A floating five-star escape through Halong Bay with Ambassador Cruise
Halong Bay is one of those places you just can’t appreciate until you see it in person. It is a serene and magical place with its limestone cliffs, jungle-topped islets and surreal seascapes. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for good reason, this place looks like Mother Nature’s shrine. And there’s no better way to soak it all in than gliding through it aboard a floating five-star hotel.
Enter Ambassador Cruise, the largest and most luxurious ship in the bay, aimed at anyone who likes their sunsets with a side of silver service and a spa. Whether you’re honeymooning, honeymooning yourself, or just after some high-end escapism, this is the kind of experience that makes your Instagram followers quietly hate you.
Setting Sail
Transfers from Hanoi are included, which means you’ll be scooped up in a comfy minibus and whisked off to the coast while still half-asleep. Once at the port, check-in is slick, wristbands on, bags tagged, and a quick speedboat ride later, you’re stepping onto a gleaming cruise ship like you’re about to film a perfume ad.
The cabin is bright, clean, and surprisingly roomy with its own private balcony, the kind of place you can imagine writing a novel in, or at least pretending to. But you won’t want to stay in there long because the views outside are absurd. Misty mountains, glassy waters, the occasional swooping eagle and absolutely enormous jellyfish swimming just shy of the water’s surface, it’s pure magic.
Adventures Off the Boat
The itinerary is stacked but chill. We kicked things off with a cycling trip to a nearby village, zipping down winding roads through rainforests, fields and grazing buffalo. The locals showed us traditional homes, cooking setups, and let us sample their homemade wines, including snake wine, which definitely puts hair on your chest (and possibly a tiny bit of venom).
There’s also a visit to a nearby cave via kayak or rowing boat. We went with the rower, which meant a peaceful, paddle-powered glide across the bay into a series of otherworldly caverns filled with jagged rock formations, echoey silence, and a few unimpressed bats.
Back onboard, there’s time for swimming, sunbathing, and flying down the waterslide that hurls you straight into the sea. Yes, a waterslide. It’s impossible not to squeal like a child.
Food Fit for a Cruise King
The food is, frankly, excellent. A welcome brunch buffet had us diving into piles of dumplings, grilled meats, tropical fruit and enough Vietnamese coffee to keep us bouncing until bedtime. Dinner was a whole other vibe – top-deck dining with table service, a live band, and views of the sun dipping behind the islands. The menu leans premium pan-Asian with Western touches, and it’s all included. You’ll return to your cabin stuffed, slightly sun-kissed, and very smug indeed.
Before heading back, there’s a sunrise tai chi session, yes, it’s early, but trust us, moving slowly while watching the sky change colour over Halong Bay is a bit of a spiritual reset. Then it’s back to that exceptional breakfast buffet for one last feast before returning to dry land.
The Verdict
Ambassador Cruise is not just a way to see Halong Bay, it’s a way to experience it, slowly, luxuriously, and with just enough adventure to earn your buffet. It manages to cram a lot into two days without ever feeling rushed, and the service throughout is warm, intuitive, and genuinely impressive.
If you’re going to tick Halong Bay off your bucket list, you may as well do it in style. And with a waterslide.
Prices start from around £300 per person (including transfers, all meals, excursions, and some drinks)
Ambassador Cruise Hanoi Office: Hanoi Tower, 49 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
ambassadorcruise.com
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