A cruise ship carrying over 2,300 passengers is about to dock at Cam Ranh International Port.

The Coral Princess, also known as the "Coral Princess," operated by Princess Cruises (part of Carnival Corporation & plc, USA), carrying 2,300 passengers, will arrive at Cam Ranh International Port ( Khanh Hoa province) on the morning of October 23rd, as part of its voyage along the Vietnamese coast.

It is expected that after docking, tourists will disembark within a day to explore Nha Trang city, participate in countryside tours , etc. By late afternoon of the same day, the Coral Princess will depart Cam Ranh International Port for Hong Kong (China).

The Coral Princess, built in 2002 at a cost of $360 million, was most recently refurbished in 2019. This super-luxury ship, over 294 meters long and nearly 62 meters high, has a capacity of approximately 2,900 people and a gross tonnage of 91,627 GT. Launched in January 2003, it is one of the most modern, luxurious, and comfortable cruise ships in the world today. Photo: Princess Cruises

Mr. Do Thanh Long, Director of Hai Dang Nha Trang Maritime Agency Co., Ltd., said that the company had sent notifications about the ship to the authorities of Khanh Hoa province and relevant parties. He added that this is one of three international passenger ships that the company plans to welcome at the end of 2024.

Following the announcement that Nha Trang Port (Nha Trang City) would temporarily suspend receiving international cruise ships from September 20th for repairs, Hai Dang Travel Agency had 7 out of 10 cruise trips scheduled to be received in Nha Trang for the year-end period cancelled. According to Mr. Long, Hai Dang Travel Agency coordinated with relevant units to discuss the matter with Princess Cruises, and the cruise line agreed to allow the Coral Princess to dock at Cam Ranh International Port, and the travel agency would then take tourists to visit Nha Trang.

Regarding the 7 canceled international cruise ship trips of Hai Dang Agency, totaling 16,000 passengers, including several large ships with capacities of 4,000 passengers (Quantum Of The Seas), 2,800 passengers (Celebrity Sostice), etc., the agency plans to have approximately 37 international cruise ship trips in 2025. “Hai Dang Agency hopes that local authorities and relevant parties can find a viable solution for the 2025 international cruise season,” Mr. Long said.

International passenger ships arriving in Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa in 2023. Photo: Phuc Hau

In 2023, Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa welcomed 23 international cruise ships with over 45,000 tourists. The plan for 2024 is to welcome 44 international cruise ships; to date, 27 have been received with over 55,500 passengers. Shipping agents and travel companies are concerned that many cruise lines will cancel visits to Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa at the end of this year and in subsequent years due to the temporary closure of Nha Trang Port.

Cam Ranh International Port boasts modern facilities, including two piers capable of accommodating passenger ships up to 226,000 GT, facilitating the docking and anchoring of large international cruise ships. Passengers can board and disembark without needing to transfer. The port has also welcomed many large ships such as Legend of the Seas, SuperStar Vigor, Mariner of the Seas, Genting Dream, World Dream, etc., during the 2016-2017 period.

However, Cam Ranh International Port is located far from the center of Nha Trang City (about 60km), with a round-trip travel time of approximately 3-4 hours by road, while ships only dock at the port for 8-10 hours per trip for tourists. In addition, there are extra costs for transportation, tour guides, and management fees, as well as procedures to follow since the port is located within a military control zone.

To address the challenges facing cruise tourism, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province recently issued a document requesting the 4th Naval Region Command to provide support to provincial departments, agencies, Tan Cang - Petro Cam Ranh Co., Ltd., and tourism businesses involved in welcoming and serving cruise tourists at Cam Ranh International Port in a convenient and efficient manner. Tan Cang - Petro Cam Ranh Co., Ltd. also worked with the 4th Naval Region Command to facilitate smooth passenger access to and from the port; provided free transportation from the port to the Cam Ranh Bay tourist area for those not on organized tours; and partially subsidized the costs incurred by travel agencies organizing tours for tourists.

Nha Trang - Khánh Hòa has long been an ideal and favorite destination for international cruise lines.

The Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Tourism also stated that it has requested the Provincial People's Committee to direct the Department of Transport to take the lead in coordinating with the Nha Trang Maritime Port Authority, the Nha Trang City People's Committee, the Border Guard Command, and other relevant units to study and survey the Nha Trang tourist pier and areas that can receive transfer vessels from international cruise ships anchored in the already announced areas to welcome tourists, while awaiting the announcement of a new anchorage area at Ana Marina Nha Trang Port (located in the north of Nha Trang City, meeting the standards but this area does not yet have an international cruise ship anchorage).

In the first nine months of 2024, Khanh Hoa province welcomed approximately 9 million overnight visitors, a 57.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023, achieving 100% of the 2024 plan. In the remaining months of 2024, Khanh Hoa aims to attract an additional 1-2 million overnight visitors, bringing the total number of visitors to the province in 2024 to over 10 million.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/tau-du-lich-cho-hon-2300-khach-sap-cap-cang-quoc-te-cam-ranh-20241018162749111.htm