Era Cruises

It may seem a little expensive, but I guarantee all that hard-earned money is going on one of the best services in Vietnam. It started when the minibus picked us up and all of us got individual captain’s chairs, as opposed to rows of seats, which was very comfortable!The cruise is basically new and the facilities reflect this perfectly. Our room was absolutely massive and the tub in the en-suite bathroom was very well appreciated!The staff are so nice, they really look after you, and the manager, Ms. Jenny, was just lovely, helping us with a smile whenever we needed even the slightest bit of help.The food was phenomenal, only beaten perhaps by the presentation, which was out of this world and really defied what I thought was possible on a boat.I had a great time making spring rolls the next morning, right after a tai chi session which I attended as a total novice but was taught in a very patient manner by the tai chi teacher.The excursions were also a lot of fun; they were exactly like we had seen and read about in the brochure before booking.I was incredibly happy with the whole experience and I will most certainly be back for a second cruise at some point in the future. Thank you Era Cruises and your beautiful staff!

I’m a huge fan of Era Cruises after the tour that we just had around Lan Ha Bay. We took the longest possible option of 3D2N but would happily have extended if we could have. It was great value for money in the end – costs include the excursions into the bay, all the activities on the boat and the food we well.The staff were very helpful (Jimmy in particular), especially during meal times when they discovered that me and my husband only eat halal food. They didn’t have any halal meat on board, but they made us lots of different dishes that we could eat instead. That was very thoughtful of them and the chefs are very talented people if they can cook with this kind of diversity. The drinks and spa treatments are involved in the price, but I believe that that is pretty standard procedure for most companiesYou get wifi on the luxury bus, which was a very comfortable experience. They had wifi on the boat but it was very spotty, so we gave up in the end and just decided to stay disconnected, which was probably for the best considering all of the beautiful nature around.We were welcomed so warmly on board and had lunch immediately. I really enjoyed that meal and made the absolute most of all of the breakfast buffets after that! Lan Ha Bay is quieter than Halong so we ended up staying in some very quiet areas.We had the King Terrace room and it was incredible – wall-length windows, Jacuzzi, sunbeds on our own private terrace – the complete package! We had a lot of fun on the activities, which were excellently run. I can’t swim but I felt comfortable enough to kayak, as you are provided with life jackets and the staff really look after you if you voice your small concern. For the 3 days, the staff took excellent care of us and were so warm and welcoming too. We got to know a few of them and were amazed when they remembered our (hard to pronounce for Vietnamese people) names after the first few hours of the cruise.Do yourself a favour, pay a little bit extra and get the luxury of the Era Cruise. Everything is outstanding here and you won’t regret it for a second.

We were picked up in a VIP shuttle bus and taken to the bay. It only took about 2 hours compared to the 3 or 4 that it takes to get to Halong Bay. The waiting lounge is far from a 5 star experience, but that’s not a problem. After entering our cabin, we began to call it an apartment afterwards because of the ridiculous proportions of the place. It was absolutely enormous and could fit all the modern luxuries inside it, like a Jacuzzi bath, TV, desk and sun loungers on the terrace. Outside the room, the boat seemed equally well-furnished with a cinema, sundeck, gym, spa and bar. Quite a lot of stuff considering the amount of time you spend on the boat.Lunch and dinner were consistently excellent and the staff were very nice in serving it to us the whole time.I read a lot of reviews about overcrowding in Halong Bay, but that definitely didn’t seem to be the case here. We barely met any other boats’ passengers while out on excursions and there was very little plastic floating about in the water, which we’d also read was a problem in Halong Bay. The activities in general were good but didn’t blow me away like the boat did. I think Lan Ha Bay takes a hit in the quality department when it comes to excursions, in order to have more space and freedom for cruising around the bay. We thought this was a pretty decent trade-off ad we had a very good time in the end.

A very well-run tour from the start to end. I’d certainly suggest the 3D2N tour as there is a lot to see in Lan Ha Bay.The pick-up was bang on time and we were well-looked after from that point on. We did have one pretty sticky walk from the car to the waiting lounge in the heat, but that was unavoidable.Thanh was a fantastic tour manager and his crew were so friendly throughout (thank you to everyone!). Food was especially tasty and plentiful. We finished our water-based activities on the first day and a magnificent thunderstorm kicked up afterwards, which we watched from our cabin in awe.There was just three of us on the day boat so we were spoiled by the crew. We had a guide called David for this day and he was brilliant. He showed us the village and jungle via some cycling and then we jumped into kayaks and went around the bay. We had absolutely amazing food for lunch as well.There was a cave tour on the last day but it was just okay. There were some strange attractions at the place where you board the boats – many fish floating around dirty cages – not all that pleasant to see. We also tried the squid fishing but not much was going on, so everyone headed back to the bar upstairs.Huge windows and private terraces make the rooms pretty special. Very nice sundeck and bar as well.There is a lot of plastic being used on the ship, so it would be good to see some attempted reduction, considering what’s going on in the world at the moment and the current state of Halong Bay. My only other minor complaint is that the driver dropped me off about 200m from my hotel when he couldn’t find it, meaning I had to walk with my luggage to find it myself. Not a great end, but a phenomenal trip overall. Thanks Era!

