Halong Bay Cruise – What to Expect and How to Choose One

In this article, we’ll provide useful information to help you choose your Halong Bay cruise, a detailed overview of what our cruise tour looked like, what to expect, and our honest opinion about the cruise we went on.

When visiting Vietnam, you cannot miss Halong Bay, one of the new seven wonders of the natural world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in different shapes and sizes and the landscape is truly beautiful. The cruises depart from the Tuan Chau harbor, which is approximately a 3-hour drive from Hanoi or Ninh Binh.

Related article: Two-Week Vietnam Itinerary – From North to South

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What is Included in This Guide?

Besides giving you an overview of what our tour looked like, we also provide useful information about what aspects to take into account when choosing your cruise.

Which Cruise Did We Go On?

We went on the Dora Cruises. We did the two days, one night cruise.

We booked via the GetYourGuide app. In summary, I would recommend this tour.

Continue reading to learn what to take into account when booking your cruise and a detailed description of what our cruise tour looked like.

How to Choose an Halong Bay Cruise?

Choosing your Halong Bay cruise might be overwhelming. There are so many companies to choose from, different types of cruises, different price ranges…

It may be hard to pick up one, especially if you don’t know what to expect.

1. Number of Days/Nights

The first thing you need to decide is how long you want your cruise to be. There are day cruises (without spending the night), two days and one night (2D1N), three days and two nights (3D2N), or more.

The three-day and two-day cruises are the most popular options. However, if you have a low budget, it’s also possible to go on a day trip.

If you can, I recommend spending at least one night on the cruise so that you can see the sunset from the boat and see what the landscape looks like at night with all the cruises with the lights on.

We went on the 2D1N cruise and it was a good amount of time for us, even though everything was a bit rushed (you can read our experience later in this article).

If you have the time and money, and you want to spend more time relaxing and taking advantage of the cruise facilities, then you may consider the 3D2N cruise.

2. Budget, Mid-Range, or Luxury

There are cruises for all budgets. Luxury cruises are obviously on the more expensive side. They might have more luxury rooms, better quality meals, good amenities, and an overall luxury appearance. Some of the best rooms might have a bathtub with a view of the bay (as it was our case).

On the other hand, budget cruises might be a good alternative, but the boat might be a bit run down and old, and the rooms not so good. However, you’ll see the same landscape, and you’ll probably do similar activities. So, I don’t think you should stress much about it if you want to go on a budget one.

Sometimes, the price difference between a mid-range and a luxury cruise is not that big. So, it might be a better alternative to go on a luxury cruise and go on a better and newer boat.

3. Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay, or Bai Tu Long?

The area called Halong Bay actually includes three distinct bays: Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, and Lan Ha Bay. All three bays can be reached from the same harbor, and they all feature similar karst landscapes.

They will mostly differ in the number of cruises in the same area and the places visited/activities included. The Halong Bay area will be more crowded with boats. So, if you want to escape a bit from the crowds, you can choose one of the other bays—the landscapes are similar.

If you are interested in visiting a specific area, you need to find out which bay it is located in and make sure that the cruise you choose includes that bay in its route.

4. Included Activities

Most cruises will include some of the following activities: kayaking, ride on a bamboo paddleboat, visit to a cave, Tai Chi class, cooking class, squid fishing, trekking or cycling on Cat Ba island, visit to a beach, visit to a fishing village, and/or others.

5. Pick Up Location

Most companies will pick you up in Hanoi and will take you to the Tuan Chau harbor from where the cruises depart. From Hanoi to the harbor it’s approximately a 3-hour drive.

Related article: How to Spend Two Days in Hanoi (Itinerary and Travel Guide)

You can also be picked up from Ninh Binh upon notice for a small fee. In our case, we booked a tour that had pick-up from Ninh Binh already included in the price.

6. Where to Book your Halong Bay Cruise

You can book your Halong Bay cruise directly with the company, with tour agencies in Hanoi or Ninh Binh, on Booking.com, or on apps like GetYourGuide.

I had a 15% discount coupon code on GetYourGuide, and since this is an expensive activity, I decided to book it there to save a bit of money.

