August 07, 2006

Cruising to Asia

My family and I visited Vietnam aboard the Spirit of Oceanus in early May 2001, just after taking delivery of her in Singapore, where my daughter, Lauren, who was just seven years old at the time, christened her. It was a memorable, life- and perspective-changing experience for all of us.

While I did not serve in the military, having lived through the “Vietnam Era,” I was curious and a bit apprehensive about what I would discover in Vietnam. We had been exposed to so many years of negative news from this country, but what I found was completely different from what I expected. As the tourist bureau people say, “Vietnam is a country – not a war.” Fifty percent of the Vietnamese are under 25 years old! They did not experience the war years.

The people are very warm and friendly. The scenery and culture are remarkable. And in the past five years, more of Vietnam has been made more accessible to foreign visitors. There are now many flights into Vietnam, including our own United Airlines. There are more ports of call available to us than five years ago, making access to some of the remote cultural and historical treasures much easier.

New for 2007, our Vietnam cruise visits ports like Chan May, Hue, the cultural heart and soul of Vietnam, and Hoi An, a delightful town filled with remnants of its importance as a trading port in the 17th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Qui Nhon, a charming fishing port and Nha Trang, with spectacular beaches, snorkeling and birdwatching opportunities. 

Treasures of the Orient ports include many of the “life-list” places such as Shanghai, and Hong Kong, but also the virtually unknown places such as Xiamen in China and Hagi in Japan that remain treasure troves of culture that really offer an insider view to these countries that most tourists miss entirely.

All of this means we will have even more enriching, enlightening experiences for you, our guests, in 2007.

I hope you will consider joining us on one of our cruises to these wonderful, dynamic countries.

Posted by Dick on August 7, 2006 12:33 PM

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