Halong Bay Cruises
We co-operate with only a handful of the best cruise operators in Halong Bay.
Choosing your Halong Bay cruise can be a bit of a minefield with so many operators, many of whom operate on the borderline of safety or who offer an experience which has compromises from start to finish.
Search 'Halong Bay Cruise' on google and you will find any number of websites, many of whom purport to be the 'official website' of the cruise operator but who are simple local travel agents.
The following Halong Bay cruises offer the best experiences for discovering Halong Bay.
Heritage Line Cruises
Heritage Line offer a selection of traditional Vietnamese-style junks, including the Halong Ginger, Halong Violet and the newer Ylang Cruise.
Halong Ginger is the original of Heritage Line's three Halong Bay Cruise vessels - known as the 'Three Sisters'.
Built to resemble a traditional wooden junk, the elegant and serene Halong Ginger features wood-paneled lounges, shimmering silks and Indochine-style furnishings.
Simple yet elegant, the cabins feature large windows – perfect for viewing the Bay’s ever-changing scenery.
There are just 12 suites on the Halong Ginger, making this a genuine boutique cruise experience. The open kitchen is a real highlight.
The younger sister is the Halong Violet. Small and exquisite, the Violet has just 6 cabins and offers a truly boutique Halong Bay cruise.
Halong Violet has all the amenities of larger vessels however, including a gym and sauna, a spa with unrivalled views, a restaurant and a lounge, and a rooftop Sundeck.
Cabins with floor to ceiling windows are the real highlight however.
For an intimate experience of Halong Bay, there is nothing to compare to the lovely Violet, one of the most beautiful vessels cruising Halong Bay. It's often chartered by families.
Heritage Line’s Ylang is a cutting-edge ship sailing Lan Ha Bay with a design that mixes vivacious flair with Indochina style.
Considered the top luxury cruise on Halong Bay, what makes Ylang truly special is her expansive wellness sanctuary of sensational spa facilities and her very bespoke itinerary.
Jasmine’s interiors, like the exterior, are covered in polished wood, lending the Jasmine the stately air of an Indochina-era cruising boat. - See more at: http://heritage-line.com/en/collection/jasmine/#sthash.Eml6mRCN.dpuf
Paradise Cruises
Paradise Cruises Luxury vessels each offer around 15 cabins and are amongst the best Halong Bay cruise vessels.
Designed in the style of traditional Vietnamese junks, Paradise Cruises offer spacious cabins, a high standard of dining and a top deck with panoramic 360-degree views of the bay.
Paradise Luxury is designed in the form of a traditional Vietnamese Junk and offers an unlimited a-la-carte menu, whilst Paradise Elegance has a more contemporary style.
For the most luxurious Halong Bay cruising experience, go with Paradise Peak, a tiny but elegant luxury Halong Bay Cruiser in the style of a traditional Junk.
One and Two night cruises are offered and are highly commended by our clients.
Bhaya Cruises
Bhaya Cruises have the largest fleet of boats cruising Halong Bay and offer excellent value for money, cruising in traditional Vietnamese Junks.
Choose between the Bhaya Classic and Classic Premium Cruise for a 1 or 2 night cruise on Halong Bay.
Bhaya is a particularly good option for 3 adults (or parents and child) travelling together as cabins on the Classic Premium vessels have been designed with accommodating 3 adults in mind.
One of the prettiest ships in Halong, the steel hulled Au Co is a Halong Bay luxury cruise which offers smooth sailing through Halong and Lan Ha bays. Retrace the steps of colonial-era explorers in vintage style aboard this 32-cabin ship, visiting hidden beaches, forested islands, and gorgeous sea lakes.
In early 2020, the twin Au Co ships received a comprehensive renovation, lending a beautiful contemporary feel to the ancient Vietnamese legend on which the ships are inspired.
The Au Co Luxury Cruise is the first and only cruise that brought an exclusive continuous three-day journey encompassing the breadth of the world-renowned Halong Bay, as well as less-crowded destinations of the neighboring Bai Tu Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay and beyond.
Emeraude
The Emeraude, in contrast to the traditional Vietname-style junks of Heritage Line and Paradise Cruises is a replica French colonial-era steamer.
The vision of a French entrepeneur inspired by a chance discovery of a postcard in a Paris flea-market, the Emeraude has brought back to life a classic era of cruising Halong Bay.
Cabins are very smartly furnished, although you will need a Suite if space is important.
Dining is of a high standard and facilities include spa treatments and early morning Tai-Chi sessions.
