Con Dao island welcomes first international cruise ship in 2026
VGP - The luxury vessel Le Jacques Cartier, operated by France’s Compagnie du Ponant, docked at Ben Dam Port on Tuesday, bringing more than 100 international passengers of various nationalities to explore Con Dao island.
The luxury vessel Le Jacques Cartier
Con Dao welcomed its first international cruise ship in 2026, signaling a promising start for the island's tourism sector this year.
The ship, measuring over 131m in length and 18m in width with a maximum draft of 4.7m, departed from Singapore on February 8. Con Dao is the first stop on its Viet Nam itinerary.
Upon arrival, representatives of the Con Dao administration and relevant agencies held a formal welcome ceremony and hospitality while helping create a positive first impression of a safe and friendly destination.
During their stay, visitors are scheduled to tour key attractions, including historical relic sites, the natural landscapes of Con Dao National Park, pristine beaches, and local culinary offerings. Preparations have also been made to ensure security, traffic safety, environmental hygiene and service quality.
According to the plan, the ship will depart the island at 7pm the same day to continue its journey to destinations within Ho Chi Minh City.
As part of its Viet Nam itinerary, after visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Le Jacques Cartier will take passengers to other well-known destinations, including Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Chan May Bay and Ha Long Bay.
In 2025, Con Dao welcomed more than 612,000 visitors, including around 25,600 international arrivals. The arrival of Le Jacques Cartier early in the year is expected to provide fresh momentum for the island's tourism growth in 2026.
Earlier, the Vietnamese island was named among the world's best honeymoon destinations for 2026. It ranked 5th worldwide and Viet Nam is the travel destination on everyone's lips for 2026, and for those eager to experience the Southeast Asian country's most marvelous landscapes, minus the crowds./.
