We chose this cruise for the itinerary plus our experience on a previous cruise on Riviera.
A big plus was that Nautica, being a small ship, was able to dock close to several of the city centres rather than at the more distant ports. Sailing out of Hong Kong harbour from Ocean Terminal after dark was a an amazing sight and a cruise highlight. Several overnights in port made it possible to take two shore trips per port.
As anticipated, the food was great in all dining venues, especially at the Polo Grill. We appreciated room service breakfast on days when we had an early start for shore excursions. We like open dining times, being able to dine whatever time we feel like, and enjoyed sharing tables sometimes. The wine prices were very high, but we made good use of happy hour pre dinner drinks.
Comfortable cabin, bed excellent, but not much space between the foot of the bed and the wall. Storage ok but had to open back the lid of my suitcase to get it under the bed. Bathroom very small, shower with curtain.
2 private excursions. First one to Yen Tu temple and surrounding countryside. Second one a half day Halong Bay junk cruise. Excellent, especially as the sun came out and the haze cleared somewhat.
Some of us did a cooking class in town, found online. Highly recommend. A guided tour of a local produce market followed by the cooking class. Ate what we cooked. Great fun and very inexpensive.
Taken to Gardens on the Bay by friends. Great place to visit - lovely and cool in the domes.