Asia and the Gulf at sea: the back story

About Asia and the Gulf at sea: the back story

By the ULTIMATE the world’s cruise lines Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

The great ports of Asia were trading cities long before they were cruise ports: Singapore and Hong Kong on the route to China, Mumbai and Colombo on the Indian Ocean, Yokohama as Japan’s door to the world, Dubai as the Gulf’s. A voyage between them is still the best way to feel how the region fits together.

The Straits and the South China Sea

Singapore is the hub. Ships use two terminals: the Marina Bay Cruise Centre and the Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront, which moved into a new terminal building in July 2026. From either, the Gardens by the Bay, the UNESCO-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens and the hawker stalls of Lau Pa Sat are an easy trip.

Hong Kong and Shanghai

In Hong Kong, at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, on ship-call days free shuttle buses run debarking passengers to nearby MTR stations. Cross the harbour on the Star Ferry, which has served Victoria Harbour since 1888, and spend a morning at M+, the museum of contemporary art on the West Kowloon waterfront. Shanghai’s cruise season centres on the Wusongkou International Cruise Port in Baoshan, where the city opened its 2026 cruise tourism season in the spring.

Arrive by sea and the old trading cities make sense at once.

Japan’s front door

Yokohama has three passenger terminals, and the city asks passengers to check which one their ship uses: the Ōsanbashi International Passenger Terminal, whose rooftop deck is open around the clock; the Shinko Pier terminal at Yokohama Hammerhead; and Daikoku Pier. Across the bay, the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal opened on 10 September 2020, and Tokyo also has a second terminal at Harumi, so mistakes are common: read your documents twice.

Bangkok and the Gulf

Big ships calling for Bangkok berth at Laem Chabang, on the Gulf of Thailand, and the city is a road transfer away, so plan a full day. Further west, Dubai Harbour combines a cruise terminal with what it calls the region’s largest marina, and from the ship it is an easy run to the Museum of the Future and the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

The Indian Ocean

On the Indian Ocean, Mumbai’s Port Authority lists cruise among its terminals on the harbour by Ballard Estate, within reach of the Gateway of India and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Colombo’s port is run by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and the Galle Face Hotel looks out over the seafront green. In the Maldives, ships call at the capital, Malé, the start for island resorts and liveaboards.

Our advice: plan around heat, humidity and monsoon seasons, and book timed tickets for the big sights. In Bangkok and Tokyo, check exactly where your ship berths before you book a hotel, and allow generous time for the transfer.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Asia and the Gulf at sea: the back story before you go.