Celebrity Solstice, a luxury Malta-flagged cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, with nearly 2,850 international passengers on board arrived at Thi Vai General Port in Phu My ward, Ho Chi Minh City, on December 4.

Celebrity Solstice, a luxury Malta-flagged cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises.

After docking, visitors began their excursions to popular destinations in HCM City and nearby Dong Thap province.

According to the Saigontourist travel service company, about 75% of the 1,400 passengers disembarking chose tours in HCM City.

Among the most popular options are visits to traditional craft villages and the Cu Chi Tunnels, as well as tours in Vung Tau and Ba Ria wards featuring attractions such as Bach Dinh and Bai Truoc.

Built by Germany’s leading shipbuilder Meyer Werft at a cost of 750 million USD, Celebrity Solstice is one of the world’s most modern and luxurious cruise ships.

Launched in 2008, the vessel, with a capacity of 2,850 passengers and a gross tonnage of 122,000 tonnes, measures 317.2 metres in length, 36.8 metres in width and 15 decks high, three times the size of a football field.

It offers high-end facilities including a 1,000-seat theatre, an outdoor lawn area, fitness centre, sauna, indoor pool and hot tubs.

HCM City is one of several stops on the ship’s regional itinerary, which departs from Singapore and includes Thailand before visiting Thi Vai Port, Chan May Port (Hue city) and Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh province) of Vietnam before concluding in Hong Kong.

In 2025, Celebrity Solstice has repeatedly brought international visitors to Vietnam. The ship was also the first international cruise to dock in HCM City immediately after Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) 2025 and most recently visited the port in mid-November.

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