Live(ish) Cruising From Japan

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, Mareblu said:

Loving your journey….looking forward to the next chapter.  Hope you’re both improving rapidly.

Thanks. The anti-virals are working their miracles. I'm feeling almost back to normal today. Officially my iso ends tomorrow morning but Rolf's doesn't end until the evening, as he tested later than me, so I'll stay in our suite until the following day as well.

 

Hopefully I'll get a few more chapters up by then.

[MMDown Under]

On 11/19/2023 at 1:25 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Thanks. The anti-virals are working their miracles. I'm feeling almost back to normal today. Officially my iso ends tomorrow morning but Rolf's doesn't end until the evening, as he tested later than me, so I'll stay in our suite until the following day as well.

 

Hopefully I'll get a few more chapters up by then.

What is the next port you can visit, after you are allowed out? Do you know if any passengers tested positive later than you?

[Stickman1990]

27 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

What is the next port you can visit, after you are allowed out? Do you know if any passengers tested positive later than you?

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) tomorrow and unfortunately one more person from our group of 12 has been diagnosed so they’re up for 5 days cabin fever time which will lock them away until we arrive in Bangkok 

[MMDown Under]

47 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) tomorrow and unfortunately one more person from our group of 12 has been diagnosed so they’re up for 5 days cabin fever time which will lock them away until we arrive in Bangkok 

Thank you.  Those numbers are low, but is unfortunate for the one more extra person.  

I like Saigon.  Our ship went up river there.  Bangkok is a long day trip from the ocean port, so we just went to the zoo for the day, with private car transfer, and loved our relaxing day with all the animals.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm.out of iso, and Rolf gets out at 8pm tonight - they base it on 24 hour period from the time you test positive. We're doing a Mekong Delta tour tomorrow. I hope it won't be too much for us. We chose the small group tour so it should be a bit better but it's a long day.

 

I'm really interested to see where we dock in Saigon.

 

We're doing a post- cruise package in Bangkok. Three nights with excursions in the mornings and free time in the afternoons, plus transfers to Bangkok and to the airport.

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'm.out of iso, and Rolf gets out at 8pm tonight - they base it on 24 hour period from the time you test positive. We're doing a Mekong Delta tour tomorrow. I hope it won't be too much for us. We chose the small group tour so it should be a bit better but it's a long day.

 

I'm really interested to see where we dock in Saigon.

 

We're doing a post- cruise package in Bangkok. Three nights with excursions in the mornings and free time in the afternoons, plus transfers to Bangkok and to the airport.

I think your small group Mekong Delta tour will be perfect because you will see how the local people live.  You'll be sitting down, so it shouldn't be too much for you.

Your post cruise package in Bangkok with excursions in the mornings and free time in the afternoons will be perfect, as you can rest from the heat in the afternoons then go out in the cool of the evenings.  

[MMDown Under]

9 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I think your small group Mekong Delta tour will be perfect because you will see how the local people live.  You'll be sitting down, so it shouldn't be too much for you.

Your post cruise package in Bangkok with excursions in the mornings and free time in the afternoons will be perfect, as you can rest from the heat in the afternoons then go out in the cool of the evenings.  

Phu My is port usually used by ocean cruise ships.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

27 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I think your small group Mekong Delta tour will be perfect because you will see how the local people live.  You'll be sitting down, so it shouldn't be too much for you.

Your post cruise package in Bangkok with excursions in the mornings and free time in the afternoons will be perfect, as you can rest from the heat in the afternoons then go out in the cool of the evenings.  

I actually did a three day Mekong Delta private tour many years ago when I tagged along on one of Rolf's business trips. It was brilliant. I had the same guide and driver as the person who wrote that edition of the Lonely Planet Vietnam guidebook, Ni and Si. Ni, the guide, was an older gentleman, highly respected in the South Vietnam tourism industry. Si was a young guy - Ni reckoned he had a girlfriend at every overnight stop! 🤣

 

Of course Rolf didn't get to do that tour as he was working so the tour tomorrow is for him.

[MicCanberra]

Enjoy

[OzKiwiJJ]

On 10/27/2023 at 1:22 PM, Tranquility Base said:

I don’t know what size ship you’ll be on, but I’ll be interested to hear where exactly you dock in Saigon.

When I was doing some research for another trip I came to the conclusion it would be  closer to town than Phu My ( large), but not right in town at Nah Rong ( 650 pax size ).

The one in between these was about a 30 min shuttle ride into town.

We're docking at Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Port (a banner says "Saigon New Port) which is a container port. About 26km from HCMC. Google says fastest route 1hr 14 mins due to traffic conditions.

 

Our Mekong Delta tour goes to My Tho first, about 1 hr 45 mins.

