Cruise passengers visit the Reunification Palace in HCMC

Saigontourist Holding Company on April 16 welcomed two international cruise ships with a combined 4,100 passengers on board. Ms Europa 2 called at Saigon Premier Container Terminal in HCMC, while Genting Dream arrived at Nha Trang Port.

After arriving at Nha Trang Port, 3,500 Singaporean guests on board the cruise ship Genting Dream took sightseeing tours to Po Nagar Cham Temple, Long Son Pagoda and Vinpearl Land Amusement Park.

The ship is expected to leave Nha Trang Port for Phu My Port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam on April 17, allowing passengers to visit HCMC and My Tho City of Tien Giang Province. Genting Dream will leave Phu My Port tonight, April 17, finishing its journey in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Ms Europa 2, carrying 600 German passengers, will stay in Vietnam longer, ending its trip in the country on April 21.

In addition, Saigontourist will receivethe cruise ship Voyager of the Seas, visiting the cities of HCMC, Nha Trang and Danang this month.

Statistics from Saigontourist show that over the first quarter, the firm welcomed 26,729 cruise passengers from Hong Kong, China, Britain, France, the United States and Germany.The international cruise ships to Vietnam included Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Millennium, World Dream, Voyager of the Seas, MS Europa I, Azamara Quest and Mein Schiff.

In addition, another local travel firm, Viet Excursions, welcomed the cruise ship Insignia in Danang City on April 16. After visiting Danang City and some tourist destinations in central Vietnam, the passengers on the top-rated Oceania cruise shipare scheduled to continue their trip to HCMC on April 18. The firm also saw off an international cruise ship in Halong City, Quang Ninh Province last night.

“The number of international cruise ship arrivals in Vietnam in January-March was much higher than in the same period last year. We welcome two or three ships on average a week,” said Phan Xuan Anh, chairman of Viet Excursions.

Anh told the Saigon Times that many ports in Halong Bay, Danang City, Thua Thien-Hue and Nha Trang, especially Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, have seen more international cruise ships coming. sgt