3d2n Luxury Halong Bay With Aspira Cruise: Kayak, Cat Ba Island

We had a wonderful experience with Aspira Cruise! The staff was cheerful, accommodating, and paid special attention to our dietary needs (gluten and dairy free). Bicycling Cat Ba Island was pleasurable and quite a unique experience! Morning Tai Chi with Nancy was incredibly relaxing- we actually will look to continue the practice at home. Thank you again for a memorable family vacation!

**Aspira Cruise – Halong Bay** Overall, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable experience aboard the Aspira Cruise. My biggest wish is that the itinerary hadn't felt quite so rushed. I also would have loved more actual cruising time, as the dramatic limestone karsts and rock formations are truly the highlight of Halong Bay, and I could have spent hours simply admiring them. We visited in July, which isn't peak season, so it never felt overcrowded. I was initially worried about rough waters, but that concern disappeared almost immediately—the bay was incredibly calm throughout our trip. We booked the Presidential Suite, and it was absolutely worth it. The suite was spacious, beautifully appointed, and featured floor-to-ceiling glass windows with breathtaking 180-degree views of the awe-inspiring limestone islets that took millions of years to form. Yes, it has the famous round bed, which some people might find a little cheesy, but I actually thought it was charming! My husband, on the other hand, is quite tall and spent the night with his legs hanging off the edge which gave us a good laugh. That's certainly not a criticism of the cruise just something tall travelers might want to know! Having our own private deck made the experience feel especially luxurious. The bathroom also deserves special mention. It was spacious and impeccably clean, which is one of my biggest priorities when traveling. It exceeded my expectations in every way. One disappointment was the water itself. The emerald-green waters shown in the advertisements were unfortunately quite murky during our visit, perhaps due to the tides. We chose the bamboo boat excursion to the Dark and Bright Caves, which I had been looking forward to the most. Sadly, it turned out to be rather underwhelming. Instead of the pristine grotto experience I had imagined, the water around the caves contained a noticeable amount of floating trash—plastic bottles, bags, Styrofoam, and other debris—which took away from the natural beauty. There was also an opportunity to swim near the main cruise boat, but given the condition of the water, we decided against it. Instead, we headed to the upper deck to enjoy the pool and lounge area. While the views were spectacular, I was surprised there was virtually no shade—no umbrellas, cabanas, or covered seating. In the July heat, it became difficult to stay outside for long, so I retreated to our air-conditioned suite, where the panoramic views were just as enjoyable. The food onboard didn't quite meet our expectations. That said, food is highly subjective, and I don't think it's fair to judge the cruise too harshly based on personal taste. What really stood out was the attentiveness of the staff, who repeatedly checked on us throughout the meals to make sure we had enough to eat and were comfortable. We also booked spa treatments, as we almost always enjoy massages while on vacation. Unfortunately, this was probably the weakest part of the experience. Communication was difficult because our therapist spoke very little English. We ultimately chose the complimentary 30-minute massage, and while I specifically requested foot reflexology, only a few minutes were actually spent on my feet despite asking several times. My sincere suggestion would be to have staff available who can better understand guests' requests or assist with translation so expectations can be met. The highlight of the cruise was undoubtedly the staff. Every single person we interacted with was warm, gracious, and genuinely eager to make our stay enjoyable. Although the food wasn't our favorite, dinner was still a lovely experience thanks to the wonderful atmosphere, live music, and exceptional service. Despite a few areas that could be improved, we left feeling relaxed and grateful for the experience. The Presidential Suite, the stunning scenery, the calm waters, and the kindness of the crew made for a memorable stay. With a little more cruising time, improvements to the spa experience, and greater attention to environmental cleanliness around the caves, this could easily become an exceptional cruise experience.

What a fabulous 3 days we spent on the Aspira ship, food was amazing and staff incredibly helpful especially Ha. Totally recommend

We loved every moment of our Aspira Cruise. The rooms were so luxurious, staff were so friendly, the food was delicious and always varied. The activities over the 3 days were great, we particularly enjoyed cycling around Cat Ba Island and into Viet Village. Thank you to the team on board !

