Have cruisers enjoyed Asia?

[gordylad]

Looks like we are turning our sights to Asia a destination that we did no think we would do however as they say variety is the spice of life..... 

 

Looking at the following itinerary but we know nothing about the ports etc first hand.......enjoying checking out some videos on you tube but would appreciate any thoughts from experienced cruisers who have been to the region.

 

Beaches are high up on our likes, good weather and taking advantage of some sightseeing...

 

Many thanks

 

Singapore: EMBARK
			Depart 4:00 PM
Day 2	Sat	Feb 21	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 3	Sun	Feb 22	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 4	Mon	Feb 23	Benoa: DOCKED
			Arrive 7:00 AM	Depart 9:00 PM
Day 5	Tue	Feb 24	Celukan Bawang: TENDERED
			Arrive 7:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 6	Wed	Feb 25	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 7	Thu	Feb 26	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 8	Fri	Feb 27	Port Klang: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 7:00 PM
Day 9	Sat	Feb 28	Penang: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 10	Sun	Mar 1	Phuket: TENDERED
			Arrive 7:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 11	Mon	Mar 2	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 12	Tue	Mar 3	Singapore: DEBARK
			Arrive 6:00 AM

[Mark_T]

Good to see some different ports being visited, but for us at least, 5 ports on a 12 day cruise is too many seas days to justify long-haul flights, but if you are based close to Singapore I can see the attraction.

[NMTraveller]

We were on the Millenium for a Christmas cruise that went from Singapore to Bali.  Do you enjoy sea days over port days?  Our itinerary had an overnight in Phuket and an additional port day in Indonesia and disembarked in Bali.  The highlights of our cruise were Bali, Singapore, and Phuket.  Phuket and Bali have nice beaches.  

[jelayne]

Spend some time in Singapore at the end of the cruise.  Great place to visit.

[kwokpot]

Asia cruises are wonderful to explore different cultures. Having said that IMO this particular itinerary isn't the most exciting. I would highly recommend a Vietnam cruise, which either starts in Singapore and ends in Hong Kong or vice versa. You'll visit Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong with all ports worth visiting and you'll experience at least four different countries. I've been on 109 cruises and my Vietnam cruise with Celebrity ranks. among the top three cruises and top travel experience I've ever had 

[kwokpot]

[NMTraveller]

25 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Asia cruises are wonderful to explore different cultures. Having said that IMO this particular itinerary isn't the most exciting. I would highly recommend a Vietnam cruise, which either starts in Singapore and ends in Hong Kong or vice versa. You'll visit Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong with all ports worth visiting and you'll experience at least four different countries. I've been on 109 cruises and my Vietnam cruise with Celebrity ranks. among the top three cruises and top travel experience I've ever had 

What other two cruises would you put in the top three?

[Mark_T]

40 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Asia cruises are wonderful to explore different cultures. Having said that IMO this particular itinerary isn't the most exciting. I would highly recommend a Vietnam cruise, which either starts in Singapore and ends in Hong Kong or vice versa. You'll visit Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong with all ports worth visiting and you'll experience at least four different countries. I've been on 109 cruises and my Vietnam cruise with Celebrity ranks. among the top three cruises and top travel experience I've ever had 

We would agree, we sailed on Millennium from HK to Singapore in 2019, it was indeed a fantastic cruise. 

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, Mark_T said:

Good to see some different ports being visited, but for us at least, 5 ports on a 12 day cruise is too many seas days to justify long-haul flights, but if you are based close to Singapore I can see the attraction.

 

 Maybe something like this -  13-night Best of Japan  - would be more to your liking.

 

 

8 Ports, 2 overnights, 4 sea days.  

 

Edited February 3 by DaKahuna

[dock]

My sister did Millenium in Dec. 23 

Mumbai to Singapore and really enjoyed it. 
 

We’re looking at O , Riviera, as it does Singapore to HK and it has all the key ports in Vietnam and 1 stop to Cambodia. 

Overnight in Bangkok doenst appeal as the port is soo far from the city (so will probly stay on land that night) and we’ve been on a land tour through Thailand so was not high on my to do list but the rest of the ports are great. 
 

[Mark_T]

2 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Maybe something like this -  13-night Best of Japan  - would be more to your liking.

We had exactly that cruise booked until recently, the various changes and the trajectory of the changes caused us to doubt the wisdom of doing that trip with Celebrity, but we will do a similar itinerary with another line some time in the next couple of years.

