We cruise. It’s considered one of our responsible journey pleasures. We love the bite-sized stops at a number of locations, the top-notch service and watching the world sail by in consolation. So when after we have been planning our Vietnam vacation it was a no brainer to incorporate a Ha Lengthy Bay cruise.
However wouldn’t it be that very same as an ocean cruise? And, when evaluating the value of two nights onboard to the opposite lodging we’d booked, wouldn’t it be price it?
Ha Lengthy Bay is considered one of Vietnam’s vacationer scorching spots. A whole lot of vessels rotate across the 1969 jungle-draped limestone islands that seem like the set of a Jurassic Park film.
It’s obtained a repute for being a bit crowded and, regardless of being a World Heritage Web site for the previous 30 years, having numerous garbage floating round.
It’s additionally not low-cost to do a cruise. This was the most costly two nights of our fortnight in Vietnam by fairly a margin.
We knew all of this earlier than we booked, so went with our eyes open.
I completely get it that the worth and price of an expertise is subjective. On this submit I’m sharing what we manufactured from our Ha Lengthy Bay cruise so you’ll be able to determine whether or not it’s price it for you.
In addition to our cruise itinerary and a evaluate of our ship, I’m masking a number of useful issues to find out about:
the climate – we cruised within the peak of the wet season on the finish of July
the floating retailers that may provide you with further drinks and snacks
transfers to the ships
and the elephant within the bay, the air pollution.
*This submit comprises affiliate hyperlinks*
Our Ha Lengthy Bay Cruise
The overwhelming majority of Ha Lengthy Bay cruises are offered as both two days and one evening or three days and two nights. We booked a 3 days and two evening cruise with Mon Cheri Cruises which is a part of the Huge Bay Group that additionally runs Peony Cruises and Lily Cruises.
The way in which the cruise itineraries work is that you just be part of your ship in time for lunch and are off once more earlier than lunch on the day you depart. So in the event you guide a two day and one evening cruise you actually solely get two half days and an evening.
We determined that to benefit from our cruise we wanted greater than 24 hours onboard.
As soon as onboard, all the things however our bar invoice was included. A really beneficiant sized breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon snacks, plus all of the actions and excursions have been wrapped up within the room price.
This in itself made the value tag of £1,100 or £137.50 per individual, per evening appear much more cheap.
Our cruise itinerary
Most Ha Lengthy Bay cruise itineraries are very related in format. Your cruise firm might go to completely different islands however the actions onboard are very related.
Right here’s an outline of our three day and two evening Ha Lengthy Bay cruise with Mon Cheri:
Day 1
8.30am: picked up from our lodge in Hanoi’s Previous Quarter. We paid further for this service.
11.30am: arrived on the port in Ha Lengthy the place we checked in on the Huge Bay Group reception space.
12pm: we boarded a young boat that might switch us to our ship.
12.45pm: we arrived on the Mon Cheri 2 have been we went straight as much as the restaurant on deck three for a welcome temporary and buffet lunch.
1.45pm: we have been proven to our cabins whereas the ship relocated.
3.30pm: kayaking and swimming at Tra Bau.
5pm: joyful hour on the highest deck.
6pm: an illustration on the right way to make spring rolls.
7pm: 5 course dinner within the restaurant.
8.30pm: squid fishing.
Day 2 (NB. In case you guide a one evening cruise then skip this and depend Day 3 as your Day 2)
6am: Tai Chi on the highest deck.
6.30am: buffet breakfast within the restaurant.
8am: we caught a young switch to a day boat that took us on our island tour.
10.50am: arrived on Cat Ba island for a tour of Viet Hai village.
12.30pm: again on the day boat for a 5 course lunch.
1.30pm: kayaking within the Three Peach space.
3.30pm: again on board the day boat to return to Mon Cheri.
4.15pm: arrive again on the cruise ship which had modified location.
5pm: joyful hour on the highest deck.
6pm: an illustration on the right way to make spring rolls.
7pm: 5 course dinner within the restaurant.
8.30pm: squid fishing.
Day 3
6am: Tai Chi on the highest deck.
6.30am: buffet breakfast within the restaurant.
7.20am: journey to Trung Trang Caves (nevertheless our tour was cancelled as a result of unhealthy climate. We kayaked once more as a substitute)
9.30am: take a look at of cabin
9.45am: buffet brunch within the restaurant.