Just finished a 2 night cruise with Aspira. The staff was friendly and helpful. We had a big family with several rooms and two of the rooms (202 and 204) were near inhabitable due to the smell of sewer gas or toilet fluid. WOW, these should be closed off or addressed! Some of the family had rooms across the hall , on the other side of the boat, and further up front and those didn't have the smell. We raised it with the staff the first day and they came in and added an essential oil lamp and put a plug in the shower drain, but it didn't remove it. The second morning was worse, we had to use our family's room across the hall to take a shower and stayed there until we disembarked. The chef and food were fairly good, as were the two free fruit juice options at meal time. The free coffee was weak and the extra charge egg and coconut coffees were cold, not as thick, and not the flavor of those we had in Hanoi. They provided 2 bottles of water per person, all other drinks cost extra. The day trip boat they partner with was definitely a lower level of service. Very old worn out boat and we got the privilege of killing a live cockroach 🪳 next to our dining room table. Drinks not included. The staff was friendly though. If I were to do it over, I would look for a higher quality option. And I would certainly NOT take room 202 or 204! We reached out to our tour operator to engage Aspire to request an adjustment for these two rooms. I hope the owner is fair and will reimburse accordingly.

We booked the 2 night cruise as part of our honeymoon to Vietnam and booked the presidential suite (the most expensive room). First of all, the staff are wonderful as they are everywhere in Vietnam. I have given this review 3 stars for the following reasons: 1) Our suite had significant mould in the shower 2) The bed is extremely hard. Perhaps a personal preference. 3) there were a couple of black hairs in the bath tub which put me off using the bath 4) We didn’t appreciate the sales tactics for coffee sales. They don’t tell you there is filtered coffee available, but ask “would you like coffee” in the morning. Obviously, the answer is yes. What they neglect to declare is the price, which is the equivalent of around £4 - for reference the cocktails are about £5. It was more the conduct which left a sour taste. 5) If you do the 2 nights / 3 days, there is 3 different offerings of kayaking, which is great if you love kayaking, but lacking of variety. I will say that the cycling through the village was great! 6) if you do book, avoid rooms at the back of the boat as the engine is extremely loud. 7) lack of plug sockets and mirrors in the main room. Ultimately, there are sooooo many boats in the Ha Long Bay Area. My husband was drawn into booking this cruise because of the circle bed. Beware of the 5* reviews. We watched staff stand over customers to “help” them draft a 5* review on Tripadvisor.

We enjoyed the whole experience - from check-in to the return to shore. There were two different "directors" during the cruise - both were excellent and went out of their way to ensure that the guests were well-looked-after. The rooms on board were clean, comfortable and provided sufficient space for our luggage. The daily excursions were informative, well-planned, and all was done in a relaxed atmosphere. As senior citizens we appreciated the fact that we were always given a less strenuous option to every activity - an easily accessed boat in place of a kayak, a golf cart in place of a bicycle, etc. The food was excellent and the servers were attentive and injected some of their personality into the service. A sunset drink at the open-air bar was a fitting end to each wonderful day.

Ok, so firstly we did the 3 day tour, including the private return transfers from Hanoi. The driver meets is in an old and dirty 4wd, that hasn't been washed forever. He also decides to vape the entire way, also spitting out the window, and tearing down the highway, with not one other car passing us in the 2 plus hour trip. So definitely NOT the transfer you want to take to a 5 star cruise. Room was great, and as was expected.. food was good also, but you couldn't get good outside the meal times, and the bar only opened the serving. So for lunch, and then again at 5pm for their pretty lame excuse for happy hour. Buy 2 hugely overpriced cocktails, and get one free. Or 10% off basic wines, which is all they really offered, or scotch. So nothing on beers, glasses of wines or anything else. We are on holidays and often like a few drinks in the afternoon, but couldn't do this.. inclusions were ok, but nothing special, and you would want to like kayaking, as 3 activities were this, just in different areas. I have done lots of great tours back in Hanoi and HCM, so know what you get for your money, so the activities are at best maybe worth $30-$40 AUD per day. I asked for a water after one of the hour long kayaks, which wasn't lead by anyone, so a pure rental really, and told not included. So for $400 Aud per night, in a lead in room, I think there are much better options out there. Also a few double standards, crew insisted on us wearing life jackets for any and everything on the water,I get it, yet the staff didn't follow this. I come from Australia, so could easily out swim all of them put together. Often the service was too much too, and is fine line between good and overservicing. Yeah, I won't be back, nor will my travelling companions whom booked the best suite on the boat, at around $800 AUD a night.. anyone that considers this 5 star or great value, hasn't obviously done a lot of travel in Asia. Disappointing to say the least!!