[MicCanberra]

Have fun

[MMDown Under]

On 11/21/2023 at 12:59 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

We're docking at Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Port (a banner says "Saigon New Port) which is a container port. About 26km from HCMC. Google says fastest route 1hr 14 mins due to traffic conditions.

 

Our Mekong Delta tour goes to My Tho first, about 1 hr 45 mins.

How are you feeling?  Did you enjoy your Mekong Delta Tour?  What was "Saigon's New Port" like?  Were other cruise ships there?.

[MicCanberra]

Hope you both managed okay.

[OzKiwiJJ]

13 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

How are you feeling?  Did you enjoy your Mekong Delta Tour?  What was "Saigon's New Port" like?  Were other cruise ships there?.

We're both still feeling a bit tired. We did the Mekong Delta tour. It was OK, a bit touristy but given the amount of time it took to get there and back, 2 hours each way, they packed a condensed version of Mekong Delta life into just a few hours. But it wore us out so we've cancelled the rest of our excursion. We're just taking it easy.

 

The port was really just a container port, no other cruise ships. There was a tiny market. It was closer to Saigon than Phu My, thank goodness.

[MicCanberra]

Rest up, enjoy the ship.

[OzKiwiJJ]

This morning we leave the ship and transfer to Bangkok for three nights. We are doing tours in the mornings, including today, then have free time (pool time 😊) in the afternoons. Our whole group is going to Bangkok which is nice.

 

I don't think I'll be able to post any more reports and photos until we get home but I'm making lots of notes.

 

[MMDown Under]

54 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This morning we leave the ship and transfer to Bangkok for three nights. We are doing tours in the mornings, including today, then have free time (pool time 😊) in the afternoons. Our whole group is going to Bangkok which is nice.

 

I don't think I'll be able to post any more reports and photos until we get home but I'm making lots of notes.

 

Enjoy your time in Bangkok, which is such an interesting city.  Your tour with free afternoons is such smart planning.  Nice that the whole group is going.  I hope you do a trip up the river,  I want to go back again.  I cancelled my last tour with a photographer, as Govt advised "do not travel".  Tour still went ahead as locals don't worry about disturbances.  

I hope you have fully recovered.  

My daughter arrived in Manhattan on Thanksgiving, from Thailand, with a cold.  She has already bought much warmer clothes and visited the chemist.  

[MicCanberra]

Enjoy and travel safe

[Aussieflyer]

Enjoy the time in BKK and hope you start to feel better soon. I remember in SIN last year a couple of weeks after we had both had COVID, we were just so tired we didn't do much at all. I liked visiting Jim Thompson's house in BKK when we were there about 8 years ago, but I am a sucker for silk. 😃

[MMDown Under]

17 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Enjoy your time in Bangkok, which is such an interesting city.  Your tour with free afternoons is such smart planning.  Nice that the whole group is going.  I hope you do a trip up the river,  I want to go back again.  I cancelled my last tour with a photographer, as Govt advised "do not travel".  Tour still went ahead as locals don't worry about disturbances.  

I hope you have fully recovered.  

My daughter arrived in Manhattan on Thanksgiving, from Thailand, with a cold.  She has already bought much warmer clothes and visited the chemist.  

Thinking of you sweating in Bangkok.  Forgot to mention, don't laugh if you take a tuk tuk ride, because you will burn your throat like I did. 

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

12 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Thinking of you sweating in Bangkok.  Forgot to mention, don't laugh if you take a tuk tuk ride, because you will burn your throat like I did. 

 

 

We had a great tuk tuk ride today. Imagine about 16 tuk tuks all belting along in a double column convoy! Those things can really motor!

 

It is seriously hot and sticky though. Our included exursions are all in the morning which helps.

[MicCanberra]

Good work, glad you are getting around okay again.

[Tranquility Base]

On 11/21/2023 at 3:59 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

We're docking at Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Port (a banner says "Saigon New Port) which is a container port. About 26km from HCMC. Google says fastest route 1hr 14 mins due to traffic conditions.

Although you may not have used the shuttle into Saigon, did you hear anything about the time it took to & from town ?

On 11/25/2023 at 1:39 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

This morning we leave the ship and transfer to Bangkok for three nights.

How long was the time into central Bangkok please; eg: near the Shangri-La on the River ?

Thanks @OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Tranquility Base said:

Although you may not have used the shuttle into Saigon, did you hear anything about the time it took to & from town ?

How long was the time into central Bangkok please; eg: near the Shangri-La on the River ?

Thanks @OzKiwiJJ

I can't recall exactly how long it took to get into Saigon, traffic is horrible there so it may have taken up to an hour. I'll see if I can find out for you.

 

It took about 2.5 hours to get to the Sheraton in Bangkok and that's quite close to the Shangri-La. We had a short comfort stop along the way, about 10-15 mins. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

@Tranquility Base the best estimate I can get for Saigon is 60-90 minutes due to the traffic.

Edited January 26 by OzKiwiJJ