I am finally on my way to my Asia Cruise at the end of 2024 for the first time! I planned to travel with the NCL Spirit for 2 Asia Cruises back to back, starting in Manila. This blog is about the first cruise only, and I will create another blog for the 2nd cruise.
Due to port changes, embarkation was moved to Hong Kong. I decided to go ahead and leave my airplane ticket as it was and then fly to Hong Kong a few days later to embark. NCL provided a $300 airfare credit refund to accommodate passengers with the port change. I flew then to Manila, Philippines, and stayed at the New Coast Hotel. A walk around the area and a tour the next day are described in my blog Manila, Philippines, linked here, so I will not duplicate those days.
I spent a short night in Hong Kong at the Dorsett Mongkok hotel, which was near the harbor, thus not too far from the cruise ship port. I little walk around the area and found that I couldn’t understand anything these restaurants were serving, so just a quick McDonald’s stop had to be enough! Later, I got Häagen-Daz ice cream at the 7-Eleven, and the hotel provided me with a little spoon and chopsticks kit to eat the ice cream!
Breakfast was included, and I am off to the cruise ship port around midday for the start of my Asia Cruise! Embarkation was good with no major delays, and since I was familiar with the NCL Spirit, I already knew my orientation. As I board, I have my routine of dropping off the carry-on bag and going to the Latitudes desk for reservations for special events. As a frequent cruiser, they offer some extras like a cocktail party, back-of-the-house tours, wine and drinks tastings, and dinner with the officers.
Hong Kong is our embarkation port and was also designated as an overnight, so we had time to explore the city the next day. I booked a tour, “Hong Kong Traditions-In Living Color,” and it was a bus and train tour around the city. We explored the wet and dry markets, temples, and Chinatown. Shark fins were still for sale in their preserved dry state for the famous Shark Fin Soup, a delicacy in China.
After a day at sea on the Asia Cruise, we start with the Philippines’ ports of call: Coron, Puerto Princesa, and Boracay. I have lined up tours in all of them, as this was my first time in the Philippines. The first in Coron was “Coron Town and Hot Springs,” taking us around the small city and ending up back near the water at the Manquinit Springs. Known as the only saltwater hot springs in the Philippines, with hot temperatures ranging from 102- 104°F. I just did a foot soak during the time we were there. Coron is also known for its cashew nuts, and there are shops everywhere selling a variety of flavors.
At our next stop, Puerto Princesa, I had booked a simple “Highlights” tour. This was a drive around to see the various sites, including a US Military Museum and the Immaculate Conception Cathedral.
Our final Philippines stop on this first Asia Cruise is Boracay, but I will be back in a few weeks! The Boracay tour was called “Motag Living Museum” and involved us visiting a replicate village of how the Filipinos lived in the past.
Now we head back north to Taiwan with a stop in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. I had booked the NCL tour “A Glimpse of Kaohsiung,” which took us to some interesting places like the city center with the very tall highrises, the Lotus Pond Scenic Area, and Confucius Temple. The details of the architecture were amazing! This city is the largest port in Taiwan, providing the import and export of 10.26 million containers per year.
Another day at sea, and the Asia Cruise heads to the Okinawa island of Japan to the port city of Naha for an overnight. Naha is known as the capital city of Okinawa and presents many sites, including the Suri Castle, Shikini Royal Gardens, and Makishi Market. I had arranged a NCL tour again called “Naha Highlights and Leisure”. This provided us time to go around the city and see the sights and spend a few hours in a mall where we enjoyed a Chinese lunch.
Our final port of call is going to be Ishigaki, Japan, and I have booked another NCL “Highlights” Tour. It drives us around the city of Ishigaki, as the southernmost city in Japan, on the island with the same name. We had stops at an Ishigaki Yaima Village known for its forest squirrel monkeys. The island itself and the city are most known for their beaches and snorkeling areas.
We arrive after 12-day Asaia Cruise in the debarkation/embarkation city of Taipei, Taiwan. Since I am staying on board for the next cruise to Singapore, I have a day to explore Taipei. Taking a taxi downtown to the Taipei 101 building, I see this monster that used to be the tallest building in the world. Now it is way down the list at 11, with 101 stories and 508 meters! The bottom three floors are a high-end shopping center with all the major brands present. Tomorrow, we are on our way again, so look for my next blog here!
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