On South China Sea cruises Hong Kong is a major port of call. While one day is not enough time to see much you can hit some of the major highlights.
As you sail into Hong Kong your first impression of the city is one of rolling hills and endless skyscrapers. In this city even low-income housing is mostly in skyscrapers. Much like Singapore, Hong Kong developed because of its unique geo-political status and the South China Sea location. Recently the government of mainland China is working to absorb Hong Kong politically into China, against the requirements of the treaty that transferred the city from British control, but mostly daily life seems to go on as usual. Putting politics aside Hong Kong is a remarkable city. Modern, efficient and clean with the people incredibly friendly and eager to be helpful.
Where Your Ship Docks
Most cruise ships will usually dock at the new cruise terminal that was once the site of the international airport in Kowloon. The modern Kai Tak Cruise Terminal has plenty of public facilities, shops and tour offices and information stands inside. Outside taxi service and shuttle buses are available. There is no metro station at the cruise terminal however. The nearest one is the Ngau Tau Kok Station about 2 miles away. Across Victoria Harbor from the cruise terminal is Hong Kong Island encompassing the central business district with Victoria Peak standing above the city. To get into town you can take a taxi but often there are free shuttles. Local businesses in order to deliver cruise passengers to their merchants will provide free bus service to several locations on Hong Kong Island and that opportunity is worth taking advantage of.
Getting Around
The first suggestion is to get yourself oriented as to where you are and what locations you would like to visit. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive and the subway (MTR) is clean, modern, inexpensive and easy to use. You can find a number of official maps HERE or download our free map below.
The free bus rides from the cruise terminal will usually include a ride to Plaza Hollywood which is a large mall featuring exhibit space, a movie theatre and a couple hundred stores. While not a real destination it will get you to a central Hong Kong location with easy access to the MTR with one station under the mall.
Wheelchair Accessibility Disembarking – This port provides a modern cruise terminal with built-in provisions for passengers using wheelchairs like ramps and elevators.
Port Area Characteristics – This port has a well developed wheelchair friendly infrastructure. The port area is flat or has few inclines. Intersection crosswalks have few issues with curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.
Currency
The local currency is still the Hong Kong Dollar and is worth somewhat less than US$0.15. Credit cards are welcome everywhere and ATM machines are plentiful. If you don’t want to use credit cards you will need to exchange some money for Hong Kong Dollars.
Things To See
This city is itself a wonder and just exploring its districts and neighborhoods is enough to begin to get its flavor. If you took the free shuttle to Plaza Hollywood you will find yourself near a couple of MTR stations (one inside the mall) and the Nan Lian Gardens (look for the elevated highway and walk under it after exiting the mall). The park is a classic style Chinese garden and is beautiful with flowers, waterfalls, Koi ponds and pagodas and completely walled in by high rise buildings (admission is free).
Nan Lian Gardens
Victoria Heights
Taking the MTR is easy to figure out with well designed maps and ticket machines that take credit cards with English language options. The trains and stations are modern, clean and well marked. Your first objective should be to get to the Central MTR station for its location in the CBD and the Victoria Peak Tram. The area features commercial skyscrapers and upscale shopping with the alleys between buildings filled with market stalls selling everything from food to inexpensive clothing.
Going up to Victoria Peak is one of the cities highlights. There is a Peak Tram that leaves from a station near Hong Kong Park and the Government Center in the CBD but the wait in line to buy tickets and catch the tram can be several hours. Another option is to offer to share a taxi with the fare up and back costing less than 25 Hong Kong Dollars (US$3) each way. The view is spectacular and well worth the trip. If you are overnighting, do not pass up a visit to The Heights at night.
If you’re visiting Hong Kong for a few days or visiting on a cruise don’t hesitate to take advantage of the cities fantastic metro system. It’s clean, easy to understand and most signage includes English. You can depend on the people to also be friendly and eager to offer assistance.
