APT Mekong Serenity The numbers The Mekong’s newest river cruiser is one of the more spacious cruisers the Mekong. Ship shape The maiden voyage of the Mekong Serenity late last year [2023] also marked the launch of the first ship that Australian brand APT Touring has built from the ground up (the others have been leased). It’s evidently a point of pride for the family-owned and operated company which has branded the official name – APT Mekong Serenity, on the ship.
That notwithstanding, the ship is known fondly as The Serenity, for more reasons than one. The Mekong’s newest river cruiser is a luxury 44-berther with generous specifications that make it one of the more spacious cruisers of the 20 or so that ply the Mekong between Vietnam and Cambodia. The combination of space and luxury make for a river cruise that is serene and some.
Boarding Pre-tour accommodation is at the elegant Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel in the old quarter of Ho Chi Minh City. From here, we take a bus two hours south of the city to My Tho, a one-ship (on our departure day, at least) port town on the Mekong Delta, one of Vietnam’s biggest deltas covering about 40,000 square kilometres. To board, it’s a breezy 10-minute walk through the terminal and across the gang plank.
Before we know it, we’re on board with hot towels and welcome drinks. The design Grab a stool at the Harmony Bar. The Serenity has been built and designed in Vietnam, with design notes that might well have said “space equals l.