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NOTE: You may choose this exclusive shore event, credit toward a customized Virtuoso on-shore event, credit toward a Virtuoso Discovery pre/post hotel stay or shipboard credit. Ask us for complete option details.

Exclusive Shore Event: Ho Chi Minh City | Ambassador's Soiree

Whether you call it Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City, this is Vietnam's commercial center, with over nine million inhabitants and a round-the-clock energy. But despite the hustle and bustle, the city retains its connections to the French colonial era, with bicycles, rickshaws, cyclos, and scooters clogging crowded streets lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. We'll celebrate the city with a gala dinner at the former home of the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam during the 1960s, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. One of the only pieces of American history left in Saigon, the home is a mixture of Vietnamese, French, and American architectural styles, and has been restored to its former glory. We'll make our way to the house via an alley lined with colonial-era mansions, and begin our evening with a cocktail reception in the intimate courtyard, complete with traditional dance performances. We will then proceed to a sophisticated banquet of traditional Vietnamese specialties, held in the same stately dining room where Lodge entertained dignitaries and politicians, with entertainment by South Vietnamese musicians. Our return to the ship will serve to extend our memorable night, as we'll see some of Saigon's most magnificent sights illuminated for the evening hours, including the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office, both over a century old.

Approximate Length: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Suggested Attire/Walking Notes: Smart casual attire. Light walking with some steps in the house.