On October 15, Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) submitted an official letter to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, and relevant agencies regarding the reception of international cruise ships at the Cai Mep – Thi Vai area (Ho Chi Minh City).
Currently, the group is facing a significant operational disruption in Vietnam.
Royal Caribbean Group, headquartered in Miami, USA, is a leading global cruise tourism company, serving millions of passengers annually to top destinations worldwide. In 2024, Royal Caribbean operated 80 voyages to Vietnam and plans to increase this to 100 in 2025.
According to notifications from port partners under Saigon Port Corporation (Saigon Newport), ports in Phu My Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, will cease receiving cruise ships from October 2025. These include: Tan Cang – Cai Mep Port JSC (TCCT Port), Tan Cang – Cai Mep International Port LLC (TCIT Port), and Tan Cang – Cai Mep Thi Vai Port LLC (TCTT Port).
“The suspension is related to the additional procedures required by the Vietnam Maritime Administration for cruise ship reception at the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster. However, this sudden cancellation severely impacts our operations. Specifically, the Ovation of the Seas, carrying over 4,000 passengers, scheduled to dock at TCCT Port on October 18, will be unable to proceed, causing significant losses for both passengers and the group,” stated Royal Caribbean in its letter.
The group further emphasized that if the issue is not resolved immediately, ports in Ho Chi Minh City will be unable to accommodate large international cruise ships. Consequently, Royal Caribbean will be forced to remove Ho Chi Minh City from its Asian itinerary.
An international cruise ship docking at Phu My Port, March 2025
“According to operational guidelines and business planning practices, once a destination is deemed capable of receiving ships, it takes three years to reintroduce voyages to that location. Given the urgency, we urge authorities to allow the three aforementioned ports to continue receiving large cruise ships in the near future,” Royal Caribbean representatives requested.
Saigontourist Travel Service Company has also submitted a letter to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, advocating for the authorization of container and multi-purpose ports in the Cai Mep – Thi Vai area to pilot the reception of international cruise ships, ensuring travel operations.
Saigontourist, along with partner cruise agents, has organized tours for a large number of international passengers (averaging over 3,000 per voyage) from major cruise lines such as Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited when they dock in the Cai Mep – Thi Vai area.
Risk of Mass Cruise Cancellations
“By regulation, container and multi-purpose ports must add cruise ship reception capabilities to their port operation licenses. However, completing the legal documentation is time-consuming, while international cruise schedules are already finalized and cannot be altered. Delayed procedures directly threaten planned voyages,” a Saigontourist representative expressed concern.
International cruise lines face mass cancellations if Ho Chi Minh City ports stop receiving ships
For instance, from now until April 2026, Saigontourist expects approximately 15 international cruise voyages with around 40,000 passengers awaiting reception.
“If not addressed promptly, international cruise lines will be forced to cancel voyages en masse, causing severe damage to Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism revenue, breaching signed contracts with Saigontourist, and harming Vietnam’s tourism reputation among international partners,” the company representative warned.
Saigontourist urges the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism to review, report, and petition the Vietnam Maritime Administration and relevant authorities to allow container and multi-purpose ports in the Cai Mep – Thi Vai area to pilot international cruise ship reception until December 2026.
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