Hong Kong is an incredible city with a great metro system. Generally the people are friendly and helpful. The young people don’t just get up to give older people their seat – they insist. Fares are very reasonable and coverage is extensive.
Stop Worrying – You Can Overcome Seasickness And Have A Great Cruise
Seasickness just isn’t that big a problem and at times getting seasick is just a fact of life. With this article it is certainly not my intent to scare people away from cruising but rather to offer some simple ways to overcome it. Some people seem to get it worse than others but you should not allow your fear of getting seasick keep you from experiencing one of travels most amazing options.
Afraid of Getting Seasick?
Maybe you would love to try cruising but have a big concern about getting seasick? If you are worried about taking a cruise because you are prone to seasickness, or motion sickness, you are not alone but you need not worry too much. There are thousands of people that have faced that fear and have gone on to become enthusiastic and frequent cruisers.
What Causes Seasickness?
Seasickness is caused by a conflict between the inner ear, where the human balance mechanism resides, and the brains visual perception regarding its surroundings. The inner ear where balance is controlled, has small hairs bathed in fluid that detect changes in both up-and-down and side-to-side movement. With movement at sea the body moves along with the ship causing the balance mechanism to register motion while often your eyes see your surroundings as a relatively stable scene. Confused by this perceptual incongruity, the brain responds with a cascade of stress-related hormones that often cause nausea, vomiting, and vertigo.
Working to settle the stomach is the initial approach to overcoming the symptoms of seasickness. Two old navy standbys are ginger ale and crackers along with spending time out on deck. First the fresh air helps but also staring at the horizon is a way of reconciling the brain to the movement of the ship and the unmoving horizon.
Try Ginger Root
My wife had a serious issue with small boats and getting seasick and for that reason was very concerned about cruising. We were planning to take our first cruise and had selected Alaska, something she really wanted to do. If her seasickness got the better of her, at least she had gotten to see Alaska.
She had gone to her doctor to get a prescription for the patch and while he wrote the prescription he suggested she first try ginger root. He said he had a terrible time with seasickness and recently on a trip to Australia the Aussies told him to take ginger root. After two days out on the Great Barrier Reef hebacame a convert. On his advice she started taking ginger root capsules and she hasn’t had any real problems since and we have weathered a number of storms at sea over the years. While she had the patch she has never used it.
We have a friend who cruises a lot and she was getting acupuncture treatments on the ships to help with her seasickness. On our recommendation she started taking ginger and now no longer needs those treatments. The recommended dose is 550mg taken with meals. Don’t take it alone or you’ll probably taste the ginger for hours afterwords.
Select The Right Stateroom
If you’re prone to bad episodes there are also some other things you can to reduce the risk of getting seasick. The problem is actually a severe form of motion sickness. It is particularly severe on ships because during higher seas the motion can be unusual and persistent. The good news is it rarely lasts for long. If your concerned about how well you’ll do consider booking a cabin that can reduce motion. The staterooms less prone to feeling the ships motion are located in the center of the ship half way between the stern and the bow and near the waterline. Think about a seesaw where the riders go up and down but the center stays relatively still. If you do suffer a bad episode a nap can be just what the doctor ordered.
Think of summer evenings by the Mediterranean, the feeling of sand beneath your feet. Elegant evenings and casual days ashore where the breeze is warm and the days are long. Shop Now The Cruise Life Shop at The Crafts Mart.
Imagine cruising the Caribbean, Alaska or the Mediterranean. The feel of sea breezes, amazing sunsets with elegant evenings and casual days ashore. Enjoy fashions created just for your cruise life. Shop Now The Cruise Life Shop at The Crafts Mart.
WHAT’S YOUR COLOR? EXPLORE MORE CASUAL FASHIONS FOR SHIP N’ SHORE!
Should your travel plans bring you to the western coast of France or if you’re visiting Paris you should consider adding a trip to the beaches of Normandy to your itinerary. There are a number of tours available from Paris to Normandy and many can be booked through hotels. Another option is to rent a car and spend a couple of days in Normandy on your own. The countryside is beautiful and the French people here are incredible welcoming.
