Live from Millennium: Mom's 70th Cruise

Greetings all. I have decided to Go Big, er Bigger, er Best, and make use of my internet package to provide live updates from our upcoming cruise to SE Asia. We will be traveling on the Millennium beginning December 6. This cruise is part of the celebration for Mom's 70th. Mom is retired and lives in The Villages, FL, and I am a faculty member at the University of South Florida in Tampa. This will be our first cruise on Celebrity, but we each have half-a-dozen or so cruises under our belts.

For this "live from" I'm going to be digesting posts from the blog I started for this trip (no selling of any kind!!). You can find the link on my profile, and I have also linked the line in my signature which lists this cruise. I also plan to post as many menus, activities guides, and review-type photos as I can. I have a new action cam, so expect to see some youtube links as well. Enjoy!!

T-10 Trip Overview

Back in January Mom and I were discussing ways to celebrate her 70th birthday, which was this past September. She did not want a party, any special gifts, etc. As such we decided it would be fun to take a trip. As someone who has an affinity for making travel plans, I got to work and was exploring options. There were definitely some parameters. First, I did have a reasonable budget to work within. Second, the trip had to be at a time when I was able to take a multi-week vacation. And third, we wanted to go someplace that was new and exciting.

In narrowing down the times when such a trip might be possible, I was especially interested in those times when USF (that’s where I work) was between semesters, but when most public schools were in session. These times represent the best options for a good value (avoid the summer/holiday rush), while still allowing me to be away for a couple weeks. After a little more digging, early December seemed best, as this would allow for plenty of time to plan; and would facilitate the use of frequent flyer miles for travel (I’ll talk about that tomorrow).

It quickly became clear that for a December trip, Asia made sense; especially southeast Asia. As both Mom and I love cruises, I started to take my search in that direction. Eventually we settled on a 14 day cruise to Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Our cruise is 14 nights, but in total, our trip will be 17 days long. We will be flying out of Orlando on Friday, December 4, and will arrive back in Orlando on the 20th. Because I’m somewhat of an avgeek I’m going to spend an entire post writing about our planned air travel. For now, I’ll just say that we will spend a lot of time in a plane during the course of the trip.

Our first night in Asia will be spent in Singapore. After a late night arrival on the 5th, we will board the ship on the 6th. The cruise will take us from Singapore to Thailand, and then to Vietnam; all before wrapping up in Hong Kong.

We are scheduled to hit three ports in Vietnam, but in fact we will only see two of them. That’s because we have elected to plan an overland trip to Cambodia. Upon arrival in Phu My, we will leave the ship for 4 days and 3 nights. Above you can see the ship itinerary with our edited itinerary included. This side trip is really designed to maximize our time in Vietnam, while still permitting us an opportunity to visit Angkor Wat. While many people I have talked to seem unfamiliar with the name Angkor Wat, a picture usually elicits an ah ha moment.

I think I first saw images of Angkor Wat as a teenager watching Tomb Raider. As impressive as it looks in photos, everything I read suggests it’s more amazing in person. I fully expect this to be the highlight of the trip.

Well that’s all for now. Hopefully this post served as a good overview of the trip. In the 10 days before we leave, I’m going to post a lot more -hopefully not too much – about the trip. Tomorrow, I will get into the journey to Asia.

I'll be on the Millennium in January. I'm very much looking forward to hearing more about your planning and the trip itself :)

Same here :D

I am sure you will have a great time.

Have you visited any of these destinations before? We have cruised and/or stayed in most of your ports of call and they are wonderful. Haylong Bay, perhaps being a real highlight.

Not visited Angkor Wat yet, on my hit list for a river cruise!

We did a b2b on the Millie a few years ago and loved her. Visit the Olympic Restaurant while you can!

Enjoy you planning, our next Asian adventure isn't until 2017 so I will be following your reports with interest.

Looking forward to your thoughts about the Millennium.

I am sure you will have a great time.

