Cruise Advice
The best luxury cruises to Vietnam and Cambodia for 2026 and 2027
Cruises to Vietnam and Cambodia take two forms: river and ocean. A luxury river cruise follows the Mekong deep into both countries, all markets, monasteries and daily life at the water's edge. A small ship ocean cruise traces the coast from Ha Long Bay to Bangkok or Singapore, mixing big city energy with beach days and time at sea. Both are wonderful and they suit different travellers, which is where this guide comes in.
Below are the nine luxury cruise lines we rate for the region, river and ocean, with our pick of their sailings for 2026, 2027 and beyond.
Why choose a small ship for a Vietnam and Cambodia cruise?
Size decides everything on this coastline. Small ship cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia get you into berths that are physically closed to big ships, and the difference between docking in the city and docking two hours from it shapes your whole day ashore.
Top reasons to choose a Vietnam and Cambodia small ocean ship cruise
- City-centre docking. Windstar's Star Seeker sails up the Saigon River into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City and up the Chao Phraya to Klong Toey in central Bangkok, while bigger ships use industrial ports up to two hours away.
- Ha Long Bay at the right scale. A ship carrying a few hundred guests moves through the limestone karsts without dominating them, and small tenders reach the quieter corners of the bay.
- Overnights in port. Small ship itineraries here linger, with overnight calls in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay and Bangkok, so you get the evenings ashore as well as the days.
- Service that knows your name. With 224 to 600 guests on board, the crew learn your preferences within a day or two, and nothing involves a queue.
- Angkor Wat as an add on. Some lines can arrange an extension to Siem Reap so Cambodia's headline sight fits neatly into an ocean itinerary. This might be a pre- or post-cruise trip, or even a mid voyage option.
Why choose a luxury river cruise in Vietnam and Cambodia?
With luxury river cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia, ship size matters, but who runs the ship is key. Every vessel on the Mekong is small, so the best river cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia are defined by their operators: the quality of the guides, the food, the suites and the land arrangements either side of the cruise. That is why we only recommend the luxury operators here, AmaWaterways, Scenic and Uniworld, whose ships carry between 44 and 124 guests, include excursions every day and have polished their land programmes over many seasons.
A river cruise is also the only way to make Cambodia the heart of your holiday. The Mekong runs through Phnom Penh and on towards Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, past floating villages, silk workshops and silversmiths, and delivers a depth of contact with both countries that coastal itineraries only hint at. If Cambodia is your priority, sail the river.
