Halong Bay 8 hour day cruise

We arrive in Halong Bay by cruise ship for the day next year and would like to explore the area by junk on an 8 hour day cruise. I have been doing a lot of research on this, but have started to now get very confused with what would be the best option.

Is anyone able to answer the following questions for me?

• How easy/hard is it to make your own way from where the tenders dock to the pier where the tours leave from and back to the cruise ship again and how much would you expect to pay each way for a taxi. Some prices I have received have said this is the cheapest way to do it but I don't want to use up too much time trying to get a taxi driver and haggling over price.
  

• What tour route should we do – therefore what are the “must sees” in 8 hours? Different companies are offering different options on what they do
  

• Some quotes have asked for full payment 7 days prior to arrival. I do not feel comfortable about this and was wondering if this normal
  

• Any recommendations of tour companies and average price we should expect to pay for 8 hour cruise. There will be 7 of us on this tour.
  

We do not want to wait until we get there to arrange something. We are travelling with kids and would prefer to have this all arranged when we arrive.

If anyone has any other information that they would like to share about Halong Bay, would love to hear it. Thank you all in anticipation.

We used Zoom Tours.

His e mail address is: dungzoom@gmail.com

He has a partner who does Halong Bay. it was wonderful and I had visited there a couple of years earlier but that time on a ships tour.

Have them meet you at the tender pier which is what they did for us. It was about a one mile drive to where the junks leave from.

Most of the tours in Vietnam want 50% up front.

When you are in a small group you can go into a cave. I highly recommend that.

Keith

Regarding a Halong Bay tour: I am currently working with Stephen from Vietnam Private Tours www.vietnamprivatetours.com and my experience with this company has been excellent so far. I had asked for a customized tour which includes both Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay (which is supposed to be even more beautiful). Stephen proposed a tour which picks us up at the cruise ship at around 8:30 am and drives us to the harbour (in a minivan) where we board our boat. A welcome drink is to be served while we sail around Bai Tu Long Bay; including Coc island, Cap De island and Bo Cau island. We'll visit a fishing villiage in Vong Vieng and discover the village by bamboo row boat. An included lunch is then served. In the afternoon we'll explore the Cave of Surprise as we make our way back towards Halong Bay. There is optional kayaking in the bay (which sounds wonderful to us) and eventually we head back to the harbour and arrive at the cruise ship around 6 pm. The tour company has quoted a price of $99 US per person if we can get a group of 16 to 20 people for this tour and I have already received confirmations from 12 via the Cruise Critic roll call for our Celebrity Millenium cruise. I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem to get at least 4 more since our cruise is still about 8 months away. We will also be using Vietnam Private Tours for our other cruise port stops in Hue and Saigon. This tour company has asked for a 30% deposit up front and the remainder to be paid on the date of the tour. Stephen has been very responsive to my questions and to helping me coordinate the sign-ups of the others in my group.

We also used Stephen from Vietnam Private Tours for most of our southbound tours on the Millenium in March this year. Highly recommend this company (previously known as Best Cruises). We opted for the half day cruise, as we went into Hanoi the first full day. Re Halong Bay....I would definately prebook a tour. There were 6 of us on this tour, and we had the benefit of a whole junk to ourselves. It is quite a distance from the pier to where the junks leave, unwalkable with kids. Once at the 'junks' the area is quite busy with tours and the usual markets. It was misty and cold in the morning...take jackets.

As said, most will want 50% deposit in Vietnam, along with passport details. This appears to be the norm.

All our tours with Vietnam Private Tours were fabulous. Totally recommend.

Thank you for the replies. We have booked Zoom for HCM and I am in the process of booking Stephen from Halong Best Cruises for an 8 hour private cruise at Halong Bay for the 7 of us. I presume this is the same Stephen from Vietnam Private Tours. It has certainly been confusing working through all the different variations of names and trying to work out who is who.

One of our concerns has been what the condition the junk will be in, so it is good to hear bobhsv that you have used this company. Can you tell me bobhsv if there is plenty of outside deck space on the junk that you went on? There will only be 7 of us on the junk so I am presuming that this will not be an issue.