 

Have you visited any of these destinations before? We have cruised and/or stayed in most of your ports of call and they are wonderful. Haylong Bay, perhaps being a real highlight.

 

Not visited Angkor Wat yet, on my hit list for a river cruise!

 

We did a b2b on the Millie a few years ago and loved her. Visit the Olympic Restaurant while you can!

 

Enjoy you planning, our next Asian adventure isn't until 2017 so I will be following your reports with interest.

Neither of us have been to Asia at all. Very much looking forward to it.

As one might imagine, getting from Tampa, FL to Singapore is no easy task. In truth, a lot of the planning of our trip revolved around our ability to get to and from Asia affordably and in comfort. Once a trip to Asia was a possibility, I immediately shifted my focus to figuring out potential flight options. I would consider myself very knowledgeable about the way frequent flyer programs work. While airlines are getting tighter and tighter with award travel rules, long-haul business class tickets represent, by far, the best potential value for redeeming award tickets. Obviously, the most important use of FF miles is for a ticket you must have but cannot afford. After that, there is long-haul business; everything else is a distant 3rd.

Back in February, I had about 210,000 miles/points to my name, 150,000 of which were Delta Skymiles. A one-way biz class ticket from the US to Asia on Delta starts at 70,000 miles, so it quickly became clear that I could get us there but I couldn't get us back. My choices were to either wait until I had enough miles, book half now and half later, or to book with a mix of miles and cash.

As I continued to play around with all sorts of combinations, I discovered that it was possible to fly from Seoul to the U.S. on the cheep (at least in business class terms). In fact, the flight to Seoul from the US would cost you 3 times what the trip back would. I also found some very good redemption rates (20,000 per person) on Cathay Pacific to get to Seoul from Hong Kong using British Airways Avios. Getting confusing, huh?

So here is what we ended up with: We are going from Orlando to Atlanta to Seoul to Singapore. This trip was booked through Delta (70,000 SM per person), although the last two legs are on Korean Air. Coming back we are flying Cathay Pacific (20,000 Chase UR points converted to BA Avios per person) from Hong Kong to Seoul; then United (cash) from Seoul to San Francisco and back to Orlando. Total cost in miles was 90,000 per person.

Having booked the flights months ago, I have been keen to keep track of schedule changes and aircraft swaps. We have had several of each of these, and I have made sure to adjust seat assignments as necessary - we even switched some flights. I'll split this up into the goings and comings.

Going

We leave at 7:20 in the morning on Friday the 4th, so we are going to drive over to Orlando the night before and stay at a hotel. Thanks to my bargain hunting we were able to score a room at the DoubleTree on a rate plan that includes 14 days of free parking. After paying for a few extra days parking at the hotel, we will end up paying about the same for the room and parking as we would have paid just to park at the airport.

I am super-excited about all of the different aircraft we will get to experience on this trip; but we are going to start off with what is probably the most common plane/routing in my flying history; a Delta 757 to Atlanta. One thing that will be new: we are scheduled to fly in an internationally-configured plane with lie-flat seats. Kind of overkill for a 100 minute flight, but given the changes to Delta's redemption rates, it's probably the closet I will ever get to Delta's business class.

After a 3 hour layover in Atlanta, we will board the world's largest passenger jet - the A380. Korean Air's version features a spacious business class cabin which spans the entire second deck and includes two bars. This flight clocks in at over 15 hours, so an open bar could be dangerous. We leave Atlanta around Noon on the 4th and arrive in Seoul at 5:30 the next day. Not 5:30 AM...5:30 PM. Who knows what our bodies will be feeling after all that.

We have a rather short layover in Seoul before boarding our flight to Singapore. As of now we are scheduled to travel on one of Korean Air's new 777-300ER aircraft. Let's hope there is no last minute change as the new seats get rave reviews, and I'm definitely looking to sleep!!

Coming Home

After 14 days of fun and excitement it will be time to come home. We get off the boat in Hong Kong on the 20th, and we have a 9:30 flight to Seoul on Cathay Pacific. As of now we are scheduled to make the 3.5 hour trip on an A330-300 aircraft; although this has changed three times since February, so we shall see.