 

Not sure it would suit the OP though if beaches are something would want to enjoy...

[DaKahuna]

10 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

We had exactly that cruise booked until recently, the various changes and the trajectory of the changes caused us to doubt the wisdom of doing that trip with Celebrity, but we will do a similar itinerary with another line some time in the next couple of years.

 

 That a shame.  We're doing this cruise, sailing May 2nd, and looking forward to it. 

 

10 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

 

Not sure it would suit the OP though if beaches are something would want to enjoy...

 

 Agree  Japan is not the place for great beaches, except maybe Okinawa.  I found the ocean way too cold to swim in, although we did go to the beach for picnic's and camping a lot in the summer when we lived there.  Not the sandy beaches one may find in the south pacific. 

 

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

Asia cruises are wonderful to explore different cultures. Having said that IMO this particular itinerary isn't the most exciting. I would highly recommend a Vietnam cruise, which either starts in Singapore and ends in Hong Kong or vice versa. You'll visit Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong with all ports worth visiting and you'll experience at least four different countries. I've been on 109 cruises and my Vietnam cruise with Celebrity ranks. among the top three cruises and top travel experience I've ever had 

 

3 hours ago, gordylad said:

Looks like we are turning our sights to Asia a destination

 

Fully agree to what kwokpot said! Bali is beautiful and we have been there twice on land vacations but the itinerary you mentioned would not be my choice for an Asia cruise. Yes, nice beaches - but why fly so far for a beach when Asia has soooooo much more to offer?

 

We just returned from our (2nd) Southeast Asia cruise. This was our report

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2980155-celebrity-solstice-12222023-thailand-vietnam-liveish-report/

We enjoyed it so much that we cancelled a cruise to NZ on Edge and booked a Mekong River cruise for 9/2024 instead.

 

We also love Japan and have done 3 Japan cruises. This is the report of the most recent one.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2970853-celebrity-millennium-japan-10242023-liveish-report/

And guess what? We just booked a 4th cruise to Japan for 2025. Actually the one shown above. Compared some of Princess but decided to do Millennium again.

 

As a first time in Asia I‘d probably recommend the Vietnam & Thailand cruise. Nice and diverse itinerary. Singapore is fabulous, Thailand and Vietnam are great and if you haven’t been to Hong Kong before, it’s also nice.

That being said, this is the view of a non-beach cruiser 😀
We love culture, history, local food… but would never spend time on a beach. Hence we never cruise in the Caribbean as well. 

 

Edited February 3 by Miaminice

[kwokpot]

33 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

What other two cruises would you put in the top three?

Top 5 cruises in no particular order 

1)Around New Zealand ending in Sydney.

2) Hawaiian cruise that visits all four islands

3) Vietnam cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong

4) Baltics cruise including St. Petersburg

5) Europe cruises that include Spain, Portugal and Italy 

[TeaBag]

We have booked Kobe to Singapore in May 2025. We have never been to Vietnam and I just have to see Halong Bay and also the Golden Bridge (held up by huge hands) in Hue (Da Nang).

Jelaine beat me to it with her advice re Singapore.  I also say, if you can afford the time, stay at least 3 days there before or after the cruise.  Take the cable car to Sentosa too.  Singapore is clean, orderly and beautiful.  DH used to work there and I never had a moment's worry about my safety sightseeing.  The gardens are lovely too.  I hope you find a cruise you like.  Ours is Azamara BTW.

[Torfamm]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Asia cruises are wonderful to explore different cultures. Having said that IMO this particular itinerary isn't the most exciting. I would highly recommend a Vietnam cruise, which either starts in Singapore and ends in Hong Kong or vice versa. You'll visit Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong with all ports worth visiting and you'll experience at least four different countries. I've been on 109 cruises and my Vietnam cruise with Celebrity ranks. among the top three cruises and top travel experience I've ever had 

I agree that this is a fabulous itinerary! However, as I finish up a back to back in a few days, I’m not sure it fits with the desire for beaches. Typical weather for at least half the itinerary might be too cold. I’d have to weigh that against the opportunity to visit so many wonderful places. 
 

If beaches are a priority, maybe not the best choice, but I’m with those who wouldn’t travel that far for day trips to beaches even though I love beaches.

 

Edited February 3 by Torfamm

[kwokpot]

24 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

I agree that this is a fabulous itinerary! However, as I finish up a back to back in a few days, I’m not sure it fits with the desire for beaches. Typical weather for at least half the itinerary might be too cold. I’d have to weigh that against the opportunity to visit so many wonderful places. 
 

