The Church Travels would love to present to you the best way to choose a Halong Bay overnight cruise suitable for your need when you travel to Vietnam. There are 100+ Halong Bay overnight cruise companies with option for 1 night, 2 nights or 3 nights. Therefore, this guidance will help you to choose the best cruise with good itinerary and reasonable price for you.
The reason you need to take a Halong Bay overnight cruise
The Halong Bay is a natural wonder that is perhaps one of the most unique and incredible places on earth. It is known for its green waters and beautiful natural scenery. The beauty of this place is so captivating that it can be experienced by cruising in the bay. In general, you can choose to spend 2 or 3 nights depending on your preference and plan. However, most of the time, you would book the 2 days 1 night overnight cruise which is described as a “just enough” trip.
These overnight cruise tours from Hanoi may depart from Tuan Chau Port / Halong International Port in Halong City or Got Ferry Terminal in Hai Phong City and take you across Halong Bay and its brothers such as Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long bay. Some must-visit attractions you will have a chance to visit are Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, Luon Cave, Dark, and Bright Cave, Cat Ba Island, Viet Hai Fishing Village, Vung Vieng Floating Village, Thien Canh Son Cave, and Ba Trai Dao Beach.
Take overnight cruise means you will have an all-inclusive trip to the bay with cozy and fully-equipped accommodation, all meals (according to the itinerary) included, and don’t have to pay for the interesting Vietnamese cooking class, Tai Chi exercise in the early morning, Halong Bay kayaking and swimming. Besides, you can get drunk with the buy-1-get-1-free drink in the crowded sunset party or relax your mind and body with spa & massage services at reasonable prices.
How much a Halong Bay cruise should cost?
The price of the boat cruise trip will be depended on number of the nights that you want to spend in Halong Bay. Commonly, for a Halong Bay overnight trip, the cruise can be low as $90-120/person while a mid-range cruise should be around $150-200/person/night.
If you want to go with luxury options, you should expect to pay more than $200 although the difference in quality from mid range to luxury isn’t as big as the one from budget to mid-range.
Most Halong Bay cruises price included all meals (lunch and dinner on day 1, breakfast and lunch on day 2) although drinks are not included. You can bring along some waters, drinks with you.
For 2 nights options, it’s nearly double the price compared to 1 night trip. On the 2nd of 3D2N trip, you will be transfer to smaller cruise to go deeper into they bay to explore another part. You will return to the main cruise around 4 pm and spend another night on the main cruise. The 2nd day will be more active with more time for kayaking, visiting caves and BBQ on boat with some cruises.
Choosing the right Halong Bay cruise for you
When it comes to choosing Halong Bay cruise companies, it’s advised to read reviews on Tripadvisor as always but also you should consult with local travel agencies as well. Honestly, you shouldn’t book it directly with cruise companies themselves. Cruises normally advertised through local travel agencies. Therefore these agents will have contracted rates with cruise companies. These rates are normally 30% cheaper compared to the public rate. You will meet a lot of travelers on the cruise that booked through travel agencies. The main income of the cruise companies are from local travel agency and hotels. Now you know why you should consult with your local agents first before booking the cruises.
Beside that, travel agencies like us work with many cruises. You will have more options to choose from the budget, mid-range to luxury options. Consulting with travel agencies in advance of your trip will help you save time to choose the right cruises and avoid overloading with information when you arrive in Vietnam.
A few suggestions for your Halong bay cruise
Now you know how to get your cruises already, we would like to recommend for you some options based on preferences of our customers.
Kid-friendly cruise
A cruise is a great way to spend time with your kids. There are lots of fun activities and the kids can learn new things. Unfortunately, there are not many junks that have a kid club to probably babysit your children. However, if you really need some spare time for yourself, you can consider Azalea Cruise or Emperor Cruise. On the other hand, don’t have a kid club doesn’t mean that it is not a kid-friendly cruise. If your kids are not so small, you can ask for babysitting help from cruise staff, if they are not so busy or in a hurry, it’s pretty sure there will be someone willing to help you take care of your kids for short time.
Honeymoon cruise
The honeymoon cruise is a one-of-a-kind experience that you can’t get anywhere else. It’s an unforgettable vacation where you’re always on your own, but with your partner by your side. You should consider a private cruise. In Halong Bay, there are some overnight cruises that give couples and newlyweds an individual atmosphere from cabin décor, dining table set, and special offers. What is better than enjoying dinner on the sundeck with candles, flowers, and wine? Or sharing sweet moments together while admiring the sunset? Plenty of cruises offer honeymoon packages at a reasonable cost. The best recommendations are:
Choose a cruise based on your dining requirement
Actually, if you are a vegetarian, most of the junk tours can help you to keep going on your special diet. All you have to do is notify them that you are vegetarian before your trip a few days and they definitely can provide you all meals with vegetarian food.
However, it’s not easy to find a cruise that provides Halal food. Up until now, Mon Cheri Cruise is the only one serving authentic Halal food with the official certificate. Therefore, if you are keen on eating Halal food, just simply choose to book Mon Cheri Cruise. On the other hand, if you prefer other cruises, you can ask them to prepare vegetarian meals for you as a backup solution.
Can I book a Halong Bay overnight cruise through agoda/booking.com?
The answer is yes! But, it comes with additional charges. Most of Halong Bay cruises are listed on agoda or booking.com as hotels. Therefore, you can easily booked them on these sites as a double room for 2 people (single supplement is added if you’re solo travelers). But these cruises are listed as hotel in Halong city. So you need to pay by yourselves extra fees for transportation from Hanoi to Halong Bay. And you need to be on time at 12.00 pm at Tuan Chau Harbor or Hon Gai Harbor. This is quite tricky for people who doesn’t know the place really well.
Consider carefully if you decide to book your cruise via online-bookings sites like agoda, booking.com.
For more information, please contact us to book the best cruises in Halong Bay for you with good rates, hassle-free and free information. We’re always try to offer the best price for you and make sure you get what you paid for!
