Cruising in Asia

As the cruise scene in Asia hots up, Sally Macmillan discovers some enticing trips that are both scenic and serene, offering bustling cities and sacred sites.

Savvy Aussie travellers are fast discovering that you don’t have  to fly for 24 hours – or more – or spend your lifetime’s savings to enjoy a cruise in one of the world’s most scenic, historical and culturally diverse regions. Asia is perfectly placed for coastal cruising. 

Whether you’re looking for a short break or an itinerary that takes in several countries, cruising in Asia offers an exciting mix of sophisticated cities, sacred sites, tropical resorts and exotic cuisines. And if a relaxing holiday with a spot of shopping is more your cup of green tea, you can do that, too.

Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Yokohama (the port for Tokyo), are Asia’s major cruise hubs and more mainstream cruise lines are now placing ships in these ports for weeks or months at a time. Joining segments of world voyages is another way to go, but you have to factor in flights that work with both embarkation and disembarkation ports.

Japan

The cherry blossom season, roughly from March to May, is the most popular time to visit. APT has a fabulous 13-night cruise next April that sails around the coast of Honshu, Japan’s “mainland” island, from Tokyo to Osaka. It also spends a couple of days in South Korea, an incredibly scenic country where serene Buddhist temples are as revered as futuristic city attractions.

MS Caledonian Sky will call at 14 fascinating ports. Highlights of the voyage range from feudal castles  and old samurai houses to exquisite formal gardens, traditional tea ceremonies and UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Visiting Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park is an emotional reminder of the devastation wrought by atomic bombs in World War II. Hiroshima is also famed for the Itsukushima shrine on Miyajima island, the distinctive “floating” vermilion-and-white pavilions. Most cruise lines’ shore excursions combine these sites. Visit aptouring.com.au.

Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess offers cruises ranging from five to  17 nights out of Yokohama, around Japan and to South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, Hong Kong and Vietnam. One that will appeal to photographers and gardening enthusiasts is a nine-night cruise to northern Japan in October during the spectacular autumn foliage season. Visit princess.com.

Singapore

In the past few years, the island  nation has become much more than a stopover with giant shopping malls – it has spiced up its nightlife, embraced its multicultural and colonial heritage and is a delightful destination for foodies, families and art lovers alike.

Singapore is also the jumping-off point for cruises to South-East Asia. You’ll find week-long round-trip sailings that visit Ko Samui and Bangkok in Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; longer 10- to 14-night cruises head north to Hong Kong, visiting these and more coastal ports and islands in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Royal Caribbean has dramatically increased its presence in Singapore and over the next couple of years it will base Voyager and Mariner of the Seas there for extended periods. The ships’ itineraries vary from three to eight nights and short hops to Penang and Langkawi (Malaysia) and Phuket (Thailand) are hot favourites. The line’s “supercruiser”, Ovation of the Seas, will leave Singapore in November on a 14-night cruise to Sydney, where it will be based until March 2018. Visit royalcaribbean.com.au.

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Eden will sail out of Singapore from July to August this year on seven- and 14-night cruises, and Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess will be based there from November 2017 until March 2018. Visit pocruises.com.au.

Hong Kong

There’s so much to see and do in dazzling, vibrant Hong Kong that  you need at least two days in the city pre- or post-cruise to get more than  a fleeting impression. If you’ve never visited before, start by taking the tram to the top of The Peak on Hong Kong Island for a panoramic view of the bristling skyscrapers and sparkling Victoria Harbour below.

What you choose to do next is up to you – there’s everything imaginable to experience, from ancient temples to the Space Museum and the world’s biggest seated Buddha on Lantau Island.

The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is  new, stylish and streamlined. As well as being an end or start point for South-East Asia cruises, this is the best port for cruises to mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas is based in Hong Kong from July to October 2017, doing short round-trip cruises to these countries; Ovation of the Seas will sail four round-trip cruises to Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan between October and November.

Shanghai

Known as the “Paris of the East” during the cosmopolitan 1920s and ’30s, Shanghai today is a dynamic business and retail centre. However, the gleaming high-rises have not eclipsed the original Art Deco buildings along the Bund that date back to those decadent times.

Walking along the historic waterfront is like visiting a living museum of China’s 19th-century colonial past. Walking tours are probably the  best way to explore Shanghai – one  to check out is through the French Concession area. You’ll experience the city’s East-West heritage in a wonderful mix of cafes and noodle shops. Shopaholics are also spoiled for choice.

Royal Caribbean has cornered the market on round-trip cruises from Shanghai with four- and five-night itineraries to Japan and Korea. In October this year, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium has a 12-night China and Philippines cruise departing Shanghai (visit celebritycruises.com.au); and Holland America Line’s Volendam is offering a 28-night cruise to Singapore that visits Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Visit hollandamerica.com.