Once in Seoul, we will have a 4 hour layover before boarding a United flight to San Francisco. This will be my 4th flight on a 747, and we will be sitting in the upper deck. United actually offers aft-facing business class seats on this plane, but we opted to spend the 10 hours facing froward. On this flight we will also get to experience a weird quirk of travel as we will actually arrive in SFO about 6.5 hours before we left. Strange, huh?

Now originally, we were to have a 3 hour layover in San Francisco before boarding a plane to Orlando. Unfortunately, after multiple schedule changes the layover had increased to 5+ hours. As such we decided to change the rest of our routing, adding in an extra connection, but still getting to Orlando about 2 hours earlier. Another reason for the change: the new routing included an SFO to Houston leg on a Dreamliner. If there are no further changes, we will get to experience the A380, A330, 777 and 787 for the first time. I'll be sure to take notes!!

Once in Houston we have a quick layover before boarding a 737-900ER to Orlando. We get in a little after 10 and will make a decision then whether to drive the hour to Tampa.

Although I haven't mentioned it yet, as part of our side-trip we will also be flying on a pair of Vietnam Airlines A321 aircraft. So we will travel over 20,000 miles by air, spending almost two days on nine different aircraft. Sign me up!!!

I'm so enjoying your amazing detail. Thank you for sharing your trip with us! Enjoy.

I am hooked on your trip review and you have not left yet!:D

Getting there and back is a jouney in itself!

Have to admit our next flight plans were biased by being keen to experience the A380 and 787 Dreamliner.

In recent years we have become more adventurous in our flight plans, looking at schedules beyond the obvious UK options. This has included Air France (wonderful service), China Southern (interesting! Not in a negative way) and several European based providers.

Looking forward to your reviews on Korean Airways.

On this trip although not your side trip.

We too are really looking forward to it.

Maybe see you on board

We flew in last week.....We flew CX in F from NY.....used our miles and it was a flight of Krug and 7 foot sleeping suites....fabulous. I am sure Koreans new product on the 380 will be impressive.

Just a suggestion...Wake up very early to do your sightseeing of Angkor Wat, the heat is oppressive and so are the bus tours.....If your guide tells you 9AM I would not do it....I would suggest 7-7:30AM or else you can have 50 busloads of tourists....just FYI. Too bad you will miss Halong Bay, that said, Angkor Wat is one of the finest preserved temple complexes in the world.....Also a World Heritage sight like Halong bay. Your going to love it and so will your Mom.

ALSO.....Don't give to the child beggars at the temples....they remember who gives and follow you around for all the time you are there. ALSO....Clean crisp newish USD bills in 1's 5's 10's and 20's.....You will be using these in Vietnam and Cambodia.....no need to change money in either place. Also VISA/Mastercard is the card to carry as it is widely accepted in Asia....Amex not so much, they charge 2% higher fees.

We are off tomorrow to Luang Prabang, another world heritage city in Laos and then Singapore on the 4th. Going to be a great cruise.

Cheers! Safe Sails to all!

Be very careful with Delta.

Two years ago we were flying Delta Orlando to Hong Kong (via Atlanta and Tokyo) business class.

After two Delta mechanical failures we arrived in Atlanta just missing our connecting flight to Hong Kong. The plane was still there but they had given our seats away !!!

They rebooked us on Cathy Pacific in Economy with no refund !!!

Took 3 hours arguing to get back in business class.

Then Delta's flight to Toronto (where we caught CP flight to Hong Kong) was delayed. Rerouted on Air Canada to Toronto. Delta never put the luggage on the plane. We were w/o ANY luggage on the Millennium for 2 days !!!

I will NEVER fly Delta again !!!!

By the way we paid over $25,000 for this experience.

On this trip although not your side trip.

We too are really looking forward to it.

Maybe see you on board

Look for us at the CC gathering!

