Cruising from Hong Kong to Singapore on Holland America

We sailed through Southeast Asia on the Holland America Westerdam, waking up somewhere new each day and eating incredible food along the way. If Asia is on your bucket list but the logistics feel overwhelming, keep reading to learn what it was like onboard, how the ports work, and why this ended up being one of the easiest ways to experience multiple countries on one trip.

There’s vacationing and there’s traveling. For me, the first is relaxing and usually involves a beach, a good book or two, and not much of an itinerary. The second involves culture, tours, 20k+ step days, and usually a gorgeous church or temple or two. 

This trip, a 14-night Southeast Asian cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore, with stops in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia was a great balance between the two, with tons of busy port days and also plenty of downtime on the boat an at the beach. 

It was honestly one of the best few weeks of my life, and now that I’m back home I think about it almost daily.

But pretty much every time I tell people about it, they say the same thing: “I want to go to Asia, but it’s so intimidating. The language and culture barriers just feel like too much.”

I get it. Even as someone who’s done a decent amount of international traveling, including solo traveling, planning a trip to Asia can definitely be overwhelming. 

Cruising took so much stress out of it. Think of the ship like a hotel that travels with you. You don’t have to juggle check in and check out times and your transportation between towns and countries is handled so you don’t need to think about it. They speak English onboard. And you only have to unpack once, so you’re not constantly dealing with luggage or spending time packing and unpacking. 

The ship: Holland America Westerdam

We sailed on the Holland America Westerdam, which was a gorgeous boat. The overall vibe of the ship is just classy. There’s beautiful art, sculpture, and fresh flowers everywhere, and it felt elevated but not stuffy. It was very much like a nice hotel.

The Westerdam a smaller ship that holds about 2,000 passengers, so it’s a lot smaller than the big cruises we’ve taken in the Caribbean. I liked that. I never feel lost in a sea of people and, after a few days, we started to recognize familiar faces, giving the whole experience an intimate, friendly feel. 

The Westerdam originally set sail in 2004, and it didn’t feel dated at all. Everything was well-maintained and beautifully designed. It was scheduled for a renovation right after our sailing, and from the photos I’ve seen it’s even nicer now (although they did remove my favorite bar, the gallery bar, to expand the casino.)

There are lots of little nooks to discover: quiet corners (a gorgeous library to read in with tons of current books to borrow!), different bars with totally different vibes, and a nightclub with live music and dancing classes. 

There’s an art studio with free classes (watercolor and origami) and a game area stocked with tons of board games. Plus cruise staples like a theater for live shows, two pools (one with a retractable roof for all weather!), hot tubs, a spa, a casino, and tons of dining options.

Notably absent was the big atrium with tons of shops that we’ve experienced on other lines. There was a gift shop, a jewelry shop, a photo studio, and an art shop but they weren’t in main areas and it didn’t feel like people were constantly trying to sell you stuff. 

The crew is fantastic. They were some of the happiest cruise staff I’ve ever encountered, and always seemed to be looking for ways to make our trip more enjoyable. They all truly seemed to love their jobs.

The embarkation process

We embarked in Hong Kong, and the process was impressively organized. We were assigned an arrival time (I believe it’s based on where your room is located), and when we got to the terminal, there was an air-conditioned waiting area to hang out in until our group was called. You get called up, get your photo taken, go through security, and walk right onto the boat.

It took about an hour from the time we got there to the time we steppe onto the ship, which felt very efficient, especially for an international departure. We went straight to our room and our luggage, which we had dropped with the valet at the curb, was already there waiting for us!

The Room

We originally booked a guaranteed interior cabin. A few days before the cruise, they upgraded us to a room with a window (obstructed view), with the option to upgrade again to a veranda (balcony) room for an additional fee. We jumped on that and it ended up being a steal, especially because one of my credit cards had a promotion where I got most of the upgrade fee back as a statement credit.

