Jasmine Cruise

We took the 4 hour transfer to Halong Bay, buying some pearls at a stop on the way and arriving at the pier to board the Jasmine Cruise. We did not expect the level of activity at the pier, with lots of boats and people boarding them. We jumped onto the Jasmine Cruise and entered out cabin, which was very nice. It was decorated so beautifully.We saw the first of the limestone towers after setting sail and were immediately amazed! A lunch followed this and then we set sail for a floating village, where a small bamboo boat took us around, showing us the sights. After this, we headed to the Tien Ong Cave and watched the beginnings of a stunning sunset outside. We had a bit of a rest upon returning to the boat, and then made some spring rolls as part of a class. After a wonderful BBQ dinner, we relaxed into the evening and spent most of our time on the top deck, making out the shadows of mountains and watching the twinkling lights of the other boats – totally surreal and an incredible experience in itself.We got some great pictures of the sun rise before we joined the tai chi class and had a light breakfast in the dining room. At Ti-Top Island, we climbed 427 stone steps to the summit of the island, which gave us great views over the bay. Everything seemed to be planned fairly well as we never had to wait for other tourists from other boats, though there were quite a few in the bay. Upon returning to the boat, we freshened up , checked out and had a really delicious lunch.In conclusion, we had a fantastic time on the Jasmine Cruise and would do it again in a heartbeat. The planning was precise, the activities were great and the scenery was out of this world. We really didn’t have to do much to do instead of relaxing fully. All of the staff were very nice and extremely polite. The perfect trip!

We have done many boat tours throughout Asia on our travels before, but we were not expecting the level of service we received on the Jasmine Cruise, which was simply incredible. We loved the design of the boat and how clean it was inside and out. We had a balcony in our cabin and a very comfortable bed as well. For us, it was the food and the staff that were the standout players in the enjoyment of our trip. You will be eating a lot on this cruise, through all the buffets and the multi-course dinners, so make sure to pack your elastic waist trousers! Both of our favourite things on the cruise combined when we were invited for extra food and rice wine in celebration of the Vietnamese New Year, which the crew were bringing in in style. It was really lovely to be included in this special celebration for all the Vietnamese staff on board.The activities helped us to meet some of the other guys on the cruise, which was really nice. Overall it was a fantastic experience.

We stepped foot for the first time on the Jasmine Cruise in the late morning of our departure day. We chose a small cruise and were happy to see that it was about half full, which lent us the perfect communal atmosphere. We checked into our cabin quickly and immediately headed upstairs to the sundeck, where we created a time-lapse from my phone – really beautiful!The cruise started for real with the lunch, which was absolutely delicious. We ate it on the top deck as we were too enraptured by the sites to move into the dining room downstairs. We stopped at a fishing village, where one of the locals rowed us around, singing a lovely song as she did do. She didn’t speak any English, but she was visibly very emotional when we handed her a $20 USD tip. There wasn’t all that much going on at the next stop, which was a rather disappointing cave visit, but we got back on the ship and had an excellent sunset party with happy hour. We watched a magnificent sunset and then moored in a really quiet area, away from many of the other boats! All of the local food served to us was phenomenal (they have western alternatives for people stuck in their ways).We had another memorable moment the next day during tai chi, when the mist of the bay circled around the mountains and created a very atmospheric picture. We headed to a beach afterwards for a swim and then headed back to shore. We really loved our stay on the Jasmine Cruise and cannot wait until we get another chance to do so!

Me and my husband went for the 2 night cruise with Jasmine Cruise and were incredibly happy with the experience. There is some excellent furnishing around the boat, in the cabins and all the communal areas. Our cabin came with a balcony, which we made sure to get good use out of, and also a very powerful shower in the bathroom. The staff are lovely and the food is delicious. We originally took a long time deciding whether the 3 day cruise is worth the extra money and time, but I have absolutely zero regrets about it as it was our most fantastic day there! The smaller boat can get you further away from the crowds and show you some spots that the majority of people don’t get to see. The ‘smaller boat’ was still very big and really really comfortable. The lunch we had on this boat was just as good as the food from the main boat. There were just a small handful of us on the second day, so we got to enjoy each other’s company as well as some of the peace that Halong Bay would have experienced 20 years ago. Quite easily the best way to see the bay is on a 3-day cruise.This is a must do cruise, regardless of how long you stay - you will still receive the same excellent service.

We were so lucky with the weather and that really made the cruise that much more special for us. I was very happy with the 2 night cruise that we did – I don’t think that there is enough time to really get a feel for the bay if you’re just seeing it for one day. Our room was fairly standard but had space for us and a bathroom with everything working perfectly. I didn’t really realise that the cruise was going to be so tightly run, with spots in between activities during which you could relax. We decided we would like more relaxing time, so we didn’t go to some of the activities and stayed on the boat instead. With an itinerary packed with activities, it says a lot that my most memorable moment is just sitting on the sundeck and lapping up the rays.Halong Bay is a little busy, but I don’t feel like I can really say much because I’m just another tourists who’s adding to the problem. It seemed like the Jasmine Cruise captain knew at what point to go to these activities to steer us away from the crowds. The food was so amazing – we had a BBQ on the first night and were then offered a different menu on the second night, but we opted for the same dinner as the first night and had a great dining experience all over again! I most certainly arrived back in Hanoi heavier than when I left!Our final activity really put the cherry on the cake – the climb up to the top of Titop Island. That view was stunning and was another memorable moment.