Jump to content

Anyone ever just rent a taxi at Phu My port and gone to Vung Tao and the countryside?


Betty in Cozumel
 Share

Recommended Posts

My husband and I do not want to do any of the ship tours in Phu My and I was looking into a local tour to Vung Tao. The one I checked one says it is $90 USD for 3 or more people. That's over $115 for us Canadians; $230 USD for a half day + tour. Kind of steep plus I don't want to be in charge for organizing a tour.

 

Any chance of just getting a taxi outside the port gates to drive us to Vung Tao and around to see the sights? Anyone every done this?

 

The only X tour I MIGHT be interested in is the Mekong Delta but the website is thin on details and no one answered a post where I asked about it.

 

Thanks

Betty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My husband and I do not want to do any of the ship tours in Phu My and I was looking into a local tour to Vung Tao. The one I checked one says it is $90 USD for 3 or more people. That's over $115 for us Canadians; $230 USD for a half day + tour. Kind of steep plus I don't want to be in charge for organizing a tour.

Any chance of just getting a taxi outside the port gates to drive us to Vung Tao and around to see the sights? Anyone every done this?

The only X tour I MIGHT be interested in is the Mekong Delta but the website is thin on details and no one answered a post where I asked about it.

Thanks

Betty

 

These are my notes from my visit -

Free shuttle to gate

Free shuttle to Ba Ria - best place to take taxi to Vung Tau.

Shuttle to Ba Ria was 30 mins.

Liked this town so much, we spent the day there and didn't go to Vung Tau, as planned.

Wide streets - big Catholic Cathedral with stations of the cross around the fence. WC under church school with western toilets. Bonzai trees around the church grounds. Town has traffic lights. There was a market.

 

Check whether your ship provides free shuttles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Marion for the feedback. I have never heard of any free shuttle by Celebrity but maybe someone will say something here.

 

I watched a video where a family were told by RCCL that their ship would dock at Ho Chi Minh city and boy were they really upset when it docked at Phu My. RCCL had no free shuttle anywhere and they decided to stay on the ship. Then after a few hours they did get off to go down to some little shops at the end of the pier to look around.

 

I'd love if Celebrity offered a free shuttle but I don't think so. We'd have to get out to the gate and hope to find a taxi to negotiate going to Vung Tau.

 

The $90 fee from the local tour company says cost includes them being able to come inside the gate.

 

Betty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Marion for the feedback. I have never heard of any free shuttle by Celebrity but maybe someone will say something here.

 

I watched a video where a family were told by RCCL that their ship would dock at Ho Chi Minh city and boy were they really upset when it docked at Phu My. RCCL had no free shuttle anywhere and they decided to stay on the ship. Then after a few hours they did get off to go down to some little shops at the end of the pier to look around.

 

I'd love if Celebrity offered a free shuttle but I don't think so. We'd have to get out to the gate and hope to find a taxi to negotiate going to Vung Tau.

 

The $90 fee from the local tour company says cost includes them being able to come inside the gate.

 

Betty

Their may be a ship offered DIY ($) shuttle into Saigon but certainly not free.

 

A bit confused.....shops at the pier in Phu My....I certainly didn't see any when I docked their on RCI Mariner.

 

No reason for the tour company you're considering to come into the port....an easy walk out side the port gate should be fine.

 

In addition there will be many taxi's lined up outside the pier gate offering transportation and or tours...negotiate and certainly don't pay them until they return you back to the ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we docked last year on a Princess cruise

1/we were not allowed to walk off the ship to the gate.

2/ free shuttle bus was provided to a nearby town where other transport options were available.

3/ we did the ships excursion to Vung Tau. It was excellent and I doubt a taxi ride would give you the commentary or stops/visits along the way.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Ashland and Sportfisher.

 

Yes I have heard twice now that it was a Princess cruise that had the free shuttle to Bai Ra. Doesn't see like Celebrity has this.

 

Ashland says there are taxis at the gate yet Sportfisher says you are not allowed to walk to the gate. When did you go and what ship?

 

Also I am aware of the Do-it-yourself shuttle to Saigon but we don't want to go that far. Only into Vung Tau.

