745: We left our cabin and headed to the meeting spot. As we were in the Retreat we were able to meet in the Retreat Lounge. Once in the lounge, we checked in & were given an orange sticker with the number "30" on it; we were instructed to place it on my clothes. 

Later on, we realized this number corresponded to the tour group & was an easy way to distinguish folks.

8:05: Our group was called and we were escorted off the ship by a Retreat ambassador. For Vietnam, everyone had to fill out a landing card, which was stamped by an officer as we left the ship.

8:09: We check in with Eddie, who tears the perforation on our excursion ticket; as the first on the bus we had free range of seats and picked seats in row 17 on the right hand side. 

8:29: Eddie announces that we are missing 5 passengers.

8:30 The bus leaves the parking station & heads for the port gate. At the gate, two passengers hop off the free shuttle bus & join us. Possibly 2 of the 5 that were missing. 

On the 90-minute drive, Eddie gives us a bit of history of the different districts & hands out a map of Ho Chi Minh City. He is very charismatic & answers questions from the bus passengers. 

﻿• Needed more time to explore, ideally would like an itinerary that does an overnight in Vietnam to maximize. Otherwise, possible take a grab from the port.

﻿• Air-conditioned bus with an energetic moderator (Eddie). Some of the seats had broken cup holders & armrests. 

•﻿ Sit on the right side going to Ho Chi Minh for good views & on the left heading to the ship to have a  shady drive back.

Saigontourist Travel Independent Exploration Celebrity Cruises Review

After a few delays (including COVID) we are booked on my birthday,  graduation (and anniversary) present of a 12 NIght Hong Kong, Japan & Vietnam cruise!

We (rebooked) in 2022 & retain all the benefits of The Retreat before the 2024 changes.

Since booking, the cruise has undergone some changes, including an itinerary name change from "12 Night Northeast Asia Cruise."

, one of two with larger bathrooms (separate tub & shower) connected to the Penthouse Suite.

Since most of the cruise amenities were covered in our booking we decided to use the onboard credit towards the following excursions:

Day 1: Back Home Laundry Bag ($119.99 pp)

Day 2: Rabbit Hole Bourbon Tasting ($36.99 pp) -> 

Celebrity canceled on embarkment day. We were given 30% off if we booked another ship excursion.

Day 3: Independent Exploration: Saigon On Your Own ($53.99 pp)

Day 4: Destination Highlight: Nha Trang Countryside Biking ($203.99 pp) -> 

Celebrity canceled this in November 2024.

Day 6: Destination Highlight: Walking Tour of Old Hong Kong ($58.99 pp) - >

 rebooked price dropped to $52.99 December 25, 2024

price dropped to $36.99 December 2024 | Rebooked & moved to Day 2 from Day 10. Price dropped 5 days out to $26.99, rebooked, and moved to Day 8.

Day 9: Small Group: Taipei Lifestyle ($150.99 pp) -> 

price increased to $168.99 December 25, 2024

Day 11: Small Group: Shochu Brewery & Tour ($151.99 pp) --> 

rebooked as the price dropped to $135.99 February 2025. Celebrity canceled on embarkment day. We were given 20% off if we booked another excursion.

We currently have a balance of $148.12 and I am unsure how to allocate it. Current options are:

Celebrity Retreat: 12 Night Hong Kong, Japan & Vietnam Pre-Cruise Story

•﻿ Arrived at 1230 for our 230 pm scheduled time, no issues with the early arrival.

﻿• Easy bag drop (12:17), documents check, passport collection (12:31), and muster station. We were in our cabin  by 12:38, with luggage arriving four hours later at 16:32.

﻿• We ate in Oceanview Cafe (buffet) for dinner as we didn't want to change out of shorts for Luminae dinner dress code.

﻿• Great 7 pm show "classical rock" with Simone & Cole was fun.

Celebrity Milly | Day 1

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