Cruise Features Included:    

• Luxurious River Cruise Experience - There is really nothing that compares to the luxury of a river cruise.  Experience the personalized VIP treatment on a small ship (only 124 passengers) pampered by the entire crew from the cabin stewards all the way up to the Captain.  Enjoy smooth sailing along the Mekong River often docking in the heart of each town we visit for easy exploration.  Once you've tried river cruising with AmaWaterways, no other cruise vacation compares.

• Bus transportation - from Salisbury to Nearby International Airport (Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia or Newark) depending upon our group flight arrangements.

• Round trip flights - from nearby International Airport to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam and returning from Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Two-Nights Deluxe Centrally-Located Hotel in Downtown Ho Chi Minh City - including daily breakfast, lunch and tour.

• Transfers to and from the Hotel and Ship in Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap - Our guide will meet us at the airport and escort us to the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and then to the ship after our stay.  Our motor coach will return us to the airport in Siem Reap, Cambodia after our cruise.

• 7-Day Luxurious Cruise on AmaWaterways MS AmaDara - including gourmet meals, local entertainment and activities onboard the ship.

• Complimentary local beer, house brand spirits, soft drinks and bottled water - available all-day every day

• Unlimited complimentary wine - served at lunch and dinner.

• Tours Included at No Extra Cost - in each port, there will be a variety of tours available to join.  Tours are further divided into groups based on fitness level, ranging from gentle walkers, regular walkers, or active walkers.  All participants receive complimentary bottled water and a headset so you can hear the guide at all times.

• Tour Hosts (Kelly and Tracy Shannahan; and perhaps Sal and Colleen Chavez too if our group is large enough) with you from start to finish.

• Several free gifts and mementos of your cruise from the Salisbury Cruise Club

​

Travel Itinerary:        
 

Thursday, February 15 - Saturday, February 17, 2024 - Travel Days

• Bus from Salisbury to Nearby International Airport (perhaps Newark or Washington-Dulles) with a brief stop for dinner at WaWa before our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (overnight plus 1-day as we cross the International Date Line).  Flight details will be announced in April 2023 once our group flights are booked. 

​

Saturday, February 17 - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

• Arrive Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - ground transportation to our deluxe hotel downtown - perhaps Sofitel Hotel - for check-in followed by free time to explore on our own.  Still affectionately referred to by locals as Saigon, is Vietnam’s former capital. Once known as the “Paris of the Orient,” it is now an industrial, cultural and educational hub.

​

Sunday, February 18 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• After breakfast at the hotel, we will enjoy a guided tour of Ho Chi Minh City.  Always bustling, Ho Chi Minh City is a city of contrasts blending old and new, and east and west. In the morning, we explore some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including the former Presidential Palace, the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum.  After lunch (included), we visit Chu Chi, an immense underground network built during the Vietnam War, with more free time in the evening.  

​

Monday, February 19 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and visit Ben Thanh Market—one of the oldest and most iconic structures in Ho Chi Minh City. We then transfer via motor coach from Ho Chi Minh City to board the AmaDara at My Tho Port for our river cruise and where we will meet our fellow travelers at a Welcome Dinner as the ship cruises to Cai Be.  

​

Tuesday, February 20 - Cai Be and Sa Dec, Vietnam

• Today, we take a local boat ride to Cai Be where we will have an opportunity to visit candy and rice paper making workshops, as well as the historic Kiet Old House.

• Later in the day, we journey to Sa Dec, a sprawling town on the Mekong Delta, where French writer Marguerite Duras spent part of her youth. We will visit the colorful market, Cao Dai Temple and the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, Duras’ Chinese paramour, which her prize-winning novel, “The Lover,” is said to be based on. 

​

Wednesday, February 21 - Tan Chau, Vietnam and Cambodia Border Crossing

• Enjoy a visit to Tan Chau, a small Mekong River town unspoiled by tourism. Be treated to an authentic experience on a traditional “xe-loi” (trishaw) ride around the town, with stops at silk-making and rattan mat workshops, followed by a boat ride through the narrow channels of the Mekong River to “Evergreen Island.”

• Alternatively, take a boat ride to Evergreen Island and return to Tan Chau, where you will visit a rattan mat workshop.

• Later in the day, we cruise from Vietnam to the Cambodian border en route to Phnom Penh.
   

Thursday, February 22 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• This morning’s excursion takes us to Cambodia’s infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng S21 detention center (Genocide Museum).