 

 

Thanks again for posting

Betty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just read this on a very informative webpage: http://cruiseportwiki.com/PhuMy

 

 

  • Be advised that the Vietnam tour guides require your passport details in advance to arrange port passes.
  • The permit to pick tourists up at the port is compulsory to the company if tourists want to be safe and legal. Expecting to pay 25-30 USD/person for port fees though "unofficial" fees may be less. If not, you need to walk outside of the port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 weeks ago on RCL Voyager we walked through port at Phu My to join our private tour. It costs operators an extra $90 to drive into port. Took about 10 to 15 minutes to get to port gates.

There are no shops at port but there are some market stalls set up outside ship entry. Be prepared to bargain here as lots of people want to get rid of any excess dong.

Vung Tau is a pretty town, don’t forget to see the giant statue of Jesus, told same size as Christ the Redeemer, BUT base is smaller and it is not on a mountain!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Gwendy. No free shuttle for RCCL, correct? Assume it would be the same for Celebrity as they are a sister company.

 

Any taxis sitting outside of the gates looking to negotiate a trip? Do assume though that they don't speak English but maybe we can get by with pictures and a calculator. :)

 

Do you mind me asking you about your tour? What did it include and what did you have to pay per person?

 

Thanks

Betty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The free shuttle is provided by the City of Baria, not the cruise lines, at least that was the case in our two trips there with Princess and RCL.

 

You can walk safely to the port gate, and save yourself each about $25 - this is an unofficial charge imposed by the Port Staff as a means of extracting "tea money" from foreigners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The free shuttle is provided by the City of Baria, not the cruise lines, at least that was the case in our two trips there with Princess and RCL.

 

You can walk safely to the port gate, and save yourself each about $25 - this is an unofficial charge imposed by the Port Staff as a means of extracting "tea money" from foreigners.

 

This is great Bpos!!!! We can take the shuttle there and look around as I hear it is nice and then if we want, take a taxi to Vung Tau. I assume there is a shuttle back? LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On two visits to Phu My with Holland America I don't recall there being a free shuttle to Baria.

I contributed the following to a previous thread:

Phu My.

The first visit we did a tour of HCMC with Dung Zoom with other members of our roll call. On our second visit we didn't want to travel as far so I organised a tour through Dung for members of the roll call. This is the tour I posted:

Having visited Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) before, we have been looking for a tour that avoids the hustle and bustle of the big city and is closer to the port of Phu My. We have always wanted to visit the Cu Chi tunnels but realise they are too far from the port for a worth while day visit. So, after much searching we have booked a full day tour with Dung Zoom to the nearby Long Phuoc tunnels and the seaside community of Vung Tau. Zoom provided our successful tour to HCMC on our last visit to Vietnam and is highly rated by Cruisecritic members.

The tour, in a 12-seat a/c van includes an English speaking guide, local guide in Long Phuoc, permit and tickets and bottled water .

The tour will commence at around 8am from the port of Phu My and will travel around the southern side of the Long Hai mountains, through the community of Ba Ria to Long Phuoc. The journey is around 30km through typical Vietnamese countryside with lush rice fields, market gardens and farm houses that line the road.

The Long Phuoc tunnels were originally dug for use against the French and were extended for use in the Vietnam War. The tour allows access to the tunnels, including a life-sized hospital room, kitchen and bedrooms. These were the first tunnels in Vietnam, they are original and not dug (or widened) especially for tourists. (May also include a visit to Long Tan Cross - Australian war memorial).

From Long Phuoc, the tour continues to Vung Tau, approximately 25km. Vung Tau is a favourite weekend beach escape destination for family vacations from Ho Chi Minh City. Vung Tau was known as Cap Saint-Jacques under French occupation and was a popular beach resort for French, Australian and American service personnel. The tour includes visits to:

*Nui Nho (Nho Mount) leading to the spectacular Statue of Jesus. Standing at 32m in height with 18.3m long arms (the locals claim it is 6m larger than Rio’s Christ the Redeemer), this statue serves as an excellent vantage point to admire the whole city and shoreline. The visit to the statue involves approx 900 steps, but it can be viewed from lower down.