We received many, many recommendations for a cruise in Halong Bay. We also received a few for Lan Ha Bay and were told it was identical to Halong Bay but for the levels of tourists there being significantly lower. Once we settled on that, we saw the modern rooms of the Era Cruise and decided to go for that one. From that point on, it was a completely stress-free experience. The whole thing could not have felt more 5-star. We were welcomed on board and shown to our rooms, which were plenty large and comfortable enough for our family. We also had great food that even our kids enjoyed. If there was anything that they didn’t enjoy, or anything that didn’t comply with my dietary requirements, the crew would swap it immediately for something else.The weather was amazing the whole time, so the kayaking, swimming and caving were all a lot of fun! We’re very glad to have chosen Lan Ha over Halong Bay, it certainly seemed that we were enjoying a lot more space than we would have otherwise had. Our cruise manager was called Thanh – he was fantastic! Him and his entire crew are such a close-knit group and it was great to see them taking their work professionally but also taking the time to chat with customers.This was our first cruise as a family and it more than matched our expectations. We are very happy with how it went and are recommending Era to everyone. Thank you!

Me and my wife were after a luxury cruise and were determined not to accidentally book onto a party boat, seeing as we’re a little past that age now. We did some research and discovered that Lan Ha Bay was probably our best choice, and Era Cruise was the right ship to go with. There are a small amount of cabins and the staff outnumber the guests about 3 to 1 or something like that, so it’s a very close setting. You get incredible views the whole time, which is really nice. We spent a lot of time watching from the window in our cabin (it was July so we didn’t feel like taking the full force of the sun on the top deck). We got the Executive Suite, which had humongous windows and a balcony with sun loungers so that we could relax at our own pace. The same huge windows in the bathroom are great for watching the views of the bay, but, as our cruise manager Thanh phrased it, try to be careful that you don’t give the boats that pass by a “free gift”!We decided on the 3 day, 2 night holiday to make the most of Lan Ha Bay. This was about the same price as a 2 night stay in a luxury hotel in Australia, but the cruise comes with a consistently gorgeous backdrop and all activities and food included, so you can’t really beat it! We went kayaking, swimming, around the beach and did some cycling around Cat Ba island. The food was outstanding. We ate a lot but were still occasionally hungry between meals, so we wish we would have taken snacks on board with us. Drinks are also an extra cost but we assume that this is the case everywhere.We have already recommended the Era Cruise to our friends and family in Australia but we thought we should stick it on here as well. When it’s a once in a lifetime visit like Halong Bay, we really recommend splurging a little bit and going with Era.

0 We were happy to book the Era Cruise in Hanoi and were not let down in the bay at all. The only regrettable thing is that we did not book the extra night, as we only did the 2-day 1 night trip. The ship and the cabin, including our ensuite cabin was so clean and modern. We had a lot of space in all departments – there were not many people on the ship but we preferred it like this. The staff are great – really smiley and helpful, while the managers were always ready to share their knowledge about Vietnam and Lan Ha BayThe agenda is perfect. There is the opportunity to go kayaking, swimming, joining in the cooking class, visiting caves etc. There’s even an onboard movie theatre. So much food to choose from as well, and it was all magnificent. Even after the cruise was finished, one of the staff from the office came to our hotel lobby to give us a thank you present for joining them in Lan Ha Bay. We didn’t know what to say! It was very unexpected and nice of them. All I can do is give them my whole-hearted recommendation. It’s a wonderful, wonderful cruise.

There’s nothing but pure luxury when sailing with the Era Cruise. We did the 3 day – 2 night tour and stayed in the King Terrace Cabin, which was ridiculous in size – it could have housed an entire family, not just the couple that we were. It had everything we needed and so much more – a comfy bed, TV, desk, chair, two sun loungers, terrace, jacuzzi – you name it!We adored the crew, who were very professional and just lovely human beings at the same time.We also loved the other passengers. There are only 18 cabins on the Era Cruise and they were far from full, meaning we had a lot of space and opportunities to get to know the other guests.The food was stunning. It was the perfect accompaniment for the beauty of Lan Ha Bay and served in such massive amounts that we never went hungry once. There were even times where we thought we wouldn’t be able to finish the batch we got, but we ploughed on regardless. The passengers changed after the first night and the ones that got on were midway through a school reunion party when we arrived. It was a little awkward at first because it seemed like we were gatecrashing, but they invited us and the crew over so we became friends very quickly.There were lots of activities to be getting on with. We went swimming and kayaking, which were my favourites, but also to a cave, a beach, a village, the jungle and some other places. The scenery everywhere is absolutely unique and 100% worth every penny we spent to come and see it.We’re so glad we went for the longer option of the tours as we feel like we could not do everything we wanted to do in the 2 day tour. Thanks to the staff and guests who made our time so special!