• Alternatively, you may wish to shop for unique treasures at the bustling yellow-colored Central Market.

• After lunch on board, we will explore the highlights of the city, followed by a visit to the Royal Palace, the spectacular Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, which has an outstanding collection of Khmer crafts.

• After returning to the ship, enjoy Khmer folk dancing performed by local children in the Saigon Lounge.
   

Friday, February 23 - Oudong, Kampong-Tralach and Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Visit Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital from the early 17th century until 1866. Today, Oudong is a place of pilgrimage for Cambodians.

• While here, be treated to a memorable Buddhist Blessing Ceremony at a monastery. You may walk around Oudong’s monastery or take an active walking tour to see panoramic views of the Oudong plain.

• In Kampong Tralach, you will have a truly authentic excursion – an oxcart ride through a local village.

• Later in the day, experience Phnom Penh via a tuk ride and be enchanted by the city's French Colonial architecture and tree-lined boulevards set amidst monumental Angkorian architecture.
   

Saturday, February 24 - Oknhatey Village, Cambodia

• In the morning, we set sail for Oknhatey Village. Oknhatey is the “Silk Island,” located on the lush banks of the Mekong River and known for its rich tradition of silk weaving.

• While here, you will visit a local elementary school and observe the traditional silk weaving, an art that has been preserved for centuries. Our cruise continues to sail to Angkor Ban.
   

Sunday, February 25 - Angkor Ban and Kampong Cham, Cambodia

• Go on a walking tour of Angkor Ban, one of the few villages in Cambodia that was not destroyed under the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Here people still live in their traditional wooden abodes and keep their old cultural traditions alive. Hundreds of wooden houses stand intact on stilts, shaded with banana trees, among the hustle and bustle of the daily agricultural on-going of the local villagers.

• After visiting here, the ship sets sail for Kampong Cham, where we will go on an afternoon excursion via motorcoach to the Twin Mountains, known as Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei (male and female mountains). In the annals of Khmer legend, the twin mountains were formed as the result of a competition between the men and women of an ancient Cambodian kingdom to resolve which gender would be responsible for wedding proposals.

• Cap the day off with a festive Farewell Dinner on board.
   

Monday, February 26 - Siem Reap, Cambodia - Travel Day

• DISEMBARK the AmaDara and board our motor coach to the airport in Siem Reap for our flight home.

• After our flight, we will board our motor coach to Salisbury.

​

​

Cabins and Other Features of the AmaDara:

The AmaDara is a distinctive ship is in a class of her own! AmaDara is a deluxe vessel with 100% of accommodations featuring a balcony.  Standard staterooms are 251 square feet, with Suites measuring 366 square feet and two Luxury Suites at 502 square feet.  AmaWaterways’ sole cruise ship on the Mekong River, the AmaDara features French Colonial décor and richly carved wood furniture inspired by the history of the region, as well as local artifacts made by native craftsmen. Air-conditioned interior corridors lead to spacious staterooms and suites, most featuring twin balconies that invite the ever-changing scenery of Southeast Asia inside. On board, the AmaDara caters to your every whim, with massage rooms, fitness room, gift shop, hair salon and sun-deck pool. Her stunning Saigon Lounge provides respite by day and unites guests over intriguing local entertainment by night. Savor authentic regional delicacies and Western cuisine in the Main Restaurant or dine at The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant; and throughout your cruise, be treated to unlimited complimentary wine with lunch and dinner, as well as house brand spirits, local beer and soft drinks throughout your cruise. 

 

A brief description of each cabin type is as follows:

• The Category A, B and C Balcony cabins are each 251 square feet in area with a French Balcony (sliding glass door section) and a step-out balcony.  they also feature a relatively large bathroom with shower.  These cabins are identical except for their location on the ship.  Category C cabins are located aft on Decks 1 and 2.  Category B cabins are located primarily mid-ship on Deck 1 (Tonle - Main Deck), with a couple of Category B cabins also located aft on Decks 2 and 3.  Category A cabins are located mid-ship on Deck 2 (Saigon - Upper Deck).

• The Category L Suite cabins are 366 square feet in area and are located mid-ship on the top deck - Deck 3 (Sadec - Sun Deck).  These cabins have a larger French Balcony (sliding glass door section) and a larger step-out balcony.  they also feature a large sitting area and a large bathroom with both a shower and a tub.

