FAQ

 

HALONGBAYTOURS. FAQs
 

If you are pregnant, we advise you to make a serious check-up with your doctor. If your doctor say you can go, you can. However if you are more than 32 weeks pregnant, we recommend you to hold off your trip as the cruise trip still requires some light activity such as climbing up and down or getting on and off board.

 

No, they are not included in any cruise packages. In general, meals are included and in each cabin there are complimentary bottles of mineral water. Some cruise may offer free tea/ coffee in meals but other drinks will be charged.

 

Yes, you can. Most of cruises in Halong Bay will happily meet any of your special requests. However, please kindly be reminded that you should make note with us well in advance so we can have more time to prepare the most perfect meal for you and your family.

 

No, you don’t. When you make a booking with us, your cruise trip is already included entrance fees and sightseeing tickets, you don’t have to pay any additional fees.

 

The distance from Hanoi to Halong Bay is around 175 km. Traveling by shuttle bus will takes around 4 hours and by private car it is 3.5 hours one way. The road from Hanoi to Halong may experience traffic jam so please allow extra time for that.

 

You are suggested to bring sunblock, sunglasses, insect repellents, wide brim hats, swimming suites, warm clothes in winter, and your original passport for check in. If you are travelling with young kids, candy, picture books, minigames, learning tools may be helpful.

 

Each cruise has their own policy regarding transfer: some cruises include transfer in their cost, others charge extra fee for transfer.

If you book the transfer by shuttle bus, you will only be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter Area (and the West Lake area such as Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake or Sheraton Hanoi). If you stay outside of these areas, you need to take a taxi on your own to our office or to the cruise office to get picked up. An alternative is to book a private transfer. (Popular hotels located outside of the Old Quarter include Lotte Hotel Center, JW Marriot, to name a few).

 

The answer depends on your budget and your time. If you have enough time and can afford the longer option, you are surely recommended to book 2 night cruise. Some of the listed reasons are as follows:

- You will have more time to spend on boat and feel less rushed about the road travel between Hanoi and Halong Bay. Many travelers who cite their only discomfort with taking a 2 day trip is that, they have to do 4 hour road trip on both first and second day of the trip.

- A 2 night trip will allow you to explore further parts of the Bay such as Lan Ha Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, Cat Ba Island and experience different activities like swimming, kayaking, boat rowing, trekking (in Cat Ba National Park), etc. that a 1 night cruise cannot otherwise offer

Most cruises use a day boat on their second day program, which will be able to take you to the more secluded caves and beaches in Halong Bay. There will be longer time for kayaking and swimming as well

 

During holiday such as Christmas, New Year and Tet, cruise space can fill out very quickly. We suggest you to book a cruise as far in advance as possible if you plan to travel during this time of the year.

The following cruises often organize exciting activiites for Tet so you may want to check them out: Glory Cruise, Indochina Sails, V'Spirit

 

It depends on which cruise you are looking at. All luxury cruises exclude the price of transfer service in their price: most, however, offer shuttle bus that picks you up and drop you off at your hotel for very reasonable cost. Some deluxe cruises and superior already include transfer in their price such as Glory Cruise or Phoenix Cruise.  

 

Spa is an exclusive service and not offered by all cruises due to its luxury nature and limited space on board of most junks. Up to date there are 2 cruises that offer spa service on board: Au Co Cruise and Paradise Peak Cruise.

 

Paradise Cruises never makes the decision to cancel a cruise. However, cruising and sailing in Halong Bay is strictly regulated by a local board: the Halong Bay Port Authority. Every morning, the Port Authority delivers a permit to each cruise company allowing them to sail in Halong Bay. Both day cruises and overnight cruises are regulated this way.

 

In case of bad weather conditions and risks of tropical storms, the Port Authority might limit the possibilities of cruising and even decide to cancel all cruises.

 

In those cases, final decision by the Port of Authority is usually known only at 3.00pm on the day of departure.

 

Paradise Cruises would inform their guests as soon as the information is available, which unfortunately might only be upon guest's arrival at the marina.

Different possibilities are then offered to the guests.

 

None of the Paradise Cruises boats disposes of Triple Cabins. We can arrange one extra bed per cabin on all boats for children under 12 years old. Above this age limit, an extra cabin will have to be booked.

 

Halong bay has a humid tropical climate. There are however four seasons in the North. Winter lasts from December to March; temperatures can drop down to 12°C-17°C. Summer is from May until September, mostly sunny but rain showers are frequent as the humidity is higher. Spring and Autumn are nicely warm, October to early December being the best time to visit the area.

 

Travellers to Vietnam and Halong Bay should be aware that the weather is rather unpredictable and can vary greatly even within one single day. However, there is charm and enchantment whether rain or shine: overcast weather and fog make the scenery more mystical and dramatic, bright sun accentuates the various shades of grey of the seascape, etc.
 

Bai Tu Long Bay is located 30km to the east of Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin where the karst limestones and islets are not as dense and is less visited by tourists because it’s hard to reach and has a fewer accessible caves available for exploration.

 

Yes, all cruises are safe for pregnant moms and children. In case of any emergencies, the cruise teams on board are ready to help and can call on a speedboat to safely go back on land to transfer the guests to the nearest hospital.
 

Yes, all Paradise Cruises have WiFi connection on board but have limited internet connectivity throughout the itinerary due to the area and the karst limestones and mountains blocking the signal from the satellites.

 

Yes, you can continue to cruise even when you get seasick. Our cruise team on board are ready to help you out with anything and have been trained to treat seasickness.
 

We need to stop over for 30 minutes in between Hanoi & Halong Bay (vice-versa) for bathroom breaks and for our drivers to have some time to rest as they work the whole day, everyday.
 

Yes, our highly-experienced executive chefs together with their kitchen teams have created a diverse set of menus for different needs from vegetarian, pescatarian, kid’s menus, and even vegan menus to accommodate all kinds of diets.