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Halong Bay Cruise — What to Expect (Our Experience)

Now that you know what to take into account when booking your Halong Bay cruise, we’ll describe our experience so that you have a better understanding of what it is like.

Our requirements for the cruise were:

• Two days and one night cruise
• 4-star or 5-star cruise (luxury)
• Lan Ha Bay to go to a less touristy area
• The kayaking activity must be included in the program
• Pick-up from Ninh Binh
• We booked our cruise for the beginning of November

We only booked our tour five days in advance. If you want to go with a specific cruise company, it’s better to book your tour in advance.

You may also like: Two Months Traveling in Southeast Asia: Our Itinerary

Booking the Cruise

There is no shortage of tour agencies selling Halong Bay cruises both in Hanoi or Ninh Binh. But, since we had a 15% discount on GetYourGuide and since it’s a relatively expensive activity, we decided to take advantage of the discount and book through the app.

After picking up a cruise, check its reviews online to see if it’s according to your expectations.

It seems pretty straightforward, but in our case it was not that simple.

Pick-Up from Ninh Binh

We were picked up in a minivan from our homestay in Ninh Binh around 8 AM. They went to pick up other tourists and then we were distributed to different buses. Everything was very chaotic and confusing. Make sure you’re getting on the right bus, otherwise you may end up in Hanoi.

The bus arrived at the harbor a bit after 11:30 AM and started dropping off passengers at different places depending on their cruise. Make sure you know the number of your cruise pier so that you get out at the right place. Nobody had informed us about our number, so it was a bit confusing to figure out when to leave the bus.

Finally, around 11:45 AM we arrived at the cruise reception to check in. You’ll wait for a bit at the reception for the transfer boat and for all passengers to complete their check-in.

Transfer to the Cruise

After approximately one hour, at 12:50, we embarked on the transfer boat to the cruise. This took approximately 40 minutes. During this time, our host for the cruise explained everything about the bay, the cruise, and other curiosities. During this trip, you can already see how beautiful the landscape is.

Hoping on the Cruise and Having Lunch

At 1:30 PM, we finally stepped on the cruise. The staff received us with a great smile. They were all great during our time on the cruise. I just have good things to say about them.

We were received with a fresh welcome drink while we waited for our lunch. The lunch included soup, mango salad, spring rolls, squid pies, grilled chicken, grilled fish, stir-fried vegetables, steamed rice, and fruit. Everything was delicious.

Checking In To our Room

After lunch, we checked in our room. We were surprised how beautiful and clean the room was and the beautiful views from the bed and from the bathroom. We even had a bathtub overlooking the bay.

Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay

We only had like 10 minutes to rest, because at 3 PM, the kayaking activity was open. You hop on a kayak with a life vest on and explore the bay freely.

We had like one and a half hours to explore with our kayak. I love kayaking, so this was my favorite activity on the cruise. The landscapes are amazing and there were not so many boats as in some pictures I’ve seen of Halong Bay.

Relaxing at the Deck

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the deck.

The cruise had a beautiful pool with a jacuzzi and some sunbeds nearby. Taking into account the size of the cruise, the pool was quite nice. Around sunset time we were served an afternoon tea with some cakes.

Cooking Class

Then, it was time for the “cooking class”. It was basically teaching us how to make spring rolls. All the ingredients were already prepared, we just had to choose our ingredients and wrap them in rice paper. I was expecting something a bit more hands-on, so I was a bit disappointed with this activity.

I guess they are all similar in most cruises. A friend of ours went on a different cruise and their cooking class was about making omelets.

So, don’t expect a real cooking class like I did, and go with realistic expectations.

Dinner

After the cooking class, we had dinner. It was buffet style with several options. The food was nothing out of this world, but I also don’t have anything bad to say about it. I guess I don’t like buffets much.

During the dinner, one member of the staff did a little performance by playing a typical song with a flute. He was quite uncomfortable but played well.

Then, they opened the karaoke for anyone that wanted to sing. They didn’t have the lyrics, so you had to know the songs or read the lyrics from your smartphone.

Squid Fishing

After dinner, we tried squid fishing. This activity was a joke. They just gave us some sticks with a fish hook and that’s it. No bait or anything like it. Obviously, no one caught anything.