The room had us totally spoiled. It felt huge, especially for a cruise. The layout was really efficient, and there was enough space to move around comfortably.

There was tons of storage, so it was easy to stay organized on a two-week trip: Two big closets with shelves, wall hooks, a desk with drawers and built-in shelving, cabinets above the couch, nightstands with drawers on both sides of the bed, two good sized cabinets plus shelves in the bathroom

The bed was super comfortable, and the couch (with a coffee table in front of it) was a great spot to relax or have a snack. There was also a large TV across from the bed. The channel selection was limited, but there were a few good on-demand movies, which was great for winding down at night.

The room was quiet; we didn’t notice noise from neighbors or hallways, so it was easy to sleep.

The balcony was small, but served it’s purpose. Two chairs and a small table (just big enough for a drink and my Kindle) fit comfortably, and it quickly became one of my favorite places to sit with coffee in the morning or unwind at the end of the day.

Housekeeping came by twice a day, which kept everything feeling fresh and reset every time we came back.

A few practical things that are worth knowing: there were a decent number of outlets near the desk (both US and European styles) but none right by the bed, so an extension cord or long charging cable is helpful. When we first arrived to the room, there was a form on the bed where we could request additional items. We were able to easily get extra hangers, an extension cord so I could set up my CPAP next to the bed, and a gallon of distilled water (there was a small charge, about $5, for the water). There was a decent hairdryer in the cabinet by the desk, they kept the shampoo, conditioner, and soap stocked, and they filled out ice bucket when they made up the room. They really seem to go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable!

The vibe

Holland America has a reputation for being for “old people” and it isn’t entirely unwarranted. The crowd definitely skewed older and in our early 40s, we were probably in the lower third age-wise. The passenger demographic tends to be 60-plus, but adventurous, well-traveled, and more interested in cultural immersion than poolside entertainment. It’s definitely not a Royal Caribbean or Carnival style party cruise at all, but it’s also not boring. I kelp saying that it felt like a retirement community but in the best possible way, with scheduled activities and personal enrichment opportunities galore. Personally, it suited my quieter personality perfectly.

Everyone we met was absolutely lovely to talk to and really into experiencing all the world had to offer. I was more than a little jealous of all of the retirees who had the time to do back to back cruises. Some people I met had been onboard for months straight!

the food

I’ve heard good things about HALs food, but even so I went in with low expectations since cruise food isn’t always the best. I’m happy to report back that the food was incredible! 

Lido Market (The “Buffet”)
First, the buffet (called the Lido Market) isn’t really a buffet. It’s set up more like a food hall, with different stations for different cuisines, and staff at each one plating and serving your food.

This meant there were tons of made-to-order options, which made a big difference. One night after an exhausting day in port, I had a build-your-own ramen bowl, and it was exactly what I wanted: hot, comforting and so full of flavor.

The only downside is that the Lido Market does get busy, especially at peak times, and finding a place to sit can be rough.

My tip: Find a table first, then either leave something there to save it, or take turns going up for food. This is also helpful because more likely than not you’ll end up separated from your group as you wait for something to be made for you or if you want to get things from different sections. If you don’t have a table already, it can be tricky to find the rest of your party after your plate is full! 

Main Dining Room
The main dining room was so good and far exceeded my expectations. We had dinner here almost every evening and did breakfast here most sea days to avoid the chaos of the Lido Market.

Everything was beautifully plated, and the menu changed nightly. What I loved most was that they incorporated local ingredients and regionally inspired dishes based on whatever port we were in, so it felt connected to the itinerary.

It felt like a true sit-down restaurant experience, not a cafeteria or mass dining, and I genuinely enjoyed almost every meal I ate there.

Dining was also super flexible. You can make reservations in the app each day for whatever time you want, or just walk up to the hostess stand. We never had an issue getting a time we wanted, and the longest we waited for a table was maybe 10 minutes.

