A view of Asia from a luxury cruise liner

By DIANA McCURDY

Life wakes early on the Saigon River. It's not yet dawn, and the thick jungle along the riverbanks is in dark shadow. But already the junks and fishing boats are beginning their daily routine.

Today, though, their schedule is interrupted. There is a visitor on the river - a gleaming, incongruous stranger.

The fishermen pause and stare as the enormous white cruise ship grinds past. On board the Silver Shadow, the insomniacs, the early-risers and I gape back.

This waterway, with its busy channels and tributaries, is our first taste of Asia since we left Singapore two days earlier. For the past 48 hours, we have been living in six-star luxury, drinking and eating ourselves into a hedonistic stupor.

Now, as we cruise up the Saigon River toward the heart of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), we see our justification for doing so: the exoticism of a far-away land.

The Saigon River is an integral part of life in south Vietnam, travelling directly from the heart of Ho Chi Minh City to the South China Sea. Along the way, it nurtures industries and carries away the waste of garment and noodle manufacturers, oil and gas depots.

As we grind upstream, I lounge back in my private veranda and watch Vietnam slip by. Beside me, on a table, I have fresh juice, cooked eggs and a packet of Panadol. An empty Dom Perignon bottle lies discarded nearby in an icebucket of lukewarm water. This is Southeast Asia, cruise-ship style.

I boarded the Silver Shadow in Singapore and have been travelling the South China Sea for almost two days. Yet this small taste of Vietnam makes me feel like I am in Asia for the first time since I boarded.

From the moment the first "welcome aboard" flute of champagne was ever-so-politely pressed into my hand, I have rarely been without a drink. Food and alcohol are included in the price and the waiting staff are dangerously attentive.

"Another drink, Miss McCurdy?" they smile. It seems rude to refuse.

But there's a force much more intoxicating than alcohol at work here: it's the luxury of unadulterated and unapologetic hedonism.

Every need and desire is catered for - from the physical (beauty therapy and massage) to the spiritual (Sunday services). Crucially, there's even an in-suite caviar service.

Like children playing royalty, we plunge into self-indulgence. On formal nights, the women emerge from their suites in dazzling floor-length gowns, hair coiffed and makeup professionally applied at the beauty parlour. The men don stiff shirts and high collars.

From an analytical point of view, it's a fruitless exercise. We've all analysed each others' wrinkles and cellulite in the harsh sunlight by the pool. But, somehow, it's impossible not to be swept up in the glamour.

As we dine on Relais & Chateaux gourmet creations in the air-conditioned confines of the restaurant, we could be anywhere. Among the glitter and the pampering, the undersized passenger list is our only reminder of the real world.

Fears of terrorism and Sars have taken their toll on the cruise industry. Silversea reinstated its Asian cruises last October but passenger numbers are still down. The Silver Shadow has a capacity of 382 passengers (served by 295 crew). On this trip, we number closer to 200.

With such small numbers, we get to know each other quickly - even if it's just on nodding terms. I soon discover I'm travelling with a baron and baroness from Spain, an officer of the Order of the British Empire and about a dozen doctors from around the globe.

It seems rather a glittering line-up, until I'm informed that the ship's twin sister - the Silver Whisper - was chartered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to host a dinner for 46 world leaders. Guests included British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Now, as we glide up the muddy Saigon River, peering into the junks and fishing boats, it is easy to imagine how those leaders might feel on their more egomaniacal days.

There is something rather zoo-like about the concept of cruising. The world is served up to you in little hermetically sealed dollops - it's up to you how close you wish to get to it.

Even after we complete our three-hour journey up the Saigon River and disembark at Ho Chi Minh City, the sense of distance from the real world remains.

Two air-conditioned coaches pull up inside the port to take us for a tour. As we trip from the grand Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral to the Reunification Palace, we are chased by a horde of salespeople on motorbikes. Suddenly we, the watchers, are the watched.

The men manoeuvre alongside the bus, while the women riding pillion hold up their wares. "Four dollars," they mouth through the window, brandishing sparkling evening bags.

"Don't trust them," the tour guide advises. "I know them. They are not nice people."

We nod seriously, clutching our money belts and credit cards tightly.

It's with a guilty sense of relief that we return to the cruise ship for lunch - back to a world of endless easy pleasure and, most of all, luxurious familiarity.

It's not until I venture out alone in the afternoon, that I discover some of the quiet beauties of Ho Chi Minh City that one can never experience from the bustle of a tour group.

On a cruise ship it's a personal choice how you choose to encounter the world. You can see it from the safety of your veranda or from within a tour group. Or you can venture out alone into alien territories and see what you find. Whichever way you choose, as night falls, you still return to the comfort of the mother ship.

As I collect my passport and disembark the Silver Shadow for the last time, I feel like crying. It's been a dizzying, self-indulgent and enthralling few days.

It's silly to regret that it is ending, I suppose. It's not reality. But then, when you think about it, isn't that the point?

How to get there:

British Airways
flies daily to Singapore and Bangkok via Sydney or Melbourne. Fares to Singapore start from $1459 plus taxes. For the most up to date fares and special offers call 09 966 9777 or visit the website.

When to go:

Cruises sail year round to a variety of destinations.

Visas:

Silversea can arrange visas for passengers on board the ship. Indeed, when visiting Vietnam, it is cheaper for New Zealanders to get the cruise line to organise visas for them.

Cost:

In December, Silversea is sailing a six-day Indochine Sojourn from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh, including two days in Bangkok, Thailand. The basic fare is US$3695 but specials can go as low as US$1948.

Silversea has a package involving flying to Cairns, sailing on January 31 for a 16-day cruise around northern Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, disembarking at Bangkok and a flying back to Auckland for from $16,318 a person (twin share).

There is also a package joining the Silver Cloud in Auckland on January 21, cruising New Zealand and Australia for 10 days, three nights in the Sheraton Mirage Resort in Port Douglas and a flight to Auckland for from $14,055 (twin share). The cruise-only price is $9790.

Contact Silversea on 0800 443 675 or reservations@cruisebrokers.com.au

* Diana McCurdy cruised from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City on board the Silver Shadow, courtesy of Silversea and British Airways.