We did a 2 night cruise and stayed in one of the Executive Suites. The food was good and plentiful, the tours were fun. But, the highlight for us was relaxing in our room and private sun deck soaking in the beauty!

Very disappointed with this 2 night cruise. It started promisingly, with a warm greeting and a good lunch, then it went downhill. Breakfast was especially poor on both days, with very limited choice. Dinner was OK, but no more than that. The room was ok, a little on the small size, but the bed was comfy. There was a smell in the bathroom, which never went away and on the second evening I had to have a cool shower as the hot water wasn’t running hot. The safe in the room didn’t work (our friends had the same problem). The second day was poor. After karaoke until almost 11 pm the night before, we really wanted an easy day, but were rudely awoken at 6 am by what we assume was the anchor coming up and then noise was continuous and loud. After an early breakfast we were rushed off the boat, then ferried around different places at speed. It wasn't at all relaxing. People in our party actually got left behind by our tour guide after the kayaking and had to get a lift back to our boat later in the day. Please see my photo of "the beach" which was sold to us as a highlight of the day. We thought the tour guide was winding us up when we arrived, but he wasn't. That mound of sand was for the use of several boats, and it would have been funny if we hadn't paid so much for the experience. Oh and you had to jump off the boat and swim over to it. Unsurprisingly, not many people thought it was worth the effort. The staff were quite young, but trying their best. Unfortunately they looked genuinely fearful of the Cruise Manager, Mr Ha. He was snapping his fingers and seemed like a dictator. I explained to him that his conduct detracted from our experience and he actually told me that it was justified because he was so experienced and his team were not. It was borderline confrontational. At the end of the tour we were asked for feedback. We were honest, with comments in line with this review. I wondered if the feedback forms would have been provided to the tour operator, so emailed them to ask. No response, so I assume that they are perfectly OK with poor reviews as long as they get their money. All in all, very disappointing for what should have been a highlight of our trip around Vietnam.

The staff were very friendly, the food was fantastic the room was also fantastic and the ensuite was huge. The scenery was beautiful the only small issue was the activities were not so exciting.

Our experience traveling on a luxury cruise to see an UNESCO destination was mixed. The pros ~ the crew was very friendly and helpful, food abundant and delicious and there were many fun activities to take part in. The cons ~ there were parts of the ship that seemed unclean and needed service such as the plumbing, water drainage was poor in shower and the bathroom had a faint sewage smell. Also the pool water seemed murky with an oily film floating on the top of the water and the filter area surrounding the outside of pool was very moldy. The waters was once pristine and beautiful but are now showing severe signs of pollution. There was trash and signs of fuel in the waters which could be seen especially when the boat was anchored. There were way to many boats in the water making our trip feel extremely touristy and not very luxurious.

First off Ha Long Bay is stunning, find a way to go however you can. The boat was amazing, clean, comfortable and the top deck in particular was brilliant. The balcony attached to the room was also a really nice way to start the day. The staff were amazing and conscientious making sure everything was to your satisfaction. In particular going above and beyond when one of us was ill to check in regularly and make sure everything was ok. The food is wonderful (in particular the first night) and is in fact probably slightly too much food to eat. The coach transfer direct from your hotel to and from the boat was also a real plus point, with everything running smoothly. We loved the activities on the first day however, I would say the cruise feels more designed for people staying one night (2 day) and doing the extra night (3 day) felt a lot like repeating the same day over and is probably unnecessary. Particularly at dinner time as on your second day you are served a slightly different menu to everyone else who has just come for one night. While we still enjoyed the second day, I would say one day is sufficient. The majority of passengers were doing the one night cruise so it felt a bit strange the second morning that everyone else was doing their final activity and leaving where as we were doing a separate activity with another boat and then coming back to the boat to see a whole new group of people. This also meant the second night didn't have any new activities for us and the menu wasn't as good. A few other small downsides, if you're on the second floor and people are doing karaoke or even just music is playing in the dining room you will hear it (loudly) in your room until they turn it off. We also found that the bath leaked all over our bathroom floor. Overall a beautiful place to visit but we would recommend just doing the one night with this company and then maybe visiting Cat Ba separately.

