HCMC – The Malta-flagged passenger cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 arrived at the SP-PSA port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province early this morning, January 26, bringing 2,370 international guests to the southern coastal province.

This is the first international cruise vessel that has come to Ba Ria-Vung Tau on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, with 95% of the passengers coming from Germany, the local media reported.

The ship departed from Singapore and would make port calls in Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Upon arrival in Vietnam, around 1,800 of the cruise passengers will join tours in the southern province, neighboring HCMC, and some Mekong Delta provinces, while 570 others will take self-planned trips.

Tran Thi Thu Hien, deputy director of the Tourism Department in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, said the cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 transporting 2,370 international travelers to the province during the first days of the lunar new year was great news for the local tourism sector.

Cruise passengers account for a significant number of international tourist arrivals to Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Therefore, in 2023, the provincial tourism sector will continue to launch more campaigns to promote cruise tourism, Hien added.

By 7 p.m. today, the Mein Schiff 5 vessel was scheduled to leave Vietnam for Thailand.