There were two “dressy nights” where people were encouraged to dress a little nicer, but no one really went crazy with it. For women, a cocktail dress is perfect. For men, dress pants and a blazer worked well.

Specialty Dining
Like other cruise lines, there were also a few specialty restaurants that you could go to for an additional charge. We had two of these meals included with our Have It All (HIA) package and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Canaletto (Italian food, I had osso busco with saffron risotto) and Pinnacle Grill (a traditional steakhouse; I had seared halibut with scallops in a Thai red curry sauce and Shawn had braised beef short ribs with chow fun noodles.)

Based on the quality of these meals, we opted to pay to eat at the Morimoto at Sea popup once night. We had sushi and bibimbap in a hot stone bowl and it was spectacular.

Other dining options that we didn’t try included Tamarind, with a southeast Asian menu, and an Alaskan seafood feast.

While specialty dining definitely wasn’t essential (the food in the main dining room was perfectly delicious), it was really, really good fine dining. It was really nice that they were included in the HIA package, but I’d have no hesitation paying the fee if we were celebrating something or just wanted a more elevated night out.

Snacks, Casual Bites & Room Service

For quick, low-key meals, I was a huge fan of Dive-In, the grill located next to the main pool. They had a selection of Nathan’s hot dogs, burgers, and chicken sandwiches with different toppings (currywurst, a Mexican dog with nacho cheese and jalapenos, a classic mustard and sauerkraut situation, etc) that were all so good. They also had veggie burgers and milkshakes, and there was a build your own taco/nacho bar right next to it. I usually skipped fries in favor of chips with salsa and guacamole.

It was perfect for a casual lunch or afternoon snack without having to commit to a full sit-down meal.

There was also a limited room service menu available all day (no charge) and the Lido Market always had snacks and small bites (ice cream, sandwiches, fruit, cheese and crackers, etc) available, even outside of main dining hours, plus a late-night bullet with things like chicken fingers, mac and cheese bites, and pasta.

You definitely won’t go hungry on this cruise!

OK, but what about coffee??
As a self-proclaimed coffee snob, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the coffee was really good across the board. Regular coffee is included and available all day in the Lido Market.

Specialty drinks and espresso are widely available for a small fee (and are included if you have a drink package!) The pool bar had lattes (hot and iced) and cold brew, and the Crow’s Nest had a full coffeehouse menu, plus some fun specialty drinks. They also made a very solid espresso martini.

No complaints from me here at all.

Breakfast

On port days, we usually did room service so we could maximize our time. It wasn’t anything amazing and options were limited, but it definitely got the job done and I liked the pastries.

On sea days when things were less rushed, we’d go to the main dining room or the buffet.

Standouts for us included made-to-order eggs Benedict and fresh fruit.

The Drinks Package

We had the standard drinks package included in our HAL package, and it was really nice to not have to think about the cost of drinks. It covered anything up to $11, and if you wanted something more than that you could just pay the difference (espresso martinis ended up costing me $1 each). From what I’ve read the maximum was increased to $12 in 2026, but the drink prices were also raised proportionally.

I’m not a big drinker, but we typically had a drink with lunch on sea days, a pre dinner cocktail, a glass of wine with dinner, and a cocktail during the evening show.

Shawn drank a lot of soda, which is also included.

Our Favorites:

• Passionfruit margaritas
• Gin and Tonics with their house gin (custom made for Holland America)
• Negronis
• Espresso Martinis
• The Winter Star Martini (a seasonal cocktail at the Crows Nest Bar with Bailey’s, Vanilla Vodka, and Frangelico. My tip: order a shot of espresso on the side and pour it in!)

Whether getting the drink package is with it or not really depends on how much you drink, but when bundled with the Have It All package (which also included WiFi, excursion credit, and specialty dining), it felt like a good value.

If you don’t get a package, there’s water, coffee, tea, and iced tea available for no charge in the Lido Cafe all day and you can also get juice at breakfast time.

