We Paid US$1,274 for a Ha Long Bay Luxury Cruise — Would We Do It Again?
- Shal & James
- Jan 21
- 7 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
Most travellers book a Ha Long Bay luxury cruise for the UNESCO views. We booked the most expensive one and then realised it doesn’t even stop in Ha Long Bay! Awkward. Also, unexpectedly brilliant. Here’s why that “mistake” paid off.
This wasn’t your typical Ha Long Bay luxury cruise scene: boats packed tighter than beach towels in July, over 200 ships anchoring overnight, and someone butchering a Backstreet Boys classic on karaoke until 2AM from a less classy neighbouring boat.
Short of getting your own yacht, Elite of the Seas is the best boat you can get and it swaddles you in luxury so plush it makes most hotels look like campgrounds. A trio of acoustic guitars serenades you as you board, rose petals raining down like a slow-motion rom-com. You also get a personal butler at your beck and call.
Yes, we cruised through UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay, but most of our time was spent in Lan Ha Bay. Smaller, quieter and far more exclusive, with only ~60 boats (and few in sight). It’s also considered the greener option. Lan Ha translates to “descending orchid,” named for the wild orchids that bloom prolifically here.
CONTENTS
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HOW MANY DAYS IN HA LONG BAY?
Elite of the Seas offers itineraries ranging from one to four nights aboard its 35-room yacht.
We opted for the 3 days / 2 nights sailing and found it to be the sweet spot. It was the perfect amount of time to fully enjoy the ship’s amenities, including the heated, year-round infinity-edge pool, cooking demos and leisurely meals while still fitting in a day trip to Cat Ba Island.
3 DAY / 2 NIGHT HA LONG BAY ITINERARY
Below is the Elite of the Seas itinerary, with rough timings assuming you join the shared transfers and excursions included in the cruise (private options are available for an additional cost).
DAY 1: WELCOME ABOARD
8:15AM: Pick-up at hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter
11:15AM: Arrive at harbour for check-in
12:00PM: 45-min speedboat transfer to cruise
1:00PM: Lunch in the restaurant
2:00PM: Cabin check-in
3:00PM: Leisure time (swim in the bay, kayak at Ao Ech Lagoon, or relax by the pool)
4:30PM: Drone photo session on the sundeck
5:30PM: Sunset tea
6:00PM: Vietnamese cooking class & happy hour
7:00PM: 8-course fine dining dinner in the restaurant
8:30PM: Leisure time (squid fishing, spa, mini golf, or relax by the pool)
DAY 2: VIET HAI VILLAGE
5:45AM: Sunrise & 30-min golf class
6:00AM: 30-min Tai Chi session
6:30AM: 15-min Morning tea experience on the sundeck
6:45AM: Breakfast in the restaurant
7:30AM: Leisure time onboard
9:45AM: Buffet brunch
11:00AM: 30-min speedboat to Viet Hai Village (Cat Ba Island)
11:40AM: Guided cycling tour
12:10PM: Visit local homes & bamboo house lunch
2:15PM: 15-min ride back to the boat (or electric buggy transfer)
2:30PM: Relax at a secluded beach
6:00PM: Vietnamese cooking class & happy hour
7:00PM: Dinner in the restaurant
8:30PM: Leisure time (squid fishing, spa, mini golf, or relax by the pool)
DAY 3: FAREWELL
5:45AM: Sunrise & 30-min golf class
6:00AM: 30-min Tai Chi session
6:30AM: 15-min Morning tea experience on the sundeck
6:45AM: Breakfast in the restaurant
7:30AM: 2-hr Excursion to Dark & Bright Cave
9:30AM: Pack luggage
9:45AM: Buffet brunch
10:20AM: Settle personal bills (spa services, gratuities, etc)
10:45AM: 30-min Speedboat to harbour
2:00PM: Drop-off at hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter
While the itinerary looks busy, everything is optional. There’s always something going on, so boredom isn’t on the agenda. How we spent our time onboard Elite of the Seas:
OUR SLOW MORNINGS
This was the final leg of our 23-day Vietnam adventure, and we were knackered. Sunrise, tai chi and kayaking to Dark & Bright Cave sounded lovely in theory, but sleep won. While we didn’t experience the morning activities firsthand, they were a hit with other guests.
Instead, we lingered on our private balcony, gazing at the limestone karsts with not a single boat in sight.
SWIMMING: HONEST VERDICT
You can swim in the bay if you're feeling brave, but fair warning—it’s not exactly pristine. The crew does their best to scoop out any visible rubbish, which helps… mentally.
We took the plunge for the story (YOLO, right?), but the water was freezing. After that, we happily stuck to the gloriously warm outdoor pool, which basically felt like a giant bathtub with panoramic views.
