A UNESCO World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay is found on many travelers’ bucket lists. According to lonely planet, 10 million people visit annually. I’m not surprised, because we passed a decent amount of other cruise ships on our voyage.
So… what is it? It’s an archipelago- group of islands- in the sea off the east coast of Vietnam. [Geography friends, is that the best way to describe that??]
The small islands are made of limestone, creating a unique landscape. The area is often foggy, and many describe it as feeling ‘other-worldly.’
Our Backstory
We planned a trip to Vietnam for April of 2019. It was the first time any of us had visited, and we had 6 days to explore a complex, tropical, deeply historical country.
Often the country’s regions are broken down into: north, central, and south. The two major cities are Ho Chi Minh City (south…previously known as Saigon) & Hanoi (north). It was a toss-up for us which urban city to prioritize. That’s definitely not to say that those cities are interchangeable; in fact, they were both the headquarters of opposing sides during The War and are thus incredibly different. The indecision came from wanting to visit both.
We decided to focus on central (Hoi An) & northern Vietnam (Hanoi). Hanoi provided the benefit of being a short drive away from Ha Long Bay.
Planning & Choosing a Cruise
We’d heard (from multiple expat friends) how worthwhile the natural landscape is at Ha Long Bay, so we really wanted to get it on the itinerary. We’d also heard (from our own inner wise voices) that a fast-crawling, happy-shrieking baby & prone-to-sprinting preschooler aren’t ideal candidates for long periods of time on pleasant boat cruises. Especially not cruises filled with passengers taking once-of-a-lifetime soul-searching journeys.
A great place to start is Halong Bay Tours website; most comprehensive list of tours
I did a lot of research to figure out all of our options. And boy oh boy are there options.
Not so much for our specific family situation; most of the Trip Advisor forums were very strongly against bringing children under 6 to cruise Ha Long Bay. My favorite forum suggested amusement parks instead- “because of the fragility of children”… noted. hah!
If you’re solo or with other adults, though, you can find a cruise of almost any length and at any price point. You can sail just for the day, or for nearly a week. You can board an old junk boat with a large group and low price point, or rent out an entire private yacht. Options for days.
2 day/1-Night Cruises are by far the most common, followed by 3 day/2-night
Choosing How Many Days/Nights
We didn’t want to spend more $ than necessary, but did want a boat with decent safety regulations for our kids. We narrowed it down to either a 1-night cruise or day cruise…but quickly decided that a day cruise might be hard, for a few reasons:
1.It would be a lot of driving hours in one day.
2. We were nervous that without any private space that could be a long 8 hours. We could’ve napped the babe in the ergo just fine, but knew it would be nice to have a safe, private space apart from other passengers in case our children didn’t feel like sitting still and being quiet for so many hours on end (after sitting in a car all AM).
3. I also thought that seeing a full sunset and sunrise over the water would be amazing to experience if possible!
Spotting the Family-Friendly Cruises
We knew even for a 1-night cruise that a crib would be a life-saver. At 10 months our son was too old to safely co-sleep without rolling or crawling off the bed. In addition, a cruise line with a crib would also signal to us “FAMILIES ARE WELCOME HERE” or, at the very least, regularly tolerated. 😉
After some emails exchanged with a few different cruise companies, we decided on Azalea Cruise Line. The rail heights on the decks, availability of children’s life vests, and cribs on board were important features for us. It was a nicer boat than I would’ve chosen if kid-free, but the security we felt the whole time was great.
AND…I just saw as I linked their website that they now have a cruise kid room to play in. I’m equal parts jealous and thrilled for this development! I feel so strongly that providing kids space to play and build rather than expecting them to behave like adults 24/7 is a huge indicator of a great company. It’s win-win, because that also increases the chances that adults can find quiet and peaceful areas to relax.
The Itinerary
A 2-day/1-night cruise is really about 24 hours total. A car picked us up at our hotel in Hanoi in the morning to take us to a lobby waiting dock. From the dock we boarded a smaller boat, which took us to the actual cruise boat. So much transportation!
We boarded the cruise line just before lunchtime, and checkout would be the next day around 10:30 am.
First-Day Activities included:
- safety briefing followed by lunch (all in the dining area)
- afternoon cave tour and excursion
- early evening swimming off the back of the boat
- dinner in the dining area
- optional night squid fishing
We participated in the safety briefing (with periodic exits thanks to very loud happy squeals from a certain 10 month old) and the lunch that followed. There were delicious fresh fruits, breads, and Vietnamese dishes.
Then we enjoyed our room which had a deck!
We weren’t sure how the cave tour would go with the boys, as it required a little boat ride, a bus ride, then a hike through the jungle cave itself. We decided to go for it and I’m glad we did! Boys did great.
The views in the afternoon were gorgeous.
The other activity we participated in that I will forever remember was swimming off the back of the dock. Parker jumped in the sea with all of the retired Australian couples like it was nothing and was so distraught when we finally made him get out. I have no pictures, but it was very cool.
Paul also enjoyed the squid fishing in the night!
Day Two Activities:
The sunrise was so misty and lovely!
- early AM Tai Chi on deck
- kayaking
- breakfast in the dining area
We’d planned to try kayaking but when we arrived at the back of the boat we realized the group had launched to another site and it wasn’t an open window of time. It was disappointing at first, but in hindsight was probably for the best.
Bringing the Littles: Yay or Nay?
Our boys were 10 months & 3.5 years old when we visited, and I remember my older son asking as we packed for the trip if they’d have string cheese in Vietnam. They were troopers to trek all around the country, visiting sites that were interesting to Paul and I, when they’d be just as happy with a playground and an applesauce pouch.
We wanted the cruise to be fun for our boys, and I think it was! They loved being on (and in!) the water and trying all of the foods offered at the buffet.
The service on board was amazing. We requested an earlier dinner with low expectations, but they set it all up for us. The staff even included special meals for our kids without us asking for it. Parker loved all that pasta after using up his energy treading water in the ocean that afternoon.
We were the only ones with young children on our particular cruise (of maybe 100 people). When we were boarding the boat though, a family with kids the same ages as ours was de-boarding the previous voyage and voiced what a great time they’d had- they did kayak with their littles, btw!
Real Talk
The scenery at Ha Long Bay is undeniably unique. It’s 100% worth your time if you’re planning to visit Vietnam. For some reason, I had built it up so much in my mind that I wasn’t blown away quite as much as I expected to be. I think in an attempt to avoid the peak crowded routes our specific cruise missed some of the tallest and most dramatic islands.
That said, there were several times where I did nothing but stop and try to soak in the moment because it was very beautiful.
Paul and I were also disappointed in the large amounts of trash we saw in the water- especially in the morning. There were a lot of boats out on the water, many making loud noise late into the night. I wish there was more responsibility for the trash thrown overboard. It was really upsetting!
Final Advice
Don’t let having kids hold you back from experiencing life to the fullest! Seeing the world through their eyes has made our travels so enriching. Of course there are stressful moments, but there are at home too! At least for me 😉 Might as well experience that wriggly alligator wrestling diaper change with a great view in the background, right??
Plan ahead. Do research, and shop around until you find a good (and safe!) fit for your family. Be as considerate as possible of fellow travelers, but then remember that your little people have just as much right to be on this planet as the big people.
Have you cruised Ha Long Bay? How long did you go for, and what activities were memorable??
Let me know in the comments below!
Read more about our experiences in Vietnam:
HOW TO VISIT HOI AN, VIETNAM WITH A BABY & TODDLER
8 AMAZING FAMILY ACTIVITIES & FOODS TO TRY IN HOI AN, VIETNAM
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