Hoi An) - Saigon (two days)  - Bangkok (two days) - Koh Samui - Singapore

 

We did dock in Klong Toey, which is right in Bangkok, because it was a smaller ship.

[terry&mike]

Vietnam is one of our favorite Asian countries. Great food, friendly people, lots of interesting sites, beautiful country. We were there on the Diamond Princess in January 2020, just before Covid. Ported at Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, and Nha Trang. I was traveling with a large group of friends, and we used the same guide in HCM and Da Nang, Xuan Le (tourwithxuan.com) - to this day he remains one of the best guides I have ever experienced. You can find lots of great mentions and reviews of him on CruiseCritic. 

In Ho Chi Minh we did an city tour that visited temples, markets, and many other sites. In DaNang we visited the lovely town of Hoi An. In Nha Trang, we took a long walk along the boardwalk, had an amazing seafood lunch, and got massages. 

We liked Vietnam so much that we returned in January of this year and traveled independently for 2 weeks there, as part of a longer trip with Cambodia and Thailand. We visited Hanoi, HaLong Bay, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh on this trip. Of course we connected the wonderful Xuan again, in HCM. We stayed for several days in Hoi An as we wanted to have clothes made - this town is a hub of tailors. In  HaLong we took the longer sailing of 3 days/2 nights, so that we could go out to the less crowded bays, stunning place. 

[John Bull]

On 8/4/2023 at 12:52 PM, RetiredandTravel said:

Do the cruise line excursion buses have AC and is there access to bathrooms on these longer rides in Thailand & Vietnam?  ty

 

Have no worries about air-con, I doubt that there's a tour bus built anywhere in the world in the past 30 years that doesn't have air-con. Vans too. And almost all cars in that part of the world - and a high proportion of city buses.

 

Bathroom is more a matter of pot-luck.

I know that in the UK Princess insist on excursion & transfer buses having a bathroom, But that doesn't mean they have the same policy elsewhere.

Cruise line head offices don't usually have information on such matters - can I suggest that you ask on the RollCalls or reviews of recently-returned SE Asia cruises, especially those of your cruise line - but bear in mind that one person's experience may not be typical.  

 

The only trips I can think of that are over 2 hours are ........

Laem Chabang to Bangkok. Can be as little as 90 minutes, but Bangkok traffic is notorious. Independent travellers are recommend to allow 2.5 hours to get back to the ship. 

Bangkok is well worth the effort but if the journey is a concern, consider pre-booking a private tour or transfer so that you can stop if & when necessary. In any case, for two or more people that'll be cheaper than ships' buses. Do pre-book, because taxi drivers in the port are a cartel and will gouge those who've not made travel arrangements. Choose a well-reviewed private transfer or tour operator.

Halong Bay to Hanoi. That's over 3 hours e/w 🙁. But only a small proportion of cruisers go to Hanoi - a junk cruise of 4+ hours amongst the limestone karsts of Halong Bay is a unique experience. Even small junks have a John - it may or may not be a bit grubby. 

 

 

On 8/3/2023 at 8:41 PM, RetiredandTravel said:

 

My oldest brother was in combat in Vietnam (Tet).  I have mixed emotions about going.  I certainly don't want to offend my brother but it would be interesting seeing where he was.

 

 

The Vietnam War (naturally the Vietnamese call it the American war) ended 48 years ago.

The average age in Vietnam is 33.

So only a very small proportion of the population even remember the war.

(My brother married a German girl 30 years after the end of WW2  - my father, who fought in that war, struck up a lasting friendship with her parents.)

 

There's certainly no anti-American (or anti- Aussie or anti-French) sentiment amongst the south Vietnamese - bear in mind they fought against the communist north. Most still refer to the city as Saigon - HCMC is used by government departments. 

I came across only one person in the north who crowed about "winning the war" and that was out of pride rather than anger.

 

The war does figure in tourism in the south, especially Saigon - Reunification Hall, HCM museum, War Remnants museum, and an hour or so north, the Cu Chi Tunnels. Very interesting.

The only place that might upset is the War Remnants museum - naturally it sees the war from the North Vietnamese perspective, its original name was the War Crimes museum. ("History is written by the victors" - Winston Churchill).

 

JB 🙂

 

 

 

[RetiredandTravel]

Thank you Hubofhockey & John Bull.  Invaluable information.  Hub we did a cruise to Southern Japan & Korea (Tokyo<>Tokyo on Regent) in 2019.  We loved it.  Make sure to spend at least a full day in Kyoto and I'd recommend that you splurge for a private tour that day.  If you have any other questions on Japan let me know.  Thanks again.