Best relaxing cruise we've chosen. The rooms was very clean n spacious, staff very attentive n the food was amazing. Highly recommend 2 nights stay to fully enjoy the bay. Will 100% book ASPIRA again.

We thought that the boat might only do 3 day and 2 night but the 2 day and 1 night people also get on this cruise which means you go back to the docking area the next day also , bit disappointing. Our first guide Jimmy was amazing spoke good English and made jokes and was very funny. The next guide couldn’t speak very good English and was mot very informative, very disappointing. We had a massage on the boat as we stayed the 3 days and it was the worst massage we have ever had , big waist of money. The room we had was amazing and the food was great just a few things disappointing

We had a wonderful experience Our tour guide Lee was an amazing warm and friendly person who gave us all the required information . Buses were on time for pick up and were really clean.

The favorite part of the cruise was definitely Day 2 on the Day Boat with 20+ other 2-night passengers from five different cruise ships. The boat + bike ride to Viet Hai Village was special, the lunch on the Day Boat was tasty, docking the fish farm and kayaking the quiet Lan Ha Bay were a lot of fun.

The cruise was very well organised and from what we saw the boat was newer than a lot of the others. Our first cabin smelt unpleasant but we were moved so all was ok. The best day was day 2 and we are so glad we went for the 3 day 2 night tour as we saw and learnt so much on day 2. The guide on day 2, Thang, was super good, knowledgeable and made the whole day excellent. It would have been an expensive trip for just 1 night, especially after the long transfer from Ha Noi. The food was good although we would have prefered buffet style in the evening. It was odd that you had to pay for tea/coffee at breakfast. Making spring rolls was excellent as was the tea ceremony and the early morning tai chi. The transfer from Hanoi was good with a stop at a pearl farm which interesting and no pressure to buy. It was not the same on the way back which took longer and had a 20 min break only 40 mins from Ha Noi, with a chance to buy souvenirs which we didnt want as we just wanted to get back and explore Ha Noi. Total time to get back from yhe harbour was over 4 hours, it was only 3 hours going out.

Everything was incredible! Every single staff member made us feel like the most valued guest on the boat. Ha, the manager was extremely attentive to every need and ran a tight ship. There wasn’t even the tiniest hiccup. The crew all seemed to get along great and were extremely personable. The room was exquisite. The food was top notch. Every transfer, whether by boat or bus was efficient and timely. All the activities were well thought out and coordinated. Every guide gave a ton of information. Literally from the shuttle pickup to the shuttle drop off every encounter and part of the cruise deserves 5 stars. I highly recommend doing the 3 day and 2 night.

Amazing location, just be in awe of your surroundings. Service was great, options for excursions are limited, however it's not about that it's about the natural wonder of Ha Long Bay.

Overerall the two night/three day stay was amazing! The rooms were gorgeous and the facilities are beautifully decorated. The food was great and the staff took care of all our needs, especially, Hanna and Jimmy. The spa service was relaxing with a great view of the scenery. Be prepared for an early wakeup but the coffee was amazing to help you along. Lastly, the trips to kayak around the caves was a fantastic way to explore the bay.

We had a wonderful time on our Halong Bay cruise!! Everything from the food to activities were well organised, fun and relaxing! Our guide Lee and all the staff on board were so lovely and very helpful with all our questions! We loved the morning kayaking, swimming and all the amazing meals! Highly recommend Aspira Cruises to experience the beauty of Halong Bay!

we booked a 3 day trip with ninh binh and halong bay. for the second day and night we had the chance to dtay on the aspira cruise. we got a warm welcome and our baggage was carried to the very luxury rooms. the whole staff was very kind and tried to fullfill every wish we had. we decided to stay the whole time on the ship, maybe the kajak-tours would have been also great, but the cocktails and the view were better. even tho there are many other cruise ships in the area. we really enjoyed the time – specally with jimmy, vu and huyen!

