We spent a really long time looking for the right cruise, and we don't regret going with Indochina Junk. Compared to other boats we saw (from other companies and from Indochina Junk itself), out Dragon Legend was top class. It was spacious, the rooms were big, there was a lot of places you could go to relax and watch the bay. The view from our window was to die for. Getting onto the boat was a long process, it could be more streamlined as there was a lot of waiting around. The activities were very good - the fishing village boat ride, kayaking, BBQ, squid fishing, exploring the caves, all 10/10. The room looked impressive initially, but wasn't as clean as it could have been. We were given dirty towels twice (they were washed, but had a brown streak in the middle...), there were hairs/crumbs behind the door, questionable substances on the shower curtain, the toilet seat was yellow and cracked... For a 5* cruise it felt weird for our room to look so tired. The food was excellent in terms of taste - prawns, squid, chicken, beef, veg, soups, rice - everything was SO tasty. But you had to share a plate between 4 people, which for us meant sharing with a couple we didn't know. It was a bit awkward at times, especially when the food was not portioned out. But it forced us to talk to other people and we got to know some really interesting stories, so it had its positives too. I felt the portions could have been a little bigger, especially since there was no way to get any more food between meals (maybe take some snacks with you). I was disappointed by the fact we did not have unlimited tea/coffee outside of breakfast - I can understand alcoholic drinks being charged extra, but $3 for a hot tea is a bit much when you already paid so much for the cruise. Overall, the drinks were very expensive and we decided to just drink water. I debated whether to put down 4 or 5* for this review, but decided that overall I was pleased with the experience, especially with the kayaking and the BBQ, this was the best part of the trip, but I realised cruises just aren't for me!
P.S. Squids can shoot their ink really far, one got my face as I JUST pulled it to the surface of the water. Just don't wear your best clothes for squid fishing, or wear a rain poncho.
A quick tip, which is not strictly related to the company - mid-March is not the best time to visit Ha Long / Bai Tu, as the weather was not great. It drizzled, it was cloudy, cold enough for some long-sleeves. this meant we were really bored during free time, which we could have otherwise used to stay in the sun, to use the pool etc. We couldn't have a BBQ on the beach because it was raining, but we did get to eat the food outside on the boat's patio. Even though we enjoyed the kayaking and the cave exploration, we felt that we spent too much money on the cruise outside of the season, which would have been better spent elsewhere in the country (e.g. Hoi An or an island). Mid-March would be excellent for a day trip or maybe for 1 night, but I don't think it was worth the money for a 3D-2N.