The ship carried 580 passengers from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, along with approximately 500 crew members. Upon arrival, a vibrant welcome awaited the guests, featuring a lion dance, traditional conical hats (non la), and Tet gift boxes containing banh chung and banh tet, traditional Vietnamese sticky rice cakes.

Leaders from Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with representatives from related agencies, welcomed cruise ship passengers to the city on the morning of 19/2. Photo: Ngoc Truong

During their day in the city, visitors explored the Cham Sculpture Museum, the Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son), and Hoi An ancient town. This itinerary, blending heritage, nature, and the festive Tet atmosphere, offers unique experiences for the tourists.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Da Nang expects to welcome a total of approximately 4,200 international cruise passengers during this Tet holiday. In addition to the Seabourn Encore, the city received about 2,800 guests from European markets such as Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain on 20/2 (the 4th day of Tet). Another 650 European guests arrived on 22/2 (the 6th day of Tet).

Tourists received banh chung, a culinary specialty of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tet. Photo: Ngoc Truong

Tan Van Vuong, Deputy Director of Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated that the positive increase in cruise ship passengers during Tet indicates a strong recovery in this sector. Moving forward, the city plans to boost market promotion, enhance the quality of products and services, and strengthen cooperation with cruise lines and international travel agencies to attract more ship arrivals.

In 2025, Da Nang expects to welcome 47 cruise ships carrying 57,600 passengers, a 37.1% increase year-on-year. For 2026, the city anticipates 59 ships with over 64,000 passengers, representing an approximate 11% growth.

Nguyen Dong