Emerald Cruises

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Ho Chi Minh City

   Vietnam

   

   Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

2. Day 2

   Ho Chi Minh City

   Vietnam

   

   Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

3. Day 3

   Ho Chi Minh City

   Vietnam

   

   Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

4. Day 4

   Cho Gao Canal

   

5. Day 5

   Sa Dec

   Vietnam

   

   Sa Đéc, a sleepy town of French colonial villas and temple-filled alleyways on a branch of the Mekong Delta, is renowned as the birthplace of Marguerite Duras and the flowering capital of Vietnam. The town's nurseries supply orchids, bonsai, and chrysanthemums to florists across the country, perfuming the riverside air. The restored Huỳnh Thủy Lê House — where Duras's colonial-era love story unfolded — offers a haunting window into the delta's past. Vendors ply the waterways in flat-bottomed boats piled with tropical fruit. November through April brings the dry season's golden light and gentle breezes.

6. Day 6

   My An Hung

   Vietnam

   

   My An Hung is a Mekong Delta village in southern Vietnam where the great river's waterways weave through rice paddies, coconut groves, and a way of life intimately connected to the water. Must-dos include a sampan ride through palm-canopied canals, watching coconut candy being made by hand, and tasting clay-pot caramelised fish with tropical fruits. Visit December through April for dry season comfort.

7. Day 7

   Gieng Island

   Vietnam

   

   Gieng Island is a lush river island in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, offering an immersive experience of traditional Vietnamese rural life amid coconut groves, fruit orchards, and honey farms. Must-dos include sampling crispy elephant ear fish wrapped in rice paper, exploring the canals by sampan, and visiting nearby floating markets. November through April's dry season provides the most pleasant weather for delta exploration.

8. Day 8

   Tan Chau

   Vietnam

   

   Tan Chau is a quietly enchanting border town on the upper Mekong Delta, where Vietnamese, Khmer, Cham, and Chinese cultural threads weave together in floating markets, silk-weaving workshops, and ornate riverside temples. River cruise guests typically arrive by sampan at dawn, when the town's covered market erupts with color and the legendary Tan Chau silk — hand-woven on traditional wooden looms — is spread out for trade. The cool dry season from November to February offers the most pleasant conditions for exploring this living crossroads of Southeast Asian civilization.

9. Day 9

   Phnom Penh

   Cambodia

   

   Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

10. Day 10

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia

    

    Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

11. Day 11

    Angkor Ban

    Cambodia

    

    Angkor Ban is a riverside Mekong village in Cambodia's Kampong Cham Province where unvarnished authenticity awaits the discerning river cruise traveler — a world away from tourist infrastructure, offering a rare glimpse into rural Khmer life unchanged by modernity. Ancient laterite temple ruins hide among the trees, while local craftspeople practice traditional silk weaving and pottery in family compounds that welcome visitors with quiet warmth. The dry season from November through April offers the most comfortable conditions for exploring the village lanes and surrounding countryside on foot or by bicycle. Phnom Penh is a half-day's river journey downstream.

12. Day 12

    Peam Chi Kang

    Cambodia

    

13. Day 13

    Siem Reap

    Cambodia

    

    Siem Reap, the gateway city to the ancient Khmer empire's greatest achievement, is the essential staging post for exploring Angkor — the twelfth-century temple complex whose scale and ambition remain without parallel in human history. Angkor Wat at sunrise, its towers mirrored in the lily-covered moat, is one of the world's most transcendent spectacles; Angkor Thom's enigmatic Bayon, with its serene stone faces emerging from the jungle canopy, is another. The city's Old Market quarter offers silk workshops, street food vendors, and celebrated restaurants serving amok — fish steamed in coconut and lemongrass. November through April brings the driest, most comfortable conditions.