*Niet Ban Tinh Xa (Nirvana Pagoda), the majestic statue of a recumbent Buddha, where visitors strike the giant bronze bell for luck.

*The White Villa (Bach Dinh) – once the weekend retreat of French Governor Paul Doumer (later French President). The villa is a beautiful colonial-era residence with extensive gardens.

*The Whale Temple (Thang Tam), which worships the remains of a whale washed up onto the Vung Tau shore over 100 years ago.

*Vung Tau Lighthouse. With its peak located 170 meters above sea level, the lighthouse offers panoramic views of the city - this stop depends on time available.

Return to the port of Phu My with plenty of time before the ship departs.

 

The cost of the tour is $45pp. Lunch will be taken at some point during the day but is not included in the price.

We met our guide at the port gate, a 15 minute walk from the ship. It was a wonderful day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Gwendy. No free shuttle for RCCL, correct? Assume it would be the same for Celebrity as they are a sister company.

 

Any taxis sitting outside of the gates looking to negotiate a trip? Do assume though that they don't speak English but maybe we can get by with pictures and a calculator. :)

 

Do you mind me asking you about your tour? What did it include and what did you have to pay per person?

 

Thanks

Betty

 

No shuttle to gates, free or otherwise, can’t comment on taxis, I was just looking for my tour.

We did a battlefield tour which included the Long Phuoc tunnels, smaller version of Cu Chi tunnels, then a visit to Long Tan which was a major battle for Australians and where the most Australian soldiers were lost in one day. There is a memorial cross there and we also got to stand in the area where the battle took,place, very moving.

We then went for a tour around Vung Tau, stopped for lunch at a local place, very good, on to a war museum (I had a coffee here, guns don’t do it for me) and back t the ship.

This tour was run by Vung Tau Veterans and Friends Children’s fund. This is a group of ex Aussie vets who help build orphanages and homes in the area.

Cost was $60 US each and they need at least 4 people to run the tour.

If you are interested google them, David was very helpful and if you are not interested in Long Tan (as an Aussie thing) I am sure he could modify the itinerary for you.

We also went to a temple where there were plaques commemorating the Vietnamese who had lost their lives in the war. I found this very respectful to acknowledge both sides in what I believe was a senseless war.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As can be seen from previous threads, peoples memories of the free shuttle etc are varied and because the port is quite remote from any facilities - one needs to put a few things into perspective.

 

Firstly, while there may be free shuttles from port side (as was our experience anyway on two recent trips to Phu My) that is not to say there will be a shuttle when you visit (things change rapidly in Vietnam, there today gone tomorrow) so it is a risk to assume it will be there for your cruise.

 

Taxis - a major source of irritation and scams for countless visitor to Vietnam (have a look at Trip Advisor), on both our cruises people we know got seriously done over by using the wrong cabs etc in Vietnam, held to extortion, taken to areas where no one was around and more monies demanded etc.

 

In other words unless you have researched taxis in Vietnam and know the ins and outs, you are probably headed for trouble.

Some strike it lucky but a lot do not.

 

Phu My is one port. in my opinion. where you need to decide in advance what you want to do and then make prior arrangements to put that in place. ie, have transport organised before you get there if not using the ships tours.

 

After all you have spent a lot of money to get there and to see Vietnam, even for a day,so the cost of say up to $100 is very much worth it for piece of mind etc and there are a lot of operators or tour agents that can make this happen for you.

 

To attempt to do it yourself, ie visit Saigon or Vung Tau once you arrive in port in fraught will the possibity of failure, will cause a lot of anxiety, and the saving to yourself maybe $25 per head if you get lucky.

 

Food for thought?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just read this on a very informative webpage: http://cruiseportwiki.com/PhuMy

 

  • Be advised that the Vietnam tour guides require your passport details in advance to arrange port passes.
  • The permit to pick tourists up at the port is compulsory to the company if tourists want to be safe and legal. Expecting to pay 25-30 USD/person for port fees though "unofficial" fees may be less. If not, you need to walk outside of the port.

The names of reputable taxi companies and contact details are in the attached webpage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On two visits to Phu My with Holland America I don't recall there being a free shuttle to Baria.

