My husband and I were on Celebrity Millennium’s Dec 7th cruise, going from Hong Kong to Singapore. We’ve always wanted to take this itinerary and it did not disappoint! Celebrity took care of all our visa requirements. You need to bring with you 2 passport size photos and 2 photocopies of your passport. Make sure your passport’s expiration date is at least 6-month from the last date of your trip.
GETTING THERE:
Celebrity arranged our flights. It took over 25 hours to get from New York to Hong Kong, with two stopovers. They also booked our airport transfer from HK Airport to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. We shared a van with another couple. There were no visible signs of unrest throughout our 40-minute drive to the pier.
Great location -- quiet -- no overhung so you can take beautiful photos. 2 robes and slippers are provided. Daily delivery of canapés and flavored tea.
We’ve been following Hong Kong’s unrest since it started. When we arrived, we were warned where to avoid going. We didn’t encounter any problem touring on our own.
We booked o/n cruise with Signature Cruise and also asked them to arrange our transportation. We got back the following day at 11 AM.
The Notre Dame Cathedral was cordon off for construction when we were there in December. The Central Post Office was nearby and it opens at 10 AM and not a minute sooner. We poked our faces inside and then left.
This city is very congested but more orderly than Ho Chi Minh City. Travelling on the Chao Phraya River in public boats was fast and cheap. Sometime we were lucky and got seats; other times, we barely have space to stand. We bought our tickets at the pier. The ticket is the size of a stamp and the conductor will come around and check it. This route is not recommended if you have mobility issues because the boats are not steady and you need to move fast getting on and off.
Travelling on the skytrains was also fast and cheap, though not as cheap as the riverboats. You need to tap the train ticket going and coming out of the station. If your destination doesn’t correspond to the ticket (i.e. you got off one station further away), you need to pay the fare difference before you can exit.
To use Singapore’s MRT system is easy and cheap. We want to buy a day pass, but they only selling it at certain stations. The nearest MRT to the cruise terminal is Marina South Pier and they don’t sell it there.
If you want to watch the Gardens by the Bay’s nightly show at 7:45 PM or 8:45 PM, go there early to stake out a good spot because the place will be PACKED during the show! It lasts about 15 minutes. Afterwards, walk across the Marina Bay Sands to watch the light and water show at the water’s edge at 9 PM. (You can’t miss this place because a lot of people will be sitting on the steps facing the water.) We liked this show better for its sheer size and the orchestral soundtrack. Also, people were not as pushy here.