Aqua Luxury Cruise Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay 2 Days 1 Night

Itinerary, day by day

Day 1: HANOI – TUAN CHAU MARINA – LAN HA BAY – TRA BAU

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 on the way.

Late morning You are met at the Aqua guest lounge at the marina, where the luggage and the check-in formalities are handled for you, and a tender takes you out to the ship a little before midday.

Midday The cruise manager and crew welcome you aboard with a drink and the safety briefing while your 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.

Mid-afternoon The ship anchors at Tra Bau, a sheltered inlet in the heart of Lan Ha Bay with water clear enough to see the bottom in the shallows. The kayaks go in here and you can swim straight off the ship. Neither is compulsory; the sundeck is there if you would rather watch.

Sundown The ship moves to its overnight anchorage. A cooking demonstration of Vietnamese dishes with the head chef, then the sunset party on the top deck, then dinner in the restaurant.

Evening The bar is open, there is karaoke in the restaurant, and the crew set up a lamp and a line off the stern for anyone who wants to try squid fishing. Overnight at anchor in Lan Ha Bay.

Day 2: TRUNG TRANG CAVE – TUAN CHAU MARINA – HANOI

First light Tai chi on the sundeck for anyone who wants it, then a light breakfast in the restaurant.

Morning A tender runs you across to Cat Ba Island and a short bus ride takes you up to Trung Trang Cave, which cuts right through a hill inside Cat Ba National Park — about three hundred metres of passage, stalactites and stalagmites throughout, and a steady cool draught. The floor is level but wet in places, and the roof is low enough in two or three spots that tall visitors will want to duck.

Late morning Back on board you settle any bar account and leave your 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. The limousine bus is waiting for the run back to Hanoi, where you arrive in the late afternoon.

What's included

Included

Not included

Age pricing

Rates are the starting point for a private quote and move with season, hotel choice and party size. Nothing is charged on this site. Send an inquiry and a designer confirms the exact figure in writing.

Frequently asked questions

• How much is a cabin on Aqua Luxury for 2 days 1 night?

  From US$184 per person sharing a Junior Suite Balcony in low season (1 May to 30 September), and from US$199 in high season (1 October to 30 April). The larger suites run up to US$320 per person in low season and US$416 in high season for the King Suite VIP. A cabin to yourself starts at US$292. The fare covers the return limousine-bus transfer from the Hanoi Old Quarter, the cabin, all four meals on board, kayaking, the English-speaking cruise guide and every bay fee and tax.

• Which bay does Aqua Luxury cruise?

  It sails from Tuan Chau International Marina out through Ha Long Bay and anchors in Lan Ha Bay, the Cat Ba end of the same UNESCO site. Lan Ha carries far fewer boats than the main Ha Long channel. The overnight anchorage is at Tra Bau, a sheltered inlet where you can swim off the ship.

• Do all the cabins really have a balcony and a bathtub?

  Yes. Every one of the 32 cabins is en-suite with air conditioning, a private balcony and a bathtub facing the water, including the entry-level Junior Suite Balcony. On most ships on the bay a balcony and a tub are suite-only.

• What is on board the ship?

  A swimming pool and jacuzzi, a gym, a spa, a restaurant, a bar, a lift between decks and a mini-golf green on the sundeck. The lift and the mini-golf green are unique to this ship on Ha Long Bay, and the lift is worth knowing about if stairs are difficult.

• How do we get from Hanoi to the ship?

  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 return runs the same way after brunch on day two. The transfer is in the fare; if your hotel is outside the Old Quarter, tell us and we will confirm the pick-up point.

• What is included and what is not?

  Included: the return transfer, one night in the cabin category you choose, four meals on board, the welcome drink, the sunset party, the cooking demonstration, morning tai chi, kayaking, squid fishing, wifi, the English-speaking cruise guide, and all bay fees and taxes. Not included: drinks of any kind, the spa, the Vietnam visa, personal insurance, tips for the crew and driver, and the gala or holiday surcharges on the dates listed on this page.

• Are there extra charges on certain dates?

  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.

• Can we bring children?

  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. Cabins take a limited number of extra beds, so tell us the ages when you enquire and we will confirm what the ship can hold for your party. A child taking a seat on the limousine bus is charged for the transfer.

• Is kayaking compulsory, and can we swim?

  Neither is compulsory. The kayaks go in the water at Tra Bau in the afternoon and you can swim straight off the ship there. If you would rather stay dry, the sundeck, the pool and the bar are open. Kayaking and swimming are the first things dropped if the sea gets up.

• Is there wifi, and will my phone work?

  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.

• What happens if a typhoon stops the boats?

  Ha Long is a working port under a harbourmaster who can suspend departures when the weather turns, and does so several times a year, 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.

• How do we book and pay?

  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.