Holland America Westerdam Far East Discovery

We sailed Westerdam on a Far East Discovery-style itinerary from Hong Kong (7 December 2025) to Singapore (20 December 2025), starting in Hong Kong and ending in Singapore. I wanted to do a post that pulled together information about this itinerary for other families considering this route

Learn more about the ship: Holland America Westerdam

Why this itinerary works well for autistic children

You get a strong rhythm:

• Sea days = regulation days (sleep-ins, predictable meals, familiar spaces, repeat activities)
• Ports = choose-your-own intensity (you can do “big adventure” days or stay close to port / stay on board)
• Overnight in Thailand = fewer “rush” triggers (you’re not forced to do Bangkok in one exhausting day)

The biggest “watch outs” are:

• tender ports (Ko Samui) and
• long transfers (Phu My → Ho Chi Minh City, Laem Chabang → Bangkok)

Ports of call (where you dock, tender vs walk-off, and what it actually serves)

Below, I’ve included a Google Maps search term you can copy/paste (because it’s more reliable than a random pin) plus the practical info families actually need. I have also included some Google Maps links which you can click directly to open the locations.

Hong Kong (embarkation) — docks at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (walk-off)

Serves: Hong Kong (Kowloon side), with easy access to the city by taxi/MTR connections.

Docking location/address: Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, 33 Shing Fung Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Google Maps: “Kai Tak Cruise Terminal”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise terminal: Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

Tender or terminal? Cruise terminal — you walk off and on. You can take a taxi or car right to the cruise terminal if you are boarding in Hong Kong. You will be driven into an area under the cruise terminal where there are many parking bays. Someone from the cruise terminal may come to your vehicle and help with your luggage, they will tag it if you do not have tags already. They can take your big luggage from here and send it to the ship for you. You will walk for a couple of minutes to get inside the terminal, there are elevators for you to use but also escalators if you do not need an elevator.

Autism-friendly tips (Hong Kong embarkation day):

• Kai Tak is quite a large and open terminal. It can get busy but we found that there was enough space for us to find a quiet spot with the kids so they could sit down and/or move freely.
• If queues are a trigger, aim to arrive either early (before the biggest rush) or later once boarding is flowing. Saying that, there are disability lanes which mean those with autistic children can move through more quickly and then take a seat until their group is called to board.

I have many guides available for Hong Kong, and you can find them all within my Hong Kong travel guide page. This page includes guides to Hong Kong, including specific parts like Lantau Island or Hong Kong Island, guides for bringing medication to Hong Kong, accessible transport guides and so much more.

Cruise Halong Bay, Vietnam — cruise port (walk-off)

This is a full dock you port up at in Halong, with some added scenic cruising if you are up nice and early and it is not too dark in the morning!

Serves: Halong Bay (often marketed as Hanoi access, but Hanoi is a long way away — most families do bay scenery/caves/boat trips).

Docking location/address: Halong International Cruise Port, X334+99W, Bãi Cháy, Hạ Long, Quảng Ninh, Vietnam
Google Maps: “Halong International Cruise Port”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise terminal: Halong International Cruise Terminal

Tender or terminal? Cruise terminal — you walk off and on. You are not right beside the cruise terminal building when you dock, you will be out on the pier which is quite long. They run buses for passengers and there are buses waiting at the boat. You can go to the city centre on the bus and it will drop you off outside of Vincom Plaza, a mall in Halong. I think there was an option to take a shuttle to the cruise terminal building, but I do not remember for sure. I also think the bus to the city cost us $10 each, but again I cannot remember for sure.

The bus from the port to Vincom Plaza:

Autism-friendly tips:

• We opted to take a day in the city instead of trying to rush onto another boat which could be overwhelming. We wanted to reduce time waiting about in the heat trying to figure out a cruise that would work in our timeframe.
• Vincom Plaza is a good mall to take a break from the heat and enjoy the aircon if needed!
• Taking the shuttle to the city seemed like a safer option for us, the bus was right outside of the ship and would take us to an area of the city we could guarantee there was things to see and do within walking distance.

For more information, you can check out my guide to Halong Bay with autistic children or head to my full guide to Vietnam to help you plan. For those visiting Vietnam by cruise ship, check out my guide to cruising to Vietnam.

Da Nang, Vietnam — docks at Tien Sa Port (walk-off)

Serves: Da Nang city, and (for most cruisers) Hoi An and Hue day trips.