Second Day on the Cruise

Tai Chi Class

In the second day on the cruise, there was a Tai Chi class on the top deck. Most cruises have this activity. We didn’t attend because it was at 6:15 AM and we didn’t want to wake up so early.

Breakfast

At 7:15 AM we had breakfast. It was buffet style. It was not bad, but it was nothing special either.

Bamboo Paddleboat

At 8:15 AM, we got on a transfer boat to a floating platform where the bamboo paddleboat ride started.

Each boat took eight people and the ride lasted about half an hour. Supposedly we would see two caves: a dark cave and a bright cave. The dark cave was closed, so we didn’t see it. The boat went through the bright cave and then turned back. The landscape was nice, but not much different from the other parts we had seen on the cruise.

The rower was very skilled and it’s not easy to row such a big boat alone. Make sure you have some money with you to give a tip to the rower—from what I understood, they are not paid by the cruise company.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with this activity, especially after doing the scenic boat rides in Ninh Binh. In Nihn Binh, you had a more intimate experience with smaller boats, longer rides, and in my opinion, a more beautiful landscape.

Getting Back to the Cruise

At about 9:45 AM, we were back on the cruise. We had to check out at 10:30 AM and leave our luggage outside of the room. So, we didn’t have much time to appreciate our beautiful room with a balcony.

Brunch

At around 10:30 AM, we had a buffet-style brunch before getting to the transfer boat to take us to the Tuan Chau harbor.

Transfer to Hanoi

Once we arrived at the Tuan Chau pier, we were picked up by a limousine bus and taken to our hotel in Hanoi.

5 Things No One Tells You About Halong Bay Cruises

I believe it’s helpful to share some important details about the cruise that I hadn’t heard before experiencing it myself.

1) The cruise doesn’t move much. It moved for about two hours—since we had lunch until the start of the kayaking activity. It didn’t move more the rest of the day. The next day, it moved for around one hour until we reached the place for the paddleboat rides, and then approximately another hour.

2) The drinks were not included in the price—that is the case for most cruises. They are not overly expensive on board, but are not cheap either. So, maybe it’s a good idea to bring some water with you.

3) You’re surrounded by other boats. Even though we went to Lan Ha Bay, which is not as popular as Halong bay, we were still surrounded by other cruises. That means if you want to have a bath in your bathtub overlooking the limestone karts, you’ll have no privacy.

4) Some parts of the bay are dirty. While some parts of the bay are dirty, most of our itinerary was relatively clean. However, on the return trip, we noticed a lot of plastic floating in the water, especially along the popular cruise routes. This issue is likely worse in Halong Bay, where there are more cruises concentrated in one area.

5) You can buy drinks and snacks from the boat vendors on the bay. When the cruise stops, vendors on small boats often approach you on the balcony, which can be annoying if you want to relax but convenient if you need some drinks or snacks for an affordable price. This may also happen during your kayak excursion. Personally, I don’t mind; these vendors are working hard to make a living, and we should respect them.

Is it Worth it? Our Opinion About our Halong Bay Cruise

Yes, it is worth it and I would do it again. However, considering all the hype, I was expecting a bit more. Overall, we had a good experience with Dora cruises and I recommend the cruise we went on.

The cruise

The Dora cruise was in very good shape, super clean, and everything seemed well looked after. The deck had a good view of the surrounding landscape, and it had a great pool with a Jacuzzi and sunbeds if you wanted to relax. The room was beautiful and very clean with a balcony and a bathtub overlooking the bay.

The staff

The staff was great, always with a smile on their faces and served us very well. I have nothing bad to say about them.

Activities

However, I was a bit disappointed in terms of activities. I thought the cooking class would be something more hands-on.

Additionally, the paddleboat ride was crowded and short. I much preferred the boat rides in Ninh Binh.

Duration of the Cruise

We went on the 2D1N cruise and if you want to take advantage of the cruise facilities and relax, it is a bit rushed. If it were today, if it weren’t for the price, maybe I would have picked up the 3D2N cruise.

If you just want to see the Halong Bay/Lan Ha Bay landscape and have the experience of going on a cruise the 2D1N is a good amount of time.

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