Trapped for 4 days in Halong

[shipsmail]

On our christmas cruise on board the Shadow we were affected by a tropical storm. The captain has canceled the two days in Saigon and went on directly to Halong Bay. So we are staying there 4 days. The port is really not attractive, temperatures in the 50s. No special entertainment or (what we had on a previous cruise in a similar situation) offering a free excursion. 

I wonder if there were other options to spend these days. At least I noticed other cruise ships in this same situation found other ports of call before coming back to the original itinerary. 

Ok, safety first, but this sounds like a very cheap solution.

[les37b]

Have you thought about using the time for a trip to Hanoi? When I was in Harlong with an overnight, Hanoi was simply too far to realistically do it AND take a junk tour of the bay area.

 

I agree that the town is not a good place to visit. We were told "visit the market" which I'd expected might be tourist Nik naks - not a fish market which was not kind to the nostrils!

 

Shame the weather has caused the problems. A real pity but unfortunately a risk for all cruises and something we've all fallen foul of. 

[wripro]

Did they tell you off the bat that you would be in Halong Bay for four days? If so, I would have either down what les37b suggested and gone to Hanoi or even gone to Hoi an and spent a couple of days at one of the resorts there.

[Stumblefoot]

Oh, that really stinks.  I could not imagine being stuck in Halong Bay for 4-days.  I agree with Les, get off the ship and head to Hanoi for at least an overnight there.

[turtlemichael]

As Saigon is on our itinerary for Silver Whisper in the next few months I'm wondering why a tropical storm would prevent a ship making the journey up the river.  Does it become navigationally more difficult? In theory, I would have thought a river of the size of the Saigon would be a safer place to be?

[Bill B]

1 hour ago, turtlemichael said:

As Saigon is on our itinerary for Silver Whisper in the next few months I'm wondering why a tropical storm would prevent a ship making the journey up the river.  

 

It wouldn't. The captain probably decided to 'skirt the storm' in the South China Sea well to the east (of the southern Vietnamese coast) and never got near entering the river.

[turtlemichael]

2 hours ago, Bill B said:

 

It wouldn't. The captain probably decided to 'skirt the storm' in the South China Sea well to the east (of the southern Vietnamese coast) and never got near entering the river.

That makes sense and safety comes first. Thank you. It would nevertheless be disappointing I'm sure because a journey up the Saigon River is great fun.

[shipsmail]

7 hours ago, turtlemichael said:

As Saigon is on our itinerary for Silver Whisper in the next few months I'm wondering why a tropical storm would prevent a ship making the journey up the river.  Does it become navigationally more difficult? In theory, I would have thought a river of the size of the Saigon would be a safer place to be?

The captain was afraid of being trapped in Saigon for days during the storm and not being able to arrive Hongkong on time.

[les37b]

I expect it was a variety of reasons and getting trapped is a fair point. Personally I think the ship would have been safer at sea rather than travelling up a meandering rIver in high winds risking collisions with fallen trees etc. The ship wouldn't be subject to huge waves on the river, but typhoon rated winds I'd expect could beach a ship and there probably wouldn't be much the crew could do about it. If ships need tugs to steer when it's sunny..... what chance in 100 mile an hour winds?

 

Getting out of a storms path would always be the best (and safest option) and that I suspect would be at sea.

 

That said... It's just personal thoughts and not out of any sea navigating knowledge!

[MBP&O2/O]

Never having been to either place I could suggest that Halong Bay is a more sheltered area. Having said that, without knowing all the facts re current / predicted weather etc?????

I would agree that in bad weather, being 'at sea' could be better than being in port ... we often hear about problems with high winds and a lack of sea room in ports and rivers.

I can offer my opinion and say that neck of the woods can be naughty at the best of times. (Think mv Derbyshire.) We sank not so far away from this area, it was January, we were between two tropical storms,  and the weather was 'not nice' ... so better safe than sorry.

Mike

 

 

[Isklaar]

I'm on a Seabourn cruise that is a similar itinerary to Shadow. Both ships left Singapore on the same day heading to Hong Kong.

The storm was quite bad. We did make Saigon two days before the storm took hold but sailed out into it and were several hours late into our next port, Da Nang, after two fairly rough days at sea.

The weather has either been cool and stormy or cool and rainy with heavy cloud for the last five days. It's now early Saturday morning and we have not seen the sun since Sunday.  Fog horn has been blowng all day today. Shadow is already in Hong Kong, we will see her later this morning when we arrive.  

It's been quite a trip!

Edited January 4, 2019 by Isklaar

[Isklaar]

Here is Shadow in the cruise terminal in very murky Hong Kong this morning.