Tips for choosing the right cruise in Halong Bay

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What is your budget?
Do you like a private or an open space?
Who are your companions?
Where do you want to go?
Which activities are you expected in a Halong cruise?

Choosing a right cruise in Halong Bay may be a difficult task, especially for the first timers. Nowadays, due to a seemingly endless array of options, choosing a suitable cruise can make or break your vacation experiences. There are many factors leading to the right decision, however normally, to select the right cruise, you should answer the following questions yourself:

What is your budget?

Are you crazy about searching and reading endless information about numerous cruises in Halong Bay? If so, don’t worry because you can eliminate one-third or even if two-thirds of these options after answering this question. All cruises in Halong Bay can be classified into three types depending on its price, which are budget cruises, mid-range cruises, and luxury cruises. The price for luxury cruises ranges from US$120 – US$473 with top choices including Grand Pioneer Cruise, Stellar of the Seas Cruise, and Capella Cruise.

Meanwhile, the fares for Halong mid-range cruises are more reasonable, from US$115 – US$340. The most favorite mid-range cruises include Rosy Cruise, Amanda Luxury Cruise, Erina Cruise, etc. For budget cruises, there are also lots of options such as Amanda Cruise, Indochina Sails Cruise, Swan Cruise. Budget cruises will cost around US$98 – US$125.

Do you like a private or an open space?

After planning your budget, this question will help you continue removing a large number of inappropriate cruises. If you prefer private cruise, congratulations because the process of selecting the right cruise is almost done. Currently, there are very few private cruises in Halong Bay, namely, Bhaya Legend Cruise, Princess Junk Private Cruise, Emeraude Premium, and L'Amour Junk Private Charter.

Who are your companions?

Are you planning to go on a cruise in Halong Bay with your kids? your family? your lovers? or your friends? For different partners, there are different choices. For examples, some Halong cruises offer better services for honeymooners than others such as Elite of the Seas, Catherine Cruise, Paradise Cruise, Heritage Binh Chuan Cruise, Orchid Cruise, or Rosy Cruise. Meanwhile, some lines are much more focused on families with young kids (Capella Cruise, Paradise Elegance, Bhaya Cruise, Indochina Sails). The others aim to serve young people (V’Spirit Cruise and Oasis Cruise) or the elderly (Emeraude Cruise, Mila Lux Cruise, Signature Cruise).

Where do you want to go?

Each cruise in Halong Bay has its own itineraries, therefore, you should make sure that where you want to visit. For example, if you want to visit Cat Ba Island, please pick some cruises like Ambassador Signature, Peony Cruise, Mon Cheri, Orchid Trendy, or Erina Cruise. Besides, Dragon Legend, Swan, Dragon Pearl Cruise, and Signature Royal Cruise are excellent options for those who prefer to admire the natural beauty of Bai Tu Long Bay.

Which activities are you expected in a Halong cruise?

Normally, all cruises in Halong Bay will organize a series of activities to help passengers enjoy their vacation. However, some cruises try to make themselves different from others. For instance, Paradise Elegance Cruise offers live music performed by a Filipino band on the sundeck or piano lounge before dinner. Meanwhile, Grand Pioneers Cruise is the only cruise including a visit to Da Xep Nature Park - a spectacular outdoor geological museum in their 3-day itinerary.