Dazed07

We are on the final full day on a Mekong River cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap on the Mekong Princess. We can highly recommend this ship and itinerary.

     A relatively small cruise ship with 14 cabins and a 1:1 ratio of staff/crew to guests, the level of personal attention is very high. Eric, the cruise director, has combined the best of eastern and western hospitality. A dining room, a lounge and a sun deck comprise the main public areas. They never felt crowded and staff circulate constantly but unobtrusively to handle drink requests. Soft drinks, beer, and simple mixed drinks are included; specialty cocktails and coffees are extra, but reasonable. Good wines are served with dinner (French, Australian, Chile and Argentina).

     Breakfast and lunch were buffet style with a chef at the hot food station. Indochina offers a wonderful combination of fresh tropical fruit and French bakery goods. Dinner was from a four course a la carte menu with local and international cuisine. Quality was high; portion sizes were European rather than American, which we prefer. Special dietary issues were accommodated readily and quickly.

     The cabins are quite spacious.  Only the two top suites have regular balconies, but with the small number of guests and the large, covered sundeck, we never felt the lack. Our suite had cabin service multiple times per day. Mattress, pillows and linens are high quality. Laundry service is extra with 24 hour turnaround.  A small fitness center had bike, treadmill and hand weights.

      As a small ship, the Mekong Princess is able to dock in Ho Chi Minh City near downtown, avoiding a lengthy bus ride to the main river. The small canals we took cutting across the delta were some of the best cruising of the trip, with the banks often only a few meters from the ship. Unfortunately, all Mekong River cruises terminate at Kampong Thom in Cambodia these days, necessitating a 5 hour bus ride to Siem Riep/Angor Wat at that end.

     Port stops in the cruise included Phnom Penh and Can Tho (history, shopping and other urban adventures) and several small towns on the Mekong with local craftspeople and village life. Local guides (one in Vietnam, one in Cambodia) traveled with us. As less than thirty people, our tour group did not overwhelm the small towns during our visits; many of these towns are not on the standard tourist trail and seemed warm and welcoming. The Mekong Princess supports several local causes and donates a percentage of revenues to them.

     The guest list was pleasantly diverse, with no single nationality more than 30%. A range of ages were represented, with two younger children, but the activities and facilities are really for adults. Very little physical effort is required, with the longest walks less than a kilometer. Given the heat and sun, even in the winter, this was a good match with many of the guests. On-board activities are typical small ship; passengers are mostly expected to entertain themselves.

    In summary, this has been an excellent cruise. If, like us, you like the small ships where the barriers between you and the places you visit are lower, you will be very pleased with the Mekong Princess.

Hi, I'm one of the Uncruise passengers (not the positive one, at least not yet), sitting in a hotel room in Juneau waiting for the latest round of test results.
     First, none of us, passengers or crew, to the best of my knowledge, are showing any symptoms.

     Second, Uncruise has handled this very well. During the cruise the first three days, strong hygiene was practiced in terms of cleaning, food serving, face masks, daily temperature checking and social distancing on board. Passenger levels were low (37 vs approx 60 capacity) and staff levels high (26 plus senior operations staff). The passenger who tested positive did so at the Juneau airport, before arriving on board, but the results of that test didn't arrive until three days into the cruise. At that point, the ship headed directly back to port, meals were served in cabins, and extra precautions were taken. On arrival, passengers walked to a nearby hotel, where meals and laundry service have all been arranged by Uncruise. Senior cruise line staff have been in constant contact with us and very helpful. Today, one day after arrival, we were retested, with results expected Sunday-Monday. What happens next depends on the results and the decisions of the state of Alaska.
    Uncruise passengers tend to be sophisticated and adventurous travelers and we all seem to be taking this in stride. People were aware of the risks upfront. Out of the usual hundreds of thousands of cruisers over the Alaska summer, the 37 of us got three days of kayaking, bushwhacking and whale watching in a beautiful part of the world.