Just a suggestion...Wake up very early to do your sightseeing of Angkor Wat, the heat is oppressive and so are the bus tours.....If your guide tells you 9AM I would not do it....I would suggest 7-7:30AM or else you can have 50 busloads of tourists....just FYI.

We have early days planned, but I will make sure! Thanks for all the tips.

Too bad you will miss Halong Bay, that said, Angkor Wat is one of the finest preserved temple complexes in the world.....Also a World Heritage sight like Halong bay. Your going to love it and so will your Mom.

 

Cheers! Safe Sails to all!

We have a day cruise planned for our second day in Halong Bay. Wouldn't miss it!!

Be very careful with Delta.

 

Delta, who I have had a long and amicable relationship with, has flights at 7:20, 8:20, 9:20 to ATL. Could have taken the 9:20 and had a 2 hour layover but we opted for the 4 hour layover. Never play around with international connections.

What a dream trip and such a special one for both of you.

Having traveled quite extensively in SE Asia, including Cambodia, I have a suggestion for you: if you haven't already planned on taking moisture wicking trekking clothes, I strongly suggest you look into doing so. Ex Officio is the brand we like best and is available both online and in many sporting goods stores. My husband and I both swear by them and their shirts and slacks really saved the day for us at Angkor Wat and also on our trips to Laos and Northern Thailand.

In Siem Reap, do try to visit the Artisans of Angkor. It's an art school/work shop dedicated to preserving the national arts and crafts. The gift shop there is maybe the best of its kind anywhere in the world. You'll see stone carving, silk painting, wood carving etc. We shipped several pieces home and they all arrived without incident. They are among our very favorite travel souvenirs.

Regarding your flights, what a spectacular job you've done planning the combo of mileage rewards and good ole cash. One warning- once you've experienced the service on the Asian carriers you'll be spoiled for life!

Can I stow away in your suitcase?

Mary Anne

T-7: Our Cruise and Cabin

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mom and I went to friends for dinner where I proceeded to gorge myself like always. While the Turkey Day food coma seems unavoidable, we do try to avoid overeating on cruises; something I think more people could stand to do.

So having talked on Wednesday about the trip to and from Asia, I thought I’d take today’s post to talk a little more about our cruise. As mentioned, we are sailing on the Celebrity Millennium; a mid-size ship built in 2000. We are going to be in a Sky Suite on the Penthouse Deck (deck 6). We didn’t originally plan to book a suite, but Celebrity kept lowering the price so we jumped.

I booked the cruise on February 19th through Delta SkyMiles Cruises. SkyMiles Cruises is just a partnership with Delta and CruisesOnly, one of the largest online cruise agencies. While the perks were nice (we are getting 30,000 SkyMiles for booking the cruise), I wouldn’t use an online cruise agency again for such a long cruise. I’d either book through the cruise line or use a brick and motor travel agent. I’ve made multiple changes to the cruise and it’s a real pain to do this through the online agencies. That being said, I’ve done really good on price.

We started with a standard balcony stateroom. In addition to the room we received a free classic beverage package. A few months later we upgraded to an aqua class cabin, but eventually we selected a Sky Suite; the extra room really is nice with our needing the bed split. In addition, our package includes a premium drink package, all gratuities and $150 per person in onboard credit. We also received an unlimited internet package, thereby allowing me to take on my blogging project. In the end, we got really good value for our suite; I never saw the price go lower than what we booked for.

We were also lucky with our cabin assignment. In June we were assigned an S1 suite, originally cabin 6120, but over the next few months I swapped cabin locations (sometimes because we repriced, and other times just because something came open), and we ended up in cabin 6132. This cabin is a little bigger than the typical sky suite and includes a huge balcony with forward facing views. We are really excited about the cabin we ended up with; and even more excited about where we are going to visit!

Our cruise is called the 14 day Asian Allure Northbound. Our ship will do the same cruise in reverse after we get off (and is doing that cruise now before we get on). What I really like about this itinerary is that almost all the ports are overnights. One thing that is often a downer about a cruise is that you visit this amazing place but only have a few hours to explore. We did our first overnight in St. Petersburg a few years back (highly, highly recommend), and it was the most fantastic two days.