If beaches are a priority, maybe not the best choice, but I’m with those who wouldn’t travel that far for day trips to beaches even though I love beaches.

 

Do people go on Asia cruise itineraries for the beaches? I admit I'm not necessarily a beach person but I view Asia cruises as vacations to explore the culture and nature vs sitting on a beautiful beach. If it's a beach cruise vacation but not the Caribbean then for me it's has to be Hawaii. Maui, Kauai and Oahu has some of the best beaches in the world. 

[Torfamm]

3 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Do people go on Asia cruise itineraries for the beaches? I admit I'm not necessarily a beach person but I view Asia cruises as vacations to explore the culture and nature vs sitting on a beautiful beach. If it's a beach cruise vacation but not the Caribbean then for me it's has to be Hawaii. Maui, Kauai and Oahu has some of the best beaches in the world. 

I wouldn’t think of Asia for a beach cruise either, but the original poster did say that’s what they are interested in, so their proposed itinerary might be a good fit.

 

 

[villauk]

16 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Top 5 cruises in no particular order 

1)Around New Zealand ending in Sydney.

2) Hawaiian cruise that visits all four islands

3) Vietnam cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong

4) Baltics cruise including St. Petersburg

5) Europe cruises that include Spain, Portugal and Italy 

 

We’ve been to all of those places - Hawaii island-hopping not on a cruise - and would agree they are all fabulous places to explore. Perhaps where you live also factors in as I have never been anywhere so similar to the U.K. than NZ, so perhaps wouldn’t put it in the top 5 like yourself. We do love Norway and Alaska, and would probably put them above NZ. The east coast of the US and Canada are also fabulous to visit. We’re off to Japan later this year and Singapore to India next. So what I’m trying to say is that personal experience and where you reside can influence what one finds more enjoyable. Perhaps the OP will love Bali, been there too 😁, because it’s so different from their previous experiences and so that itinerary is more their ‘cup of tea’ as a taste of Asia. All that being said, our HK to Singapore Christmas cruise a few years ago is up with the best 😉. Hoping we feel the same about Japan 👍.

[chemmo]

21 hours ago, gordylad said:

Looks like we are turning our sights to Asia a destination that we did no think we would do however as they say variety is the spice of life..... 

 

Looking at the following itinerary but we know nothing about the ports etc first hand.......enjoying checking out some videos on you tube but would appreciate any thoughts from experienced cruisers who have been to the region.

 

Beaches are high up on our likes, good weather and taking advantage of some sightseeing...

 

Many thanks

 

Singapore: EMBARK
			Depart 4:00 PM
Day 2	Sat	Feb 21	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 3	Sun	Feb 22	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 4	Mon	Feb 23	Benoa: DOCKED
			Arrive 7:00 AM	Depart 9:00 PM
Day 5	Tue	Feb 24	Celukan Bawang: TENDERED
			Arrive 7:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 6	Wed	Feb 25	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 7	Thu	Feb 26	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 8	Fri	Feb 27	Port Klang: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 7:00 PM
Day 9	Sat	Feb 28	Penang: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 10	Sun	Mar 1	Phuket: TENDERED
			Arrive 7:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 11	Mon	Mar 2	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 12	Tue	Mar 3	Singapore: DEBARK
			Arrive 6:00 AM

The fact that beaches comes so high up on your ‘likes’ list makes me wonder if you wouldn’t benefit more from a land based holiday than a cruise in this region.
 

We have done three South East Asia cruises and loved them but excursions have been focused on sightseeing…Quite simply if you are travelling so far it seems a waste to not see the fabulous sights on offer. If you opt for beach excursions then you won’t see any of the culture or history of the region…If you opt for sightseeing excursions then you will not have the beach days you love…

 

In addition to cruising we have enjoyed several land based holidays in South East Asia including Phuket, Bali, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong…Both Bali and Phuket have plenty to do but offer fabulous beaches too. You could book a 14 night package holiday in either…Enjoy the beaches and break up your stay with some tours. In addition tour companies often offer city + beach options. We have enjoyed Bangkok + Phuket and Hong Kong +Bali…Either of these options would give you a flavour of the ambiance of the region, the friendliness of the people and the fabulous food too. In our experience these land based breaks have been equally enjoyable to cruising.

