Celina of The Seas Lan Ha Bay Cruise 3 Days 2 Nights

Itinerary, day by day

Day 1: Hanoi → Tuan Chau Marina → Lan Ha Bay → Viet Hai Village → Van Boi

Private car to the marina, lunch under way, a village with no road, kayaking and a cooking class at sunset.

Your private car and driver collect you from your hotel in Hanoi after breakfast. The expressway by way of Hai Phong reaches Tuan Chau Marina in about 2.5 hours with one comfort stop, in good time for the midday check-in. The car is yours alone, so the departure time is set around you, not around a shuttle round of other hotels.

A tender carries you out to Celina of The Seas. After a welcome drink and the safety briefing, lunch is served while the ship leaves the marina and turns south into the quieter water of Lan Ha Bay. Your cabin is ready after lunch.

The afternoon belongs to Viet Hai, a farming village of a few dozen households inside Cat Ba National Park, until recently reached only by boat. A narrow lane runs about five kilometres under the cliffs to the village; ride it by bicycle or electric car, then walk between the old earth-walled houses and vegetable plots. Back on the water, the ship anchors at Van Boi for kayaking and a swim off the tender platform.

As the light drops, the chef runs a short cooking class on the sundeck, usually fresh spring rolls, alongside the sunset party. Dinner is a served set menu in the restaurant. Afterwards: squid fishing from the stern, the four-season pool, the sky bar, mini golf, or your own balcony. Overnight on board.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner · Overnight: Celina of The Seas, Lan Ha Bay · Drive: about 2.5 hours, private car

Day 2: Lan Ha Bay → Cat Ba Island: Hospital Cave & Cat Ba National Park

Tai chi at sunrise, a wartime hospital inside a mountain, the Ngu Lam Peak trail and a second night at anchor.

Early risers can watch the sun come up over the bay, then join tai chi on the sundeck. After a light breakfast a speedboat takes you to Beo Harbour on Cat Ba, the largest island of the archipelago, past the floating fish farms of Cai Beo.

The first stop is Hospital Cave. Between 1963 and 1965 a natural cavern here was fitted out as a concealed, bomb-proof hospital: three levels and seventeen rooms behind a concrete door in the hillside, used until 1975. The visit takes about half an hour, with some steep steps.

From there you drive into Cat Ba National Park, established in 1986 and the core of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is home to the Cat Ba langur, one of the rarest primates in the world — though you are far more likely to hear birds than see one. Those who want the view take the trail to Ngu Lam Peak (225 m): stone steps and tree roots, about 45 minutes each way, ending at a lookout tower over an unbroken sea of green hills. Those who prefer can keep to the easy forest loop with the guide. Wear closed shoes with grip; the trail is slippery after rain. If you would rather not walk at all, stay on board for the pool and spa — tell the cruise manager at dinner on Day 1.

Lunch is at a local restaurant in Cat Ba Town, with a little free time on the waterfront before the speedboat returns you to the ship. The afternoon is unhurried: kayaking or swimming at Van Boi, afternoon tea on deck, or the spa at your own expense. Dinner on board, and the night at anchor among the islands.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner · Overnight: Celina of The Seas, Lan Ha Bay · Transfer: speedboat to Cat Ba

Day 3: Dark & Bright Cave → Tuan Chau Marina → Hanoi

Sunrise on deck, a bamboo boat into a hidden lagoon, brunch as the ship sails back.

The bay is at its stillest just after dawn. Tai chi on the sundeck is followed by breakfast, then the last excursion: Dark & Bright Cave. Local rowers take you by bamboo boat under a low limestone arch, through a short tunnel where the light goes and comes back, and out into an enclosed lagoon ringed by cliffs. Motor boats are not allowed in.

Back on board you check out of your cabin and sit down to a full brunch while the ship sails back up the bay to Tuan Chau, arriving late in the morning. Your driver is waiting on the quay, and you are back at your hotel in Hanoi — or at Noi Bai airport — by mid-afternoon. If you fly out the same evening, book a flight leaving no earlier than 19:00.

