Viking is launching a new ship next Summer for its popular Magnificent Mekong cruise tour. Currently under construction, the 80-guest Viking Saigon℠ is scheduled to debut for the 30 August 2021 cruisetour departure; the river cruise portion of the itinerary sails between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
“For many of our guests, Vietnam and Cambodia remain top destinations because of their significance in world history,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We have led the river cruise industry with our fleet development and experiences that bring travellers closer to the cultures of the world for more than two decades. This will be the most modern vessel on the Mekong and will feel like ‘home’ to our loyal Viking guests who are familiar with the comfortable design of our ships.”
Viking Saigon
Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the new Viking Saigon will host 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms. Featuring the clean Scandinavian design for which Viking is known, all staterooms will have hotel-style beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a Veranda or French Balcony. Guests on the three-deck Viking Saigon will also enjoy a Spa & Fitness Centre, Infinity Pool and open-air Sky Bar on the Upper Deck.
Magnificent Mekong
During this 15-day journey, guests explore the cultural treasures of Vietnam and Cambodia with 16 guided tours. Hotel stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) bracket an eight-day Mekong River cruise on this unique cruisetour itinerary, during which guests can enjoy shopping in Old Hanoi’s markets; exploring the Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat; visiting Ta Prohm, where jungle vines embrace ancient ruins; and seeing the sights of Phnom Penh by cyclo rickshaw. On the river cruise portion of the itinerary, guests can discover silk towns, fishing villages, monasteries and floating markets. Multiple departure dates beginning in August 2021. Pricing starts at £5,195.00 per person, including airfare from select UK airports.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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10 Comments
From the photos this wonderful new ship looks to be raising the bar on quality river cruising. I’ve never been on a Viking Cruise but one of my friends is a very loyal customer of theirs. She speaks very highly of Viking and says that one of their big strengths is that they work hard to introduce you to the culture of the country you are visiting.
I remember watching some of the news reports on the Vietnam War and even with all the horror going on still thinking that it was a beautiful country. When Saigon fell in 1975 I thought that would be the end of that travel dream. I never imagined that Vietnam would open up again in my lifetime and that it would be possible to cruise the Mekong River in total luxury.
I’m old enough to remember film of the chaotic evacuation of Saigon, people desperately trying to cling to helicopters as the last ones took off. At the time it seemed as if the domino theory, one country after another falling to communism, was happening.
Then about a decade ago, my daughter and her friends spent a month in Vietnam, they hadn’t planned to stay that long but they fell in love with the country. Having funded her through that, I definitely feel that it’s my turn to visit Vietnam by I would want Viking Cruise luxury not back-packer economy.
Yeah I’ve been in Vietnam this past year, it’s my third time here. And although there’s currently an outbreak in Da Nang, the government here really acted quickly to ensure the safety of the entire country. My dad asks me a lot about how the people are with foreigners, specifically Americans, and I’ve found that Vietnamese people are some of the most friendly in the world.
I have always enjoyed my trips to South East Asia though Vietnam remains on my travel bucket list. Also, I’ve loved my European river cruises. I’m hoping to retire in the summer of 2021 so this could be a dream start to my retirement. Who knows it may even inspire me to do some more Viking Cruises?
Viking Saigon, a powerful name for a powerful looking boat. I really like Scandinavian designs so I find the comfortable yet streamlined aesthetics of the interiors very appealing. It’s a far cry from the outdated cruises with pokey cabins that feel stuffy and claustrophobic. Sounds like it’ll take you on a once in a lifetime kind of journey too visiting places you likely wouldn’t see otherwise, as well as getting more up close to the places and the culture. I do like trips where you get a more meaningful experience, I prefer to pay for that than a more run of the mill sea and sand holiday. I imagine this will have plenty of customers lining up for a trip once it’s ready to hit the water next year, and hopefully by that point the pandemic will be a thing of the past.
The Mekong River is one of the longest rivers in the world and flow through several countries in Asia. It really is a great place for a cruise. Viking Saigon looks so luxe it looks like one of those big cruise lines that ply the European coasts. The colors of the staterooms are so calming and makes it look so clean. Perfect balconies for looking out into the river scenes. Cambodia’s Angkot Wat is a dream destination for me, so I would consider this cruise as one of the ways I can get there while also being able to enjoy multiple destinations. I didn’t know about this cruise and have always planned on reaching Cambodia through Vietnam on land transportation.
Really? I didn’t know it was that big compared to other rivers. But I know when you visit Southeast Asia, it’s a very prominent part of their culture especially in South Vietnam. I believe it goes all the way up to Bangkok, no? If you get a chance to be along the river, I’d recommend a high-rise apartment or rooftop bar. They provide some of the best views of the Mekong.
This reminded me of something I saw recently posted online by Richard Dawkins. I believe he had a cruise along the Mekong, some science thing. Maybe lectures on board or something. It seems the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia is becoming more popular these days. I agree that I’d rather be on boad here rather than backpacking, that’s for sure.
This is just the perfect way to discover these two incredible destinations in one go + do it in style and without giving up the modern day luxuries.
Viking cruises is known for its service and high standards, so I can only imagine the total package and the amazing experience one will have.