This Cruise was incredible!!! We did 3 days, 2 nights which I recommend to fully experience the beauty of Ha Long Bay. A big shout out to the staff as well especially Jimmy - Head of Food & Beverage and Ha - Manager/Host were amazing with their hospitality. All of the staff were so friendly and took great care of us. The food was delicious too.

Even though Halong Bay is the most beautiful thing in the whole of Vietnam, my Aspira cruise experience was disappointing. The cruise is neat and clean and is exactly as shown in the pictures. The things that disappointed me are as follows :- 1. Limited vegetarian options : Even after explicitly mentioning multiple times during reservation and check in, the food options were limited and horrible. 70% of the passengers were Veg. For the 5 of us, they served v limited portions and when we asked them for more, they told they have run out of supplies. Overall less quantity of food and limited options. 2. Tea & Coffee + Water bottle : You would expect tea/coffee to be included in the bfast menu. Be prepared to cough up extra for your morning cuppa. Also they charge you for any extra water bottle you order (yes, even on your lunch table & rooms). Its the first time I have seen anyone charge for Tea/coffee/Water for a Buffet breakfast. Kindly get extra Water alongwith you on the cruise. 3. No activities : We went on Xmas eve, and the ship was literally dead post dinner i.e 8.30pm. No activities, decoration/festive vibe really killed it for me. 4. Rude staff : Even after promising us a few things, the crew charged us for the same. While settling the bill, the concerned staff (Jimmy) denied promising us the same and v rudely refused to reverse the billing. Jimmy and the other crew members were highly commercial minded with zero hospitality. Would highly recommend Halong Bay but wouldn't recommend Aspira Cruise

This review is for the BUS ONLY, not the cruise... the bus guide "Lee" is extremely helpful, polite, friendly and fantastic English. We give Lee 5 stars for his hard work! ***** As for the cruise itself... the cruise ship is beautiful, the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming. Most staff have excellent English. UNFORTUNATELY, after paying a very high price for the cruise, the drinks (even water) are extortionate! About 5 times the regular price.. after spending €200 on a few drinks, we bought a bottle of vodka of the fishermen who come up to the cruise ship.. only to be told we have to pay a service charge of 450,000 vnd to drink it... OUTRAGEOUS! Again, this is no disrespect to the staff, but the owner of the ship. So please be warned... if you want to enjoy drinks on board... you will be ripped off big time. Ha Long Bay is amazing, but I can't say I recommend the cruise unless you enjoy blowing your money away...

Lee was a brilliant and very helpful guide on our tour with Aspira cruises. We really enjoyed his company and made our experience very enjoyable. Maria Brendan and Andrew

The whole arrangement was done very well . Starting from sharp pickup at hotel Lacasa hotel till return back . All was well with fun filled . Especially LEE was entertaining and kayaking was heartfelt family time on the sea .. night karaoke was a dream come true !!! Overall well arranged. Thank you.

Aspira cruise was great. Lovely staff but I would like to mention Lee specifically who was our tour guide - Good English and very knowledgeable... Overall highly recommended for good service, great experience and lovely hosting

Great rooms, the junior suite was very big and extremely clean. It also had its own deck with amazing views at the front of the boat. A very warm welcome and from Ha our tour guide and the staff couldn’t be more helpful. Would recommend to anyone looking for a tour of the bay. Brilliant at catering for vegetarians!