There are also a number of other cemeteries in the area honoring those that gave their lives from the British Commonwealth and other countries.
France, as a travel destination, doesn’t have the best reputation for the friendliness of its people. That is not the case in Normandy as you’ll discover most people friendly, talkative and still eager to express gratitude for the American and allied sacrifices on D-Day. Be sure and spend some time at Pointe du Hoc where you’re likely to encounter French school tours visiting as there is serious effort to keep that moment in history alive for successive French generations.
Normandy American Cemetery
90 Foot Cliffs at Pointe du Hoc
Even today, visiting the quiet beaches and the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, the enormity of that day in 1944 still has an emotional impact. It is overwhelming to walk thru the Normandy American Cemetery with the almost 10,000 head stones standing in row after row, like the fallen soldiers they mark. Walking in the cemetery it is hard to process the number of lives lost in only a couple of days. The land beneath the cemetery is actually considered U.S. soil and the cemetery is maintained and operated by Americans.
Along the coast and especially at Pointe du Hoc you can still see the craters gouged out by the Allied naval gun barrages on June 6th along with those immense concrete German defensive bunkers dotting the landscape. At Pointe du Hoc it is difficult to look down those shear ninety-foot cliffs and believe that 225 American Rangers climbed them in bad weather while under attack by German gunfire from above.
Save some time for lunch at the village of Arromanches which sits in the middle of the invasion beaches or taking a drive through the beautiful French Normandy countryside. There are farms and villages dotted with yellow canola fields, bordered by oak trees thick with clusters of mistletoe. All-in-all an unforgettable experience.
Ho Chi Minh City, as it is officially called, is a sprawling city located on the delta of the Dong Nai River however even locals still call it by its original name, Saigon. With the rapid industrialization recently of Vietnam a number of port facilities have been built along the channels of the Dong Nai River and usually they are referred to by the name of the nearest town, like Phu My. Currently there are a number of locations where cruise ships can dock. These are all working industrial ports where cruise terminals are generally not available, but Vietnamese government is planning expansion to meet the growing demand.
Ho Chi Minh Skyline
The SPCT Port facility is one of the locations where cruise ships have docked and is about fifteen to twenty miles from Saigon’s CBD. Larger cruise ships are currently using the SP-PSA Saigon International Terminal which, by road, is over thirty miles from Saigon.
In either case there is virtually little within five miles of the cruise ship docking area to accommodate visitors and getting into Saigon will require either a tour or a taxi. Most cruise ships offer tours into Saigon along with excursions to the Mekong River and more.
Transportation – Most cruise passengers take advantage of buses arranged by their ships. Usually taxis are available and a one-way trip into Ho Chi Minh City will cost about 700,000 Dong or about US$30 (be sure and confirm the price before starting out). Additionally Grab (a Vietnam service similar to Uber) is popular in Vietnam so if you are inclined refer to their app (https://www.grab.com/vn/en/). We have heard that Grab drivers are a bit scarce near the port but common in the city.
Showroom on Đồng Khởi St.
Currency – Currently the US Dollar is worth about 23,000 Vietnamese Dong but the good news is the Vietnamese gladly accept American Dollars. Credit cards are welcome at many businesses but ATM’s can have major charges for transactions.
Attractions – The primary destination is Saigon where you will find notable landmarks like the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, the War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace (former Presidential Palace) and many cultural centers. Saigon is also a shopper’s paradise with bargains found everywhere. The city has a number of major markets with An Đông Market being the most popular for general merchandise. There is also Đồng Khởi Street an upscale shopping and restaurant neighborhood.
Looking for a great bon voyage gift? Want some solid ideas to make your cruise experience even more enjoyable? We’ve curated a number of great items to help you make a splash!
Bon Voyage Ideas!