PHOTO SHOOT
Don’t miss golden hour (4-5PM) on the upper deck. It’s basically a private 15-minute drone photo shoot with you as the star (minus the awkward poses). Then, like magic, the crew airdrops the pics to your phone at dinner so you can start humblebragging immediately.
LATE NIGHT SPA BLISS
We were gifted a 30-minute couples leg massage, courtesy of the events manager, Rachel, we’d grown friendly with, and it was pure heaven. The spa stays open late and our massage was around 10PM, which made it the perfect wind-down before bed.
VIET HAI VILLAGE
The bicycle ride through Viet Hai Village was beautiful and quietly powerful. We visited a traditional bamboo-and-mud hut with no electricity, no plumbing, just the bare essentials.“This,” our events manager, Rachel told us, “was what my home was like until I was 14.”
Her kitchen was outside. Her stove was a few rocks and firewood. By age five, Rachel was cooking for her entire family while they ploughed fields, unable to afford even one water buffalo. The bathroom was simply nature.
And every rainy season, their home was completely destroyed, rebuilt year after year, with her helping as a child. This wasn’t some distant, sepia-toned tale from the past. Rachel was born in the late 1990s.
It was one of those travel moments that grounds you completely, offering perspective you won't forget.
WHAT'S IT LIKE ABOARD A 6-STAR YACHT?
From the cabin to the cocktails (and everything in between), this is what life actually looks like on board Elite of the Seas once the sails are up and the itinerary kicks in.
THE CABIN
We booked the “entry-level” Elite Junior Suite, which came with a private balcony and an ocean-view bathtub (standard across all rooms). It's spacious, stylish, and bigger than anywhere we stayed in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, or Hanoi. There's a high-tech Japanese toilet, cloud-like bed, and twice daily housekeeping meant fresh towels, tidy surfaces, and constantly topped-up bottled water.
BALCONY LIFE
We spent an embarrassing amount of time doing absolutely nothing on our balcony, soaking up the karst-studded seascape with not another boat in sight. It genuinely felt like our own private postcard.
SLEEPING IN (OR TRYING TO)
The anchor clanks loudly and early, and even earplugs can’t fully save you.Thankfully, the wonderful events manager, Rachel, upgraded us to the top deck for night two, which was noticeably quieter. If sleep is sacred, splurge on a higher-deck room. Your REM cycle will thank you.
EATING & DRINKING
At first glance, the meal schedule looks odd. Breakfast at 6:45AM, brunch at 9:45AM, then nothing until dinner at 7PM. Don’t panic. You will not starve. We skipped breakfast since it’s essentially the same spread as brunch and were still completely stuffed.
On the Viet Hai Village excursion, you’re served a huge local lunch, followed back on board by afternoon tea and a poolside cooking demo. By dinner, fitting in a five-course meal feels like an Olympic sport.
Dinner menus, Vietnamese or Western, are shared during lunch on day one and again at breakfast or brunch on day two. Shal’s shellfish allergy was taken very seriously. We chose the Western menu, lighter on seafood, and loved the live piano music during dinner. It added a touch of old-school glamour to the whole experience.
PERSONAL BUTLER
Feeling peckish at odd hours? Your butler is on call 24/7. James fully embraced this, ordering giant plates of scrambled egg whites poolside.
DRINKS SITUATION
Lunch and dinner come with "free-flow" (aka unlimited) drinks, including cocktails, local beer, juices, and more. Premium spirits cost extra, as do drinks during happy hour, which is oddly the one time nothing is included.
If you indulge in afternoon tea, know the default brew is sweet and caffeinated. That said, they happily made us a decaf, unsweetened alternative without batting an eyelid.
HOW TO GET FROM HANOI TO HA LONG BAY?
Skip the private transfer (from US$100 roundtrip; converted: £74.32 / €85.25) and you’ll arrive at the harbour in a so-called “luxury limousine,” aka a minivan in its Sunday best (large cushy seats + aircon). A roundtrip shared transfer is included in the price of the cruise.
The 3-hour transfer includes a stop at a touristy rest area and you'll be provided a neck tag so someone knows which "limousine" you belong to. Its the only stop, so use the toilet!
The harbour lounge is basic. One toilet, no complimentary drinks, and feels like a doctor's waiting room. Thankfully, the moment you step onto the yacht, it’s instant luxury and all is forgiven.
The return is also a bit chaotic, with passengers from multiple cruises converging at the harbour and everyone trying to work out which vehicle they’re meant to clamber into for Hanoi. It’s one part of the experience that could be smoother, but everything else was so good we’d splurge again on Elite of the Seas in a heartbeat.
NOT QUITE DONE EXPLORING?
About to check Vietnam off the bucket list? Start with our 15 Vietnam travel tips for first-timers and exact 3 week Vietnam itinerary, or opt for the pared-back 2 week Vietnam itinerary if you’re travelling on a tighter schedule.
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