Halong Bay short morning cruise

[salmn]

We are on the Millennium southbound. We will be spending a full day on a Hanoi tour the first day. The ship leaves at 1:00pm the second day. Is it possible to get a short morning cruise around Halong Bay and get back to the ship in time?

[John Bull]

That's going to depend on where your ship berths/moors. But the prospects of a worthwhile cruise are slim.

Cruises are 2 or 4 or 6 or 8 hours, and a two-hour cruise is hardly worthwhile because much of that time is chugging across the open bay to the limestone karsts.

I'm guessing your trip to Hanoi will be an early start/late finish, precluding any prospect of fixing up that day for a junk early next morning. If you are able to fix up a junk for, say. four hours it will be cheap - expect to pay under 100USD for a junk capable of carrying 20+ people & you should be able to tout amongst your fellow-cruisers & find a few sharers even at short-notice, especially if the ship doesn't offer a morning cruise. About a dozen is ideal.

 

Alternatively the ship probably will offer a morning junk cruise, but it's likely to be a two-hour one, rather more crowded, & of course seriously over-priced. Mebbe 50USD per person.

 

You should get some good views on the sail-out, and the sail-in if you're an early-riser.

 

JB :)

[alexandra cruiser]

..or more. So I have no idea how you could do an am cruise and get back to ship at 1pm.Unless I m missing some details?

It was a great trip,but your schedule won t allow it,it seems.:confused:

[John Bull]

..It was a 2hr or more ride to Halong Bay from Hanoi So I have no idea how you could do an am cruise and get back to ship at 1pm.Unless I m missing some details?

It was a great trip,but your schedule won t allow it,it seems.:confused:

 

Yep, you're missing some details ;)

 

Nearly all cruise ships overnite in Halong Bay, and are there for an afternoon & a full day, or a full day and a morning.

Cruisers basically have to choose between Hanoi or a good junk cruise for the full day. On the half-day Hanoi is impossible, but it is possible to do a shorter junk cruise.

 

Two full days makes sense to me, but apparently not to the cruise lines. Possibly in order to restrict the DIY options - or am I being cynical ;)

 

JB :)

[celyvabeach]

If you are sailing on the Millennium, the 3 hrs 45 min Halong Bay by Boat ship excursion cost $59.75 per peson.

[salmn]

Thanks. I booked the ships tour to make sure we are back on ship on time. When I first looked at the Celebrity excursion page, I didn't see the Halong tours for the second day. You have to click "book" and proceed before the second day's tours show up.

[John Bull]

If you are sailing on the Millennium, the 3 hrs 45 min Halong Bay by Boat ship excursion cost $59.75 per peson.

 

Thanks for the detail.

Yep, IMHO over-priced - but at almost 4 hours it'll be worthwhile.

And because of the uncertainty of finding a junk privately, and of finding sharers, and the more limited time-frame for a private excursion*, I'd suggest it worth biting the bullet & booking ship's junk cruise.

 

*if the ship moors rather than berths a pontoon is attached to the ship, allowing several boats to be filled at the same time. Consequently ships' junk tours sail direct from the pontoon - for a private cruise you'd need the tender to the shore & a short drive to the junk, ditto the return to the ship, costing an hour or more of that precious time.

 

JB :)

[General Max]

Forget going to Hanoi on the shore excursion bus. Do the Halong Bay cruise in the afternoon. Morning fog on the bay is a problem.

[alexandra cruiser]

Yep, you're missing some details ;)

 

Nearly all cruise ships overnite in Halong Bay, and are there for an afternoon & a full day, or a full day and a morning.

Cruisers basically have to choose between Hanoi or a good junk cruise for the full day. On the half-day Hanoi is impossible, but it is possible to do a shorter junk cruise.

 

Two full days makes sense to me, but apparently not to the cruise lines. Possibly in order to restrict the DIY options - or am I being cynical

 

JB :)

 

and the 1 nite Halong Bay was inc.along with 2 days in Hanoi.Still felt I didnt have time to see it all,but an overview.In Dec. Halong Bay was cool and foggy ALL DAY.Sort of ethereal,but not like in brochure.

[General Max]

and the 1 nite Halong Bay was inc.along with 2 days in Hanoi.Still felt I didnt have time to see it all,but an overview.In Dec. Halong Bay was cool and foggy ALL DAY.Sort of ethereal,but not like in brochure.

 

Definitely, fog is a factor on Halong Bay. We did an afternoon Junk cruise with a private group of 11. It was cloudy but the morning fog had disapated.

[JoAnneV]

We really enjoyed our short morning cruise in Halong Bay. We were on the March 17 Millenium cruise. It was hazy but we could see a lot. Of course we didn't get deep into the bay, but it was better than not going at all. We got to see a lot. Ann Tour Company that arranged our day in Hanoi arranged the short cruise. We had a very nice lunch. There were only 14 of us on the boat. The junks for the Celebrity tours were loading directly from the ship, so you could possibly have a little more time on those. I didn't talk to anyone to see how far they went.

[General Max]

We also used Ann tours for the Halong Bay junk cruise.

[cheffip]

Anyone take the Celebrity Halong Bay cruise (either am or pm)? It would be interesting to have some feedback on it.

[General Max]

Anyone take the Celebrity Halong Bay cruise (either am or pm)? It would be interesting to have some feedback on it.

 

You can book it privately for a much smaller group at about half the price of a ship excursion.

[Bottomshelfhockey]

Yep, you're missing some details ;)

 

Nearly all cruise ships overnite in Halong Bay, and are there for an afternoon & a full day, or a full day and a morning.

Cruisers basically have to choose between Hanoi or a good junk cruise for the full day. On the half-day Hanoi is impossible, but it is possible to do a shorter junk cruise.

 

Two full days makes sense to me, but apparently not to the cruise lines. Possibly in order to restrict the DIY options - or am I being cynical ;)

 

JB :)

 

Hi JB,

 

This is Harry. I spoke to you on another forum - Vietnam Port Charges.

We are arriving at Halong Bay, docking 7:00 AM and departing at 1:00 pm next day.

 

I would like your opinion on Halong Bay tour operators and itineraries.

 

We will not be doing Hanoi on day 1 but will probably do a 6 or 8 hour junk cruise. Would you recommend 4, 6, 8 hour or ??? cruise?

Do you have any recommendations for a tour operator and that is not too expensive (cheaper than cruise line).

 

 

Recommendations for activities for day 2 short day? Just stay on ship?

 

In fact, one travel agent Asia Top Travel recommended full tour to Yen Duc village on day 1 and junk cruise on day 2.

 

Thanks.

 

Regards,

Harry