Aspira cruise team, Special shout out to Lee , our tour guide to Halong bay port and driver , Hanna, Jimmy and Manager Ha who made our trip as comfortable as possible. It was one of the premium priced cruise, once in a life time experience beauty of Ha long bay. :)

Great tour - awesome luxury and clean ship - very nice staff! The rooms were very luxurious and comfortable. Food is great too though better vegetarian options could be made available, Jimmy is awesome and makes you feel at home! He also makes awesome Cappucino

I really liked too much this cruise, guide , crew …special food and mr. Ha is very supportive & friendly

The complete trip was spellbound for both of us. And Ha from the cruise was truly amazing to upgrade us to presidential suite from the junior suite. Took care of all the tourists, and most important arranged super tasty vegetarian food only for us. A great surprise was our honeymoon cake. Loved the complete crew. You must visit this cruise if you truly want to experience the most compassionate hospitality. Few amazing people in the crew I want to mention: Ha (the manager), Jimmy, Minh, Hana

Very helpful staff, especially our tour guide Mr. Lee, who went out of his way to make sure we can get to our destination on time. Thanks!

Lee was an excellent guide. He gave clear instruction in good understandable English. He has a steady character, occasional humour and good team management skills. Cruise tour was good with good scenic views. Room was clean, Bed was comfortable, shower good except water outlet was clogged so created a bit of inconvenience due to flooding of water in the bathroom. Service crew were courteous and helpful. Meals were average, and we will recommend the cruise operator to improve the variety and quality of food on board.

Very nice stuff, amazing food and great room, Lee the manager was really helpful. All the expiriance was good.

We stayed on the Aspira Cruise for a 2D1N trip, the facilities there were nice, we like the window-view bathtub and the jacuzzi on the deck, it's beautiful and very Instagramable. We were lucky that the sun was out for both days, giving us a marvelous if not the best sunset in Ha Long Bay. The scenery there was just unbeatable! Our tour guide, Lee, had been very helpful and took good care of us during these two days. He was a good photographer too. Thank you Lee! p.s. you would need to pay for drinks including water during meals but there was free bottled water inside your cabin.

We had a wonderful time on the cruise. A big extra thanks goes to our guide Lee who took fantastic care of our family and was a super friendly guy!

The cruise was amazing. Jimmy, Hanna and Minh and the team are very friendly and made sure we were very comfortable during the cruise. The cruise included a lot of activities, kayaking, spring roll making, squid fishing. Great happy hour with plenty of fruit and snacks. The team went above and beyond to assist us and make sure we have everything we need, the ship is very clean and comfortable. Excellent service and very restful and active time with stunning views, great route to see the beauty of Halong bay.

Private balcony and a big room with an amazing view. The staff was very polite and helpful to name a few Jimmy whom we met in the dining area. The length of the stay was perfect.

Had a great experience overall with all of our guides, Lee, Alex, Mr. Ha. The hotel transfer was smooth with some breaks to use the bathroom and see pearl production. The cruise itself was really nice, I loved the sunrises and sunsets as well as the food and activities. We especially got lucky with the weather, it was a little chilly at night, so bring a medium weight jacket. Our room was especially nice to relax, slept like a baby for 9 hrs. Thank you Aspira Team!

We had an amazing trip to Halong Bay, Lee was very friendly and helpful, rooms were very nice! Would highly recommend for anyone wanting to visit.

Jimmy and Ha were wonderful hosts! Everything we needed was taken care of. Great food, great experience.

What a lovely cruise If you want to make special memories pls go on this cruise They made my bday so special n everything’s as superb Fabulous rooms super clean n awesome good n superb hospitality by Jimmy and Ha.they are super good in taking care of us n everyone on board They look after us so well n activities n everything was superb.

Ha was very welcoming and professional with our cruise experience. We enjoyed ourselves in his company and would recommend this activity to all travellers.

Excellent experience with Aspira Cruise....Best part was the service specially by Cruise Manager Mr Ha, he made all of us feel like home, very welcoming and generous person All the activities were paced out nicely to avoid rush and the Cruise moves through good scenic views of the limestone mountains...... it was just surreal to experience such beautiful picturesque sunset and sunrise 🥰

Aspira is super experience! The staff was amazing and specially Hà always ready to help you! Thank you for the experience ❤️ And the food also was pretty good

Ha was a great manager helping to sort our veg food through the trip. Great service and he also arranged for the world cup final on the TV for us. Great English so easy to communicate with. Overall great experience.