Betty, I wish that I had been to the ports so that I could provide you information. I hope that you will post about your visit after you get back as we plan on going to some of those ports in the future.

Beth, I will post information on the Japanese ports within the next couple of days. Here is some information on other ports that we have gone to:

Bali/Benoa, Indonesia: I think that we had booked our private guide through Regent (2007), but I cannot find any reference to it, or a business card in my cruise papers. If we were to go back, I would not hesitate to pre-book a guide, and not book through a cruise line. We had a someone who drove the vehicle, and a separate guide. Bali could have changed a lot since we were there, and I hope someone else will chime in and give you more current information.

Semarang/Borobudur, Indonesia: I just looked at my photographs, and I would highly recommend going to Borobudur on the ship’s tour.

Singapore: We loved Singapore. There are so many options that you will need to narrow down what you would like to do when you are there. Check out all of the following to see what fits you best: HiPPO; The Singapore Tours & Attractions Pass; Singapore Ultimate Sightseeing Pass; Chinatown Walking Tour; Little India Walking Tour; Singapore River Cruise; Sentosa Saver; or hire a taxi tour guide for Singapore sightseeing. Enjoy a chilli crab with an ice cold beer. If you want to spend a lot of money on a drink for a taste of history, order a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel.

Bangkok/Laem Chabang, Thailand: This is another place we were glad that we had booked a private guide. There is so much to see and do – everything from temples, daily life, shopping, river tours – that I would recommend you narrow down where you want to spend your time. Once again, it has been too many years for me to give you any recommendations for a tour guide.

Vietnam: We have not been there since 1997, and you need more current information. We are booked to return in 2017, and will be interested in any information that you can provide to us after your visit.

Hong Kong, China: I think you will be docked at the Ocean Terminal. You will walk through a shopping mall when you disembark. The shopping mall is right beside where the ferries leave, and it s perfect location to tour Hong Kong on your own. You have lots of options: the Hop On Hop Off Bus that has three different routes If the weather is good, I suggest going to Hong Kong Island and taking the Peak Tram route. In the evening, the Temple Street Night Market is an exciting place to go. If you take the bus to the Langham Place Mall, it is easy to walk to the Flower Market, Goldfish Market, Ladies Market, Temple Street Night Market, and the Jade Market. If you get hungry, food courts are a great place to eat, and we had no issues with cleanliness anywhere.

Shanghai, China: We took a private tour last year, but I cannot recommend the tour company that we used. This year, we took a Crystal tour on the first day that gave us a tour of the city. We would now choose to tour Shanghai on our own. On day one, we would take the train and go to one of the water towns. We went to Zhouzhuang which was fabulous, but there are other towns closer to Shanghai. If you take the train, you need to have your passport. Crystal offers a shuttle to the Bund Area (Huangpu Park), and you can easily join one of the Big Bus tours. We loved Old Town, and the Nanjing Road area. Pudong has ultramodern buildings, and we enjoyed watching the buildings at night. In fact, one of the highlights of our Crystal cruise this year was dining in Prego at a window table when we had the overnight in Shanghai. The view, food, and service were unbelievable.

Jeju Island, South Korea: This is an amazing island, and is very beautiful. We took a whole island tour last year. Some people took local busses, but we did not. Many of the people do not speak English, but everyone is very friendly, and there is a wonderful map for touring. I would contact the tourism department, and get information sent to you ahead of time.

Pusan, South Korea: The Crystal shuttle takes you to the Phoenix Hotel. This is within easy walking distance of the fish market, international market, and the Lotte Mall. On our first visit, we tour a tour and went to see temples, and other areas of interest. This year, we took the Crystal shuttle and walked around. Both provided us with interesting experiences. If you go to the fish market, make sure that you go upstairs. That is where you will see the locals dining on fish they have bought. If you are hungry, and don’t want to eat at the fish market, the lower level of the Lotte Mall has an amazing number of food options. They also have baked goods, and sweets.

If you have any questions, just let me know.