3D2N Luxury HaLong Bay with Aspira Cruise: kayak, Cat Ba island

Aspira Cruise of Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island

We had a wonderful experience with Aspira Cruise! The staff was cheerful, accommodating, and paid special attention to our dietary needs (gluten and dairy free). Bicycling Cat Ba Island was pleasurable and quite a unique experience! Morning Tai Chi with Nancy was incredibly relaxing- we actually will look to continue the practice at home. Thank you again for a memorable family vacation!

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Aspira Cruise – Halong Bay

**Aspira Cruise – Halong Bay** Overall, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable experience aboard the Aspira Cruise. My biggest wish is that the itinerary hadn't felt quite so rushed. I also would have loved more actual cruising time, as the dramatic limestone karsts and rock formations are truly the highlight of Halong Bay, and I could have spent hours simply admiring them. We visited in July, which isn't peak season, so it never felt overcrowded. I was initially worried about rough waters, but that concern disappeared almost immediately—the bay was incredibly calm throughout our trip. We booked the Presidential Suite, and it was absolutely worth it. The suite was spacious, beautifully appointed, and featured floor-to-ceiling glass windows with breathtaking 180-degree views of the awe-inspiring limestone islets that took millions of years to form. Yes, it has the famous round bed, which some people might find a little cheesy, but I actually thought it was charming! My husband, on the other hand, is quite tall and spent the night with his legs hanging off the edge which gave us a good laugh. That's certainly not a criticism of the cruise just something tall travelers might want to know! Having our own private deck made the experience feel especially luxurious. The bathroom also deserves special mention. It was spacious and impeccably clean, which is one of my biggest priorities when traveling. It exceeded my expectations in every way. One disappointment was the water itself. The emerald-green waters shown in the advertisements were unfortunately quite murky during our visit, perhaps due to the tides. We chose the bamboo boat excursion to the Dark and Bright Caves, which I had been looking forward to the most. Sadly, it turned out to be rather underwhelming. Instead of the pristine grotto experience I had imagined, the water around the caves contained a noticeable amount of floating trash—plastic bottles, bags, Styrofoam, and other debris—which took away from the natural beauty. There was also an opportunity to swim near the main cruise boat, but given the condition of the water, we decided against it. Instead, we headed to the upper deck to enjoy the pool and lounge area. While the views were spectacular, I was surprised there was virtually no shade—no umbrellas, cabanas, or covered seating. In the July heat, it became difficult to stay outside for long, so I retreated to our air-conditioned suite, where the panoramic views were just as enjoyable. The food onboard didn't quite meet our expectations. That said, food is highly subjective, and I don't think it's fair to judge the cruise too harshly based on personal taste. What really stood out was the attentiveness of the staff, who repeatedly checked on us throughout the meals to make sure we had enough to eat and were comfortable. We also booked spa treatments, as we almost always enjoy massages while on vacation. Unfortunately, this was probably the weakest part of the experience. Communication was difficult because our therapist spoke very little English. We ultimately chose the complimentary 30-minute massage, and while I specifically requested foot reflexology, only a few minutes were actually spent on my feet despite asking several times. My sincere suggestion would be to have staff available who can better understand guests' requests or assist with translation so expectations can be met. The highlight of the cruise was undoubtedly the staff. Every single person we interacted with was warm, gracious, and genuinely eager to make our stay enjoyable. Although the food wasn't our favorite, dinner was still a lovely experience thanks to the wonderful atmosphere, live music, and exceptional service. Despite a few areas that could be improved, we left feeling relaxed and grateful for the experience. The Presidential Suite, the stunning scenery, the calm waters, and the kindness of the crew made for a memorable stay. With a little more cruising time, improvements to the spa experience, and greater attention to environmental cleanliness around the caves, this could easily become an exceptional cruise experience.

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Three days of fun

What a fabulous 3 days we spent on the Aspira ship, food was amazing and staff incredibly helpful especially Ha. Totally recommend

Response from the operator: Hi, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback. We are delighted to know that you enjoyed the cruise, from the comfortable cabins to the services and activities on board. Your kind words about our team mean a lot, and we will make sure they receive your compliments. It is always our pleasure to create memorable experiences for our guests, and your recognition encourages us to keep improving. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you back to Aspira Cruises for another journey in Halong Bay. Warm regards, Aspira Cruises Team Hotline: (+84) 944 319 866

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3 day / 2 night - Ha Long Bay Cruise

We loved every moment of our Aspira Cruise. The rooms were so luxurious, staff were so friendly, the food was delicious and always varied. The activities over the 3 days were great, we particularly enjoyed cycling around Cat Ba Island and into Viet Village. Thank you to the team on board !

Response from the operator: Hi, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback. We are delighted to know that you enjoyed the cruise, from the comfortable cabins to the services and activities on board. Your kind words about our team mean a lot, and we will make sure they receive your compliments. It is always our pleasure to create memorable experiences for our guests, and your recognition encourages us to keep improving. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you back to Aspira Cruises for another journey in Halong Bay. Warm regards, Aspira Cruises Team Hotline: (+84) 944 319 866

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Choose Another Option!

Just finished a 2 night cruise with Aspira. The staff was friendly and helpful. We had a big family with several rooms and two of the rooms (202 and 204) were near inhabitable due to the smell of sewer gas or toilet fluid. WOW, these should be closed off or addressed! Some of the family had rooms across the hall , on the other side of the boat, and further up front and those didn't have the smell. We raised it with the staff the first day and they came in and added an essential oil lamp and put a plug in the shower drain, but it didn't remove it. The second morning was worse, we had to use our family's room across the hall to take a shower and stayed there until we disembarked. The chef and food were fairly good, as were the two free fruit juice options at meal time. The free coffee was weak and the extra charge egg and coconut coffees were cold, not as thick, and not the flavor of those we had in Hanoi. They provided 2 bottles of water per person, all other drinks cost extra. The day trip boat they partner with was definitely a lower level of service. Very old worn out boat and we got the privilege of killing a live cockroach 🪳 next to our dining room table. Drinks not included. The staff was friendly though. If I were to do it over, I would look for a higher quality option. And I would certainly NOT take room 202 or 204! We reached out to our tour operator to engage Aspire to request an adjustment for these two rooms. I hope the owner is fair and will reimburse accordingly.

Response from the operator: Hello, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are truly sorry for the serious inconvenience caused by the odor in rooms 202 and 204. We understand how uncomfortable this must have been for you and your family, especially having to use other rooms to shower and spend time in. This should never have happened, and we are taking immediate steps to fix the issue so it does not happen again. We also regret to hear about your experience with the day trip boat and the quality of some drinks onboard. Your comments have been shared with our team and partners, and we will make sure these problems are addressed quickly. We are grateful that you mentioned our staff’s friendliness and the food, but we know that the room issue overshadowed your overall stay. Please accept our sincere apologies. We are working with your tour operator regarding the affected rooms and will review this fairly. Thank you again for your honest feedback, which helps us improve. Warm regards, Aspira Cruises Team Hotline: (+84) 944 319 866

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