Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas celebrated its arrival in Phu My, Vietnam, on August 22, 2023.

The celebrations were held onboard in recognition of the ship’s new 12-night sailings as well as to acknowledge the cruise line’s future cruises to Vietnam.

Angie Stephen, Royal Caribbean International’s vice president and managing director for Asia-Pacific, the Spectrum of the Seas’ Captain Wu Huimin, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province Nguyen Van Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh and U.S. Consulate General HCMC Deputy Principal Officer Anne Benjaminson exchanged gifts onboard the Spectrum of the Seas, followed by an exclusive tour of the ship.

“Vietnam is a popular travel destination for both Singaporeans as well as our guests from across the world, so we are thrilled to be able to celebrate our sailings to Phu My with key government and cruise industry stakeholders onboard today. Today’s onboard event also coincides with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership which we deeply value. Our guests today will disembark to explore the nearby sights, onshore excursions including exploring Buddhist temples, taking in the Bay of Boats and enjoying guided tours of Ho Chi Minh City which will all offer an economic benefit to the already thriving tourism industry,” said Stephen.

Nguyen Van Tho stated: “Every year, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province welcomes a large number of international tourists, including guests from cruises. Post-pandemic, our tourism industry has implemented many solutions to restore and develop our tourism calendar, which has maintained a good growth rate and made a positive contribution to the overall growth of the province. Today has allowed us the opportunity to promote and affirm Ba RiaVung Tau as a safe, friendly and attractive destination for international tourists from the cruising market.”

Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Nguyen Trung Khanh, added: “We are delighted that Royal Caribbean International has included Vietnam in their 2023 cruise itineraries. The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism highly appreciates the efforts of Royal Caribbean in quickly restoring international cruise tourism, and we thank them for choosing Vietnam as the venue for the ceremony to celebrate the recovery of the international cruise industry.”

Over the course of the 12-night cruise, travelers have enjoyed exploring Asian destinations including Tokyo, Kumamoto, Kagoshima in Japan; Hong Kong; as well as Nha Trang in Vietnam.