By Sally Macmillan
The cruise scene in Asia is taking off. Last year, more than two million people from the region took an ocean cruise, while a record number of Australians cruised there. So it's no surprise that the major cruise lines are ramping up their Asia-Pacific operations.
Three major cruise lines are sending their newest, biggest, blingiest megaships to China to take advantage of the rapid growth of cruising in Asia. Royal Caribbean's hotly anticipated Ovation of the Seas is in Tianjin (Beijing) until December, when it arrives in Australia for its inaugural season; Princess Cruises' glittering Majestic Princess will be based in Shanghai year-round from May; and Norwegian Cruise Line's activity-packed Norwegian Joy will homeport in Shanghai and Tianjin from mid-2017.
While this is exciting news for Chinese cruisers, what does it mean for Australian cruise fans? According to local industry experts, as more international ships are sailing in Asia, more Aussies are discovering the attractions of cruising in this geographically, historically and culturally diverse area.
Ovation Bionic Bar Ovation of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) it will become the biggest cruise ship to ever hit Oz waters - 6500 people (passengers and crew).
"The number of Australians cruising Asia topped 95,00 last year – an increase of 71.5 per cent from 2014, with growth driven by additional capacity, new itineraries, and increasing appetite among Australians to explore Asia," says Steve Odell, CLIA Australasia chairman and senior vice-president and managing director Asia Pacific of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
There is a wealth of exciting destinations to explore in this vast region, which broadly covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, India, China, Korea and Japan. Cruising is the ideal way to visit several countries in one easy package and if you're looking for cultural experiences, fabulous food, sophisticated cities, laid-back beaches, pristine dive sites or just a relaxing holiday in the sun, you'll find it all on a cruise in Asia.
Another appealing factor is the relative proximity of the main cruise hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong – it takes half to a third of the time to fly to either port city than to Europe. As Adam Armstrong, managing director of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, says, "A cruise allows you to see many different Asian destinations without the hassles of jetlag, negotiating through airports, train stations, transfers, and checking in and out of various hotels. This is one reason we have seen many families of all shapes and sizes booking on Asian cruises."
RV Chairadew: The Assam Bengal Navigation Company operates two 24-passenger vessels on the Brahmaputra.
Cruise ships have been calling at Asian ports on their world voyages for many years, but what's changing is how many more lines are deploying ships there for a season or year-round. And while Norwegian Joy, Majestic Princess and Ovation of the Seas have been designed specifically for the Chinese market, with tweaks such as Chinese language announcements, more shops and casinos, Cantonese and regional Chinese cuisine and more family-friendly accommodation, international cruisers are increasingly well served by global cruise lines.
"Princess Cruises offers a range of sailings in the region including cruises from Singapore, Beijing and Japan on Diamond Princess, as well as cruises between Australia and Asia," says Carnival Australia executive chairman Ann Sherry.
"Meanwhile, P&O Cruises' Pacific Eden has just completed her maiden season of cruises from Singapore and will return again in July next year for her second season. In all, Pacific Eden will make about a dozen maiden calls to Asian ports, from Probolinggo in The Philippines to Sihanoukville in Cambodia – it's wonderful to play a role in opening up more of Asia to Australian travellers."
Luxury line Seabourn, which also comes under the Carnival umbrella, is christening its newest ship, Seabourn Encore, in Singapore next January. The 600-passenger ship will then embark on its official inaugural 10-day voyage to Bali before sailing in Australia and New Zealand until March.
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises are increasing their Asia voyages from 35 to 41 for the 2016-17 season. Individual port visits are up from 53 to 58 and six ships from the group will be cruising Asia, including newcomers Ovation of the Seas and Celebrity Constellation.
Itineraries are also expanding, in response to demand. Celebrity Millennium will call at a number of new ports in Japan, including Aomori, Hakodate, Niigata, Otaru and Sendai. Azamara Journey will also visit new destinations too, such as Madras (Channai) in India, Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, Krakatoa Volcano in Indonesia, Kuda Bandos Island in the Maldives and Yangon (Rangoon) in Myanmar.
Like the Royal Caribbean group of cruise lines, NCL Holdings encompasses three distinct lines: the family-friendly Norwegian Cruise Line; premium, adult-focused Oceania Cruises; and uber-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises. And like the Royal Caribbean group, NCLH is ramping up its presence in Asia.
Norwegian Cruise Line is returning to Asia after a 15-year gap, with Norwegian Star sailing eight itineraries in the region between November 2016 and April 2017. Norwegian Jewel, which will cruise in Australia for the first time between November 2017 and February 2018, will undertake a range of cruises in Asia after its Australian season. Two of Oceania Cruises' six ships, Nautica and Insignia, are sailing seven Asia itineraries between them, from February to April 2017; they range from 15 to 31 days. Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Navigator and Voyager are sailing 18 itineraries taking in Asian destinations between January and December 2017.
RIVER CRUISING
River cruising in south-east Asia is also booming: while Pandaw pioneered river expeditions on the Mekong through Cambodia and Vietnam back in 2003, today there's a plethora of companies sailing not just the Mekong but Myanmar's Irrawaddy and Chindwin, India's Ganges and Brahmaputra, and China's Yangtze.
Experiencing a rich variety of cultures, cuisines, traditions and history along these storied waterways is the drawcard – and as seasoned travellers know, a river cruise is one of the easiest, most relaxed ways of discovering what lies at the heart of a country (or three). There's an incredible choice of itineraries, from four-day Mekong cruises to month-long cruise/land tours operated by companies such as APT and Scenic that combine Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar in one trip.
