we were moved to the Sapphire cruise due to an issue with the Palace boat (they are run by the same company). It was incredible - Power (Luc) did an incredible job hosting and keeping us informed. Swimming, Kayaking, a cooking class, caves etc - it was a lot but organised effectively that you never felt overwhelmed. I would recommend getting the transfer - comes to about 36£ for a couple and it meant everything was sorted.

please add a printed itinerary in the rooms!

The staff were extremely helpful and pleasant. Very kind and attentive to guests’ needs (especially Power). The programme is nice. The ship and rooms are in very good condition and clean.

All was very good. We had a pleasant stay

Great tour

Really professionnal crew team. Well organized and good boat. The room with balcony are large and confortable.

Everything. It was the most beautiful experience in my life. Thanks Royal Palace Cruise

Our guide Alex was really helpful and full of knowledge of the area. We hope to visit again soon 🙂

Very comfortable, a great way to see the bay, nice activities, and Alex is an amazing guide

Nothing

The suite was very beautiful and the food was amazing.

We had Noi as a guide and we couldn’t imagine a better person to show us around Halong Bay. He was very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable making everyone feel welcome. He tried the best he could to avoid big crowds so that we could enjoy kayaking and hiking in our small group. Everything was very well communicated and the transfer was perfectly on time. The cabins had very nice views, the bed was comfortable and the shower hot and with good pressure. The food was okay, but we got a lot of variety so everyone found something they liked. Thanks a lot!

The ship was a bit old which was noticeable in a few areas, but didn’t matter so much to us. The drinks were overpriced, so I’d suggest to bring a bit of extra water. We received small water bottles in the bus and in our room which was nice.

This review is for Sapphire Cruise ( we had our booking changed due to a problem with the Royal Palace Cruise boat) but it's the same cruise operator. The views of Halong Bay are incredible, and the kayaking and mini boat trip were enjoyable. The other guests on the boat were lovely.

The boat ( Sapphire Cruise) was in need of refurbishment in parts. We were told we had an upgrade due to our original booking being cancelled. The new room we were assigned did have a balcony, but it was located directly above the engine room and the generator, which made a lot of noise and pollution, meaning you couldn't sit comfortably outside. The balcony was very worn and had paint splatter on the floors. I have special dietary needs ( gluten free coeliac) and despite having a translation card for the crew and telling the company in advance, I had to repeatedly explain I couldn't eat any gluten. I was told they understood but I was given bread and many of the dishes I could not eat with no replacement made. I understand this is a challenge for the kitchen but to give me bread was simply unacceptable. Unfortunately the one dish that was supposed to be gluten free had gluten in it and I felt very unwell as a result of it. This has compromised my health and I felt the staff did not take my needs seriously. The translation card was comprehensive but they failed to communicate with each other and as a result served me gluten on several occasions. On another occasion, the crew thought they were being " entertaining" but were in fact inappropriate at times ( making crude sexual jokes) and shouting instructions in a dining room instead of making a calm announcement over the intercom. The views of Halong Bay were incredible but unfortunately my experience was tainted by the noise, pollution and being serve food which is dangerous for my health. Sadly I cannot recommend this company or Sapphire Cruise and I'd encourage you to consider another operator.

doing tai chi, relaxing. visiting the caves

bathroom, beds, Wi-Fi and little disappointed we didn’t get a guide to go through the caves

The food on the first day was acceptable. Beds were comfortable

It’s actually not even 1 day and 1 night since we came on board at 13:30 and left before 12:00. Not worth the money honestly, very unorganized and rushed, doesn’t go much further into Halong. Would not recommend it, better to stay in CatBa

The room we booked was fabulous. back of the boat with our own deck. The boat was very old and authentic but very clean and beautifully decorated inside. Bed was comfortable and views amazing.

Didn’t provide any free water like other tours. Had to pay USA prices for extras like water , booze, chips etc.

this was such an amazing experience! Alex is so helpful and funny, the food was great (we had the vegetarian option and every meal was delicious) and the people on the boat were all very kind. our room was very comfortable and the views..! thanks a lot Alex and the whole crew

Really appreciated the kind staff and their fun attitudes. We even got a complementary room upgrade. The tour is packed with activities but the good thing was you could pick and choose which ones you wanted to do.

Everything. The ship is old but beautiful. The tour was perfectly organized by our guide Alex. The weather was nice the whole trip and the views were wonderful. The food was good but a maybe too much. Last but not least, the activities were fun, sometimes tiring but all of them are optional. Totally worth it.