Me and my husband took the terraced suite in the Era Cruise and were blown away by how fancy and luxurious it was. My absolute favourite part was taking a bubble bath and staring out the window at the gracefulness of the mountains in the water – a truly wonderful thing to experience. Aside from the bath, the bed and terrace were just phenomenal, and the little touches of décor added up to one seriously attractive room.I absolutely loved the kayaking and the swimming. We initially did it once in the late afternoon of the first day, but the crew had made a note of who enjoyed it the most and offered them kayaks to take out the next morning – how good is that for customer service?! I really appreciate the effort that all of the crew put in to make sure we had the most fun possible.We also went out in the dark and bright cave, which was nice, before returning back to the boat and having some more of the exceptional food that they have on offer. A very relaxing time overall with some very nice people, both in passengers and crew. Highly recommended!

I went with a few friends to Lan Ha Bay – we just got back and we loved it so much! We eventually settled on Era Cruise as our choice of carrier after reading the positive comments from people on Tripadvisor. When we were on the boat, Mr. Eugene took such amazing care of us. He told us lots of information about the bay, and also had a lot of wine knowledge which we made use of. He is very helpful and kind, so we would like to give him a big thumbs up for his great work!We also found that the rest of the crew were amazing. So smiley when they are serving you and they are always looking out for problems that they can fix. We had a great time during Happy Hour on the top deck of the boat – that was after a long day of kayaking and swimming in the bay so it was definitely welcomed. I have no reservations in recommending Era to my friends and family. We had such a good time while we were there and have been considering going back ever since.

This seems to be one of the newer cruises in Lan Ha Bay. We spoke to the manager who said that the company has only been in the area for 6 months, and that he himself had only been there for 1 month. Regardless of how new it is, the service and organisation of the cruise was just outstanding, easily rivalling any of the more established companies in the region.My first point is on the rooms. They are very spacious and decorated gorgeously, with modern amenities aplenty. You get fresh fruits replaced daily and a Jacuzzi bathtub in the en-suite. There was also a sundeck upstairs where you can get an all-encompassing view of Lan Ha Bay. The dining room was also lovely, as was the bar. There was a good service for dinner and the food was outstanding. They had breakfast snacks earlier than breakfast, which was pretty extravagant. They have a pho station in the restaurant and that was really tasty. They had a lot of options in the way of seafood and also a good mix of western and Asian food on offer. We had two vegetarians with us and the staff replaced the meat dishes for them with vegetarian alternatives, which apparently were amazing.We had some great activities. Lan Ha Bay is much quieter than Halong Bay, even though it essentially looks identical. Me and my fiancée went kayaking and it didn’t take us long to find ourselves in total isolation. It was beautiful.There were obviously a few niggling problems because of how new the cruise is. I think they could get rid of the magic show during dinner time, which was so bad that it actually became incredibly entertaining (maybe that was the point?) Also, we took the massage but it was very weak, I think the masseuse needs to use a bit more muscle.All in all though, a phenomenal cruise and one that we’re very glad we went on!

Me and my new husband got the honeymoon suite aboard the Era Cruise and it was everything we could have possibly wished for and more! The luxury of it all matched the car that brought us there, which was sleek and incredibly comfortable. The scenery was unbelievable, even though it was raining, but that added a bit of a mystique to the atmosphere, which was pretty awe-inspiring. Despite the weather, we still managed to get out into the cave and in our kayaks, both of which were great excursions.We had Dominic and Jimmy as our two tour guides and I have nothing but praise for them; they were fun, informative and just genuinely nice people who really cared about the wellbeing of their passengers. The restaurant staff were also lovely, always smiling as they served us some of the amazing food that they provide on the ship. Even after we had finished the cruise and returned to the hotel, one of the staff from the office, Ms. Le Nhu, turned up with a gift to thank us for coming. That’s amazing service! What other companies can claim that level of attention to and appreciation of customers? I am recommending the Era Cruise to everyone, it’s simply outstanding.

Me and my new husband got the honeymoon suite aboard the Era Cruise and it was everything we could have possibly wished for and more! The luxury of it all matched the car that brought us there, which was sleek and incredibly comfortable. The scenery was unbelievable, even though it was raining, but that added a bit of a mystique to the atmosphere, which was pretty awe-inspiring. Despite the weather, we still managed to get out into the cave and in our kayaks, both of which were great excursions.We had Dominic and Jimmy as our two tour guides and I have nothing but praise for them; they were fun, informative and just genuinely nice people who really cared about the wellbeing of their passengers. The restaurant staff were also lovely, always smiling as they served us some of the amazing food that they provide on the ship. Even after we had finished the cruise and returned to the hotel, one of the staff from the office, Ms. Le Nhu, turned up with a gift to thank us for coming. That’s amazing service! What other companies can claim that level of attention to and appreciation of customers? I am recommending the Era Cruise to everyone, it’s simply outstanding.