I contributed the following to a previous thread:

Phu My.

The first visit we did a tour of HCMC with Dung Zoom with other members of our roll call. On our second visit we didn't want to travel as far so I organised a tour through Dung for members of the roll call. This is the tour I posted:

Having visited Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) before, we have been looking for a tour that avoids the hustle and bustle of the big city and is closer to the port of Phu My. We have always wanted to visit the Cu Chi tunnels but realise they are too far from the port for a worth while day visit. So, after much searching we have booked a full day tour with Dung Zoom to the nearby Long Phuoc tunnels and the seaside community of Vung Tau. Zoom provided our successful tour to HCMC on our last visit to Vietnam and is highly rated by Cruisecritic members.

The tour, in a 12-seat a/c van includes an English speaking guide, local guide in Long Phuoc, permit and tickets and bottled water .

The tour will commence at around 8am from the port of Phu My and will travel around the southern side of the Long Hai mountains, through the community of Ba Ria to Long Phuoc. The journey is around 30km through typical Vietnamese countryside with lush rice fields, market gardens and farm houses that line the road.

The Long Phuoc tunnels were originally dug for use against the French and were extended for use in the Vietnam War. The tour allows access to the tunnels, including a life-sized hospital room, kitchen and bedrooms. These were the first tunnels in Vietnam, they are original and not dug (or widened) especially for tourists. (May also include a visit to Long Tan Cross - Australian war memorial).

From Long Phuoc, the tour continues to Vung Tau, approximately 25km. Vung Tau is a favourite weekend beach escape destination for family vacations from Ho Chi Minh City. Vung Tau was known as Cap Saint-Jacques under French occupation and was a popular beach resort for French, Australian and American service personnel. The tour includes visits to:

*Nui Nho (Nho Mount) leading to the spectacular Statue of Jesus. Standing at 32m in height with 18.3m long arms (the locals claim it is 6m larger than Rio’s Christ the Redeemer), this statue serves as an excellent vantage point to admire the whole city and shoreline. The visit to the statue involves approx 900 steps, but it can be viewed from lower down.

*Niet Ban Tinh Xa (Nirvana Pagoda), the majestic statue of a recumbent Buddha, where visitors strike the giant bronze bell for luck.

*The White Villa (Bach Dinh) – once the weekend retreat of French Governor Paul Doumer (later French President). The villa is a beautiful colonial-era residence with extensive gardens.

*The Whale Temple (Thang Tam), which worships the remains of a whale washed up onto the Vung Tau shore over 100 years ago.

*Vung Tau Lighthouse. With its peak located 170 meters above sea level, the lighthouse offers panoramic views of the city - this stop depends on time available.

Return to the port of Phu My with plenty of time before the ship departs.

 

The cost of the tour is $45pp. Lunch will be taken at some point during the day but is not included in the price.

We met our guide at the port gate, a 15 minute walk from the ship. It was a wonderful day.

 

 

Do you have contact details for this tour? This looks like it would suit us - we go in March 2018

 

Thank you very much

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have contact details for this tour? This looks like it would suit us - we go in March 2018

 

Thank you very much

The tour provider was Dung Zoom dungzoom@gmail.com http://www.saigonprivatetour.com

For clarification, this is not a tour you can just sign up to. I organised it and posted it on the cruise roll call. We had a group of 10 and had a great time.

Dung was very easy to deal with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have contact details for this tour? This looks like it would suit us - we go in March 2018

 

Thank you very much

 

We are also interested and will be there on 27 March 2018, wonder if the same cruise?

karen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
...so the cost of say up to $100 is very much worth...

 

This is very, very hard to swallow if you've already spent thousands of euros on flights and for the cruise itself.

 

Every single port I've been to has had cheap options waiting just outside the gate. Is this port really and truly the only port that doesn't??

 

I'm still trying to cope with the utter "betrayal" and "greed" of the cruise line (Celebrity, in my case) in choosing to dock at an industrial port in the middle of nowhere but pretending that this is near Saigon. It is a corporate scam, nothing less. We're very tempted to punish them by just staying on the ship, consuming at least $100 each of "free" stuff while we're there!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...