Which Asia itinerary? And … should I?

[cl.klink]

Never cruised Asia, want to. We like nice ships and visiting another culture. DW cannot walk long distances.  Choosing between Celebrity cruises that focus on Japan, vs. span several countries. What do you recommend for a first timer?  Also, is there anything to rumors of Celebrity’s Asia cruises being at greater risk of being cancelled next year?
 

Thanks, 

 

- Joel

[cruisestitch]

I don’t think you will find any availability for 2024 on Celebrity. Look at 2025 and even then, there aren’t many available rooms

[cl.klink]

2 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I don’t think you will find any availability for 2024 on Celebrity. Look at 2025 and even then, there aren’t many available rooms

☹️

[bigbenboys]

We have cruised Asia 4 times, 3 times with Celebrity. Personally I liked Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia over Vietnam. So I would pick Millie, 14 Jan 2025. I like Millie over Solstice for Asia. While Vietnam is nice the tours where long 8 hours or more.

[NMTraveller]

If you select Japan you might want to book yesterday.  The best dates of 2024 have been double and triple booked by Celebrity and the cruisers are lifting and shifting to 2025.

 

 

[cl.klink]

3 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

If you select Japan you might want to book yesterday.  The best dates of 2024 have been double and triple booked by Celebrity and the cruisers are lifting and shifting to 2025.

 

 

I’ve been reading that here.
 

Do you think this is just a Celebrity issue?

 

- Joel

[NMTraveller]

20 minutes ago, cl.klink said:

I’ve been reading that here.
 

Do you think this is just a Celebrity issue?

 

- Joel

Yes.  I would try other lines and check the availability.  

Edited April 26, 2023 by NMTraveller

[cl.klink]

6 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Yes.  I would try other lines and check the availability.  

Thanks. 
 

-Joel

[Belgian fry]

Really suggest you don't. Celebrity in Asia is a total mess right now and they are not being honest with customers. I am a loyal customer, but really thinking of cancelling all my bookings with them, including my bucket-list Galapagos cruise and never sailing with them again.

 

Several other companies are sailing Asia. I strongly recommend you try one of them instead

[rubens]

Plenty of availability on Solstice for Asia in November and December 2023!

[hubofhockey]

On 4/25/2023 at 6:17 PM, cl.klink said:

 

Never cruised Asia, want to. We like nice ships and visiting another culture. DW cannot walk long distances.  Choosing between Celebrity cruises that focus on Japan, vs. span several countries. What do you recommend for a first timer?  Also, is there anything to rumors of Celebrity’s Asia cruises being at greater risk of being cancelled next year?
 

Thanks, 

 

- Joel

 

I am pretty sure there is plenty of room on the 5/15/24 Best of Japan itinerary. There are several Aqua Class, Concierge Class,  and outside cabins available (verandah and inside are sold out). If people on Cruise Critic tell you 2024 is sold out, there's a good chance they're mistaken.

[Mark_T]

On 4/26/2023 at 12:42 AM, NMTraveller said:

If you select Japan you might want to book yesterday.  The best dates of 2024 have been double and triple booked by Celebrity and the cruisers are lifting and shifting to 2025.

 

 

That is an unfortunate post to quote as it perpetuates the myth that the cruises next year have been cancelled.

 

They have not...

 

... what has happened is that celebrity have monumentally messed up the numerous 'Lift & Shift' transfers from the previous couple of years of covid cruise cancellations, and ended up with large numbers of double or triple booked cabins which has resulted in having to cancel reservations that guests thought they had confirmed many months ago...

 

Some have been able to 'Lift & Shift' once again, others have not and are dealing with the fallout from non-refundable air fares etc.

Edited April 27, 2023 by Mark_T

[mahdnc]

On 4/26/2023 at 5:42 AM, rubens said:

Plenty of availability on Solstice for Asia in November and December 2023!

 

We are booked on one for Christmas/NYE this year--at least until we are told we're not.

[Mark_T]

On 4/26/2023 at 12:38 AM, bigbenboys said:

We have cruised Asia 4 times, 3 times with Celebrity. Personally I liked Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia over Vietnam. So I would pick Millie, 14 Jan 2025. I like Millie over Solstice for Asia. While Vietnam is nice the tours where long 8 hours or more.

If you use the Vietnamese ports to access Cambodia, then yes, the tours are going to be long, but on our Millie cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore there were also plenty of much shorter coastal tours including Hạ Long Bay of course... 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Mark_T

[cl.klink]

4 hours ago, Mark_T said:

That is an unfortunate post to quote as it perpetuates the myth that the cruises next year have been cancelled.

 

They have not...

 

... what has happened is that celebrity have monumentally messed up the numerous 'Lift & Shift' transfers from the previous couple of years of covid cruise cancellations, and ended up with large numbers of double or triple booked cabins which has resulted in having to cancel reservations that guests thought they had confirmed many months ago...

 

Some have been able to 'Lift & Shift' once again, others have not and are dealing with the fallout from non-refundable air fares etc.

So, is it your views that what we can book, now, on the Celebrity website represents true vacancy?

 

- Joel

[NMTraveller]

9 hours ago, Mark_T said:

That is an unfortunate post to quote as it perpetuates the myth that the cruises next year have been cancelled.

