3Days-2Nights Halong Bay Luxury Genesis Regal Cruises

I think it’s worth mentioning that If I’d read reviews about the trash in Ha Long Bay I’d have cancelled this cruise.. it’s shocking how such a beautiful place has been completely ruined by the staggering amount of litter in the water!! Regarding the actual cruise, our group had mixed feelings.. The main positives of the cruise are: - reception, interior of the boat and rooms are amazing and top notch - Excellent food with lobster etc - Amazing staff (especially the young lad leading the tours) - Nice pool at the front of the boat - Nice tour of Cat Bi Island on Bikes The negatives of the cruise and these were all down to in someway their promotional video on YouTube not been accurate: - Transfer van not exactly luxurious or branded like shown in the video - Not enough tables in bar area, we had to sit on sunbeds without cushions, not exactly luxurious - No evening entertainment like shown in video - No visit to floating village for oyster tasting which again is shown in video - Cave tour on bamboo boat is laughable and just a tiny tunnel - Weird happy hour (buy two get one free) when it’s mainly groups of 2 or 4 on cruise so we always had a spare drink going warm. Not sure when you would want three drinks. Beer not included too. - manager laughed when I mentioned trash to him In conclusion the rooms, interior of the boat are superb. Unfortunately we just couldn’t see past all the litter floating past when sat on our balcony. The staff were a credit to the company.

Genesis regal cruises exceeded my every expectation. I would recommend the 2 night 3 day cruise as then you get to experience Cat ba island and more time on the luxurious boat. The moment you step aboard you are wowed by the modern decor and the incredible 5 course waiter service lunch. Before each meal the staff would show you the next lunch / dinner menu and check you were happy with everything being served. I felt like I was dining in a gourmet restaurant with the presentation of all the dishes. Without exception all the staff onboard were super friendly and went out of their way to help you. Although we only booked the cheapest cabin level, it was amazing, very spacious modern and the piece de la resistance was the bath next to the floor to ceiling window - don’t worry people can’t see in. I was worried about the reviews of expensive drinks on board but at about £2 for a beer and £5 for a cocktail I really didn’t need to worry at all. I spent a long time looking at reviews of cruise liners and it got so confusing with so many on offer and the choice between halong bay and lan ha bay but I definitely made the right choice. Bamboo boating through light and dark cave , cycling round cat ba island, kayaking and tai chi in such stunning surroundings are memories that I will never forget. Thank you Genesis.

We had a GREAT time aboard the Genesis Regal. The environment was fairly intimate with other travels, so a good opportunity to make friends / enjoy new company. The room was lovely. The downside would be the bathrooms were stinky. Difficult to tell if it was from the drains/sewage but that I was we assumed. Otherwise the room was lovely, private with a gorgeous balcony and comfortable bed. What I didn't expect was the "floating 7 Eleven" (locals on a boat selling drinks/snacks) that would come right outside your room with their load motor to get your attention, fully looking into your room. That felt a bit awkward tbh. The hot tub at the front of the boat was absolutely lovely on the cold evenings. The food was delicious, and the staff made sure to show the menu for the next meal to ensure you were happy with everything they were serving. I ordered a vegetarian menu and was very happy with the selections and care they went to to ensure I was happy. I was disappointed in how quick the bamboo boating tour and kayak tours were. We barely got an hour from when you left the boat to when you were back on board. However, the speed boat tour on Day 2 (biking through a local village, fish massage, private beach swim) was >4 hours and absolutely the best thing. I would recommend going for 2 nights just for this activity. We had SO much fun. Absolutely loved the biking, the gorgeous countryside and the local village. We got surprised by a trip to the fish ponds where you put your feet in to be "massaged". Equally terrifying and hilarious experience. Then we were taken to a private beach where we swam, explored caves and collected gorgeous beach shells. The tour felt unrushed and private. There were only 8 guests total - so maybe we were lucky. The other expected, but still disappointing thing, was how close we were to other boats within the harbour almost the whole time. If you got a photo of the landscape without other boats in it, you felt lucky. The boat doesn't move very far distances, it (and all the other boats in they bay) just head a few kms up the bay and then return the next day to do it all over. The staff were incredibly lovely.