We loved the cruise and the staff were so lovely to us, we felt very well looked after! Our stay overall was a 9/10 as our room was really lush with fantastic views over the bay. The beds were comfortable and bathrooms were clean, the room size was also a big benefit with very spacious rooms and Aircon. The itinerary was also well planned and we were really glad we did the 3d2n cruise as the second day to go kayaking was our favourite, with a lot less tourists and beautiful beaches and water.

The 1/10 criticism is on value for money and managing expectations, we had to pay for things that you wouldn't expect at an 'all inclusive cruise' e.g. if you had a cappuccino instead of a filter coffee, you'll need to pay extra, same with alcoholic drinks. Additionally, the second day of the 3 day cruise is on another boat (not the cruise you see in the photos). It's equally a nice boat but much smaller and you spend about 3-4hours travelling to the other bay which felt like a shame as that journey would have been lovely on the cruise. It wasn't an uncomfortable journey but meant that we spent very little time on the cruise we booked.

So so so beautiful and we were so pampered all through the cruise. There were enough options for activities or to hang back and relax on the cruise. The staff were incredible, especially Jack & Nhung. They did a surprise set up for our honeymoon which was so fun! Totally recommend to everyone. They know what they’re doing.

Tiniest tiniest issue was the network was spotty, so I suggest coming prepared with some offline activities, crossword books or card games for the down times.

The hospitality was exceptional! We were a family of 4 adults and 1 three year old child. Our parents are vegetarians and we had requested the cruise to help with vegetarian food for them. They exceeded our expectations. Not only did they have everything pure vegetarian for them, they had taken the effort to make a vegetarian version of each dish that they were serving to the rest of the guests. They were only 2 vegetarians on the boat and we didn’t expect that kind of customisation. Food on the cruise was delicious, service staff was amazing and extremely friendly. Our Cruise Manager Nico, serving staff - Henry, Ginnie, Mike - everyone was fabulous. Hannah, our tour customer service Spoc was delightful and super responsive. She even helped us with sightseeing at Hanoi, recommended spots and arranged a pick and drop for the cruise at a very short notice. Overall the cruise was an experience that we would cherish for a lifetime. We recommended the cruise to our family members who are visiting in October and they have booked Orchid Trendy as well. Keep up the amazing job team and thank you for having us.

We were upgraded from Trendy to Classic so the room was bigger and there were less people on the boat. The boat itself was lovely overall, very clean and the staff happy to help. Being collected from the hotel and taken to the assembly point was convenient (if a little pricey and chaotic on arrival). Breakfast and lunch was very good and service overall was excellent. Day excursions and activities were efficiently run and kept us busy and were interesting with good photo ops. Staff took a huge amount of care when celebrating the various birthdays, anniversaries, etc. of some passengers with cakes and singing. I had a full massage in the spa which was a relaxing start to the trip.

The en suite bathroom only has a large roller blind - not a door so lacked a sense of privacy. This is both inconvenient and weird when you're sharing with a friend. We were woken at 6am the first morning by a refuelling boat mooring right outside our cabin so not a peaceful start and even less bathroom privacy. The evening meals are served with no choices and I think we would have preferred a buffet style option as some of the food was not to our taste. On arrival they wait until all the cruise passengers for all the different boats have arrived then they ferry you out crammed onto a few boats. They also do the same on return. So really our three day two night cruise was 48 hours plus another seven+ hours of travelling to and from the actual boat from Hano.

We were supposed to be on a smaller, atmospheric boat and when that was cancelled at the last minute, we did not like the idea of the extremely large Catherine cruise. However, I so hugely enjoyed my stay and V, our tour guide, was truly wonderful. Also the food was out of this world good as well as the extremely comfortable bed.

The only small thing was that the water from the shower went all over the bathroom floor and there was nothing you could do to prevent it which meant that you had wet feet a lot of the time!

Cruising the Ha Long Bay is quite a unique and one of the most beautiful sightseeing experiences one can have. Just waking up in the morning is mesmerizing! Balcony is amazing and you can really enjoy having your coffee while sightseeing! Emanuel was amazing and he went above and beyond to make everyone happy and at home! It’s amazing seeing someone so professional! He totally made our stay!

We enjoyed our stay at Orchid Cruises but were not quite happy with our transportation on the way back. For anyone planning to take a cruise - keep in mind that the ride is quite long from Hanoi to Ha Long and there is a lot of waiting before you actually get on a cruise and the same thing happens on the way back. Shower door was broken as well. My husband would’ve preferred more food variety.

The room was comfortable and clean. The staffs were wonderful, especially Emmanuel and Rose. Always there with a warm smile and ready to go above and beyond to help us with anything we needed. Their friendliness and attentiveness truly made me feel valued as a guest. My experience was fantastic, thanks to their exceptional service. I couldn't have asked for a better stay!

There was noticeable pollution around the bay, impacting the overall scenic experience. However, this wasn't the cruise's fault. The cruise itself was well-maintained, and the staff's dedication to guest satisfaction was evident throughout the journey.

This is an exceptional cruise. It was our second time on cruising Ha Long Bay and we did 3 days, 2 nights which I highly recommend as it's a more comprehensive schedule with better activities. Sunny was specifically attentive and the entire trip was a delight.

Be careful when booking with booking.com. I apparently have Genius Level 3 status, but on my laptop the price was reduced from over £900 to over £800. On my phone it said it was reduced from over £900 to over £700. However, when I asked my friend to look (who has Genius Level 1), their phone said it was reduced from over £700 to over £600. Needless to say, we booked it on her account. I didn't enjoy children being onboard.

Smaller cruise ship, service oriented staff, food was good but not great, but a variety of dietary restrictions were accommodated

Not specific to the property per se, but Halong Bay is overcrowded with ships and is full of trash A shame to treat this natural wonder this way An extra small up charge per guest could address the problem

The staff were exceptional. The food was very good. The captain knew what he was doing and always made safe choices, especially when it came to a very foggy morning. The activities were fun, well organised and ran smoothly. The masseuse was fantastic.

The foggy morning which obscured our views but was out of anyones control, the staff had another activity they could smoothly switch to and plan B activity was great.