U.S.-based cruise line Princess Cruises is offering a special discount to Vietnamese tourists traveling on the Sapphire Princess, one of 17 cruise ships operated by the line. The promotion is applicable to a four-night cruise costing only SG$338 (US$249) for two passengers sharing a single room, including all dining and entertainment services on board.

Passengers relax on the Sapphire Princess cruise ship

The four-day cruise will start on January 30 from Singapore, sailing to Penang in Malaysia and Phuket in Thailand; it will then return to the point of departure. The original price for this cruise is SG$1,398.

In addition, the ship offers a special deal for a three-day cruise, with the price reduced to SG$288 from the original SG$1,119 for two passengers. Passengers booking this cruise will depart on February 15 from Singapore, traveling to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia before returning to Singapore.

Sapphire Princess, an 18-story cruise ship, can accommodate 2,500 passengers and over 1,000 sailors. It offers five restaurants, a casino, a library, many swimming pools, a fitness center and a spa, as well as many other convenient facilities. Dining services are available 24/7 and passengers can order room service without extra fees.

Vietnamese tourists will have to fly to Singapore to take these cruises.

Farriek Tawfik, director for Southeast Asia of Princess Cruises, told the Saigon Times that these offers are among many promotional programs launched to encourage more Vietnamese tourists to take sailing tours. In the coming period, the cruise operator will organize additional activities to introduce its cruise ship services and network with travel agencies in Vietnam, aiming to exploit this potential market.

Tawfik noted that the local people have yet to become familiar with cruise tourism, making it difficult for the company to expand its business in Vietnam. Accordingly, Princess Cruises will launch more marketing activities to promote its services.

Apart from attracting more Vietnamese tourists, Princess Cruises has also brought many international visitors to Vietnam on cruise ships. According to the itineraries of the Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess cruise liners, between November last year and this March, the ships will dock at 11 ports in Southeast Asia, including those of Phu My and Nha Trang in Vietnam.

The cruise line carried 80,000 international tourists to Vietnam last year.

SGT