3-Day Cruise Relaxing and Kayaking on Oriental Sails

Brilliant stay on this cruise. The room was lovely with en suite bathroom. We got to see some lovely caves with monkeys as a bonus. Dinner and lunch were ten course meals served extremely efficiently and delicious. We learnt how to make Nelson as well as tai chi

I had read all the reviews and their website beforehand so I was well prepared and knew what to expect. Many of the reviews are older ones and out of date now so I’ve identified some more recent positives and negatives below. Positives - The scenery obviously, just beautiful. - The crew were all friendly and gave excellent service - On the second night we requested a private dinner which is advertised multiple times in their info as an option. This seemed to cause confusion but eventually they moved us upstairs. We requested this after the boat was booked by multiple large groups…not a fun experience for us to dine in the shared dining space as a couple when that happens - It’s a small boat which has advantages. Even when full, it’s not too crowded. As with anything you’ll either be lucky or not with who is on your trip and how inconsiderate they are - No responsible service here and oh boy did I need alcohol to get through the second night with the large (and rude) family groups from multiple countries on board. As many others have said, bar prices are high at around $12 AUD for cocktails so come prepared. Happy hour is 3 for 2 which helps with the cost - They do schedule everything but I knew that going in so it didn’t bother us. It actually works well as it means you know where to go and when which reduces waiting - Lots of early reviews say you have to buy water on board. They have installed a water fridge now so you have a jug in your room and can refill as needed. Good decision! Negatives - I had to ask about 8 times the day before for the pick up time. They finally were able to give it to me at 9pm the day before when I followed up again - The guide at the terminal didn’t tell people until after the 30 min wait they couldn’t take any bottled drinks on, pretty much everyone had stocked up - There is no noise insulation so be prepared. The first night we had people with a screaming toddler outside our door. The second night we were woken at 5am by the people in the rooms around us shouting back and forth. They are continuing with this right now at 5:45am. Not cool. - Even knowing how bad Tri Top and the cave are for crowding…we were unprepared. It is thousands of people crammed in one tiny space. It’s not a pleasant or scenic experience at all. Many of the tourists there were rude and had no concept of sharing space or not shoving people - By the second night they had got the hang of my shellfish allergy, the first night was a bit of a disaster though. - People staying 2 nights go on a day boat in the middle day. The day boat is subcontracted to another company and did not follow the itinerary given and changed things which was disappointing. We skipped one entire beach which was initially a contributing factor to staying an extra night. They also dumped us at the pearl farm for over an hour and left with the boat. This meant we were waiting over 50 mins to be collected (after 5 mins learning about pearls and 5 mins being harassed to buy some) with no seating or shade which was absolutely disgraceful. - Everyone else on the day trip was collected on time. Our oriental sails tender boat was almost 30 mins later than the rest which was really uncomfortable as the staff clearly wanted us off the boat so they could go home. We got back to our main boat at 3:30pm and nobody else returned until 5:30pm. There were no staff on board we could find until 5:15pm as I guess they went back out with the tender for the 1 night guests. This meant we had no service at all for 2hrs - no drinks, nothing. Great way to treat the people paying to travel the 2 nights with you.

I recently took a 3 days 2 nights tour with Oriental Sail Cruise in Halong Bay and it was an amazing experience! The professional guides were knowledgeable and shared interesting stories about the area. The professional crew was friendly and attentive to our needs. We were also served delicious food throughout our stay. But the highlight of the tour was the majestic seascapes that we encountered - it was truly breathtaking! I highly recommend Oriental Sail Cruise for anyone looking for an unforgettable experience in Halong Bay.