The Ports

This itinerary is really what sold me on booking this cruise, and they didn’t disappoint. Every stop felt completely different with some more cultural, some more active, and some laid back beach days.

A few important things to know going in:

Because the Westerdam is a smaller ship, it can go places a lot of bigger ships can’t. That means it can bring you to really cool places, but keep in mind that these are commercial, working ports, not places where you can just walk off the ship and start exploring. We were often the only cruise in port, which was really nice, but it also means there aren’t tourist terminals waiting for you. In most ports, you’ll either take a tender boat into shore or hop on a shuttle bus or golf cart just to get to the port gate.

Once you’re out, you’ll almost always need transportation, whither it’s a tour, private driver, or a taxi. These costs can definitely add up.

Excursions booked through Holland America are definitely more expensive, but they come with one major benefit: the ship will not leave without you if something runs late.

We used cruise excursions for days where we were traveling farther distances (like Bangkok, which was almost 3 hours from the port).

For most other ports, we booked private tours through GetYourGuide and Viator, which saved a lot of money and gave us more flexibility. We knew it was a risk, but we were very clear with the guides about what time we had to be back, and we had no issues at all. In a lot of cases they seemed more stressed about getting us back on time than we did!

Halong Bay, Vietnam

This was, without question, one of the best days of my life.

We did a full-day excursion on a traditional boat through Halong Bay (booked through Viatour), and it was the perfect mix of scenic relaxation and hands-on experiences.

We:

• Started with a multi-course Vietnamese lunch onboard
• Visited an oyster farm and learned about the pearl industry
• Biked around a small island and learned about local life
• Got a fish pedicure (unexpected but fun!)
• Had time to swim and kayak
• Took a hands-on spring roll class
• Ended with a sunset “fruit party” where we ate the spring rolls we made and sampled tons of different local fruits

The scenery alone is incredible, but the mix of experiences made it such a fun and memorable day.

👉 This is not a port to DIY—you need a boat excursion to actually experience the bay. That said, there is a terminal building at the port with some shopping (I got my first taste of Vietnamese egg coffee here!) and you can book taxis and local tour guides right there if you didn’t plan anything ahead of time.

Da Nang & Hoi An, Vietnam

This was a packed but really well-rounded day that we booked on viatour.

We did:

• A quick drive through Da Nang (including the famous Dragon Bridge)
• A stop at Marble Mountain, where we saw our first pagoda and so many beautiful buddah carvings
• A super fun coconut boat ride
• Shared a family style lunch with Vietnemese pancakes (Bánh xèo) with grilled pork, spring rolls, and beer
• Visited an artisan community where they showed us how silk is made
• Had free time to walk around Hoi An, a UNECSO world heritage site filled with lantern-lit streets and riverside cafes (I’m still thinking about the coconut coffee I got here). Note that everyone goes here and it will be one of the most crowded places you’ll see the whole trip!

👉 This is a great port for a guided tour—there’s a lot to see, and it would be hard to piece together on your own since the towns are farther away from each other.

Phu My, Vietnam

We booked a tour that brought us to Ho Chi Minh City, about 90 minutes away from the port, for a day focused on history.

We visited:

• The War Remnants Museum (and learned a lot about the Vietnam War, including their perspective on it)
• The Central Post Office
• Reunification Palace
• Notre-Dame Cathedral (under renovation so we couldn’t go in)
• Stopped at a food hall for lunch and has really good banh mi and more Vietnamese coffee

👉 This is a port where you could explore the smaller town of Phu My a bit on your own, but for us it was worth bookign a tour to experience Ho Chi Minh City.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Sihanoukville is a cute beach town, but since we didn’t know if we’d ever be in this part of the world again we took the option to trek to Phnom Penh. It was about a 3 hour drive each way, but ultimately ended up being a really awesome experience. Cambodia is a vibe and I couldn’t get over the really awesome art architecture!