Our extended family has done some cruising and it is a family tradition to have a bottle of wine delivered to the cruisers stateroom as a bon voyage gift. That’s not a new idea and that tradition goes way back to the era of those famous trans-Atlantic liners. Todays cruise lines are perfectly happy to help you keep that tradition alive.
The cruise lines want to make it as easy as possible for you, just check out their web sites. Take a look at Royal Caribbeans Bon Voyage Shop for some gift ideas. We’ve got a few ideas of our own and ours just might give you a bit more bang for your buck.
Please note: We do not receive and fee or commission from Amazon.
Fun CruiseGiftsTo Give or Use Yourself
One of our favorite cruise bon voyage gift ideas is to give them a Cruise Specific Gift Card before they leave on their cruise. After all the money spent booking the cruise and getting to the ship it’s a nice way to help their money go further.
[Note clicking on an image links to the items on Amazon.com]
Door Magnets
Royal Caribbean Door Magnets
Let them know who’s cruising. Marking and decorating stateroom doors is becoming a fun way to show who you are and celebrate the occasion. This makes a great bon voyage gift too. This door magnet design is customized for Royal Caribbean cruisers.
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Carnival Cruise Door Magnets
Marking and decorating stateroom doors is becoming a fun way to show who you are, where you are and celebrate the occasion. A great bon voyage gift idea too. This item is designed to be customized for Carnival cruisers.
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Onboard Gift Cards
We can’t think of a better bon voyage gift than an onboard gift card. After spending all that money on a cruise what could be a better gift than extra money to spend onboard. Save money on board by applying this gift card to the onboard cruise account! Use it for drinks, a special dinner or to take a land tour.
Know someone taking a Princess Cruise? How about a little more fun on that cruise? This is a fantastic bon voyage gift! Get this gift card and apply the amount you select. These cards allow the guest to apply the money on the card right to their onboard charge account. They’ll love you for it!
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Know someone taking a Carnival Cruise? Get this gift card and apply the amount you select. A great bon voyage gift! These cards allow the guest to apply the amount on the card right to their onboard account. They’ll love you for it!
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Know someone taking a Holland America Cruise? Get this gift card and apply the amount you select. These cards allow the guest to apply the amount on the card right to their onboard charge account. They’ll love you for it!
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Gadgets & Helpful Ideas
Little things that make a big difference. These simple items come in handy when you cruise. After a couple of decades of cruising we’ve discovered a number of items that we think are worth their weight in gold. Nightlights, hooks, beach-towel clips and more.
There’s Never Enough Outlets
Most cruise ships have a pretty limited number of electric outlets and often they are difficult to use, especially with odd sized plugs like voltage converter plugs. Be prepared with a single device that provides three grounded outlets (125V/15A, Max 1875W）and three USB charging ports（3.1A Total) . It auto-detects charged devices to deliver optimum and fastest charging speed up to 5V/2.4A. Don’t cruise without this cube.
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Some Ships Have Built-In Nightlights But Unfortunately Many Don’t – It’s Good To Be Prepared
These are great for cruising but also they’re a great travel accessory anywhere you go. From cruise staterooms to B&B stays, this will save a lot of stubbed toes and unnecessary middle of the night noise. Battery operated with charging by USB outlet they are motion activated. We put one on the bathroom counter wherever we travel.
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Need To Stay In Touch While On Board?
Traveling with a family or group? Sometimes catching up with people can be a hassle. From pools to cafe to buffets, spa and games, where are they? Cruising with children adds a whole other challenge with missed meetings and kids not checking in. Here’s an easy answer. Carry a set of walkie talkies.
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All Cruise Lines Use A Keycard As A Stateroom Key And For Charging Onboard – Carry Your Seapass Card In Style.
Carrying your ship keycard (Seapass) on a lanyard is a convenient way to keep it handy. There are any number of clear cases available but this one has more style than any we’ve found. We also like that this one has a convenient pocket on the back that makes the card even more accessible. Order in pink, black or rose-gold.