 

I know on a cruise forum it may seem odd to suggest that a cruise may not be the best option but it does all depend on what your priorities are for your next holiday…As you can tell from my posts, we are firm cruise lovers but there have been occasions when we have preferred to opt for alternatives. For many people a vacation has to be a balance between seeing the world and offering much needed rest and relaxation…You have received lots of excellent cruising advice, consider alternative holiday options too!

[kwokpot]

20 minutes ago, chemmo said:

The fact that beaches comes so high up on your ‘likes’ list makes me wonder if you wouldn’t benefit more from a land based holiday than a cruise in this region.
 

We have done three South East Asia cruises and loved them but excursions have been focused on sightseeing…Quite simply if you are travelling so far it seems a waste to not see the fabulous sights on offer. If you opt for beach excursions then you won’t see any of the culture or history of the region…If you opt for sightseeing excursions then you will not have the beach days you love…

 

In addition to cruising we have enjoyed several land based holidays in South East Asia including Phuket, Bali, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong…Both Bali and Phuket have plenty to do but offer fabulous beaches too. You could book a 14 night package holiday in either…Enjoy the beaches and break up your stay with some tours. In addition tour companies often offer city + beach options. We have enjoyed Bangkok + Phuket and Hong Kong +Bali…Either of these options would give you a flavour of the ambiance of the region, the friendliness of the people and the fabulous food too. In our experience these land based breaks have been equally enjoyable to cruising.

 

I know on a cruise forum it may seem odd to suggest that a cruise may not be the best option but it does all depend on what your priorities are for your next holiday…As you can tell from my posts, we are firm cruise lovers but there have been occasions when we have preferred to opt for alternatives. For many people a vacation has to be a balance between seeing the world and offering much needed rest and relaxation…You have received lots of excellent cruising advice, consider alternative holiday options too!

I would agree with your suggestions. We did a land trip to Bangkok and then onwards to Phuket during Christmas and NYE. It was a perfect combo of temples in Bangkok and beaches in Phuket. We were able to witness a New Year's lantern launch on the Phuket beach at midnight; it was one of the most magical sights I have ever witnessed. 

[chemmo]

25 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I would agree with your suggestions. We did a land trip to Bangkok and then onwards to Phuket during Christmas and NYE. It was a perfect combo of temples in Bangkok and beaches in Phuket. We were able to witness a New Year's lantern launch on the Phuket beach at midnight; it was one of the most magical sights I have ever witnessed. 

We have so many happy memories too…We were in Phuket for the Songkran (water) festival…Even the local fire brigade joined in! 
 

[NMTraveller]

If you choose an itinerary that starts/ends in Bali you will have some very nice resorts.  When we were there we stayed in a 5 star resort on the beach,  had high end meals (sea bass cooked to perfection), and were drinking coconut milk every day.  The gardens on the property were beautiful.  Everything there is very inexpensive and we paid very little for the extraordinary experience that we had.  We dined on the beach and relaxed.  Want to go into Ubud to explore?  Just have the resort reserve a driver for the day.  Again very inexpensive.

 

In Phuket we were on a boat tour that took us to a small island with a beach.  There was also a beach right by tender exit.  Phuket has many many islands.

Edited February 4 by NMTraveller

[kwokpot]

32 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

If you choose an itinerary that starts/ends in Bali you will have some very nice resorts.  When we were there we stayed in a 5 star resort on the beach,  had high end meals (sea bass cooked to perfection), and were drinking coconut milk every day.  The gardens on the property were beautiful.  Everything there is very inexpensive and we paid very little for the extraordinary experience that we had.  We dined on the beach and relaxed.  Want to go into Ubud to explore?  Just have the resort reserve a driver for the day.  Again very inexpensive.

 

In Phuket we were on a boat tour that took us to a small island with a beach.  There was also a beach right by tender exit.  Phuket has many many islands.

Great idea. There's a Millennium itinerary that's starts in Bali and ends in Singapore and is basically the same ports as the itinerary the OP posted but in much better order (Phuket is an overnight and one should stay off the ship in an hotel). If the OP is interested in the ports of the posted itinerary they should seriously reconsider this alternate itinerary with multiple sailing dates. Then they could stay several days pre-cruise in Bali and enjoy the Phuket beaches. 

Edit: Also overnight in Penang! 

Edited February 4 by kwokpot

[gordylad]

such a great forum.........thanks everyone for your suggestions, help and support