On February 7, Phu Quoc Express Joint Stock Company resumed operating the Thang Long high-speed boat, with more than 1,000 seats, serving the Vung Tau - Con Dao route and vice versa.
On the first day of operation, the number of passengers booking tickets was moderate. According to the shipping company’s statistics, there were nearly 500 passengers boarding the ship to Con Dao on the first trip.
According to the records, many passengers are quite excited about the trip to Con Dao by Thang Long high-speed boat, some even have to wait a few days to take the first trip when the boat is back in operation.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Ngoc (living in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) said that he and his group of friends had been traveling to Vung Tau for about 4 days. Initially, Mr. Ngoc's group wanted to go to Con Dao immediately, but the boat was not operating yet, so the group stayed in Vung Tau to travel until today.
"We have researched information before, and are quite excited to experience the high-speed train to Con Dao. Hopefully the weather will be favorable for a good experience on the journey," said Mr. Ngoc.
Ms. Phuong Anh (living in Dong Nai) and her husband also chose Con Dao as their first tourist destination of the year. Having just held a wedding ceremony recently but not yet traveled together, the couple chose to go to Con Dao by speedboat, after considering many destinations in and outside the country.
"We researched and contacted a service in Con Dao, asking them to book the boat tickets. My husband and I just arrived in Vung Tau early in the morning. This is the first time both of us have taken a speedboat on the sea, so we are very excited and quite nervous," said Ms. Phuong Anh.
According to Phu Quoc Express representative, from September 2024 until now, due to the weather, the Vung Tau - Con Dao route has stopped transporting passengers. Now the weather has improved so the ship is operating again as planned. While anchored in Vung Tau City, the Thang Long high-speed ship is also operated on site, has its machinery checked and maintained, and ensures safety according to regulations before starting to transport passengers to and from Con Dao.
"Before officially operating on February 7, the unit had the ship thoroughly inspected at the factory in Can Tho to ensure technical safety during operation," said a representative of Phu Quoc Express.
It is known that the distance from Vung Tau to Con Dao is about 185km (97 nautical miles), the Thang Long high-speed boat takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes for each trip. The ticket price remains unchanged compared to the previous operating time.