10.45am: disembark and return to the port on the tender boat.
11.30am: we arrived again at port and after a brief wait have been proven to our non-public switch bus to Noi Bai Worldwide Airport in Hanoi. We paid further for this service.
Check out my Vietnam Story Highlights on Instagram for extra from our cruise and our 14 days in Vietnam.
One evening or two evening Ha Lengthy Bay cruise?
This choice will come all the way down to time and prices for lots of people. However having finished the 2 evening cruise I personally suppose one evening would have been too quick for us.
We went from Hanoi. It took three hours to get to the bay after which one other hour to get onboard. So it’s a protracted day of journey and doing the identical once more the following day would have been an excessive amount of.
We additionally discovered that the primary afternoon and last morning of our cruise have been fairly jam-packed with actions. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to calm down.
Our full day (day two) was after we had time to cease, calm down and admire the surroundings.
So, I’d suggest doing a two evening and three day cruise in the event you can. It’s positively price it.
Our ship: Mon Cheri 2
Our 5 star luxurious cruise ship, Mon Cheri 2*, had 20 balcony cabins, a restaurant, an infinity pool and a bar with numerous seating on the highest deck. There was additionally a treadmill and bike in a small indoor fitness center space and mini golf on deck.
Cabins
We booked adjoining cabins – the Magnificence Connecting Door cabins. There’s additionally an Magnificence Household Balcony cabin which has a wardrobe-style divider between the rooms however not a door.
The beds in our two rooms have been configured as a double and twins after we arrived. Aside from that the rooms have been an identical, spacious, clear and nicely adorned.
We beloved having the bath with a view. It felt very luxurious.
I might inform the youngsters have been impressed. As quickly as we walked into our cabins they needed me to take images.
Cabins include robes, slippers, a TV (I’m undecided while you’d have likelihood to look at it), a paid mini bar, toiletries and seating on the balcony.
Meals
Earlier than we’d even left the port our cruise host, Jasmine, had requested if we had any dietary necessities and we have been requested once more onboard.
Our first meal was a buffet lunch with loads of seafood, salads, rice, noodles, recent fruits and cake.
Dinner was a 5 course set menu that we have been proven over lunch to examine we have been OK with all of the dishes. By now we knew the meals was wonderful so we have been joyful to eat something put in entrance of us.
The women opted for the youngsters menu on the primary night are have been served an enormous plate of breaded rooster, spaghetti in tomato sauce and fries. They ploughed by way of this whereas we ate 4 programs earlier than having the identical dessert.
The following evening the 11-year-old opted for the set menu having checked out our plates longingly the night earlier than.
Breakfast is buffet model once more with eggs cooked to order, toast, cereal, fruit and yogurt in addition to conventional Vietnamese cooked choices.
High tip: in the event you’re on the 2 evening cruise it’s nonetheless price attending to breakfast at 6.30am because the folks on their final day will probably be on the buffet early. We discovered a lot of the cooked meals had been snaffled after we arrived simply earlier than 7am.
There was nonetheless lots to fill the tiny areas in our tummies after the feast the evening earlier than. Similar to an ocean cruise, it might be onerous to really feel hungry on a Ha Lengthy Bay voyage.
The crew
All the crew have been extremely pleasant and useful all through our cruise and the service was precisely what we’d count on from an ocean cruise liner.
We had our personal waiter, Mario, who was sensible with our children. He seen the nine-year-old folding a serviette like a ship – it’s considered one of her and Mr Tin Field’s get together methods – and confirmed her the right way to make a rose. He additionally helped the 11-year-old with the difficult job of de-shelling a tiger prawn.
Our cruise host Jasmine was round from the time we arrived on the port till the second we disembarked, telling us what was occurring subsequent and ensuring we have been joyful.
The passenger turnaround is fairly fast in Ha Lengthy Bay but it surely felt like we have been getting a private service all through.
All-in-all our cruise with Mon Cheri was positively well worth the price ticket.
Cruise actions
The actions included in Ha Lengthy Bay cruises are largely the identical: kayaking, swimming, cooking demonstrations and squid fishing.
In case you guide one evening you’re going to get an optionally available tour off the ship for a number of hours like a visit to a cave. And in the event you guide two nights you get an optionally available full day tour, like our journey to Cat Ba Island, plus the half day tour.
