Halong Bay 2D1N Cruise multi options, transfer, swim and kayaking

Mediocre not luxury

The travel agency did not contact us at all. When we did to get pick up details 2 days before the trip, they said ‘Oh S@$t’ they messed up and apparently sent info to someone else. They sent us details but put us on a Lan ha bay cruise - not what we had booked. The cruise is mostly stationery - sailing a few miles in the bay. You ride to and from the cruise in a small packed boat - the bulk of the travel @ 45 mins. We did not get to visit the big Cave - something we were looking fwd to. Basically you get whatever they have available, they didn’t care what you booked or asked for. They just put you on a boat. The big boat was nice. Room was good. Food was okay. You pay for water. Cooking activity - cockroaches jumped out of a box and were running helter skelter. They were unfazed and carried on with cooking. We said pass. Kayaking on the bay was fun. Taichi - we were the only enthusiasts

Response from the operator: Dear John, thank you so much for joining the tour with us. We are so sad because we did not bring the best memories for you. But as we mentioned on Description tour : 5 star cruise, Activities can be Sung Sot cave, Titop island or Dark and Bright Cave Lan Ha-Halong bay. All cruises will go to Halong but different route. Due to the high season so we fit only with 5 star cruise, cabin with balcony and bathtub, and the route depending on availability. We explained for you but you quite did not understand as you booked. Anyway, thank you so much again.

via Tripadvisor

Not 5 star booking that was advertised

This was supposed to be a 5 star cruise, but it probably was not even a 3 star cruise. The ship was old and needed updating. Our suite was leaking water and they did not fix the leak, they cleaned it up and put down towels to soak the water. I showed the tour guide the booking and he agreed that it was nowhere near as nice the booking and pics showed. He said that this was fraud and we should get our money back. Our Halong bay cruise was ruined because we had certain expectations for a 5 star cruise. We paid a higher price for this cruise vs others and did not get the 5 star that was advertised. I filed a complaint with trip advisor and it has been well over a week and no resolution from them. We will not be booking anymore trips on Trip Advisor

Response from the operator: Dear our customers, 1st of all, thanks so much for choosing our services 2nd, we are so sorry because you are not Happy with our services. You went with exactly 5 star cruise Verdure lotus Granduer to Halong route 2, your cabin with balcony and bathtub. You can check other sites. We also explained for you that you checked with other customers lower price, but they bought and came from other sites, so we can not know when did they buy it, which is their promotion. So all compares are not fair. We only make sure that with this price, we arrange the suitable and fit with your payment. Maybe this cruise is not your style, we have customers went with this and still satisfied. Overall this is experience for us, we will notice it and improve our services. Thank you so much again.

via Tripadvisor

Nice time but could do it in one day.

Overall I did enjoy this cruise, despite wishing I had done it differently. The staff was very professional and kind, and you could tell they wanted to do a great job. Especially the manager/director who was very efficient and knowledgeable. For me, personally (even with 6 days in Hanoi) I wish I had only done a one day visit, rather than an overnight. The sleeping situation was still great, as I slept very well and liked the open water views from the small room. I was worried a one day trip would be too long and I wouldn’t get to do as much, but after speaking to others that did day cruises, they still got to do most of what I did (like kayaking, exploring a cave, and swimming at the small beach). The difference with the overnight is a lot of downtime or flat out waiting. Everyone in your boat group will be from different tour groups, coming from different places. So there’s a wait time of 45-60 min both ways (before and after your long drive to and from Ha Long Bay.) I felt like traveling in a larger group on a boat is just going to be more slow moving down time anyway, and being alone I was just ready to move along at a faster pace. The biggest downfall though was the food. I knew it was a risk being on a boat with dozens of people, but the buffet was mediocre and the set menu for dinner was a bland disappointment. I travel to Asia mostly for the food, so sacrificing two full days of authentic food was disappointing for me. I will also say that while the staff was great, there was a very serious vibe to everything we did. But maybe I have been spoiled by other young, easygoing, hilarious tour guides in Hanoi. Overall, go to ha long bay and give it a day unless you’re traveling for longer periods and want a much slower pace.

via Tripadvisor

Not a five star

This is definitely not a five star cruise. I can give them a three star. I saw other cruises around and can compare with the others that looks much better . First we were waiting more than 30’ for the pick up. In the cruise, only two people speak English and the highlight activity is the kayaking or swimming. For this activity they take you to a very unsafe and very bad condition platform. With all the cruises visiting this beautiful Bay they should improve it. The room is good and clean. The food is good too.

via Viator

Divine experience of La Pandora cruise

The service was amazing and we had a good time. The staff was professional and polite. The cruise was clean and they had various events organised for our entertainment.

via Tripadvisor