On this trip we start with an overnight in Singapore and close with an overnight in Hong Kong. This is great because I really cannot extend the trip on either end, so we at least get to spend a bit of time in these two exciting cities. In between we have overnights in Laem Chabang, Thailand for Bangkok and in Halong Bay, Vietnam for Hanoi. Our other two ports are Phu My for Ho Chi Minh City and Chan May for Danang (which we will miss).

The one drawback of this itinerary is the long distance between our ports and the city centers. It’s a two hour trip from Laem Chabang to Bangkok, and from Phu My to Ho Chi Minh City; three hours from Halong Bay to Hanoi. Fortunately we have mitigated this with our Angkor Wat side trip. We could have elected to do an overnight in Bangkok as well, but we just felt three nights off the boat was enough.

I’m going to take tomorrow off from blogging as I am going to the UF/FSU football game (GO GATORS!!). On Sunday I’m going to post about our planned excursions. Until then, Happy Shopping!

We are thinking of doing this cruise in the future. Would you please share how you arranged your Angkor Wat trip? I would love to do this too!

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Have a great time and a great Birthday!

We did this trip back in December and really loved it, our favorite cruise yet! We did the reverse itinerary and then went to Siem Reap after the cruise. The offered a ship excursion similar to the side trip you're doing as well. My live blog is linked below if you want some additional info, including the requisite AV geek posts as I'm similar to you. No way I am flying more then 5 hours in coach (sorry, my login says it all).

I don't know much about Delta, but as far as United goes you can often find some last minute flight deals with miles, we were booked with United Miles on the way home from Seoul on Asiana in J (Business) but at the last minute, for an extra 20k miles total (10/person) we upgraded to first suites. Asiana flies the 380 from Seoul to San Fran which would be a lot nicer than business on United for not many more miles on the same route, maybe with similar times so you wouldn't have to change the other flights. We flew the 772 to JFK.

No matter what, you're in for a wonderful trip!

Happy sailing,

Jenna

We would appreciate it if you could post pics of the daily planners.

T-4.5 (I actually wrote this yesterday - posting today) Ports & Excursions

Well, I took Saturday off for the Gator game, and that surely didn't go well. Today is normally the day where I would go get my Christmas tree, but obviously having a tree this year wouldn't make much sense. Instead I'm watching football, doing a little packing, and of course, writing this blog post. Today I'm going to talk a little bit about our ports of call, and the excursions we have planned.

We will begin our cruise in Singapore next Sunday (woo hoo, one week to go!). We can get on the ship around Noon and we do not leave Singapore until 5pm the next day. This gives us lots of time to explore. That being said, we do not have tours booked. With the amount of air travel we are doing, we decided it's best to leave our options open. We feel it isn't risky to do this in a large city as we don't need to prebook tours.

After leaving Singapore at 5pm on the 7th, we will have two sea days before arriving in Laem Chabang, Thailand at 7am on December 10th. On day 1 we are booked on a tour organized by one of our fellow passengers. After an early morning pick-up at Laemchabang Port and a two hour drive into Bangkok, we will visit the Grand Palace & Emerald Buddha Temple and then Wat Pho, before heading to lunch. After lunch we will take a long-tail boat ride along the Chao Phraya River and visit Wat Arun, before heading back to the port.

On day 2 we plan to take advantage of shuttle service from the port to downtown Bangkok. We plan to spend the day shopping, perhaps taking a canal boat, trying a restaurant, or whatever else strikes our fancy. We will get back to the ship around 5pm for a 6pm departure.

After another sea day we will arrive at Phu My port at 7am on Sunday, December 13. It is at this point that we will begin a five day tour that I arranged with a Vietnamese travel company. Having posted information about this tour in the cruise critic roll call for our cruise, we are being joined by five other passengers.