14. Day 14

    Siem Reap

    Cambodia

    

    Siem Reap, the gateway city to the ancient Khmer empire's greatest achievement, is the essential staging post for exploring Angkor — the twelfth-century temple complex whose scale and ambition remain without parallel in human history. Angkor Wat at sunrise, its towers mirrored in the lily-covered moat, is one of the world's most transcendent spectacles; Angkor Thom's enigmatic Bayon, with its serene stone faces emerging from the jungle canopy, is another. The city's Old Market quarter offers silk workshops, street food vendors, and celebrated restaurants serving amok — fish steamed in coconut and lemongrass. November through April brings the driest, most comfortable conditions.

15. Day 15

    Siem Reap

    Cambodia

    

    Siem Reap, the gateway city to the ancient Khmer empire's greatest achievement, is the essential staging post for exploring Angkor — the twelfth-century temple complex whose scale and ambition remain without parallel in human history. Angkor Wat at sunrise, its towers mirrored in the lily-covered moat, is one of the world's most transcendent spectacles; Angkor Thom's enigmatic Bayon, with its serene stone faces emerging from the jungle canopy, is another. The city's Old Market quarter offers silk workshops, street food vendors, and celebrated restaurants serving amok — fish steamed in coconut and lemongrass. November through April brings the driest, most comfortable conditions.

Cabin Categories

Emerald Stateroom

Outside

247 sq ftMax 2D

Providing excellent value for money, they are bigger than the average standard staterooms. Enjoy your time on-board in your home-away-from-home, with everything you could possibly need. Emerald Staterooms have porthole river views, perfect for seeing the picturesque landscape pass by.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+3

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Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2A

A private balcony with drop-down window is perfect for enjoying the ever-changing views. Reaching 273ft² (25.4m²), relax and unwind in your opulent en-suite bathroom, complete with toiletries, and sleep soundly in your queen-size or twin hotel-style bed.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

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Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2B

A private balcony with drop-down window is perfect for enjoying the ever-changing views. Reaching 273ft² (25.4m²), relax and unwind in your opulent en-suite bathroom, complete with toiletries, and sleep soundly in your queen-size or twin hotel-style bed.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

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Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2AP

A private balcony with drop-down window is perfect for enjoying the ever-changing views. Reaching 273ft² (25.4m²), relax and unwind in your opulent en-suite bathroom, complete with toiletries, and sleep soundly in your queen-size or twin hotel-style bed.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

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Grand Balcony Suite

Suite

398 sq ftMax 2S

Beautifully appointed with a private balcony, these luxurious suites reach 398ft² (37m²) and host a separate bedroom and lounge. Guests staying in these suites can enjoy the opulent surrounds of the en-suite bathroom, as well as breakfast, canapés and after-dinner treats.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableSuite Benefits+6

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Owner's One-bedroom Suite

Suite

775 sq ftMax 2SA

At 452ft² (42m²), this truly spectacular suite boasts a separate bedroom and lounge area, a luxurious en-suite bathroom and a queen-size or twin-style bed plus enjoy a private terrace, with an additional space of 323ft2 (30m2 ) complete with a Jacuzzi. Not forgetting, you’ll be invited to dine at the Captain’s Table.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaVanity AreaShowerWhirlpool BathToiletries Provided+9

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Emerald Stateroom

Outside

247 sq ftMax 2STD

<p>Providing excellent value for money, staterooms boast ample space of 23m². Enjoy your time in your home–away–from–home, with everything you could possibly need in which to relax.</p><p><b>Your stateroom includes:</b></p><p></p><ul><li>Port–hole window</li><li>Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries, hairdryer, complimentary bathrobes and slippers to use while on board</li><li>Complimentary Wi–Fi</li><li>Queen–size or twin hotel–style beds</li><li>Bodia toiletries</li><li>Telephone</li><li>Alarm clock</li><li>Hairdryer</li><li>Safe for your valuables</li><li>Individual climate control</li><li>Flat–screen TV and infotainment system</li><li>Mini–bar</li></ul><p></p> <p></p>

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVFree Wi-Fi+3

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