We actually loved the actions included in our cruise. The chance to kayak thrice was a vacation spotlight for my children. Cat Ba island was lovely and well worth the go to on day two to be taught extra about life within the bay.
We have been cruising in the beginning of the squid season so didn’t have a lot success dangling our rods however the children nonetheless loved making an attempt.
Sadly our journey to Trung Trang Cave, which is the biggest in Vietnam, was cancelled due to the storms which had flooded the entry highway. It was a disgrace to overlook it however we have been all content material to have a bit extra time to kayak.
Tour to Cat Ba island
On day two of our cruise we have been up and breakfasted by 8am prepared for our tour to Cat Ba island, the biggest of the islands in Ha Lengthy Bay with a inhabitants of 45,000.
Cat Ba means ‘woman island’, so named as a result of individuals who visited it solely discovered ladies there. Their husbands have been fisherman so have been hardly ever on land.
The tender that had introduced us from the cruise port and had been towed behind the ship got here again into service to take us to the Huge Bay Group’s day boat, Orchid.
We have been joined by passengers from the opposite Huge Bay boats Mon Cheri 1 and Peony and even a short by our information, Karl.
It was a little bit of a reduction that we weren’t spending the entire day on the tender as a result of it was raining closely. Orchid had a eating room, indoor lounge and solar deck in addition to loos and showers.
The voyage to the island took practically three hours so we’re capable of sit again, play video games and skim our books. If the climate had been higher we’d have be up on deck having fun with some solar.
The water was principally flat however the final 20 minutes have been bumpy as we got here round to the jap finish of the island and into the open sea.
Viet Hai village
Once we reached the dock on Cat Ba we should always have had the choice to cycle 5km to the village of Viet Hai or take a extra leisurely golf buggy trip. However the climate wasn’t on our facet and biking wouldn’t have been comfy or secure.
It was a little bit of a disappointment till we noticed a number of the hills. However what superb views.
On the village we have been informed about a number of the uncommon wildlife on the island, the langur, which is a primate solely discovered right here after being hunted to close extinction. We didn’t spot any throughout our go to – they’re clearly good climate animals.
We additionally tried native wine, noticed a conventional residence and had our ft nibbled by fish in a pond. It was all very touristy however attention-grabbing never-the-less.
Tip: if you’re desirous about shopping for pearls throughout your time in Vietnam then Cat Ba island is the place to do it. A variety of Vietnam’s pearls are produced right here so that you get a greater worth than on the mainland.
After Viet Hai we returned to Orchid. It has its personal galley for the all vital preparation of lunch. I’d truthfully been anticipating a sandwich bag such as you may be given at a lodge. However as a substitute we had one other freshly ready 5 course meal served by our waiter for the day, Ducky.
As soon as we’d cleared plates filled with crispy rooster, stir fried beef and shrimp salad it was time to kayak close to a fairly little fisherman’s temple.
We had practically an hour within the water earlier than it was time to catch the tide again to Mon Cheri 2 in time for the youngsters to have a swim within the pool forward of the night’s actions.
If I’ve tempted you to do that Ha Lengthy By a cruise right here’s the place to examine availability and costs for Mon Cheri cruises*.
Switch to Ha Lengthy Bay
Most individuals becoming a member of a Ha Lengthy Bay cruise arrive from Hanoi, which is about three hours away with a consolation break. You can also make your individual method or guide a switch together with your cruise firm. For ease, we requested Mon Cheri to select us up from our lodge in Hanoi.
Mon Cheri Cruises supply non-public or group transfers by ‘luxurious limoscene’. These are 10 seater mini buses which we discovered to be good however not pristine.
One of many reclining seats on the bus that picked us up wouldn’t sit straight once more as soon as laid again. And the wifi and USB plugs on the return bus didn’t work.
The service was punctual however on the best way again our driver didn’t appear to have the ability to maintain a gentle pace. He repeatedly took his foot off the accelerator making the three hour trip very juddery.
This was by far the ropiest a part of our cruise expertise however nonetheless not horrible.
Test costs for taxis from Hanoi to Halong*.
Air pollution in Ha Lengthy Bay
In case you’ve finished any analysis concerning the bay you’ll have heard it has a air pollution drawback. We knew this earlier than our journey and nonetheless needed to expertise this superb place.
On our first afternoon we kayaked round a smaller island within the Tra Bau space in Lan Ha Bay to the south of Ha Lengthy.
