Toum Tiou II: 28 passengers, 15 crew, the smallest on the Mekong
The Toum Tiou II carries 28 passengers in 14 cabins with 15 crew. She is 38 metres long and 8 metres wide, across 3 decks, and was built in 2008. She is the smallest of the 4 boats CroisiEurope operates on the Mekong; the RV Indochine II carries 62.
Fifteen crew for 28 passengers is one for fewer than two travellers. That is the best ratio of the 4 Mekong boats, and nothing like the fleet's European vessels, which sit around one in 5. On a 28-berth boat the crew know your name by the second day. That is not a marketing line, it is arithmetic.
Where size becomes access
CroisiEurope presents the Toum Tiou II programme as an exploration: Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho, Cai Be, Sa Dec, Chau Doc, Phnom Penh, Kampong Tralach, Kampong Chhnang, Koh Chen, Siem Reap. On a river where side channels and bank villages cannot all be reached by a large vessel, 38 metres by 8 opens doors a 65-metre boat leaves closed.
That is the real argument for this boat, and it does not appear in a brochure: size here is not a comfort compromise, it is a means of access. Travellers coming back from a first Mekong trip who want to do it differently often end up on this one.
What CroisiEurope does not publish
Cabin surface areas for this boat are not published. We will not invent them. For scale, the RV Lan Diep quotes 16 square metres and the RV Indochine II 18.5. On a 38-metre boat, expect less than that, and ask us for the deck plan before choosing your category: we obtain it from CroisiEurope.
The river level
The Mekong varies sharply with the season, and on the stretch towards Siem Reap the level decides what is done by boat and what by road. We always ask CroisiEurope to confirm for your specific date before you commit.
Getting there from Montreal
No non-stop flight between Montreal-Trudeau and Ho Chi Minh City. Plan at least one connection, often two, a full day each way, and one or two nights on site before embarkation. Across roughly 12 time zones, the first cruise day is paid for in fatigue if you arrive the previous evening.
Vietnam and Cambodia apply entry formalities to Canadians, and these evolve. We check them at booking.
What is included and what is not
Full board, drinks with meals and at the bar, excursions in the programme. Gratuities are not included, and neither is travel insurance. We itemise every line and explain the scope of Quebec's FICAV fund before you sign.
Who she suits
Travellers who have already done a large boat and want the opposite, small groups, and anyone for whom 28 passengers beats 62. She does not suit anyone after large public rooms or a spacious cabin. Compare with the RV Indochine, 48 passengers, and find the full fleet on our CroisiEurope cruises page.