Thank you for the replies. We have booked Zoom for HCM and I am in the process of booking Stephen from Halong Best Cruises for an 8 hour private cruise at Halong Bay for the 7 of us. I presume this is the same Stephen from Vietnam Private Tours. It has certainly been confusing working through all the different variations of names and trying to work out who is who.

 

One of our concerns has been what the condition the junk will be in, so it is good to hear bobhsv that you have used this company. Can you tell me bobhsv if there is plenty of outside deck space on the junk that you went on? There will only be 7 of us on the junk so I am presuming that this will not be an issue.

Certain this is the same Stephen. Just before we left, they changed their name from Best Cruises to Vietnam Private Tours. I know what you mean re the confusion, as we also became daunted when planning, same as you are experiencing now:) The junks are pretty much all the same. We would describe them more as a fishing trawler, with large cabin. The inside area had several tables and seats (cafe style) with full windows for viewing...and keeping out of the wind and cold. The outside/back part is def large enough to fit everyone in an uncrowded manner, with the edge being high enough for safety...particularly with children. There are external stairs leading up to flat open top area of the junk. We did not use this area, as had plenty of room to skip from side to side to take the hundreds of pics:D Toilet was also onboard btw. We too were concerned re safety of these junks, but we felt very safe. Yes, they are rustic according to our standards, but they did appear solid. I was happy. ALL the junks go out into the bay together as a 'pack'. This will reinforce any safety issues you may have. Other junks sailing around us had literally dozens of people onboard. We were glad to have been in a smaller group, and on same size junk as them! This made it special. The guide comes onboard with you and is there with you in an unobtrusive way. There is also the captain up top, and a girl that will magically bring out trinkets to purchase during the cruise.....however, absolutely no pressure involved....quiet and also unobtrusive. We found the cruise/tour to be highly organised, with our guide making sure we were all together esp during the cave section, which was crowded. He certainly knew his stuff, and answered all questions we had. This cave btw is fine for the kids. Wear sandshoes or something other than thongs on your feet. It is not wet, but parts of the stone stairs are so worn that they have become shiny. Our guide was clever enough to have us in places just before or just after the larger crowds.

I know you will be happy with this company. Enjoy your cruise:)

Thanks so much for the extra information, certainly puts my mind at ease. I am expecting this to be a highlight of our cruise and I think that is why I have been agonising over the choices.

I strongly recommend this (formely Halong Best Cruises I think) tour agency! We were at their tour on December 2013 and it was a best tour on the whole cruise. It included Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long and usual caves. Best part was fishing village at Bai Tu Long. I really enjoyed being in a rowing boat rowed by young fisher village women. You can have a look of my pictures from there and from Vietnam on that cruise (Vollendam, HAL, Singapore - Hong Kong).

http://jarkon.galleria.fi/#/kuvat/2013+Vietnam/

Hi, there are for of us in our group. Do you have room for us? I can't commit right now but could let you know soon. Thanks!

John&Julie, my husband and I plus another couple want to know if you have room for 2 more couples on your Halong Bay junk tour? We're very interested. Connie

John&Julie, my husband and I plus another couple want to know if you have room for 2 more couples on your Halong Bay junk tour? We're very interested. Connie

Try their roll call... You might be more lucky.

Cashmemyrepuppydog....I'm new at this roll call thing. I thought I was on their roll call! Could you help direct me to the correct place? Thanks!

Cashmemyrepuppydog....I'm new at this roll call thing. I thought I was on their roll call! Could you help direct me to the correct place? Thanks!

Hello there,

I will try my best! First, from their post, I understood they are cruising with Celebrity Millenium but did not know when exactly. I found this info by clicking on John&JulieH's photo (or beside). That way you can see every posts they wrote over the years... They are cruising on March 15, 2015 from Hong Kong to Singapore. So now you have the info to read their roll call.

On the main page of CC, click on Community, then Forums, then in Roll Calls, click on Millenium, then click on departure date of your cruise. Y

If you are not on this ship, just find your roll call and read all pages before asking questions... Good luck with your planning.;)

Thanks!!!!