We visited:

• The Royal Palace Complex
• Local temples
• The Genocide Museum, which was incredibly powerful

We also had lunch at a roadside spot, where I had some of my favorite food of the trip. I don’t know whty Cambodian food isn’t more popular!

You could DIY this port if you want to stay in Sihanoukville and have a beach day (I’ve heard it’s stunning) but the trip into the city was definitely worth it.

Bangkok (via Laem Chabang)

This was one of the days we booked through the cruise, and I’m really glad we did.

We did the “Unseen Temples” tour, which focused on lesser-known spots rather than the typical tourist highlights. Then in the evening:

• Visited Pariwat Temple and Yannawa Temple
• Fed the fish in the local river
• Took a Tuk Tuk ride
• Explored a night market
• Enjoyed a really nice dinner cruise on the river. I really wasn’t sure what to expec there ,but it for a highlight for sure. The cruise left from the Shangri-La, so you knew right away it was going to be luxe. The buffet was full of amazing seafood and local specialties, and seeing Bangkok lit up at night (with light, shows, music, etc – it was very Bangkok) was definitely an experience I never expected!

👉 Because of the distance from port, this is a must-do as a cruise excursion or with a very reliable private guide. You definitely don’t want to risk missing all aboard!

Pattaya, Thailand

This ended up being a really fun, low-key day where we explored on our own.

We:

• Took a Grab (their equivalent of an uber, and a fraction of the cost of a taxi) to the Sanctuary of Truth (100% worth it)
• Walked around town
• Had lunch on a patio overlooking the ocean at the Beer Garden. The panang pork and seafood pad thai both got an A++.
• Got a massage for next to nothing
• Drank fresh coconut water on the beach
• Bought elephant pants and just fully leaned into being tourists

👉 Pattaya has a little bit of a bad rap for being seedy, and yes there’s a red light district that’s pretty intense. But it was easily avoidable if you wanted to, and especially in the daytime the twon was just super chill. This is one of the few ports where it’s easy (and fun) to DIY your day.

Ko Samui, Thailand

This was out last port day, and wrapping things up on a Thai beach was perfect.

We did a boat excursion that included:

• A trip to Koh Madsum (a small beach island with wild pigs!) with time to hang out on the beach — swings, drinks, massages, the whole vibe. There’s a beach shack with food and drinks (yes, they take credit cards) and we shared a delicious shrimp pad thai and a fresh coconut right on the beach.
• Snorkeling off the boat. I was really excited for this since I love snorkeling, but honestly it wasn’t amazing. The water was very murky water and there was no guide to point us in the right direction, but I did see a ray which was really incredible!
• A visit to an elephant sanctuary where we got to feed elephants
• A stop at a temple
• A visit to a small waterfall
• Some quick shopping and a Thai iced tea before heading back to the boat

👉 Great mix of relaxation + activity, but expectations for snorkeling should be low. I loved this excusion, but there was a ton near the port (including a bustling port building) so this was a stop you could easily DIY or book on the spot.

Life Onboard + Sea Days

One of the things I loved about the itinerary was how many sea days there was, just about one day in between each port to unwind and recover from those packed tourist days!

Even on the sea days though, there definitely wasn’t any getting board! In fact, if anything I wished the pace was a little slower on on these days than it was! There was so many things to do, that sometimes it was hard to pick how I wanted to spend my time!

Acitivities and classes

There was a really great mix of activities, especially if you like learning something new or doing something hands-on.

• Watercolor classes, which I loved. These fill up fast, so get there wasrly to get a seat! (And yes, I’ve actually kept up with this new hobby since coming home)
• Cooking demonstrations
• Dance classes (ballroom, line dancing, etc.)
• Organized game tournaments, pickleball, and trivia
• Live music, ranging from chill tunes by the pool, a live pianist doing “name that tune” (and taking requests), a classical pianist-violinist that was incredible (and total Titanic vibes), and dance music
• Little surprise moments, like a Lido deck carnival day with games (ring toss, corn hole), prizes, and fun treats like cupcakes and cotton candy.