• The Category L Luxury Suite cabins are significantly larger at 502 square feet and also features a larger sitting area and a larger bathroom with a double sink, shower and bathtub.  These cabins have an even larger French Balcony (sliding glass door section) and a larger and deeper step-out balcony with lounge chairs. They are ideally situated on Deck 3 very close to the reception desk, with easy access to the Sun Deck.

​

Check out more details and view the Deck plan by clicking the fact sheet here - 

AmaDara Ship Fact Sheet

​

Cost and Payment Schedule:

 

The Total Cruise Package Prices below include: round trip bus transportation from Salisbury to our nearby International Airport, round trip air fare to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam returning from Siem Reap, Cambodia, transfers between the airport, hotel and ship; 2-nights in a deluxe hotel downtown Ho Chi Minh City with daily breakfast, lunch and daily tour; 7-day cruise aboard AMA Waterways AmaDara - accommodations, gourmet meals, unlimited local spirits, beer, sodas and water throughout our cruise and unlimited wine with lunch and dinner, entertainment, guided tours with audio headset, all taxes and port charges, and the services of your Cruise Hosts Kelly and Tracy Shannahan, as well as several free gifts and mementos of your cruise from the Salisbury Cruise Club.  Not included in the prices below is optional (but recommended) travel protection plan, gratuities, meals on travel days, and dinners in Ho Chi Minh City.

​

Total Cruise Package Prices - (see explanation above for included and excluded costs)

These prices are only valid for registrations received before September 30, 2021.  After September 30, 2021, prices will increase by $500 per person.

• Category C - Balcony Cabins (5) - $5,000 per person

• Category B - Balcony Cabins (24) - $5,700 per person

• Category A - Balcony Cabins (18) - $6,000 per person

• Category S - Suite Cabins (12) - $6,500 per person

• Category L - Luxury Suite Cabins (2) - $7,900 per person

Total cruise package price is based on double occupancy (2 people in the cabin)

We can also accommodate singles in their own cabin with reasonable single-supplement charges, for example $6,550 for a single in a Category C Balcony Cabin (call or email for single occupancy pricing)

​

Payment Schedule

• $1,200 per person Deposit - Due Upon Registration - by check

• Half of Remaining Balance - Due on July 31, 2023 - by check or credit card

• Final Balance - Due on October 31, 2023 - by chck or credit card

• Travel Protection Premium - 13% of Total Package Price - Due upon registration for pre-existing conditions coverage or otherwise before final payment - by check or credit card 

​

Group Travel Protection Plan (Optional) - AmaWaterways is offering the Travel Guard Cruise Protection Plan at a cost of 13% of your Total Package Price to protect your trip in case of cancellation, interruption, trip delay, missed connection, baggage loss or delay, travel medical expense, emergency evacuation and more. To protect against unforseen problems, we strongly recommend that everyone purchases the Travel Guard Cruise Protection Plan.   In order to qualify for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions coverage, the plan must be purchased “within 21 days of the Initial Trip Payment” (deposit). Otherwise the plan must be purchased before final payment (by October 31, 2023).  Since the Travel Guard Cruise Protection Plan is non-refundable after purchase, unless you have a pre-existing medical condition, you may want to consider waiting to purchase the plan until final payment in October 2023 at which time Travel Guard will perform a 60-day look-back to determine any medical conditions or injuries that were diagnosed or worsened during the prior 60-day period that may affect your ability to travel.  Those conditions are considered pre-existing medical conditions and are not covered for trip cancellation or trip interruption claims.

Download the Group Travel Protection Plan summary here.

​

Finally, we recognize that this cruise is more than two years away.  Once you have paid your deposit, your next payment won't be due until July 31, 2023 with final payments due on October 31, 2023.  We are encouraging registration now in order to take advantage of a special promotion being offered by AmaWaterways which expires on September 30, 2021.  After September 30, 2021, prices weill increase by $500 per person. We hope that you decide to join us on this cruise.

​

Please Email Us for More Information

or

Download the Registration Form.

or

Watch Our Virtual Cruise Night

You can watch a recording of our Virtual Cruise Night on August 25, 2021 by clicking the link below:

Mekong River Cruise Virtual Cruise Night Presentation

​

See More Details About the Ports and the Ship for our Mekong River Cruise of Vietnam and Cambodia - February 15-26, 2024 by viewing our complete PowerPoint presentation.  Check it out at: 

Mekong River Cruise PowerPoint

​