Aboard Seabourn Encore with Seabourn
Cruise Overview
The Hong Kong Island skyline, with its ever-growing number of skyscrapers, speaks to ambition and money.
Paris, London, even New York were centuries in the making, while Hong Kong's towers, bright lights, and glitzy shopping emporia weren't yet part of the urban scene when many of the young investment bankers who fuel one of the world's leading financial centers were born.
Commerce is concentrated in the glittering high-rises of Central, tucked between Victoria Harbor and forested peaks on Hong Kong Island's north shore.
While it's easy to think all the bright lights are the sum of today's Hong Kong, you need only walk or board a tram for the short jaunt west into Western to discover a side of Hong Kong that is more traditionally Chinese but no less high-energy.
You'll discover the real Hong Kong to the east of Central, too, in Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and beyond.
Amid the residential towers are restaurants, shopping malls, bars, convention centers, a nice smattering of museums, and—depending on fate and the horse you wager on—one of Hong Kong's luckiest or unluckiest spots, the Happy Valley Racecourse.
Kowloon sprawls across a generous swath of the Chinese mainland across Victoria Harbour from Central.
Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of Kowloon peninsula, is packed with glitzy shops, first-rate museums, and eye-popping views of the skyline across the water.
Just to the north are the teeming market streets of Mong Kok and in the dense residential neighborhoods beyond, two of Hong Kong's most enchanting spiritual sights, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Chi Lin Nunnery.
As you navigate this huge metropolis (easy to do on the excellent transportation network), keep in mind that streets are usually numbered odd on one side, even on the other.
There's no baseline for street numbers and no block-based numbering system, but street signs indicate building numbers for any given block.
Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second largest city, its biggest seaport, and the world’s fourth largest container port.
It entered the 21st century as a newly emerging international metropolis.
In the forefront of Taiwan’s expansion and modernisation efforts are the China Steel Corporation and China Shipbuilding.
They are perfect examples of what Taiwan’s export-oriented economy is all about.
The Love River, which has seen some recent landscaping, adds to the beauty of the city.
Coffee shops along its banks offer good opportunities to view the river’s activities and enjoy a nice breeze.
A 495-feet (150 metres)-long urban corridor of light, known as Urban Spotlight, was designed by local artists who wanted to make light and shadows the theme of the hall.
The result is an urban space in the Central Park area teeming with artistic vision.
A very important event in Taiwan’s recent history occurred here in 1979, and is known as the Kaohsiung Incident.
It was the day of the first major human rights celebration on the island.
Until that time, the authorities had never allowed any expression of discontent.
When the day came, however, the celebration ended in chaos when police encircled the peaceful crowd and started using teargas, and pro-government instigators incited violence.
Kuomintang (KMT) authorities used this as an excuse to round up all well-known opposition leaders and imprison them.
Although it was hardly noticed internationally, it is recognised locally as an important turning point in the island’s transition to democracy, and it galvanised the Taiwanese people into action.
Paris, London, even New York were centuries in the making, while Hong Kong's towers, bright lights, and glitzy shopping emporia weren't yet part of the urban scene when many of the young investment bankers who fuel one of the world's leading financial centers were born.
Commerce is concentrated in the glittering high-rises of Central, tucked between Victoria Harbor and forested peaks on Hong Kong Island's north shore.
While it's easy to think all the bright lights are the sum of today's Hong Kong, you need only walk or board a tram for the short jaunt west into Western to discover a side of Hong Kong that is more traditionally Chinese but no less high-energy.
You'll discover the real Hong Kong to the east of Central, too, in Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and beyond.
Amid the residential towers are restaurants, shopping malls, bars, convention centers, a nice smattering of museums, and—depending on fate and the horse you wager on—one of Hong Kong's luckiest or unluckiest spots, the Happy Valley Racecourse.
Kowloon sprawls across a generous swath of the Chinese mainland across Victoria Harbour from Central.
Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of Kowloon peninsula, is packed with glitzy shops, first-rate museums, and eye-popping views of the skyline across the water.
Just to the north are the teeming market streets of Mong Kok and in the dense residential neighborhoods beyond, two of Hong Kong's most enchanting spiritual sights, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Chi Lin Nunnery.
As you navigate this huge metropolis (easy to do on the excellent transportation network), keep in mind that streets are usually numbered odd on one side, even on the other.
There's no baseline for street numbers and no block-based numbering system, but street signs indicate building numbers for any given block.
Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second largest city, its biggest seaport, and the world’s fourth largest container port.
It entered the 21st century as a newly emerging international metropolis.
In the forefront of Taiwan’s expansion and modernisation efforts are the China Steel Corporation and China Shipbuilding.
They are perfect examples of what Taiwan’s export-oriented economy is all about.
The Love River, which has seen some recent landscaping, adds to the beauty of the city.
Coffee shops along its banks offer good opportunities to view the river’s activities and enjoy a nice breeze.
A 495-feet (150 metres)-long urban corridor of light, known as Urban Spotlight, was designed by local artists who wanted to make light and shadows the theme of the hall.
The result is an urban space in the Central Park area teeming with artistic vision.
A very important event in Taiwan’s recent history occurred here in 1979, and is known as the Kaohsiung Incident.
It was the day of the first major human rights celebration on the island.
Until that time, the authorities had never allowed any expression of discontent.
When the day came, however, the celebration ended in chaos when police encircled the peaceful crowd and started using teargas, and pro-government instigators incited violence.
Kuomintang (KMT) authorities used this as an excuse to round up all well-known opposition leaders and imprison them.
Although it was hardly noticed internationally, it is recognised locally as an important turning point in the island’s transition to democracy, and it galvanised the Taiwanese people into action.
Cruise Itinerary
Aboard Seabourn Encore
Launch Year: 2016 Length: 198 Width: 25 Currency: USD Capacity: 604 Crew Count: 450 Deck Count: 12 Cabin Count: 300
Seabourn Encore is as strikingly beautiful and as excitingly innovative as any Seabourn has ever debuted. She crowns a fleet of luxury cruise ships that is already the newest, most modern and most acclaimed in the ultra-luxury segment. Modelled on the award-winning trio of ships introduced with Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Encore represents another welcome stage in the evolution of small ship cruising, which Seabourn pioneered and has consistently expanded and enriched for all of our small ship cruises.
Seabourn Encore Facilities
Seabourn Encore Includes
Cabin Details
Your spacious suite welcomes you with complimentary Champagne and a fully stocked bar with your preferences. Thoughtfully designed and tastefully curated with delightful touches, all ocean-front suites feature expansive views, and most open onto private verandas for relaxing or entertaining.
