2 Days and 1 Night Halong Bay Luxury Genesis Regal Cruises

My 74 year old mother and I had the most incredible, most magnificent experience on the luxurious Genesis Regal Cruise through the most stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay. We stayed one night on this 5 star expedition, but wished that we had stayed 2 nights. We were so stunned by the 5 star beauty of our gorgeous bedroom and bathroom with the so very modern, clean, and beautiful amenities. The freestanding bathtub even gave great impetus for my mother to take a soak and my mother is not one who takes baths. The views out of our massive window to the bay were breathtaking. My very hypercritical mother was even blown away by the views and couldn't stop looking. The crew were so very courteous, friendly, professional, and fun. I cannot thank Phi Phi, Alex, and Ling enough for their kindness, professionalism, and fun spirits. I felt like we became fast friends. They placed 100% effort in ensuring that we all had an informative and enjoyable time aboard. The amount of food was immense and delicious! The food was refined and noticeably created by a 5 star chef. Drinks are charged, but they are well worth it and very inexpensive as compared to American prices. There are only a few negatives that can be corrected. One of their local tours involves visiting a local family who live and work on a boat. There is a limited amount of locals who are allowed to do so. We were transported to board this house boat and meet some members of the family and be given some local information. I was eager to experience the culture of the local people, but it was very awkward as the father of the household was sleeping in the middle of the room on a large bed. Other men were playing cards which was fine, but they were smoking. If you are allergic to smoke or do not want your children or elder family members to be in the line of smoke for about 30 minutes or so, this is not a good part of the tour. They also had us sit on a rug on the floor, but this was not easy for my elderly mother. I would advise that Genesis remove this part of the tour from their itinerary or provide these pieces of information to the tour group so they can make a decision whether or not to participate. I also wanted to convey that with the limo bus tour guide (I believe her name was Lin) who led us to Halong Bay, she was very friendly and kind, but it was difficult to understand her and she would constantly make us guess answers to statistics that we had no clue about. It is better to take a note from some professional tour guides who are well informed about the local history and can convey the information without tiring the tour group out with guesses. Otherwise, I would highly recommend Genesis Regal Cruises for at least one overnight stay. It is so very worth it and so very affordable. Do not go with less than 5 stars or a less expensive cruise. It's not worth it. Genesis Regal is the cruise to go with!!

Highly recommend this tour, can’t fault a single element. I emailed via Viator to confirm our pick up location and received a prompt response and confirmation. The bus which took us to Halong was on time, clean, comfortable and the driver responsible, Transfer takes approx 3 hours from Hanoi and the friendly guide gave some commentary and local history at the start. We were welcomed by the boat staff in Halong and were swiftly transferred to the boat via a smaller boat. We were greeted with a drink and lunch and the staff were very accommodating re food preferences and allergies. The food was excellent, varied and plentiful. We were travelling with another family and we were sat together on the same table. The staff were all brilliant with the kids and made them feel very welcome. The ship itself was immaculate, clean, spacious and well appointed. Our cabin was a junior suite, a double and a single for our daughter. It had a private balcony where you could sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Halong Bay. The bathroom had a freestanding bath and shower. We enjoyed a beautiful bath with a view, felt like I’d won the lottery! Spectacular!! We thoroughly enjoyed the activities and entertainment. The kayaking was wonderful and a crew member even paired up with me as I didn’t want to kayak alone. They were so accommodating. We went to a floating house to learn more about the local families, swam and jumped off the boat, went squid fishing and enjoyed the crazy bar tender show. We skipped the morning Tai Chi for a lie in but still an early start to visit the caves. The cabin was very quiet and the waters so smooth you never felt like you were sailing. No motion sickness at all!! After the trip by boat through the caves we went back to the boat for a final brunch and cruise back to our pick up point. The trip was seamless and the bay was stunning. Pictures don’t really do it justice, a very peaceful place. Despite the large number of operators in the bay we never felt overcrowded on our cruise. It was truly a wonderful experience. Thank you so much.

My friend and I booked the 2 day 1 nt cruise with return transfer from Hanoi. Mr Lee was our guide, he was very professional, informative and funny. He also teaches Tai Chi which was lovely at sunrise! Fab tour, food, entertainment, staff, rooms and of course scenery. Exactly as advertised. Can't wait to return for the 3nt option some point in the future. Thank you! Sarah & Jen, UK.