 

They have not...

 

... what has happened is that celebrity have monumentally messed up the numerous 'Lift & Shift' transfers from the previous couple of years of covid cruise cancellations, and ended up with large numbers of double or triple booked cabins which has resulted in having to cancel reservations that guests thought they had confirmed many months ago...

 

Some have been able to 'Lift & Shift' once again, others have not and are dealing with the fallout from non-refundable air fares etc.

They have been cancelled for many on the Millenium.  Double booked, triple booked a royal goof up.

 

 

[NMTraveller]

4 hours ago, cl.klink said:

So, is it your views that what we can book, now, on the Celebrity website represents true vacancy?

 

- Joel

That is my question also.  I really would like to know the answer.  I have a cruise booked on the Millenium for this year.  And yet I do not know if it has been overbooked or not.  Celebrity has not been transparent.  Is my cruise the next to be cancelled?  I really wish Celebrity would make a statement and let everyone know what is going on?  Everyone is guessing at this point.

Edited April 28, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Mark_T]

2 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

They have been cancelled for many on the Millenium.  Double booked, triple booked a royal goof up.

Agreed, and it has been handled horribly, it was simply that the opening post of that thread have the impression that the ship was not going to be in Japan at all, which as it later became clear, was not the case.

[Mark_T]

7 hours ago, cl.klink said:

So, is it your views that what we can book, now, on the Celebrity website represents true vacancy?

 

- Joel

Based on what those unfortunate enough to have been dumped by Celebrity have been told, I would wait until after May 1st, as that was the deadline for them to 'Lift & Shift'.

 

2 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

That is my question also.  I really would like to know the answer.  I have a cruise booked on the Millenium for this year.  And yet I do not know if it has been overbooked or not.  Celebrity has not been transparent.  Is my cruise the next to be cancelled?  I really wish Celebrity would make a statement and let everyone know what is going on?  Everyone is guessing at this point.

If you booked direct, you should have received an email by now if you had been cancelled, the greater unknown is for those booking through a TA as the emails will have gone there, for the TA to relay onwards, and those have not always been handled promptly...

[Belgian fry]

1 minute ago, Mark_T said:

 

 

If you booked direct, you should have received an email by now if you had been cancelled, the greater unknown is for those booking through a TA as the emails will have gone there, for the TA to relay onwards, and those have not always been handled promptly...

What is your source for this?

[Mark_T]

1 minute ago, Belgian fry said:

What is your source for this?

If you pick through the later pages of the thread linked above, that is a good summary of where we are now.

 

There were still people reporting receiving emails earlier this week, but they have tailed off now, and they all had the same May 1st deadline.

 

Nobody knows if Celebrity have any other problems to sort out of course, but these Japan cruises are ones that traditionally book up early so hopefully it was just these few that they messed up so badly...

[cl.klink]

3 hours ago, Mark_T said:

Based on what those unfortunate enough to have been dumped by Celebrity have been told, I would wait until after May 1st, as that was the deadline for them to 'Lift & Shift'.

 

If you booked direct, you should have received an email by now if you had been cancelled, the greater unknown is for those booking through a TA as the emails will have gone there, for the TA to relay onwards, and those have not always been handled promptly...

Thanks

 

- Joel

[happy cruzer]

May have to start a new thread since this is a bit old/off topic.  But anyway -

 

Anyone care to comment on the Asian itineraries?  Vietnam/ Thailand vs. Bali, Mayalasia, Thailand?

 

Any thoughts on Bali as embar/debarc port?  Cost of airfare impact?

 

Really torn between the two options.

 

Thanks.

[smtcan]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

May have to start a new thread since this is a bit old/off topic.  But anyway -

 

Anyone care to comment on the Asian itineraries?  Vietnam/ Thailand vs. Bali, Mayalasia, Thailand?

 

Any thoughts on Bali as embar/debarc port?  Cost of airfare impact?

 

Really torn between the two options.

 

Thanks.

We took several Asian cruises pre Covid and enjoyed them all.  We always added a land component since the flights are long and expensive so we wanted to see as much as possible.  We really liked sailing out of Singapore and stayed there a week pre cruise.  After cruising to Hong Kong we flew to Siem Reap Cambodia to see Angkor Wat and other temples.  We also enjoyed Halong Bay where we had a day long junk cruise.  Another time we had two stops in Philippines  - Manilla was not a great experience, but island hopping in Boracay made up for that.  China is a country I am glad to have visited, but given the current political climate I wouldn't return.  We took a Transpacific cruise from Vancouver to Yokohama and spent two weeks touring Japan independently.  

 

Asia is so different and each country has its own flavour.  I don't think you can go wrong with any itinerary choice.

[yogini06]

2 hours ago, happy cruzer said:

May have to start a new thread since this is a bit old/off topic.  But anyway -

 

Anyone care to comment on the Asian itineraries?  Vietnam/ Thailand vs. Bali, Mayalasia, Thailand?

 

Any thoughts on Bali as embar/debarc port?  Cost of airfare impact?

 

Really torn between the two options.

 

Thanks.

I am also considering both of these itineraries for January 2025.  Would also love a recommendation