Far East Cruises Weather Conditions

Steamy Singapore to Freezing Winter in China, Japan or Korea

Apr 6, 2009 Kate Nivison

South China Sea cruises are warm. But cruising north to China, Japan and Korea at any time of year means checking out those seasonal temperature and rainfall statistics.

Far East cruises are rapidly becoming popular with cruise-lovers the world over. The reasons driving this trend are easy to spot. Seasoned cruisers are looking for a break from the usual Caribbean and Mediterranean destinations. There’s also a new awareness of the ‘Asian tiger’ economies’, led strongly by China (including Hong Kong).

Amazing new port facilities with astonishing skyscraper architecture seem to have sprung up almost overnight in every port from Singapore to Busan in South Korea. Beyond, and even within, each ‘bamboo forest’, as these massed tower-blocks are called, each country has its own ancient local culture waiting to be explored. But each destination also has its own climate, which means being weather-wise enough to get the packing right, especially for cruises to China, Japan and Korea.

Half a dozen cruise companies already operate in the region, including Celebrity, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean, with most cruises either going north from Hong Kong or south from Singapore. Target your choice of destinations, then check the weather against preferred dates of travel.

Cruises Departing from Hong Kong Going North

The most usual destinations are Shanghai, Tianjin (for Beijing), Dalian (also China), Hiroshima, Osaka (for Kyoto), Incheon (for Seoul) and Busan, these last two being in South Korea. The order and may be done in reverse, which makes it important to check the monthly, preferably weekly, temperatures, humidity and rainfall for each place for the time of arrival.

High Humidity in Summer Months

This can be particularly noticeable in very densely populated Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. Many local people wear facemasks because of the photochemical smog that develops when warm polluted air becomes trapped near ground level. Clothes made of lightweight natural fibres are best.

Cold Winds in Autumn/Fall and Spring

Temperatures are usually low enough to need two weights of jacket, one of which should be wind-and-waterproof, and plenty of layered warmth. Even in mid-March, full-length winter coats, hoods, woolly hats, scarves and gloves may be necessary. Some of the 30-year extremes make interesting reading on excellent sites such as Weather Underground which give forecasts based on many years of average temperatures and rainfall. The further north, the higher the chance of early or late snow.

Singapore or Thailand Cruise Departures

Destinations could include Vietnam, Bangkok and coastal Thailand, and Malaysia (Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu), even the Philippines.). It’s warm down south all year, but the complicated coastline can give big variations in the likely amounts and timing of rainfall. Usually cruise ships don’t brave the wet monsoon months (usually June-October) because of the risk of cyclones, known as typhoons. Some ships even provide ponchos.

Suffer from Sea Sickness?

The names sound so romantic – Sea of Japan, South China Sea, Gulf of Tonking – this is not the sheltered Mediterranean or Caribbean. Most cruise ships have stabilizers, and most south Far East cruises avoid the wet monsoon season (June to September) with its risk of typhoons (tropical cyclones/hurricanes. But even on fine days there can be huge ocean swells almost anywhere along this tremendously long coastline, so take your favourite remedy and be prepared to hang on tight.

The copyright of the article Far East Cruises Weather Conditions in Cruise/Island Vacations is owned by Kate Nivison. Permission to republish Far East Cruises Weather Conditions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.