Docking location/address: 46C9+9M2, QL14B, Thọ Quang, Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam (Ta Sien Port)
Google Maps: “Tien Sa Port Da Nang”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise port: Tian Sa Port Da Nang

Tender or terminal? Cruise terminal/dock (walk-off). There is a shuttle which will take you into the city. It will drop you outside of An Long Temple. If you return to the port by taxi (we had to do this because we waited for the shuttle bus for so long and it didn’t turn up) then you have to wait at a little electric bus stop to get a ride to the ship.

Visas/landing cards (UK passport, overview):

• Vietnam has a visa exemption policy that includes the UK (rules can change, so always check close to travel).
• On cruises, procedures vary: sometimes the cruise line handles clearance/landing cards, sometimes you need an e-visa depending on your situation and the ship’s process. We were given landing cards by the cruise line, we just had to hand them over when we embarked and disembarked for stamping.

Autism-friendly ideas for Da Nang day:

• Choose one main activity (Hoi An or Marble Mountains or a beach) and keep the rest low-demand.
• Have a “quiet retreat” plan (café, shaded park, or back-to-ship).

For more information, you can check out my guide to Da Nang with autistic children (coming soon) or head to my full guide to Vietnam to help you plan.

Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam — docks at Phu My Port (walk-off)

Serves: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), but the port is not in the city — it’s a substantial drive away, around 80 km/50 miles.

Docking location/port area: Phu My Port / Cai Mep–Thi Vai port complex.
Google Maps: “Phu My Port Vietnam cruise” or “Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT)”

Tender or terminal? Dock (walk-off), but there is a shuttle which will bring you to the gates of the port. The shuttle is a really short ride and at the gate you will be met with many drivers offering to bring you somewhere. We used an app to book rides but it did not stop the drivers trying to get us to use them instead. They can be relentless.

Cruise ship port shuttle bus in Phu My:

Planning note for autistic kids:
This can be a big day because it often involves:

• early arrival time,
• long coach/car transfers,
• heavy traffic and sensory overload in the city.

If your child struggles with long days, consider:

• a shorter private tour (hotel pool + one attraction),
• a Mekong-style day (often calmer than city chaos),
• or stay on ship and enjoy an emptier pool deck.
• visit nearby Phu My or Vung Tau – this is what we did.

For more information, you can check out my guide to Ho Chi Minh City with autistic children (Phu My and Vung Tau coming soon) or head to my full guide to Vietnam to help you plan.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia — docks at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (usually walk-off)

Serves: Sihanoukville town + beaches, and boats out toward islands depending on excursions.

Docking location: Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (Cambodia’s deep-water port).
Google Maps: “Sihanoukville Autonomous Port”

Tender or terminal? Typically dock (walk-off) on this itinerary. There will be shuttles which run you into the city, and drop you at Independence Park.

Sihanoukville cruise ship shuttle:

Cambodia entry requirement (important):

• If you need a visa for Cambodia, you cannot use the online version of this. You can get the visa through the cruise line and for us it was $50 per person and was added to our cruise balance.

Autism-friendly ideas in Sihanoukville:

• Beaches can be regulation gold — pick a quieter stretch and keep it simple.
• If your child struggles with heat, bring a cooling towel, handheld fan, and plan shaded stops. We did a private tour and we had an airconditioned vehicle. At some stops, the kids opted to stay in the car with their Dad (such as at the large market).

It might help you to check out my guide to Cambodia, where you will find links to any articles I have written about Cambodia and travelling there with autistic children.

Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand — docks + overnight (walk-off)

This is the port for Bangkok, but it’s not in Bangkok — it’s Laem Chabang (near Pattaya/Sriracha) with transfers into the city.

Serves: Bangkok (long transfer), Pattaya (closer), plus other nearby areas.

Docking location/address:
Port of Laem Chabang Cruise Terminal, 288 Moo 3, Laem Chabang Port Road, Thung Sukhla, Sriracha, Chonburi 20230, Thailand
Google Maps: “Laem Chabang Cruise Terminal”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise terminal: Laem Chabang Cruise Terminal

Tender or terminal? Dock (walk-off). The terminal at Laem Chabang is really well organised. You walk out into an airconditioned building where there are stores and stands you can use to book a bus. The stores here seem to accept dollars instead of baht which was a pain, and they only take cash. You can speak to real people about where you want to go and they will help guide you to get tickets and the bus you need to take. Outside, you can wait for taxis or drivers if you book them yourself.

