It is not too late to book a hotel suite with a spectacular view of Hong Kong's New Year's Eve fireworks and then step into your ship suite for two leisurely weeks sailing to Singapore. We hesitate to give away this secret combination of excessive adventures that we experienced a couple years ago. But here you have it:
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| Hong Kong Harbor New Years Eve |
First, book your Intercontinental Hotel Hong Kong suite before it's too late
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| Intercontinental Hong Kong Junior Suite |
A harbor view suite is about $1,000 USD per night arriving December 30 and departing January 5. Ask the hotel to confirm in writing an unobstructed view of the New Year's Eve fireworks. We suggest a rate with the breakfast buffet, which we found extravagant at this highly rated hotel. You may also be offered the option of upgrading to Club status, with day-long snacks and beverages, and booking the New Year's Eve lobby lounge party, which has its own slightly obstructed view of the fireworks. Then over the next few days explore Hong Kong culture and cuisine by hop on-hop off bus or private limousine.
Second, chose your cruise ship from competing luxury brands that sail Jan 5
Two cruise lines offer a rich experience, both on board and on shore, with starting prices for a 14-night sailing that are highly competitive. You are unlikely to find similar itineraries and shore experiences in some of Asia's dream destinations (think Catherine Deneuve in Indochine) at a better price. Both ships are advertised as all-inclusive luxury, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the ship. We reviewed the brand new Seabourn Ovation's sister ship Encore here on www.CruisingGrade.com. We have not sailed on the Silversea Silver Shadow. Keep in mind that the cruise lines' side trip to Angkor Wat eliminates a day or two you paid for on the ship and is priced at twice what you might spend by going there independently at the end of the cruise.
Silversea Silver Shadow, 382 passengers, built 2000, refurbished 2017
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| Silver Shadow |
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| Veranda Suite |
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| La Dame by Relais & Chateaux (surcharge) |
Included In The Cruise Fare
- Butler service in every suite
- Unlimited Free Wifi
- Multiple restaurants, diverse cuisine, open-seating dining
- Beverages in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, select wines and spirits
- 24-hour dining service
- Onboard entertainment
- Complimentary transportation into town in most ports
- On board gratuities
Itinerary
Includes an overnight on Halong Bay, with time for an excursion to Hanoi as well as a sail through the bay; two nights in Ho Chi Minh City with an optional expedition to Angkor Wat; and an overnight in Bangkok where the ship docks near the very center of the city, not the distant commercial port used by most cruise ships.
Saturday, January 5 Hong Kong
Sunday, January 6 At Sea
Monday, January 7 Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam
Tuesday, January 8 Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam
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| Halong Bay |
Thursday, January 10 At Sea
Friday, January 11 Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam
Saturday, January 12 Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam
Sunday, January 13 Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam
Monday, January 14 At Sea
Tuesday, January 15 Bangkok (Klong Toey), Thailand
Wednesday, January 16 Bangkok (Klong Toey), Thailand
Thursday, January 17 At Sea
Friday, January 18 At Sea
Saturday, January 19 Singapore
Seabourn Ovation, built 2018, 600 passengers
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| Seabourn Ovation Rendering |
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| Seabourn Ovation Suite Rendering |
Included in the cruise fare
- Stewardess service
- Complimentary premium spirits and fine wines available at all times
- In-suite bar stocked with your preferences
- Tipping is neither required, nor expected
- Seabourn "Conversations" with experts
- All dining venues are complimentary, dine where, when and with whom you wish
- Ventures by Seabourn™, optional shore excursions, enhance and extend your experience in select destinations
Itinerary
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| Seabourn Ovation Rendering |
Includes an overnight in Ho Chi Minh City with time for Angkor Wat Mid-Cruise Journey, and a beach day at Ko Kood, Thailand for the land-side version of Seabourn's signature barbecue bash including "caviar in the surf." (Caviar is always available by request any time on board.) For Bangkok, Seabourn uses an isolated industrial port an impractical distance from the city. Coach or private transfers take 1.5 to 2.5 hours each way, depending on traffic and weather, which leaves only a couple hours to see a few attractions.
Saturday, January 5 Hong Kong
Sunday, January 6 At Sea
Monday, January 7 Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam
Tuesday, January 8 At Sea
Wednesday, January 9 Da Nang, Vietnam
Thursday, January 10 At Sea
Friday, January 11 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Saturday, January 12 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Sunday, January 13 At Sea
Monday, January 14 Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Tuesday, January 15 Ko Kood, Thailand
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| Caviar In The Surf At Ka Kood |
Wednesday, January 16 Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand
Thursday, January 17 At Sea
Friday, January 18 At Sea
Saturday, January 19 Singapore
Third, book flights and start dreaming
Consider the cruise line's offer for round trip air, which is usually a discounted price based on its purchase of a block of seats at bulk rates not available to individual flyers. Plan B use airline points at the "saver" half-price rate to fly business class to Hong Kong, and back from Singapore. Perhaps buy points if you need them; it is probably cheaper than the airlines' published prices of a round trip ticket that today is about $6,000 per person nonstop from Los Angeles, $7,000 from New York. Alternately, use Google Flights to find a premium economy seat at about half the price of business.
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