Cruise Deals From Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City is a port of call on Southeast Asia itineraries concentrated from November through March, with Princess, Costa, and Norwegian Cruise Line calling at the Phu My terminal, about two hours from the city center.
Phu My's deep-water terminal serves as the arrival point for Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, a metropolis roughly two hours inland where French colonial architecture meets modern Vietnam. Visitors typically explore the Reunification Palace, the red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral, and the ornate Central Post Office, along with the bustling stalls of Ben Thanh Market. The War Remnants Museum offers a sobering counterpoint, chronicling the nation's twentieth-century conflicts through photographs and preserved military hardware.
Beyond the city, the Mekong Delta's canals and orchards provide a quieter, greener contrast, reachable on longer excursions from the pier. Because the port sits well outside the city center, most calls are structured around full-day itineraries rather than independent walking. Traffic and travel time are part of the experience, rewarded by a city where centuries-old temples, colonial landmarks, and modern skyscrapers stand side by side.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Ho Chi Minh City .
Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels
This underground guerrilla network from the Vietnam War lies about 90 minutes from the city center, so it's usually paired with a full-day tour rather than a solo add-on. Crawl through widened tunnel sections and see camouflaged trapdoors and booby traps up close.
Visit Jade Emperor Pagoda
Built in 1909 by Cantonese immigrants, this incense-filled Taoist temple is packed with carved wooden statues of deities and eerie tortoise ponds. It's a quieter, more atmospheric counterpoint to the city's grander colonial landmarks.
Ride to the Skydeck
The Bitexco Financial Tower's 49th-floor observation deck delivers a panoramic view over the Saigon River and downtown skyline in about 20 minutes, a quick way to frame the city's mix of old and new from above.