This was nice enjoyable however the ladies commented on the garbage we noticed floating by.
Once we obtained within the water after kayaking there was no seen garbage.
Nonetheless, on our final morning in precisely the identical location the water was clearly not so clear. The crew didn’t supply swimming as an exercise this time.
Because the cruise continued we noticed extra garbage slicks. It was miserable. The junk is a mix of damaged home items, litter and plastic containers. One of many largest items of garbage I noticed was a half sunk inflatable dingy.
I’m no marine skilled however the waste isn’t simply created by tourism within the bay. It’s being pushed on the tide from past the islands too.
What we didn’t see was any effort to scrub it up. Nonetheless, a few of our fellow passengers had been on a cruise right here earlier within the yr and mentioned there was rather a lot much less garbage then. So perhaps one thing is being finished about it at completely different occasions.
Our cruise ship had refillable glass bottles within the cabins however they didn’t share a lot about the rest they did to cut back plastic waste or assist the surroundings.
Floating retailers – enjoyable however persistent
One thing else we’d heard about when researching our cruise was the small boats that strategy cruise ships to promote passengers drinks and snacks.
These are a enjoyable novelty till you realise what number of there are. In case you’re sat in your balcony they are going to come over to ask if you’d like beers or wine, usually in fast succession.
We purchased a number of beers and a few crisps on our first day and shortly learnt it’s best to haggle the value. Whereas all the things is basically low-cost, we realised the 200,000 VND (about £6) we’d paid for 5 cans of beer was greater than we might have paid onboard.
Are you able to get pleasure from Ha Lengthy Bay within the wet season?
You’ll be able to see from my photos that we didn’t have a whole lot of solar in Ha Lengthy Bay. The wet season is at its peak in July and August and we have been there slap bang in the course of it.
And it’s not simply rain. Actually, you will get typhoons in the summertime months. Issues didn’t get that unhealthy for us but it surely was stormy. The rain was torrential from the primary evening till late morning on the day we left.
However we nonetheless had an excellent time.
A number of the lightening was actually spectacular. We have been woken up by an enormous clap of thunder on our first evening and watched the flashes for a couple of minutes earlier than returning to mattress.
The following day a crew member informed us a number of the bigger ships wanted to evacuate their visitors to the shore throughout {a partially} giant storm a number of weeks earlier than.
Fortunately it wasn’t that unhealthy throughout our cruise however the climate did have an effect on our actions. We weren’t capable of cycle on Cat Ba island and our tour to the Trung Trang caves was cancelled.
All excursions are marketed as climate dependant and the crew supplied different actions to maintain us entertained.
We’ve had entire ports cancelled whereas on ocean cruises so get it that plans have to vary generally.
However if you’re coming to Ha Lengthy Bay for an exercise that requires good climate (or you’ll be able to’t grin and bear the rain) decide dates exterior the moist season.
Abstract: is a Ha Lengthy Bay cruise price it?
In case you’ve learn this far you in all probability already know what my reply is.
Regardless of the climate, regardless of the air pollution, and regardless of that indisputable fact that this cruise ate up a whole lot of our vacation finances, we beloved it.
We have been wowed by the pure great thing about Ha Lengthy Bay. The hovering islands lined in tumbling greenery that plunges into turquoise water have been like nothing we’ve seen earlier than.
It was a beautiful expertise to kayak across the coves, even after we have been joined by artifical garbage slicks.
We have been actually impressed by our expertise on Mon Cheri 2. From the second we arrived on the port to the second we disembarked we obtained nothing however wonderful service, dwelling as much as the identical requirements as ocean cruises.
The ship actually did run like a nicely oiled machine, which is not any imply feat with the every day turnover of visitors. However moderately than feeling like we have been on a manufacturing line, we felt like we acquired a private service due to the attentive crew.
So sure, we thought our cruise was completely price it and are very pleased with our choice to guide two nights.
Have you ever been on a Ha Lengthy Bay cruise? What did you suppose?
In case you’d like to seek out out extra about our cruise and the remainder of our 14 day Vietnam itinerary take a look at my Instagram Tales. There’s three devoted to this journey.
Disclosure: this submit comprises affiliate hyperlinks marked with *. In case you click on on considered one of these and make a purchase order I could earn some fee. This doesn’t have an effect on the value you pay.