Ho Chi Minh City Cruises

The exciting and energetic Ho Chi Minh City should be on everyone’s bucket list – its vitality is contagious, making visitors come back again and again. The city is full of:

• Contrasts that live harmoniously alongside each other
• Welcoming locals
• Restaurants and stalls with equally delicious food
• Temples
• Designer boutiques

Ho Chi Minh City has to be visited to be believed!

Cruise Lines

Setting sail from a home port in Australia is the easiest and most popular way to cruise to Ho Chi Minh City. Most cruise lines will depart from these port cities:

• Sydney
• Brisbane

Quite a few companies offer cruises that stop off at Ho Chi Minh, so here are a couple of insider tips to help you decide.

• Princess Cruises – you will sail on board the recently renovated Royal Princess from Sydney or Brisbane. The itinerary also includes Indonesia and China.
• Regent Seven Seas – the Seven Seas Mariner or Explorer will depart from Sydney and cruise you away on a voyage of over 30 nights. You will get to experience the fascinating city by night as there is an overnight stay in Ho Chi Minh.
• Viking Ocean – the cruise line offers spectacular crossings from Sydney to Vancouver with stops in Vietnam, China, Japan and North America.

The Best Time to Visit

Like many cities in Asia, Ho Chi Minh also has a wet season and a dry season rather than real seasons. The most popular months to visit the city are December, January and February for a number of reasons:

• The temperatures are mild, 24-26°C
• Time for festivals: Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year

However, the prices will be higher by as much as 30%, plus many shops and restaurants are closed during the Lunar New Year period (February).