With the inaugural sailing of Emerald Harmony just a few months away, Emerald Cruises is now taking Mekong River bookings for the 2020-2021 season. Guests who book a sailing of 13 days or more will receive free round trip airfare to Asia, or $2,500 savings per couple when booked by June 29.

Emerald Harmony. Photo courtesy of Emerald Cruises

With only 84 guests in 42 staterooms and suites, Emerald Harmony will offer an intimate experience on the Mekong. The ship features spacious cabins, including 32, 273 square foot Panorama Balcony Suites with drop-down windows; four, 398 square foot Grand Balcony Suites; and two 450 square foot Owner’s Suites boasting wrap-around terraces with private hot tubs. The ship also boasts a pool located on the ship’s aft, an Asian-themed Horizon Bar & Lounge, and a 2:1 guest to crew ratio.

The menu in the main dining venue, Reflections Restaurant, will serve a locally-inspired menu showcasing native cuisine from the region. Featuring dark wooden tones and muted colors, the Lotus Lounge, situated at the front of the Vista Deck, is a new and quiet spot for guests to relax and watch the horizon unfold as the ship sails.

Emerald Harmony will be built to allow access to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, meaning guests will disembark in the center of the action rather than needing to be coached in from outside the city.

Emerald Cruises will offer four itineraries on the Emerald Harmony. The eight-day Majestic Mekong Cruise sails between Prek’kdam and Ho Chi Minh City, while 13-day Majestic Mekong Discovery Cruise sails between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap with time on land to explore Angkor Wat; the 17-day Treasures & Temples of Vietnam & Cambodia river cruise and tour adds stops in Hanoi and Halong Bay in the north, and the 21-day Grand Tour of Vietnam & Cambodia river cruise and tour includes stops at Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue, and Siem Reap.

No matter which itinerary guests opt for, they will pay a visit to the busy metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, a city that continues to modernize while maintaining roots in strong traditions. Vietnam War reminders are never far away – whether the Cu Chi Tunnels, a network of underground passageways constructed by the communist guerillas, or the War Remnants Museum. In the Mekong Delta region, highlights include a visit to a family-owned silk producing factory and the My An Hung village; while a visit to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh contrasts the elaborate Royal Palace complex with the tragic reminders of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Killing Fields. A stop at a local monastery offers up a traditional Buddhist blessing. And in Siem Reap, guests visit the ruins of the world’s largest temple, Angkor Wat.