Seabourn Encore Itinerary

What Seabourn Encore's Autumn Asia Season Is Actually Like

Autumn is when the Seabourn Encore trades Japanese maples for Vietnamese street food and then dares you to pack for both. The ship is a 40,350-ton, 532-guest yacht with 330 crew, which works out to about 1.6 guests per crew member. It's small enough to slip into ports that the big ships can't. It also scored 96 out of 100 on its latest CDC inspection, on July 27, 2026. You can check that in our CDC inspection lookup.

Our database doesn't record port lists for these sailings. The ports below come from agency listings, and agencies don't always agree. Confirm with Seabourn before you book anything.

The sailings, decoded

The long sailings are these pieces stitched together. The 24-night Oct 22 departure is the 12-night northern route plus the Nov 3 southern one (12 + 12). The 26-night Nov 3 sailing is that southern route plus the Nov 15 run to Singapore (12 + 14). The 22-night Dec 13 sailing is the 8-night Singapore round trip plus the Dec 21 sailing (8 + 14). Agency listings show that 8-night loop calling at Penang, Langkawi, Phuket, Port Klang (for Kuala Lumpur) and Malacca, with two sea days, and returning to Singapore on Dec 21. It's not in the table because Seabourn's own page is the place to confirm it before you book.

Weather and seas

• Japan, late Oct to mid-Nov: Typhoon season peaks in August and September and has largely passed by November, though Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku take the brunt when a storm does show up. Tokyo averages roughly 17°C highs and 10°C lows in November, and it's one of the drier months. The northern ports (Hakodate, Aomori, Akita) will feel colder than those figures.
• Foliage: One 2026 guide puts the peak in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka at roughly Nov 18 to early December, shifted a few days later by a warm year. The Nov 3 sailing arrives a little early, and the northern route in late October catches the color higher up.
• Hong Kong: November is its most reliable month, at roughly 20 to 26°C with low humidity.
• Singapore: December is wet. NEA's 1991 to 2020 averages are about 332 mm of rain over roughly 19 days, with highs near 30.5°C. Expect afternoon thunderstorms, not all-day gloom.
• Halong Bay: Winter here is cool and can be foggy. Published guides range from the low teens to low 20s°C, so bring a layer.
• Open water: December through January is northeast monsoon season. The Vietnam-to-Hong Kong crossings can be livelier than the glossy brochure implies.

Which length suits whom

The 12-night Japan sailings are the sweet spot for first-timers. They have nine port calls on the southern route and a different port nearly every day. The Nov 3 one is marked sold out on Taoticket's US site, so if it's on your wish list, ask Seabourn or your travel agent about availability and the current suite fare before you plan around it. The 14-night sailings suit people who like sea days, since the Dec 21 route has six days with no port call. The 22 to 54-night sailings are for retirees and remote workers with the calendar to match.

The holiday quirk

The Dec 21 sailing puts you in Bangkok (the ship docks at Laem Chabang) on Christmas Eve, at Ko Kut (also spelled Koh Kood) on Christmas Day, in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Dec 26 and in Da Nang on New Year's Eve. That's a fun way to skip the family argument about who's hosting. Listings from agencies such as Fusion Cruises and iCruise show that Ko Kut and Sihanoukville back to back, so confirm the final port list with Seabourn when you book.

What to pack

For Japan, bring layers, a light packable coat, comfortable walking shoes and a compact umbrella. Add warmer gear for Hakodate and Aomori. For Southeast Asia, pack breathable fabrics, a rain jacket and sun protection. Halong Bay still wants a sweater. Browse other regions on our itineraries hub if you're comparing.