Aqua Classic Cruise Ha Long Bay 2 Days 1 Night
Aqua Classic is the boutique ship of the fleet: 22 cabins on the classic Ha Long Bay route, and the only ship in the group with a four-berth family cabin. If what you want from one night on the bay is the things Ha Long is famous for — Sung Sot Cave, the view from Titop Island and the bamboo boats through Luon Cave — this is the programme that goes to all three.
It is also the least expensive cruise we sell on the bay. The ship is a wooden-hulled junk rather than one of the big white steel ships, with a sky bar and a jacuzzi on the sundeck, and the cabins are plainer than on the Lan Ha ships — which is why the fare is where it is.
Why this ship
- The classic route. Sung Sot, Titop and Luon Cave in one night, which the Lan Ha ships do not cover.
- A four-berth family cabin, the only one in the Aqua fleet — four of you in one cabin rather than two cabins to pay for.
- The lowest fare in the fleet, on the same transfer, the same meals and the same guide.
- A jacuzzi and a sky bar on the sundeck, with the bay around you.
- Twenty-two cabins. Small enough that the tender is not a queue.
Price per person — 2 days, 1 night
Per person in US dollars, sharing a twin or double cabin, for the complete programme: the return limousine-bus transfer from the Hanoi Old Quarter, the cabin, all four meals on board, the cave and island entrance fees, kayaking or the bamboo boat at Luon Cave, the English-speaking cruise guide and every bay fee and tax. Low season is 1 May to 30 September; high season is 1 October to 30 April.
| Cabin category | Low season, per person | High season, per person |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Seaview | US$136 | US$145 |
| Deluxe Seaview | US$145 | US$156 |
| Suite Balcony | US$187 | US$212 |
| Family Suite, 4 berths | Price on request — we confirm it in writing with the cruise line | |
Travelling on your own
A cabin to yourself is charged as single occupancy:
| Cabin category | Low season, single | High season, single |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Seaview | US$210 | US$227 |
| Deluxe Seaview | US$227 | US$243 |
| Suite Balcony | US$297 | US$338 |
Dates that carry a surcharge
US$59 per person on 24 and 31 December for the compulsory gala dinner, and US$25 per person on 30 April, 1 May, 2 September and the first three days of Tet.
The ship and the cabins
Ha Long Bay cruises carry no official star rating, so the cabin categories are set out below instead of a grade. All cabins are en-suite with air conditioning, and tea and coffee are replenished daily.
| Cabin category | Sleeps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Seaview | 2 guests | The entry cabin, sea view. |
| Deluxe Seaview | 2 guests | Larger than the Standard, sea view. |
| Suite Balcony | 2 guests | A suite with its own balcony. |
| Family Suite | 4 guests | Four berths in one cabin, sold whole. The only family cabin in the Aqua fleet. |
On board: a sundeck with a sky bar, a jacuzzi on deck, a restaurant and a spa. The ship also has triple cabins; tell us if you need one and we will confirm the rate with the cruise line.
Planning your trip
- The drive. Two and a half hours each way on the expressway with one comfort stop. Pick-up is in the morning and you are back in Hanoi in the late afternoon.
- Sung Sot means steps. A flight up from the jetty and another inside between the chambers, on stone that is often damp. Titop is another four hundred steps if you want the view, but the beach at the bottom is there instead.
- Luon Cave depends on the tide. The arch is at the waterline and can close at high water; the crew will tell you on the morning.
- Nothing is compulsory. Kayaking, the climb and the swimming are all offered rather than required.
- Weather. Ha Long is a working port under a harbourmaster who can suspend departures when the weather turns, usually in the typhoon months from July to October. If that happens we work the options with the cruise line and confirm in writing.
- Wifi and food. There is wifi on board but the limestone blocks the signal for stretches of the route. The menus are set rather than à la carte; tell us about allergies or dietary requirements at least three days before departure.
