In 2017, Princess Cruises carried over 58,000 guests on 22 sailings to Vietnamese ports such as Phu My, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Cai Lan.
In 2018, six ships – Majestic Princess, Sapphire Princess, Diamond Princess, Golden Princess, Sun Princess and Coral Princess - will be deployed for 31 voyages, bringing over 80,000 guests to Vietnam throughout the year.
‘Vietnam has become an increasingly popular destination for our guests from US, Australia, and Europe as well as Asian countries,’ remarked Farriek Tawfik, director of Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises.
‘In response to this demand, we have significantly expanded our itineraries to offer passengers a choice of sailings and exciting itinerary options,’ he added.
According to Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) statistics, Vietnam received more than 460 calls across all its ports in 2016, making it the fourth most popular cruise destination in Asia.
Vietnam is also growing as a source market. In 2012, there were only 158 Vietnamese cruise passengers, and in 2016 this number increased to over 4,100, representing a 126% jump in five years - the largest increase in any Asian country and demonstrating its huge potential.
Vietnam’s middle and affluent classes will double to 33m people, about a third of the population by 2020 according to Boston Consulting Group.
With the rise of the middle class, the demand for holidays abroad will also increase among Vietnamese opting for cruise travel to destinations such as Europe and around Asia.
Since 2014, Princess has been offering Southeast Asia voyages from base port Singapore.
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