A cruise ship arrives at Cai Mep-Thi Vai ports. Photo by Saigon Newport
Several leading global cruise lines have warned they may remove Ho Chi Minh City from their international routes due to restrictions on cruise ship reception at the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex.
The Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration has urgently proposed that the Ministry of Construction extend permission for international cruise ships to dock at selected ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area until December 31.
Earlier, the administration received petitions from three companies concerning the suspension of cruise ship arrivals at Cai Mep-Thi Vai. One of these petitions was from Royal Caribbean Group (RCG), a major US-based cruise operator that has brought hundreds of thousands of tourists to Vietnam.
According to RCG, partners under Saigon Newport Corporation recently informed the company that cruise ships could no longer dock at Cai Mep-Thi Vai because the ports had not been officially zoned or licensed to handle passenger vessels.
RCG said the sudden itinerary cancellations have severely disrupted cruise operations. On October 18, the cruise liner Ovation of the Seas, carrying over 4,000 passengers, was unable to call at Tan Cang-Cai Mep Port, causing significant losses for both passengers and the company.
“If this issue is not resolved, ports in the Ho Chi Minh City area will be unable to accommodate large international cruise ships. We will therefore have no choice but to remove Ho Chi Minh City from our list of Asian destinations,” RCG warned.
The company also noted that this is not the first time such a disruption has occurred. In September 2024, Nha Trang Port was unexpectedly closed, forcing RCG to exclude Nha Trang from its cruise itineraries.
Given the urgency, RCG has requested that Vietnamese maritime authorities and relevant agencies facilitate continued operations for large cruise ships at Cai Mep-Thi Vai in the coming period.
Explaining the cause of the issue, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration said the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex consists of 24 terminals designed for specialised, general, container, bulk, and liquid cargo, but none officially designated for passenger vessels.
In previous years, when no dedicated passenger terminals were available, maritime authorities instructed local port authorities to allocate temporary berths and guide companies through the procedures for cruise ship operations.
“However, the port operators have yet to proactively amend their functions or complete the necessary procedures to officially declare passenger ship operations,” the administration stated.