We will begin on the 13th by traveling two hours by car to Ho Chi Minh City. We will have a full day of touring in Saigon (as it's called by the locals). We will visit the Reunification Palace that was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam. Close to the museum, we will visit Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. We will have lunch and then continue our trip visiting the War Remnants Museum that was formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes. Our last stop will be Ben Thanh Market where there is a wide selection shopping opportunities. We will then head to the airport for a short flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We will transfer from the airport to the hotel and spend the first of two nights at the Angkor Palace Hotel.

Early Monday morning we will begin our first of two days touring Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. We will start our day with a tour of the Angkor area. We will spend a full day exploring the wondrous ancient ruins within the South Gate of Angkor Thom, which is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the largest as well as the most complete temple of Angkor Wat. In the early evening, we will be taken by Tuk Tuk (a small open-sided taxi common in Cambodia) to cruise around the suburb of Siem Reap town before attending a blessing ceremony by Buddhist monks for happiness, prosperity and safety for our journey.

On Tuesday we will continue touring, traveling out of town on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and well preserved temple of Banteay Srei. Along the way we will make a stopover at the Preah Dark village and then visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive reliefs depicting scenes of Vishunu as well as Krishna legends. In the afternoon we will be visiting the jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm. After this, we will head to the airport for a 100 minute flight to Hanoi and then transfer to the Church Boutique Hotel.

Wednesday we will tour Hanoi, with visits to Ho Chi Minh Complex, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, his House-on-Stilts, and the One Pillar pagoda. After that we will visit the Temple of Literature - a temple to Confucius and Vietnam's first University. After lunch at a local restaurant, we will go back to the center of Hanoi to visit Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake. Wednesday evening we will take a three and a half hour car trip to Halong Bay and hopefully be back on the ship in time for a late dinner.

Thursday we will talk a cruise of Halong Bay, another UNESCO World Heritage site. We will have 6 hours aboard a junk, cruising around this magnificent bay and among thousands of islands that jut out of the sea. We will also have the opportunity to stop at two of the many grottoes. We will cruise in Halong Bay to visit the most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay - Amazing Cave, strolling and discovering the cave and then continue our cruise to Titop Beach for swimming & a climb to the top of the mountain to admire the view. We will enjoy a seafood lunch on board while our junk ship cruises back to the harbor. We will return to the ship in plenty of time for our 10pm departure.

After a day at sea we will dock in Hong Kong's harbor at 7am on Saturday, December 20th. We will get off the ship and take a car to the city center to begin a five hour walking tour. I organized this tour with a company in Hong Kong and we will be joined by 7 others from our cruise. Our excursion will be a five hour tour doing a mix of areas on the Kowloon and Hong Kong Island side. We will take the Star Ferry, include a local lunch stop, and include some of the older buildings, a temple, a local neighborhood as well as the more international and Central / Soho areas. We will be able to visit Victoria Peak directly after our tour.

On our last evening we will assuredly do something fun in Hong Kong, but we are going to decide exactly what based on our day in Hong Kong. Then we will head back to the ship for our last night on board; always a bitter sweet experience.

Well that sums up our planned tours. Obviously I'll provide a lot more detail in real time, but by now I hope you have an idea of where we are going, how we are getting there, and what we are doing once we arrive. I'll be packing the next couple days and will probably provide another update before we drive over to Orlando on Thursday. Talk to you soon!!

Sounds like a great list of tours and brings back awesome memories.

Hotels in Bangkok aren't too expensive and many people choose to stay over to see more of Bangkok and spend less time traveling back and forth. There is also a beach town, Pattaya near by that some visit in lieu of a second day in Bangkok and spending less time driving.

No matter what, you will have an amazing time, in so many wondrous places!

Happy sailing,

Jenna

What a dream trip and such a special one for both of you.

 

Having traveled quite extensively in SE Asia, including Cambodia, I have a suggestion for you: if you haven't already planned on taking moisture wicking trekking clothes, I strongly suggest you look into doing so. Ex Officio is the brand we like best and is available both online and in many sporting goods stores. My husband and I both swear by them and their shirts and slacks really saved the day for us at Angkor Wat and also on our trips to Laos and Northern Thailand.

