Viola Cruise

Me and my partner visited Bai Tu Long Bay in November 2017 with the Viola Cruise. The bay is about 3-4 hours away from Hanoi, depending on traffic. The minibus picked us up at 8am and we were out of Hanoi by 8.30am, after we got everyone else. It was a very comfortable ride with a perfectly fine stop off for the toilet and souvernir shop. We boarded the cruise and checked into our room. Unfortunately there was the tender boat blocking much of our view from the balcony, so we told our guide, Lucky, and he immediately found us a better and bigger room to take. The lunch we had after that was fantastic. I was the only vegetarian on board but I think they thought there were 7! They made me so much food and I couldn’t finish a lot of it, but luckily my husband was there to step in to polish off the rest. We stayed on the top deck, soaking in the views for about an hour before it was time for our first activity. Most people opted for the bamboo ride around the fishing village that we went to, which we then followed by a trip to the beach for 45 minutes. We got back to the main boat for sunset and a little party, with wine, fruits and juices available. It was around 7 when our dinner was served. Again, it was an absolute feast and I couldn’t eat it all, but my husband was on cloud 9 with all of the excellent food – he especially loved the fish and the spring rolls. We retired to the cabin after dinner and accidentally fell asleep on the very comfortable bed. By the time we woke up, it was our actual bed time, so we went straight back to bed! All that sleep meant that we were well rested for the early morning tai chi class the next day. We headed straight upstairs at around 6.30pm and had a go with the breathing and the special bodily movements. This was surprisingly beautiful with the music and the scenery. At 7, we were provided with breakfast and headed to a cave afterwards, which was beautiful but quite crowded. We returned to the main boat and tried our hands at carving artistic pieces of fruit and vegetables, along with enjoying rolling spring rolls. Light lunch was at about 11am and we were off the boat by 12. There was some horrendous traffic on the way back from Hanoi (not the fault of Viola Cruise at all), so we got back at about 6pm instead. Our wonderful time with Viola Cruise finished here! I have nothing but praise for this amazing company and the amazing staff on the boat. This cruise is perfect for people looking for a smaller boat with fewer people. It’s a social atmosphere and a very pleasant one as well. Be sure to take money for drinks and a tip for the hard-working crew! Thanks Viola Cruise – this was a really memorable experience!

We booked the 2 day trip to Halong Bay because of the great reviews of Viola Cruise on Tripadvisor. Our guide throughout the tour was Mr Hoi, who felt more like an old friend than a guide after it was over! He insights on Bai Tu Long Bay and Vietnamese culture in general were really interesting and I learned an awful lot from him that I still remember now – 3 months on! The bamboo boat ride around the fishing village was a real highlight (so nice being in Bai Tu Long Bay with much fewer boats blocking the views), but even the stuff you do on the boat, like the morning tai chi exercise and the cooking class, were also really interesting. It was unlucky that we had constant fog the entire time we were on the Viola Cruise, but it was actually quite beautiful in an ethereal way, and it’s given us the idea to return back to Hanoi when blue skies are assured!

Me and my partner chose the longer itinerary out of the two available. I can honestly say that you should take this option as well as it gives you so much more time to enjoy the bay as opposed to the 2 day itinerary. The people who chose the 2 day tour seemed to regret it when they saw us getting onto the day boat as they were about to leave to go home. We opted for one of the more expensive room options, which was well equipped with modern amenities like a safe and a very decent bathroom. This size of the room was not all that impressive, but it was fine for what we needed it for and we figured it was because the Viola Cruise is not a big ship in the slightest. Because of this, by the third day, we had met so many nice people who we got on excellently with. All of the food was top notch and we were impressed with the variety of it all. The top deck was the perfect place for a bar, as it meant that you didn’t have to leave the spellbinding view, even for a second, to go and get a drink. The activities that you do depend on whether you are doing the 2 or the 3-day itinerary. For everyone, there is usually kayaking, caving and a trip to the beach, but the 3 dayers did all this and more of the second day, around quieter areas that not many boats go to. The crew were brilliant throughout, and the tour guides in particular were really excellent. Everyone was so friendly and had a lot of positive energy, but the tour guides had the best English and so they seemed more friendly and approachable to us. There was only about 6 people who did the 2 day option so we returned to the main boat, which had dropped off and picked up passengers while we were out for the day, and felt very much like the ‘old boys’, as this was our second day and the other group were drawing their first to a close. Even on that day, we got a separate menu to everyone else, meaning that no food was repeated. The weather definitely helped our mood as it was pretty decent throughout the whole time! Some of the nights were a little chilly and sometimes it dribbled a little bit of rain, but nothing that would ever put us off or disrupt the activities. The tai chi lessons were excellent, we did them both days at about 7am. I’d heartily recommend the early rise! Definitely the biggest ‘must-do’ that we would advise in Vietnam. We had an utterly fantastic time and I think you will too if you go with Viola Cruise!

Just arrived back in our hotel in Hanoi after an excellent time with Viola Cruise. We have to give a shout out first to our tour guide Lucky, who was the friendliest guy you can ever hope to meet! He was just excellent in his role and made the cruise so much more exciting and fun for everyone! The rest of the staff were also great and they helped us out a lot during meals mostly, but really at any time you needed them. The cabin was fantastic and absolutely spotless when we arrived. We were talking with a lot of the fellow passengers and we all mentioned how comfortable the beds were and how faultless our night’s sleep was! The best part of the tour were the things we got to do in the bay itself. We’re quite an active family, so we were big fans of the kayaking in particular, which was such a relaxing experience. The chef was an absolute marvel! He made us some really excellent food and showed us how to make spring rolls and carve vegetables in artistic ways. Our son had his birthday on the cruise, so the staff surprised him with a delicious buttery cream cake and sang happy birthday for him. Lucky then gave a special speech and everyone applauded. Definitely a birthday he will not forget! Really couldn’t have asked for a better time on the Viola Cruise, it was genuinely special. Thanks so much to everyone involved!

Brilliant cruise with friendly staff and absolutely delightful food! The tour was thoroughly enjoyed by both me and my husband. Victor was an excellent guide – so friendly and full of useful information about the bay and the tour. Interesting cooking lesson, definitely something I will try back home if I can find the ingredients. We were upgraded to the honeymoon suite when the staff discovered it was our honeymoon, and we entered to a complimentary bottle of red wind and some red roses covering the bed – so romantic! The highlight for both of us has to be the fantastic cave that we went to. It was a little busy but it was so beautiful that we didn’t really mind. We also loved the time we spent on the beach and have to thank Victor for taking an awesome photo of us there and then emailing it to me later! We met lots of people from all around the world and enjoyed their company hugely. It was a really excellent tour and a great way to spend 2 days in beautiful Vietnam – highly, highly recommended!