VIETNAM & CAMBODIA
Most Mekong cruises operate between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Siem Reap, Cambodia over seven nights. Get yourself into the mood by reading Marguerite Duras' The Lover, which is set in Vietnam's colonial port city of Sa Dec; and for a sobering insight into Cambodia's recent history, watch The Killing Fields. You will visit villages where you can ride through paddy fields in an ox cart and Buddhist temples where you might be blessed by a monk, see colourful floating markets and explore bustling cities such as Phnom Penh. You need to add in two or three days to see the magnificent Angkor Wat temple complex from Siem Reap; many cruise packages include this option.
WHO GOES THERE
The Mekong is the most travelled of south-east Asia's rivers. APT's 124-passenger AmaDara launched last year, joining the newly refurbished 108-passenger AmaLotus (aptouring.com.au). The new, 68-passenger Scenic Spirit is arguably the most luxurious ship on the river (scenic.com.au) and the 60-passenger Cruiseco Adventurer has been sailing since 2014 (cruising.com.au). Smaller vessels include Avalon Waterways' 36-passenger Avalon Siem Reap, which launched in 2015 (avalonwaterways.com.au), while Aqua Expeditions' 40-passenger Aqua Mekong sails three, four and seven-night itineraries (aquaexpeditions.com). Pandaw's newest itinerary goes as far as Kratie (pandaw.com).
Uniworld (uniworld.com/au/) and Viking River Cruises (vikingrivercruises.com.au) also operate Mekong cruises.
MYANMAR
Not so long ago, Myanmar was closed to foreign visitors. Now that it is becoming more accessible – but still untouched by tourism in many places – cruising on the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers is flourishing. Three- to four-day itineraries between Mandalay and Bagan are the most popular; the temple-studded plain of Bagan and ancient royal capital of Mandalay are among the country's major highlights. Seven-night and longer cruises between Yangon and Bagan reveal more of the magical countryside and traditional village life, while a few operators head further north for cruises along the Chindwin, a tributary of the Irrawaddy that flows from the Himalayan foothills. These voyages take you to a remote and very different world; expect the unexpected.
WHO GOES THERE
Belmond's 82-passenger Road to Mandalay has been plying the Irrawaddy for 20 years and the high-end operator (formerly called Orient Express) launched the 50-passenger Orcaella in 2014 for Chindwin voyages. Like Pandaw, Belmond is a much favoured expert in the region (belmond.com). The 56-passenger Strand Cruise is the newest luxury vessel to set sail between Bagan and Mandalay (thestrandcruise.com), joining Sanctuary Retreats' 46-passenger Sanctuary Ananda, which was launched in November 2014 (sanctuaryretreats.com). Other recent additions include the 36-passenger Avalon Myanmar, the 56-passenger Cruiseco Explorer, Scenic's 44-passenger Scenic Aura, APT's 60-passenger Samantha and sister company Travelmarvel's 72-passenger Princess Panhwar (travelmarvel.com.au).
INDIA
India's Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers are attracting increasing numbers of river cruisers but there are very few ships sailing there compared to the Mekong and Irrawaddy. Several companies run land-cruise trips that combine visits to the Golden Triangle cities of Delhi, Agra (for the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur (for the beautiful Pink Palace) with round-trip cruises on the Lower Ganges from Kolkata. Highlights of a Lower Ganges cruise include Moghul, British and French colonial architecture, Hindu and Buddhist temples and riverside villages. Wildlife and wilderness are the main features of an Assam cruise on the Brahmaputra; cruises are usually bookended with stays at jungle lodges in the Kaziranga National Park.
WHO GOES THERE
Cruiseco, APT, Travelmarvel and Uniworld are among the companies chartering the new 56-passenger Ganges Voyager for cruises on the Lower Ganges. Pandaw offers a combination Golden Triangle and Brahamaputra cruise-tour (cruising on the MV Mahabaahu) and an unusual combination Brahmaputra and Bhutan cruise-tour. The Assam Bengal Navigation company operates two 24-passenger vessels on the Brahmaputra and the 40-passenger RV Rajmahal on the Upper and Lower Ganges (activetravel.com.au); assambengalnavigation.com.
CHINA
The most-cruised segment of China's 6300-kilometre Yangtze River is between Chongqing and Yichang, or Chongqing and Wuhan. Cruises are usually a three- to five-night component of a land-cruise trip, and almost all include a tour into the Lesser Three Gorges region and a stop at the Three Gorges Dam site, plus visits to Shibaozhai Temple, the pandas at Chongqing Zoo, the "ghost city" of Fengdu and the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan. There are numerous land-cruise itineraries between Shanghai and Beijing that include attractions such as the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Warriors.
WHO GOES THERE
Sydney-based company Wendy Wu Tours is a specialist Asia tour operator that offers China land-cruise packages that range between 14 and 26 days. Yangtze cruises are on board American-owned Victoria Cruises' ships (wendywutours.com.au. Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.com.au), APT, Tauck (tauck.com.au) and Sanctuary Retreats all operate cruises on board the 124-passenger Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer. Uniworld offers journeys that take in a Yangtze cruise on Century Cruises' ships and highlights of China and Tibet and Viking charters the 256-passenger Viking Emerald from Century.
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