“For many of our guests, Vietnam and Cambodia remain top destinations because of their significance in world history,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We have led the river cruise industry with our fleet development and experiences that bring travellers closer to the cultures of the world for more than two decades. This will be the most modern vessel on the Mekong and will feel like ‘home’ to our loyal Viking guests who are familiar with the comfortable design of our ships.”
“For many of our guests, Vietnam and Cambodia remain top destinations because of their significance in world history,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We have led the river cruise industry with our fleet development and experiences that bring travellers closer to the cultures of the world for more than two decades. This will be the most modern vessel on the Mekong and will feel like ‘home’ to our loyal Viking guests who are familiar with the comfortable design of our ships.”
Viking Saigon
Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the new Viking Saigon will host 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms. Featuring the clean Scandinavian design for which Viking is known, all staterooms will have hotel-style beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a Veranda or French Balcony. Guests on the three-deck Viking Saigon will also enjoy a Spa & Fitness Centre, Infinity Pool and open-air Sky Bar on the Upper Deck.
Magnificent Mekong
During this 15-day journey, guests explore the cultural treasures of Vietnam and Cambodia with 16 guided tours. Hotel stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) bracket an eight-day Mekong River cruise on this unique cruisetour itinerary, during which guests can enjoy shopping in Old Hanoi’s markets; exploring the Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat; visiting Ta Prohm, where jungle vines embrace ancient ruins; and seeing the sights of Phnom Penh by cyclo rickshaw. On the river cruise portion of the itinerary, guests can discover silk towns, fishing villages, monasteries and floating markets. Multiple departure dates beginning in August 2021. Pricing starts at £5,195.00 per person, including airfare from select UK airports.
From the photos this wonderful new ship looks to be raising the bar on quality river cruising. I’ve never been on a Viking Cruise but one of my friends is a very loyal customer of theirs. She speaks very highly of Viking and says that one of their big strengths is that they work hard to introduce you to the culture of the country you are visiting.
I remember watching some of the news reports on the Vietnam War and even with all the horror going on still thinking that it was a beautiful country. When Saigon fell in 1975 I thought that would be the end of that travel dream. I never imagined that Vietnam would open up again in my lifetime and that it would be possible to cruise the Mekong River in total luxury.
I’m old enough to remember film of the chaotic evacuation of Saigon, people desperately trying to cling to helicopters as the last ones took off. At the time it seemed as if the domino theory, one country after another falling to communism, was happening.
Then about a decade ago, my daughter and her friends spent a month in Vietnam, they hadn’t planned to stay that long but they fell in love with the country. Having funded her through that, I definitely feel that it’s my turn to visit Vietnam by I would want Viking Cruise luxury not back-packer economy.
Yeah I’ve been in Vietnam this past year, it’s my third time here. And although there’s currently an outbreak in Da Nang, the government here really acted quickly to ensure the safety of the entire country. My dad asks me a lot about how the people are with foreigners, specifically Americans, and I’ve found that Vietnamese people are some of the most friendly in the world.
I have always enjoyed my trips to South East Asia though Vietnam remains on my travel bucket list. Also, I’ve loved my European river cruises. I’m hoping to retire in the summer of 2021 so this could be a dream start to my retirement. Who knows it may even inspire me to do some more Viking Cruises?
Viking Saigon, a powerful name for a powerful looking boat. I really like Scandinavian designs so I find the comfortable yet streamlined aesthetics of the interiors very appealing. It’s a far cry from the outdated cruises with pokey cabins that feel stuffy and claustrophobic. Sounds like it’ll take you on a once in a lifetime kind of journey too visiting places you likely wouldn’t see otherwise, as well as getting more up close to the places and the culture. I do like trips where you get a more meaningful experience, I prefer to pay for that than a more run of the mill sea and sand holiday. I imagine this will have plenty of customers lining up for a trip once it’s ready to hit the water next year, and hopefully by that point the pandemic will be a thing of the past.
The Mekong River is one of the longest rivers in the world and flow through several countries in Asia. It really is a great place for a cruise. Viking Saigon looks so luxe it looks like one of those big cruise lines that ply the European coasts. The colors of the staterooms are so calming and makes it look so clean. Perfect balconies for looking out into the river scenes. Cambodia’s Angkot Wat is a dream destination for me, so I would consider this cruise as one of the ways I can get there while also being able to enjoy multiple destinations. I didn’t know about this cruise and have always planned on reaching Cambodia through Vietnam on land transportation.
Really? I didn’t know it was that big compared to other rivers. But I know when you visit Southeast Asia, it’s a very prominent part of their culture especially in South Vietnam. I believe it goes all the way up to Bangkok, no? If you get a chance to be along the river, I’d recommend a high-rise apartment or rooftop bar. They provide some of the best views of the Mekong.
This reminded me of something I saw recently posted online by Richard Dawkins. I believe he had a cruise along the Mekong, some science thing. Maybe lectures on board or something. It seems the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia is becoming more popular these days. I agree that I’d rather be on boad here rather than backpacking, that’s for sure.
This is just the perfect way to discover these two incredible destinations in one go + do it in style and without giving up the modern day luxuries.
Viking cruises is known for its service and high standards, so I can only imagine the total package and the amazing experience one will have.
Can’t wait to give it a try.