Thailand Vietnam cruise

[croozer10]

Looking for a recommended cruise itinerary/cruise line to visit Thailand, Vietnam and maybe Cambodia,  

[r3325]

We are doing Celebrity Solstice Jan 3rd 2024 which goes to Thailand and Vietnam

[alwayscruisetime]

How soon can you travel?  28-Day Indonesia, Malaysia & Far East Collector on the Holland America Westerdam departs Singapore on Dec. 9 and finishes up in Hong Kong on Jan. 6.  It's actually 2 14-day cruises, and it looks as though the first 14 days only hits Bali in the 3 countries you named, so you could just do the 2nd half, starting in Singapore on Dec. 23.  Here are the 2 weeks:

 

Singapore

Phuket, Thailand

Porto Malai, Langkawi, Malaysia

Penang, Malaysia

Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia

Semarang, Java, Indonesia,

Surabaya, Indonesia

Bali, Indonesia

Singapore

 

Beginning Dec. 23-

Singapore

Nathon (Koh Samui), Thailand

Laem Chabang (Bangkok) Thailand (overnight in Bangkok)

Sihanoukville, Cambodia (we're going to Siem Reap/Angkor Wat from here)

Phu My, Vietnam

Nha Trang, Vietnam

Da Nang, Vietnam

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Hong Kong, China

 

Holland America offers a multi-day excursion from Sihanoukville, Cambodia to Siem Reap/Angkor Wat for $3000/person including flights and hotels, rejoining the ship in Phu My, Vietnam (skipping one day at sea).  We were able to arrange a private tour (just the 2 of us) including flights, hotels, local transportation, and private tours of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, and Ho Chi Minh City for about $1500 total.  

 

We also arranged an overnight in Bangkok at a local hotel, with a private tour that includes a 1/2 day with the elephants, a half day doing the floating and railway markets, and a full day seeing all the sights in Bangkok including a night tour.  Holland America's tour is $1399/person and only includes seeing Bangkok - no elephants, no markets, and while it includes a dinner with show, there's no night tour.  Ours will cost $1000 total. 

 

As you start to research Halong Bay, Vietnam, the thing to do is a Junk Boat cruise - others have said be sure you do a minimum of 4 hours so that you can get to the best parts.  We were surprised that for under $200 we could do a private tour (just the 2 of us, including transportation to and from the cruise port pier) when it's $70/person through Holland America on a crowded bus and boat.

 

Hope that helps!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Oceania has one similar to the Holland America cruise above, but in late January.  Regent Seven Seas (on the expensive side) also has one in December, and I know Norwegian Jewel does one, but forget the dates. Viking Orion also does that part of Asia, though they're a little more pricey than HAL, Norwegian (Jewel) and Oceania.  I'd look for one that has 2 days in Laem Chabang for Bangkok (or stay there pre-or post-cruise - 1 day isn't enough).  Or stay overnight in Bangkok as suggested above if you're there for 2 days on the cruise.  And probably I'd look for 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), just due to distance you'll likely be from port. At least Oceania's smaller ships, and Seven Seas ships., go closer to Saigon that many cruise ships do. In Cambodia, Sihanoukville seems to be the most prevalent stop visited, perhaps because some people do overnights to Siem Reap.  But that's (obviously) only good for that if you have two full days there. And one in Sihanoukville, from what I've heard, has some interesting temples and nice beaches.  But otherwise I don't know if it's all that interesting to most people.  Docking in Hue, Vietnam (port is usually Chan May) is good for visiting the imperial city of Hue or the charming city of Hoi An. I would love to visit Halong Bay, but don't know how easy/hard it is to do this via cruise ship.  I opted for something without it.  Asia seems a little tough for cruisers, with some of the stops being pretty far from the ports. That makes for more sea days than I generally like, so I am avoiding the larger ships and cruise lines that already seem to make too few stops for my preference.  But of course everyone's different.  And you don't mention Singapore, but Singapore seems to be a fabulous place for starting a cruise, and not terribly far from either the Philippines or Vietnam.