At 04:00 on December 28, 2023, the VASCO DA GAMA passenger ship carrying more than 1,000 tourists and crew members successfully docked at Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port in Saigon Port. This is the largest cruise ship ever to enter this port with a length of 219 meters, a width of 31 meters, and GT: 55,877 MT.

Welcoming the representatives of the ship owners and captains were Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam - General Director of Saigon Port, Mr. Nguyen Uyen Minh - Deputy General Director of Saigon Port, Mr. Dao Quyet Tien - Director of Hiep Phuoc Port Branch, Mr. Nguyen Hoang - Deputy Director of Hiep Phuoc Port Branch and Mr. Nguyen Anh Hao - Deputy General Director of Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port Joint Stock Company.

The VASCO DA GAMA was launched in early 1991, and after several trials began her maiden voyage on January 25, 1993. Originally known as STATENDAM, she was renamed PACIFIC EDEN in 2015. In March 2018, she was sold to Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV). After receiving the ship in March 2019, CMV's Columbus Club members were asked to choose between four names honoring famous explorers: Vasco da Gama, Pytheas, Henry Hudson and Amerigo Vespucci; Vasco da Gama was ultimately chosen as the ship's name. Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea, his success paving the way for increased European maritime activity in the Indian Ocean and the establishment of Portuguese trading posts along the coasts of Africa and India.

The successful launch of the VASCO DA GAMA passenger ship into Saigon – Hiep Phuoc Port has affirmed the flexibility in business and operation of Saigon Port, which can exploit a variety of goods, while opening up the potential for developing the exploitation of tourist ships in the Hiep Phuoc Port area in the future.

Thanh Tra