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Lots Of Fun To Be Had Lounging By The Pool
A packet of these little jewels are the perfect way to keep your towel clipped to your lounger while marking your space with bright tropical colors. No more towels sliding down just as you go to stretch out. Comes in packs of eight. They also come in real handy holding clothes to dry in your stateroom. Enough said…
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Extra Secure Luggage Tag Holders Help Make Sure You Get Your Bags Onboard And To Your Cabin
Gone are those days when the cruise line sent luggage tags to you before the cruise. Today when you register for your cruise the website provides a set of printable screens to create your tags. The job is now yours to print, fold and attach those to your bags. Keep a set of these secure luggage tag holders handy and feel secure that you bags will make it to your stateroom. This set is designed to hold tags from Carnival, Princess, P&O, Norwegian, Costa, and Holland America.
This design was created to match tags from Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity. Travel secure knowing that your bags will find you on time.
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Freshen Up Your Clothes While You Travel
These items don’t just save money but time too. We travel over a quarter of the year with an average trip being around thirty days. Over the years we’ve developed a system that involves easy to rinse out cloths, travel detergent and accessories to hang up items and prevent wrinkles.
Our Favorite Inflatable Travel Hangers
These rugged hangers pack flat and inflate providing a broad shape to prevent those puckers that flat hangers can produce on shoulders of blouses, shirts and T’s.
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Wash Out Clothes On The Road
Handy packets of mild laundry detergent to rinse out clothes in a sink. There are a number of choices but these are easy to carry and meet our requirements.
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Spray Away Those Wrinkles
No Matter how carefully you pack there always seem to be a few unsightly wrinkles when you unpack. Here’s a quick way to deal with those wrinkles without spending much.
You can buy and carry a commercial wrinkle release product or you can make you own for just pennies. We carry a small 30ml spray bottle when we travel with just a small amount of ingredients inside. When we need to use it we just fill with water, shake and mist the wrinkles. Here’s the recipe:
To a 30 ml Bottle add the following ingredients
1 Teaspoon rubbing alcohol
1/4 Teaspoon uncolored fabric softener
Shake
Once you get to your room and start unpacking, just fill the bottle with water, shake and spray. If you run out, just plain water can also do almost as good a job. Just mist lightly and hangup the clothes to dry.
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If Seasickness Is A Concern – Stop Worrying
While issues with seasickness on a cruise are usually mild and short lived there are actions you can take to greatly reduce the likelihood of it occurring. My wife has a long history of suffering from motion sickness and was very concerned before our first cruise. She went to the doctor to get a prescription for a patch but received some good advice as well. The doctor also had a problem with seasickness but while boating in Australia he was told about taking ginger and claimed it worked great for him.
My Wife Swears By Ginger
Before our first cruise she went to the doctor to ask for a prescription for the patch. The doctor gave her the prescription but recommended she try ginger capsules first. She starts taking them a day before the cruise and takes three a day with meals (very important unless you want to taste ginger all day) during the cruise. Problem solved. She’s taken over fifty cruises with a few through high seas with barely a problem with seasickness.
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What Exactly Is Seasickness?
It results from a conflict in the inner ear, where the human balance process resides. The inner ear actually senses motion without relying on our sense of sight. Inside a rocking ship the inner ear detects changes in both up-and-down and side-to-side motion as the body moves along with the ship. Since the ships interior moves along with the us, our eyes register a relatively stable unmoving scene. Confused by this perceptual conflict, the brain reacts with a release of stress-related hormones that can ultimately lead to nausea, vomiting, and vertigo.
The first approach to lessoning the symptoms is to settle the stomach which is why Darmamine and ginger help. Another approach is to demonstrate to the mind that the perceptual conflict is real. Going somewhere where you can look out at the sea is and effective way to resolve the perceptual conflict. Going out on deck also provides fresh air which also helps.
More Motion Sickness Options
Over the counter options to consider just in case. It’s always better to be prepared…
The Intentional Travelers 