Cruise Away from Hong Kong in Luxury

Dream Cruises

Dream Cruises bills itself as the first ever Asian luxury cruise line, and has just announced that reservations are open for its maiden voyage, departing on November 13. The massive cruise-liner will initially offer two-, five- and seven-night trips to picturesque destinations around Asia, from the crystal clear waters of Ha Long Bay, to Sanya, the “Hawaii of China,” to the white sandy beaches and ancient sun-kissed structures of Nha Trang in Vietnam. Other ports include the buzzing city of Ho Chi Minh and day-trips within the Pearl River Delta.

If you’re more concerned about luxury at sea, Dream Cruises’ inaugural liner, the Genting Dream, is outfitted with enough bells and whistles to keep you occupied between shore trips. In addition to more than 35 restaurants and bars on board, the ship will house one of the world’s largest Asian reflexology spas at sea, as well as six water slides, two submersibles, a ropes course, a rock climbing wall and of course plenty of live shows. 

The ship fits 3,400 guests in total with the option of the “Dream Mansion” for those with deeper pockets—a “ship-within-a-ship” that’s essentially two floors of upscale suites complete with private butler service. If you identify more with Jack than Rose, don’t worry: you can still reside comfortably in the generous staterooms, 100 of which are built for families and larger groups. Seven-night cruises departing from Hong Kong start at $14,095 from dreamcruiseline.com, 2317-7711, [email protected]

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is an industry veteran, so you can expect a certain level of service at sea, even on their lesser-known Asian cruise lines. The Voyager of the Seas departs from Hong Kong starting in June this year, with minimum five-day itineraries that will take you through Taipei, Sanya, Japan and Vietnam. Wave bon voyage to the office for the week and sail into the sunset on the full eight-day, seven-night itinerary, which detours at the beach town of Xiamen, China before taking you to explore Nagasaki and Okinawa in Japan.