Tour at a glance
| Tour code | WMHLAQC27 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 days / 1 night — Hanoi to Hanoi |
| Ship | Aqua Classic, 22 cabins |
| Bay | Ha Long Bay, classic route |
| Sights | Bo Nau Cave, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, Luon Cave |
| Family cabin | Four-berth Family Suite, the only one in the Aqua fleet |
| On board | Sundeck with sky bar, jacuzzi on deck, restaurant, spa |
| Transfer | Return Aqua limousine bus, Hanoi Old Quarter – Tuan Chau Marina, about 2.5 hours each way |
| Meals | 1 lunch, 1 dinner, 1 light breakfast, 1 brunch on board |
| Activities | Kayaking or bamboo boat at Luon Cave, swimming, cooking demonstration, squid fishing, tai chi |
| Titop climb | A little over 400 steps to the summit, optional |
| Guide | English-speaking cruise guide on board throughout |
| Seasons | Low 1 May – 30 September; high 1 October – 30 April |
| From | US$136 per person, twin share, low season |
- Cruise
- Bus
- Beach
- Caves
- Cooking class
- Fishing
- Gastronomy
Itinerary, day by day
Morning Pick-up from your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter by Aqua limousine bus. The run east to Tuan Chau International Marina takes about two and a half hours on the Hanoi – Hai Phong and Ha Long expressways, with one comfort stop.
Late morning You are met at the Aqua guest lounge at the marina, where luggage and check-in are handled for you, and a tender takes you out to the ship a little before midday.
Midday Welcome drink and safety briefing while the cabin is readied. Lunch is served as the ship works out of the harbour and in among the limestone towers — close to two thousand of them, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 and extended across the Cat Ba archipelago in September 2023.
Afternoon The ship stops at Bo Nau Cave in the core heritage zone, then a tender runs you to Sung Sot, the Surprise Cave — the largest in Ha Long Bay. It is reached by a flight of steps up from the jetty and a second flight inside between the two chambers; the stone is often damp, so the handrail is worth using.
Late afternoon Titop Island, which gives you a choice: the crescent of sand at the bottom to swim from, or the staircase to the summit — a little over four hundred steps, and the best view in the bay at the top. The island is named for Gherman Titov, the Soviet cosmonaut Ho Chi Minh brought here in 1962.
Evening The ship moves to its overnight anchorage. Happy hour at the sky bar as the light goes, a cooking demonstration with the head chef, then dinner in the restaurant. Afterwards: the bar, karaoke, or squid fishing off the stern.
First light Tai chi on the sundeck for anyone who wants it, then a light breakfast in the restaurant.
Morning The run out to Luon Cave, a low arch in the cliff at the waterline that opens into a ring of still water enclosed by rock. You go through by kayak or in a bamboo boat rowed by a local boatwoman — the arch is too low for anything with an engine, and at high water it can close altogether, in which case the crew will tell you that morning.
Late morning Back aboard, settle any bar account and leave the luggage outside the cabin door for the crew. Brunch is served as the ship works her way back towards Tuan Chau.
Midday Disembark at Tuan Chau International Marina, where the limousine bus is waiting for the run back to Hanoi.
