An Thoi International Port to Host the World's Largest Cruise Ships — What Phu Quoc's Port Upgrade Means for Dental Tourists

A 100-Hectare Cruise Gateway for Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc’s An Thoi International Port is being expanded to a 100-hectare scale — large enough to host the world’s biggest cruise ships, including vessels like Icon of the Seas carrying 7,000–10,000 passengers per voyage. It’s the most ambitious port upgrade in southern Vietnam and a key pillar of preparation for APEC 2027.

Alongside An Thoi, Phu Quoc’s International Passenger Port — a VNĐ 1.6 trillion (~US$65 million) project that opened in February 2024 after nine years of construction — has already transformed the island’s sea gateway. The Bai Vong ferry cluster is also set to be formalized and upgraded under a pending national seaport master plan revision.

Why a Port Upgrade Changes the Island’s Personality

Airports deliver business travelers. Ports deliver volume — and a different kind of traveler mix: multi-generational families, slow-travel couples, and shoulder-season cruisers. For an island, that fundamentally changes:

Service ecosystem

• More English-speaking staff across resorts and restaurants
• More bilingual signage and wayfinding
• Better taxi and Grab coverage on cruise days
• More pharmacies, convenience, and concierge services

Hotel supply

• More reason for major chains to expand beyond beach resorts
• Stronger mid-range and family options
• Longer seasonal windows (cruise calendars differ from leisure flyers)

Food and retail

• Better restaurant variety, including softer-food menus friendly to dental patients
• More import availability in supermarkets
• Upgraded retail near ports and piers

What This Means for Dental Tourists

Dental tourism thrives on infrastructure redundancy — when one piece fails, others compensate. A stronger port network is exactly that kind of redundancy for Phu Quoc travelers.

Concrete benefits

Split-city patients benefit most

Many SmileJet users combine HCMC (diagnostics + major surgery) with Phu Quoc (recovery + final fittings). A stronger An Thoi Port and faster ferry network make the HCMC → Phu Quoc leg smoother, cheaper, and more forgiving to bad-weather days.

Getting In and Around With Better Ports

International Passenger Port (Duong Dong area)

Now serving international ferry, cruise, and tender traffic. Close to many 4–5 star hotels and the busier clinic cluster.

An Thoi International Port (Southern tip)

Expanding to welcome mega-cruise ships — a future cruise-homeport candidate. Hon Thom cable car nearby.

Bai Vong (East coast)

Primary ferry link with mainland Ha Tien / Rach Gia. Pending upgrade to formal seaport status.

The Quiet Dental-Tourism Advantage

The headlines will say “Phu Quoc welcomes mega-cruise ships” and “port expands for APEC 2027.” But for dental tourists, the real story is quieter and more important: the island is becoming harder to get stuck on and easier to return to. That’s exactly what you want when you’re planning multi-stage treatment.

For SmileJet users considering Phu Quoc for implants, veneers, or full-mouth work in 2026 and beyond, An Thoi’s expansion is a subtle but significant upgrade to the island’s reliability.