I actually recall seeing their store at Sea-Tac. I'm not sure we will have a chance to get to a retailer before departure. I purchased several pairs of linen shirts/pants to meet the dress requirements for temples in Siem Reap and Bangkok, so that may have to do.

In Siem Reap, do try to visit the Artisans of Angkor. It's an art school/work shop dedicated to preserving the national arts and crafts. The gift shop there is maybe the best of its kind anywhere in the world. You'll see stone carving, silk painting, wood carving etc. We shipped several pieces home and they all arrived without incident. They are among our very favorite travel souvenirs.

I will definitely mention this to our guide.

Regarding your flights, what a spectacular job you've done planning the combo of mileage rewards and good ole cash. One warning- once you've experienced the service on the Asian carriers you'll be spoiled for life!

 

Can I stow away in your suitcase?

 

Mary Anne

I still see a cabin or two open; never too late!!!

Sounds like a great list of tours and brings back awesome memories.

 

Hotels in Bangkok aren't too expensive and many people choose to stay over to see more of Bangkok and spend less time traveling back and forth. There is also a beach town, Pattaya near by that some visit in lieu of a second day in Bangkok and spending less time driving.

 

No matter what, you will have an amazing time, in so many wondrous places!

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

We really did think about these options. I think in the end we knew that we wanted to spend two days in Bangkok, but at the same time we did not want to be off the boat for a 4th night. Sort of split the difference, so I hope it works out. If not, I suppose I'll just have to go back.

We are thinking of doing this cruise in the future. Would you please share how you arranged your Angkor Wat trip? I would love to do this too!

 

 

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I looked at the itinerary to determine when the best time would be to leave the ship. The ships's excursion leaves from Bangkok and then returns to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). There are no tours before or after so you end up missing the 2nd day of Bangkok and Saigon. The ship tour also has a group of 30 (our group is 7).

I wanted to book something that would allow us to tour Saigon, fly to Siem Reap, stay two nights, fly to Hanoi and then tour Hanoi. I also wanted to do the Halong Bay cruise that is so popular. Once I had this all figured out I just took the dates and my intended itinerary and sent it to five companies. I picked the companies based on reviews from a major review site and from the Asia forum on CC. I reviewed the quotes and what was included and selected the company with the best value (it wasn't the cheapest, but had good mix of tours, meals included, and hotel options).

Once I selected a company I listed the tour on our roll call. We had a group of 3 join us rather quickly and then a couple join us several months later. All of this was handled by the tour company we selected. We ended up paying about 35% less than the ship tour and have tours in Saigon, Hanoi and Halong Bay included in the price.

Once we have taken the side-trip I'll post a thorough review and be happy to share information with others.

I looked at the itinerary to determine when the best time would be to leave the ship. The ships's excursion leaves from Bangkok and then returns to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). There are no tours before or after so you end up missing the 2nd day of Bangkok and Saigon. The ship tour also has a group of 30 (our group is 7).

 

I wanted to book something that would allow us to tour Saigon, fly to Siem Reap, stay two nights, fly to Hanoi and then tour Hanoi. I also wanted to do the Halong Bay cruise that is so popular. Once I had this all figured out I just took the dates and my intended itinerary and sent it to five companies. I picked the companies based on reviews from a major review site and from the Asia forum on CC. I reviewed the quotes and what was included and selected the company with the best value (it wasn't the cheapest, but had good mix of tours, meals included, and hotel options).

 

Once I selected a company I listed the tour on our roll call. We had a group of 3 join us rather quickly and then a couple join us several months later. All of this was handled by the tour company we selected. We ended up paying about 35% less than the ship tour and have tours in Saigon, Hanoi and Halong Bay included in the price.

 

Once we have taken the side-trip I'll post a thorough review and be happy to share information with others.

Thanks! I would love to know what company you use when you get back.