Breathtaking Halong Bay: 5-Star Luxury Day Cruise & Feast

Great day in Halong Bay full of interesting activities. Really enjoyed it - even despite the lack of sun.

Nicely organized. The lunch was superb and very generous. The guide was good but had difficulty speaking English. (He spoke Russian almost the whole time.) Still, we enjoyed this tour.

Amazing Tour with Hien! He is punctual, passionate at his work, and very funny! He takes great pictures as well! Highly recommended to enjoy Halong Bay for the first time.

This trip was very well-organized and everything was done smoothly. Our tour guide, Hien, was super charismatic and accommodating. I would book again!

This experience is sold as "cruise", but the cruise part is probably 20% or less. Out of the total 6.5 hours in Halong, we hardly cruised for 35 mins in total and the rest of the time were spent in activities like rock climbing and hiking. If this was the case, the product description should have clear information on all the activites. This looks like a deception by not disclosing the right information based on which a traveller can take informed decision. I would not recommend this "5 star cruise" to anyone.

Ha Long Bay worth the visit. Views are amazing. Next time pack the swimming trunks and also be ready for kayaking. Although bamboo boat was fun.

It's a whole day trip and can be quite exhausting. Overall Ha Long bay is beautiful and worth the visif

This cruise line proved untrustworthy and communicated poorly, which caused anxiety. Unless they are significantly cheaper than others, I’d try another company. The biggest issue was with transfer to and from Hanoi, which was handled in an odd way that made me feel it was “planned” spur of the moment. Details: On the way back to Hanoi, I was separated from the rest of the group and put on a different bus that I had to wait about 30 minutes for. No explanation for this was given, even by the members of staff with limited English. I was just told to wait, that someone was coming for me. And I was left to wonder if that was true while I saw the parking lot of the dock empty. Not fun. I got the sense that there was no real plan to get me back, that it would just be worked out as needed. While the listing says pick up at 8:30 am, I was told it would be 8 am after booking. It was actually 7:45. I also had to walk through the streets of the Old Quarter while their person wrangled other customers. When we got to the dock, the bus pulled over and only I was told to disembark. Again, no explanation for why was given. I got the sense I was a different tier customer and was being put in what was available at my price point. After I booked I was told to have 310,000 in Vietnamese currency to pay for something (a ticket for something). I realized this was possible, other operates collect the same ticket money, but the person who collected it kept saying I wasn’t giving him enough cash. Is it possible he was right? Maybe. But it’s a known scam pulled in tourist spots in Vietnam to make this claim until the tourist gives more money or the scammer “helpfully” counts out the money. They told me they’d confirm the pickup time the day before. They did not. And they did not respond to my message asking them to confirm. I had to ask my hotel to call them and confirm. The food was edible. Nothing luxurious about anything on offer, but I expected this having researched Ha Long Bay cruises. Unless you book with one of the few elite companies offering day cruises, the on-boat experience is about the same. So if you can’t get the very best, I say go with the cheapest priced line that communicates clearly in their listing. And be prepared with a backup plan because what I saw of the way the companies operate doesn’t inspire confidence. Also be aware that the cave many cruises stop at and Ti Top island’s summit are not remotely appropriate for people with mobility issues. This was extremely underreported before (by reviews and listings) and during (by the staff of my cruise) In summary: Communication before the cruise included unpleasant surprises, then ceased at a crucial moment. During the day of the tour, I was passed around from person to person, with few who could speak English well enough to understand and most unable or unwilling to speak any. Odd things happened with no explanation. The experience did not inspire any trust, but ultimately everything worked out. So if you’re getting a very good price, it’s probably worth taking the chance.

Overall, the trip was very enjoyable. The ship was of a high standard, and the food on board was good. The guide was friendly and shared a lot of interesting information throughout the journey. If not for a couple of major drawbacks, this would easily be a five-star experience. Pros: Comfortable and well-maintained ship Tasty meals on board Knowledgeable and pleasant guide Cons: The sunset party was a big disappointment. It lasted only about 20 minutes and consisted of music playing, some chips and fruit, and red wine—which wasn’t enough time to really enjoy or make it feel like a proper party. The stops at the pearl shop and another store were far too long and felt like tourist traps. Spending 30 minutes at a market with inflated prices after a full day, instead of returning earlier, was frustrating. The cruise itself lasts around six hours. Despite these issues, I would still recommend it, as this seems to be the standard for most similar tours.

Great experience. Great with coordination. We opted for speed boat. Must do. You can still kayak or ride the bamboo boat. Food was decent. Overall a beautiful experience.