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch · Drive: about 2.5 hours to Hanoi, private car

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 does the 3-day Celina of The Seas cruise cost?

  US$597 per person for 2 travellers in an Ocean Balcony cabin, US$649 in a Senior Balcony and US$670 in an Executive Balcony. The price includes the private car from and back to your Hanoi hotel, two nights on board, 7 meals, the Cat Ba Island excursion, all other excursions and bay fees. The price per person drops for larger groups: US$563 for 3, US$559 for 4–5, US$538 for 6–7 and US$540 for 8–9, slightly higher because the car becomes a 29-seat coach (Ocean Balcony). For 10 or more adults, ask us for a quote. The single cabin supplement is US$299 (Ocean Balcony). Valid for travel in 2027 outside Tet and public holidays.

• Is this a private tour?

  The car is private: only your party travels in it, from your Hanoi hotel to the marina and back, and you can start on any date. The cruise itself is on a large ship shared with other guests, with your own cabin and balcony, and the ship's English-speaking guide leads every excursion, including the Cat Ba Island day.

• What about groups of 10 or more?

  Our price table covers groups of 2 to 9 adults. For 10 or more, send us your group size, travel date and cabin class, and we reply with your group price in writing within 24 hours.

• How hard is the Ngu Lam Peak walk on Cat Ba?

  The trail climbs to 225 metres on stone steps and tree roots, about 45 minutes each way, and is slippery after rain. Wear closed shoes with grip. You can instead take the easy forest loop with the guide, or stay on board for the morning — tell the cruise manager at dinner on Day 1.

• Do I need a visa for Vietnam?

  Citizens of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, the Nordic countries, Japan, South Korea and several other European countries can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. Most ASEAN citizens get 30 days (Philippines 21, Brunei 14). Everyone else, including US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian passport holders, needs an e-visa: apply online at the official portal evisa.gov.vn, valid up to 90 days, US$25 single entry or US$50 multiple entry, usually issued within 3–5 working days. We recommend applying at least 2 weeks before travel. See the full country list in our Vietnam e-visa guide. (Rules checked October 2026.)

• How do I book and pay?

  Send an inquiry and we confirm the price in writing within 24 hours. Nothing is charged on this website. To confirm your tour, pay a 30% deposit by bank transfer or by Visa, Mastercard or Amex through a secure OnePay payment link that we email to you. The remaining 70% is due at least 14 days before you arrive. The deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel (in writing) more than 21 days before departure, you lose only the deposit, and any amount paid above it stays valid for 12 months towards another tour. From 7 to 21 days before departure the charge is 50% of the tour price, and within 6 days or for a no-show it is 100%. Groups of more than 8 people, and tours that include flights or Mekong river cruises, have different terms. Full details are in our Terms & Conditions.

• What about children?

  Infants up to 2 years travel free. Children aged 3 to 10 pay 68% of the adult fare sharing their parents’ bed, or 86% with an extra bed of their own. A child aged 3 to 10 sharing a twin cabin with one adult, and anyone 11 or over, pays the adult fare. The ship has a children’s play room.

• What if the weather is bad?

  Sailing is licensed day by day by the Quang Ninh and Hai Phong port authorities. In a storm warning they may shorten the route or hold all vessels in port; this is rare outside the June to September typhoon months. If a sailing is cancelled outright, we offer a new date or refund the cruise in line with the ship's policy.

• Can I fly out of Hanoi on Day 3?

  Yes. The car can take you straight to Noi Bai airport in the afternoon, so book a flight leaving no earlier than 19:00. Tell us at booking.

• Can the ship cater for halal, vegetarian or allergy diets?

  Yes. Vegetarian, halal, no-pork, no-beef and allergy requirements are straightforward if you tell us when you book, so the galley can plan before it provisions.