Cam Ranh International Port welcomes first cruise ship

The cruise ship arrives at Cam Ranh International Port on September 8 (Photo: thanhnien.vn)

 Cam Ranh International Port in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa greeted the Bahamas-flagged Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas cruise ship on September 8.

Legend of the Seas ship carrying 1,800 Chinese and Korean passengers and a crew of 740 is the first tourist ship to dock at Cam Ranh International Port, which welcomed 14 military ships from various countries since its inauguration in March 2016.

The passengers later left the ship for Nha Trang to take on the city tour.

Cam Ranh International Port lies in Cam Ranh Bay, which holds a strategic position in the East Sea due to its proximity to international navigation routes and the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagos, as well as to the oil and gas areas in the southeast continental shelf of Vietnam.

Parts of the port, which serve both civilian and military vessels, were completed and unveiled in March 2016.

In July, the Prime Minister has approved rules for the management and operation of the port, which relate to the port boundaries, services, arrivals and departures of Vietnamese and foreign nationals and cars.

Once completed, Cam Ranh International Port, with an investment of 2 trillion VND (nearly 89 million USD), is expected to become the biggest port in Vietnam in terms of wharf length, able to handle 18 ships at one time and accommodate ships of up to 110,000 DWT.

It is capable of receiving 185 ships each year and is designed to protect ships against level 8 winds and storms.

Conventional marine services are available at the port, including goods and passenger transportation by sea, shipping and port agents, marine brokerage, marine rescue, maintenance and supplies or equipment for vessels, and storage services.

Additionally, the port also offers underwater security, and will host crews and tourists traveling by sea, marine fairs and foreign military activities.

VNA