Thailand entry (UK passport, overview):

• UK travellers can enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days (check current rules near travel).
• The cruise line keeps your passport during the cruise and will handle all of the immigration stuff for your (besides any digital arrival cards you need which they will notify you of in advance so you can apply online).
• You need to apply for a digital arrival card before you get to Thailand, it helps to do it in advance. Learn more about the Thailand digital arrival card here.

Autism-friendly planning for the overnight:

• The overnight is your chance to split Bangkok into two lighter days rather than one brutal one.
• Consider staying closer (Pattaya / chill beach day) if your child finds Bangkok too intense.
• If you need something even closer you can consider Sri Racha or Harbour Mall.

It is worth knowing that at times where another ship needs to use Laem Chabang Cruise Terminal, ships already docked there may move during an overnight port here. This happened to us during our Far East Discover on Holland America Westerdam. During the night, the ship had to move from the terminal and dock up off the coast of Pattaya. The next day, the ship was running tenders from the ship to Pattaya Balihai Peir.

For more information, you can check out my guides for Bangkok, Pattaya or head to my full guide to Thailand to help you plan. I have many guides for different areas of Thailand, and so much more like my guide to cruising to Thailand, accessible transport and bringing medication to Thailand.

Balihai Pier (Pattaya), Thailand — docks + overnight (tender)

This is the port the ship moved to when the Laem Chabang Cruise Terminal was expecting another ship during an overnight stop. This pier is in Pattaya, right beside the Walking Street.

Serves: Bangkok (long transfer), Pattaya (right in the heart of Pattaya), plus other nearby areas.

Docking location / address:
ถนน พัทยาใต้ Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand
Google Maps: “Bali Hai Pier”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise terminal: Pattaya Balihai Peir

Tender or terminal? Tender, the ship will run boats from the ship to the pier in Pattaya.

Autism-friendly planning for Balihai Pier:

• When you arrive at Balihai Pier, you may be in the thick of crowds of people. The street just off of the pier is also a very popular street for those visiting Pattaya and can get very busy. For reference, it is Walking Street.
• There is a McDonald’s just a few minutes walk from the pier, but keep in mind it is on Walking Street.

For more information, you can check out my guide for Pattaya or head to my full guide to Thailand to help you plan.

Ko Samui, Thailand — tender port to Nathon Pier

Serves: Ko Samui island (beaches, resorts, island tours).

Tender or terminal? Tender port, the boat docks up off the coast of Koh Samui and you then take a tender from the ship to Nathon Pier.

Koh Samui lifeboat tender:

Koh Samui local tourist boat tender:

Docking location/address: อ่างทอง 97 ถนนอ่างทอง Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84140, Thailand
Google Maps: “Nathon Pier Koh Samui”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise terminal: Nathon Pier

Why this matters for autistic kids:

• Tender queues + heat + waiting can be a perfect storm. On the tender out from the Westerdam ship we were in a lifeboat and it was unbearably hot. I can’t think of a time where the heat was more unbearable than this. Definitely bring fans, a cold drink and a cooling towel. They do use different boats which are much more comfortable, it was just the timing of our tender that meant we got the lifeboat.
• If you’re doing an independent trip, build in serious buffer time getting ashore and back. You have to collect a ticket for a tender, usually the day before, and you can only go when they call your group. It is a real game of luck what time you will actually get off the ship.

Arriving in Thailand:

• You need to apply for a digital arrival card before you get to Thailand, it helps to do it in advance. Learn more about the Thailand digital arrival card here.

For more information, you can check out my guide for Koh Samui or head to my full guide to Thailand to help you plan.

Singapore (disembarkation) — Marina Bay Cruise Centre (walk-off)

Arrive location / address:
Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, 61 Marina Coastal Drive, Singapore 018947
Google Maps: “Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore”

Here is the Google maps location for the cruise terminal: Singapore Marina Bay Cruise Terminal

Tender or terminal? Terminal (walk-off).

Arriving in Singapore:

• Those arriving in Singapore need to complete a Singapore arrival card online before they get off the ship. You can learn more about the Singapore arrival card here.

For more information, you can check out my guide for Singapore or head to my full guide for Singapore which includes destination guides, attraction recommendations and so much more to help you plan.