Your milestone year, three ways.
At a glance
Scenic Spirit
Celebrity Solstice
Celebrity Equinox
The estimated totals include the pre-cruise stays and private transfers shown below. Scenic also includes most of the touring within the program; with Celebrity, the days ashore stay open for us to shape around what you want to do.
Scenic Spirit
Singapore → Siem Reap → Mekong River → Ho Chi Minh City
Scenic Spirit is the most immersive of the three. The 11-day program starts with three nights in Siem Reap before joining the Mekong for the 7-night river cruise and finishing in Ho Chi Minh City. The touring is woven through the trip rather than added on around it, with Angkor experiences in Siem Reap and cultural stops along the river. With only 68 guests on the ship, the river portion feels small and personal.
Day-by-day itinerary
| Day | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siem Reap | |
| 2 | Siem Reap | |
| 3 | Siem Reap | |
| 4 | Siem Reap → 7 Night Mekong Cruise | |
| 5 | Wat Hanchey → Kampong Cham | |
| 6 | Angkor Ban → Silk Island → Phnom Penh | |
| 7 | Phnom Penh | |
| 8 | Phnom Penh → Border Crossing → Tan Chau | |
| 9 | Tan Chau | |
| 10 | Sa Dec → Cai Be | |
| 11 | Mekong Cruise → Ho Chi Minh City |
Everything included in the fare
- Guided excursions throughout the program
- Scenic Enrich and Scenic Freechoice experiences
- Butler service in every suite
- Beverages during the river cruise, from coffee to wine and spirits
- Gratuities for ship staff, guides and drivers
- Wi-Fi
- Airport transfers according to Scenic’s program conditions
- Included hotel stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap
Why this one stands out
- Only 68 guests on board
- Nearly 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio
- Small-ship river cruising with a much more intimate feel than an ocean ship
- Food-focused experiences in Ho Chi Minh City and along the Mekong
- Angkor experiences built into the program rather than added on separately
- A full land-and-river itinerary without having to coordinate each piece independently
A more immersive Southeast Asia experience, with smaller-scale river cruising and most of the cultural touring already built into the trip.
This is the most structured of the three options, with less open time to shape each day independently.
Singapore pre-cruise stay (2 nights)
Two nights at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore in a Heritage Room King with breakfast included and a refundable rate. Two nights is enough to get adjusted and enjoy the city before boarding. I’d add the same private three-hour hawker food tour – 6-8 tastings with a local host who shapes the experience around what you’re interested in.
Private transfers are included from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the cruise port.
Celebrity Solstice
Singapore → Thailand → Vietnam → Hong Kong
This sailing gives you the broadest sweep of Southeast Asia: Singapore, Ko Samui, an overnight for Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, central Vietnam, an overnight in Ha Long Bay and Hong Kong. The familiar piece is The Retreat and the Celebrity Suite; the itinerary is what makes this one different. Four sea days give you some room between the bigger touring days.
The tradeoff is port access. Laem Chabang and Phu My are both a long drive from Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, so I would plan those as private days from the start rather than build around a group transfer.
Port schedule
| Day | Port | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | Departs 7pm | Embarkation in Singapore; terminal details confirmed closer to sailing. |
| 2 | At sea | ||
| 3 | Ko Samui, Thailand | 7am-5pm | Tender port. Beach town, temples, Thai food |
| 4-5 | Bangkok (Laemchabang) | 8am Day 4 – 5pm Day 5 | Overnight. Laem Chabang to Bangkok is approximately 90 minutes or more each way depending on traffic. Private transport recommended. |
| 6 | At sea | ||
| 7 | Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) | 7am-7pm | Phu My to Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 75-90 minutes or more each way depending on traffic. Private transport recommended. |
| 8 | At sea | ||
| 9 | Hue/Da Nang (Chan May) | 7am-7pm | Chan May provides access to Hue and Da Nang; drive times vary with traffic and touring plan. |
| 10-11 | Hanoi/Halong Bay | 12pm Day 10 – 7pm Day 11 | Overnight. Ha Long Bay is close to port; Hanoi is several hours away by road. |
| 12 | At sea | ||
| 13 | Hong Kong | Arrives 6am | Disembark. Option to add 1-2 post-cruise nights. |
The Retreat includes
- Luminae – private restaurant for Retreat guests
- The Retreat Sundeck – shaded loungers and hot tub
- The Retreat Lounge
- Dedicated Retreat Butler and team
- Priority boarding and departure
- Premium Drinks
- Premium Wi-Fi
Not included in the fare
- Shore excursions
- Specialty dining outside included venues
- Spa treatments
- Onboard staff gratuities
Seeing more of Southeast Asia in one trip while keeping the familiar Retreat experience and a good amount of downtime between the bigger touring days.
Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City both require longer transfers from port, so those two days need to be planned around the drive.
Singapore pre-cruise stay (2 nights)
Two nights at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore in a Heritage Room King with breakfast included and a refundable rate. I’d pair it with a private three-hour hawker food tour with 6-8 tastings and a local host.
Private transfers are included from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the cruise port.
It gives you a full day in Singapore before boarding without adding another hotel night just for the sake of it.
Celebrity Equinox
Buenos Aires → Uruguay → Falklands → Cape Horn → Patagonia → Buenos Aires
Equinox opens with Buenos Aires and Montevideo before heading south to the Falklands, Cape Horn, Ushuaia, the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas and Puerto Madryn, then finishes with Punta del Este. The experience shifts from city days and food to wildlife, dramatic southern landscapes and long stretches of scenic cruising, with the Retreat as the constant throughout.
Port schedule
| Day | Port | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | Departs 5pm | Port is in the city, short transfer from hotel |
| 2 | Montevideo, Uruguay | 8am-5pm | Port is walkable to Ciudad Vieja (Old City). Food, wine, architecture. |
| 3-4 | At sea | Two sea days heading south | |
| 5 | Port Stanley, Falkland Islands | 8am-6pm | Tender port. Small walkable town, wildlife, war history. |
| 6 | At sea | ||
| 7 | Cape Horn (scenic cruising) | 4-6pm | Sail past Cape Horn, weather permitting. No disembarkation. |
| 8 | Ushuaia, Argentina | 8am-6pm | Southernmost city on earth. Port is in town, walkable. |
| 9 | Strait of Magellan | Scenic cruising through the strait | |
| 10 | Punta Arenas, Chile | 7am-3pm | Port is near town center. Patagonian history, seafood. |
| 11 | At sea | ||
| 12 | Puerto Madryn, Argentina | 9am-5:30pm | ~15 min from town. Wildlife (penguins, sea lions, whales in season). |
| 13 | At sea | ||
| 14 | Punta del Este, Uruguay | 8am-4pm | Tender port. Beach resort town, galleries, cafes. |
| 15 | Buenos Aires | Arrives 5am | Disembark. Round-trip – same airport for flights home. |
The Retreat includes
- Luminae private restaurant
- The Retreat Lounge
- Retreat Host and team
- Premium Drinks
- Premium Wi-Fi
- Priority service
Weather across the route
- Buenos Aires and Montevideo: late summer, 80s°F, warm and sunny
- Falkland Islands: 50-55°F, windy
- Ushuaia/Patagonia: 50-60°F, windy, dramatic light
- Punta del Este: 75-80°F, pleasant
- Pack for two climates – warm city clothes and a good jacket for the southern ports
A broader South America experience, combining Buenos Aires and Uruguay with the landscapes and ports of the far south, all from the Retreat.
This itinerary has more sea time than the Southeast Asia options, and the southern ports are cooler, windier and more weather-driven. It is a very different feel from the city days in Buenos Aires and Uruguay.
Buenos Aires pre-cruise stay (2 nights)
Two nights at Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires MGallery in a Deluxe Suite with a king bed, balcony and park view, with breakfast included and a refundable rate. Recoleta gives you the architecture, restaurants and city atmosphere that make those first two nights feel like part of the trip, not just a pre-cruise stay.
I’d add a private three-hour expert-led history tour focused on Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, immigration and the story of Buenos Aires, followed by a VIP dinner and tango show at La Ventana. Private transfers are included from Ezeiza to the hotel, from the hotel to the cruise port and from the port to the airport after the cruise.
What happens next
Take your time looking through these three. When you’re ready, we’ll get on a call and I can walk you through anything that needs more detail – ports, excursions, what a typical day looks like on each one, all of it.
Feel free to message me anytime with questions.
Warmly, Jess
Supplier terms: Celebrity Cruises · Scenic
Pricing and availability shown are current as of September 4, 2026 and may change until booked. International airfare is not included in the trip totals above. Cruise fares, hotel rates, schedules and included experiences are subject to supplier availability and change. Final pricing and details will be confirmed before any payment is made.