Cultural & Port Talks

I didn’t know these were a thing before we set sail, but they were some of my absolute favorite part of sea days!

They offered:

• Cultural lectures (including one about food in Asia that I loved) that were informative but also really entertaining and well produced
• Port talks with history, context, and recommendations for whatever place we’d be docking the following day. Going to this talk actually led to us switching our plans and going to Pattaya instead of doing a second day in Bangkok.

other good Things to know

Visas & Passports

One of the biggest stressors with a trip like this is visas. Honestly, it ended up being really easy.

You can arrange visas in advance yourself, but if you don’t, the cruise line will handle everything and just charge it to your onboard account (for roughly the same cost you’d pay for the DIY option). It made the whole process completely seamless.

Another thing to know: they collect your passports when you embark ship, and you don’t get them back until the last day of the cruise. At first, that felt a little strange, but it actually makes port days much smoother since the ship handles immigration for you. When we got our passports back, they were stamped from multiple countries, which was honestly such a fun (and unexpected) souvenir. It felt a little weird traveling in a foreign county without it, but I made sure we had photos of them on our phones just in case.

👉 One important caveat:

If you plan to leave the ship mid-itinerary or stay overnight independently, plan ahead. One woman on our tour had arranged to stay at a hotel and rejoin the ship later, and she said it took a few hours at Guest Services to get her passport back. I know a lot of people also stayed the night in Bangkok since we stayed docked there for two days, and you’ll need a passport to check into your hotel.

Cash, Cards & Currency

For the most part, credit cards were widely accepted, especially in more developed or tourist-friendly areas.

That said, it’s really helpful to have some local cash for smaller shops, market stalls, and food stands.

The good news: every port had ATMs, so you can just withdraw cash when you arrive rather than carrying a lot with you. Just give your bank a heads up before you go, so they know to let the international transactions clear.

Our guides were also great about this. Many of them offered to pay for things for us and let us reimburse them in USD, which made things even easier.

👉 One thing that surprised me: Cambodia universally accepts USD at a fixed exchange rate, so you don’t necessarily need local currency there!

WiFi & Connectivity

We had the ship’s WiFi package, which was nice to have, even thought it was pretty spotty (especially in the South China Sea, where we were told the signal got jammed).

Luckily, you don’t need it unless you plan to work on board. The Holland America app works without WiFi for things like checking the daily schedule, booking dining, and even messaging other passengers.

For port days, I used an eSIM (Roamless) and it worked great. I highly recommend this over international roaming. Just remember you’ll need service to set it up, so do it at home before you leave or someplace with wifi.

Overall

I can’t speak highly enough about this cruise. In fact, I’m considering doing the exact same one again (and doing different things at each port.) It was a really low stress way to dip my toes into Asian travel, and I loved the balance of port days, city days, beach /nature days, and sea days.

Pros

• Incredible itinerary — We got to visit Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand (plus time in Hong Kong and Singapore on each end!)
• A very low-stress way to experience Asia; no need to plan transport between countries or move hotels.
• Intimate ship size that was easy to navigate and never felt crowded
• Food exceeded expectations, and I loved the regionally inspired dishes
• Great mix of activities onboard
• Ports were less crowded; we were often the only ship in port

Cons

• Ports are industrial. You can’t just walk off and explore, so some planning is required and you will probably need to spend money on tours to get the most out of your time there
• The distance from the port to major cities or attractions could be a bit of a hike, taking an hour or two by car
• Only one day in each port means you have to be really thoughtful about how you want to spend your time; I wish we had more time to explore each location
• WiFi can be dicey, especially at sea
• The crowd skews older, not ideal if you’re looking for a party vibe or if you have young kids traveling with you (there is a kids club, but it didn’t seem like there were many kids on board at all)