What's included
Included
- Return limousine-bus transfer between the Hanoi Old Quarter and Tuan Chau International Marina
- One night on board Aqua Classic in the cabin category selected, en-suite with air conditioning
- All meals on board as listed in the programme: 1 lunch, 1 dinner, 1 light breakfast and 1 brunch
- Welcome drink on boarding, a seasonal fruit plate in the cabin, and tea and coffee replenished daily
- The cooking demonstration, the happy hour at the sky bar and the morning tai chi session
- Kayaking or a bamboo boat at Luon Cave as shown in the programme
- All bay entrance and sightseeing fees, including Sung Sot Cave and Titop Island, with the insurance that comes with the ticket
- Use of the jacuzzi on deck
- Evening squid fishing, karaoke and wifi on board
- Cabin decoration for a honeymoon, anniversary or proposal, and a birthday cake if the date falls on board
- English-speaking cruise guide on board throughout
- Onboard insurance, government tax and service charge
Not included
- International and domestic airfares, airport transfers and departure taxes
- Vietnam visa fee and any visa service charges
- Hotel accommodation in Hanoi before or after the cruise
- Personal travel insurance — we strongly recommend cover that includes boat travel
- All drinks and beverages, including those taken with meals
- Spa and massage treatments on board
- Gala surcharge on 24 and 31 December and the holiday surcharge on 30 April, 1 May, 2 September and Tet
- Tips for the crew and your driver
- Personal expenses and anything not listed under the inclusions
Age pricing
| Traveller | Age | Rate per person | Sleeping arrangement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (parents pay any entrance fees) | 0 to 2 years | No charge | No extra bed |
| Child sharing parents' bed | 3 to 10 years | $92 · 68% of the adult fare | No extra bed |
| Child in own single bed | 3 to 10 years | $117 · 86% of the adult fare | Extra bed |
| Child sharing a twin room with one adult | 3 to 10 years | $136 · 100% of the adult fare | Own bed in a twin room |
| Child 11 and over (adult fare) | 11 years and over | $136 · 100% of the adult fare | As an adult |
Frequently asked questions
From US$136 per person sharing a Standard Seaview cabin in low season (1 May to 30 September) and US$145 in high season (1 October to 30 April). A Deluxe Seaview is US$145 to US$156 and a Suite Balcony US$187 to US$212. A cabin to yourself starts at US$210, and the four-berth Family Suite is quoted on request. The fare covers the return limousine-bus transfer from the Hanoi Old Quarter, the cabin, all four meals on board, the Sung Sot and Titop entrance fees, kayaking, the English-speaking cruise guide and every bay fee and tax.
Aqua Classic is the boutique ship of the fleet at 22 cabins, it is a wooden-hulled junk rather than one of the big white steel ships, and it runs the classic Ha Long Bay route — Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island and Luon Cave. The Lan Ha ships (Aqua Legend, Aqua Of The Seas, Aqua Luxury) anchor in Lan Ha Bay instead and skip those sights. Aqua Classic is also the only ship in the group with a four-berth family cabin, and the least expensive in the fleet.
Yes, and it is the only one in the Aqua fleet: a Family Suite with four berths in one cabin, sold whole. The 2027 contract rate for it is quoted on request, so send us your dates and the ages of the children and we will confirm the figure in writing with the cruise line. The ship also has triple cabins.
A little over four hundred steps to the summit, in the open, and it is hot work in summer. Nobody has to do it: there is a crescent of sand at the bottom where you can swim instead, and the tender waits either way.
It is the largest cave in Ha Long Bay, in two chambers. You reach it by a flight of steps up from the jetty and a second flight inside between the chambers, and the stone is often damp, so the handrail is worth using. The entrance fee is in your fare.
An Aqua limousine bus collects you from the Hanoi Old Quarter in the morning and runs to Tuan Chau International Marina in about two and a half hours on the expressway, with one comfort stop. The transfer is in the fare; if your hotel is outside the Old Quarter, tell us and we will confirm the pick-up point.
Yes. Children are charged on the age scale shown on this page, as a share of the adult fare in the same cabin and season, and the ship has the four-berth Family Suite as well as triple cabins. Tell us the ages when you enquire and we will confirm what the ship can hold and what it costs.
There is wifi on board, but the limestone blocks the satellite signal for much of the route and the connection comes and goes. Plan on being out of contact for stretches of the itinerary.
Ha Long is a working port under a harbourmaster who can suspend departures when the weather turns, usually between July and October. If it happens we work the options with the cruise line — a change of date, a different ship, or a refund of what the line releases — and confirm the outcome to you in writing.
Send an enquiry and we confirm the cabin and the price in writing within 24 hours. Nothing is charged on this website. To hold the booking we take a 30% deposit by bank transfer or card, with the balance due at least 14 days before you arrive.
Yes. US$59 per person on 24 and 31 December for the gala dinner the ship makes compulsory on those two nights, and US$25 per person on 30 April, 1 May, 2 September and the first three days of Tet. We state these in writing in your quote before you commit.
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