River cruises aren’t just for Europe anymore
Emerald Harmony takes cruisers along Mekong River into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City
River cruises are all the rage these days, but they aren’t confined to the rivers of Europe. In fact, Emerald Waterways just announced their latest stateof-the-art river cruise ship designed for the waters of the Mekong River that flows between Cambodia and Vietnam.
The new 84-guest Emerald Harmony will make her debut in August 2019, sailing a mix of 13-, 17- and 21-day cruise and cruise-tour itineraries through the heart of Cambodia and Vietnam.
Designed specifically to be able to sail right into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City (something many other Mekong river cruisers simply can’t do), the new Emerald Harmony will get her guests closer to the action and avoid the lengthy coach ride into the city that is necessary on many other lines.
Emerald Harmony will feature 42 staterooms ranging in size from a very spacious 273 square feet to the lavish 450-square foot Owner’s Suites that boast wraparound terraces and private hot tubs. The ship will have a guest to crew ratio of two-to-one, along with an aft pool, an Asian-themed Horizon Bar and Lounge, and a main restaurant (Reflections) serving up locally-inspired cuisines from the region.
Emerald Waterways is deploying Emerald Harmony on three separate itineraries. The 13-day “Majestic Mekong” river cruise and tour will run between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap with time to explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, while the 17-day “Treasures and Temples of Vietnam and Cambodia” river cruise and tour adds stops in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in the north.
For those with more time to spare, the 21-day “Grand Tour of Vietnam and Cambodia” river cruise and tour includes stops at Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Hue and Siem Reap.
You might know Emerald Waterways better as the more affordable offshoot of luxury tour and river cruise operator Scenic. And as such, Emerald Waterways offers a ton of nice inclusions on its river cruises in Asia and Europe, including all airport-to-ship transfers; complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; free bottled water in cabins that is replenished daily; complimentary Wi-Fi; most shore excursions; and all gratuities onboard and on-shore.
The Mekong can seem daunting to those who have never been. With the new Emerald Harmony setting sail next summer, there has never been a better time to explore this fascinating region of Southeast Asia.