Hanoi : Luxe 3 - Dag Ninh Binh Trip en Halong 5 - Star Cruises

very poorly organized trip 1. after booking i sent several messages inquiring about the logistics of the trip to the tour operator over a period of a month -- i got no response 2. the pick up was supposed to be from the hotel but because they were running late and did not want to deal with traffic on our street in Hanoi , they made us walk 0.5 km to the street corner with our suitcases in mild drizzle. 3. The guide on the bus to Ninh Binh was horrible -- if i could give him a minus 5 rating I would. instead of talking about Vietnam and the excursion he spoke about how poor he was. At one point he pulled out all the money in his wallet and started telling us the value of each denomination - essentially telling us how much to tip him. Then during the walk to the river, he walked away from half the group causing them to get lost. when he reconnected with the group, instead of apologizing he started yelling at us-- totally unacceptable 4. The first lunch on the way to Ninh Binh was inedible -- it felt like day old food served in a noisy cafeteria 5. On the morning we were supposed to go to Halong bay, a van arrived at the Ninh Binh hotel to take us to the boat but with not enough seats to accommodate the group. In fact 4 of us were not even on the list to be picked up. we then had to wait for over 30 minutes at the gate for them to find another van to transport us. The entire time we were standing at the gate there was no explanation of what was going on-- very unnerving. 6. And finally the day in Halong bay was a total disaster. First they did not have enough bamboo boats to take people to the caves. because of this 2 things happened--1. we were only taken to one cave for about a total of 20 minutes and 6 people who could not get onto a bamboo boat with their own ships group had to be shuffled onto boats with passengers from other cruises. 4 of them got left behind on the way back and had to wait over an hour in the scorching sun on the dock before they were brought back to the ship. Their ride back was sitting on the floor of the tender boat as there was no room to sit. Their compensation for 3 lost hours was a free beer each! Also because of the lack of boats all other promised outings ie the medicine cave, the walk to the view point, village excursion etc did not happen. In essence the only excursion that happened was the 20 min boat ride. After that you could swim and kayak around the ship but nothing else happened all day -- a total waste of a day especially if you do not swim or kayak like myself. I did not pay $600 for a 20 min boat ride in Halong bay. here are the things that were nice 1. the boat ride in Trang An was great 2. the hike in Hang Mua was fun 3. the hotel in Ninh Binh -- rustic hideway was outstanding

The weather wasn't the best, very misty and grey, but the team still made this a great trip, The guides were great (Lee, Mike and Alex)!. Loved Ninh Binh; the overnight accommodation was in such an amazing spot . Our Cabin on La Costa Regal cruise was superb, views amazing and evening dinner excellent. Our highlight of Vietnam.

Truly professional experience top to bottom. Felt very held but without annoying pressure to be at everything offered, which was a lot!

Our trip to Halong Bay and Ninh Binh was exceptional. Right from the time of booking the trip till we completed it, everything was organised to the hilt. The people, hotels, the rooms, the food, transfers were all par excellence. The crew on board the ship Aqua of the seas was excellent. Special mention to Layla, who was more like a friend. My family truly made wonderful memories and will definitely recommend this tour to everyone.

They were so friendly and welcoming and also Alex was the best host of our drive, i will recommend to my friends to book with them

It was a very comfortable journey, the food was delicious, and the activities on the boat were great. It made me realize my dream of canoeing. It was really great to go canoeing in the beautiful scenery of Halong Bay. There is also a small bar where you can drink. Wine is really enjoyable. The service staff are also very good, and the view from the room is also great. Overall, it gave me a great experience!

Very beautiful and took lots of photos! It's a bit like Guilin's landscape, but more spectacular. It's a pity that the weather is not very good. It should be more beautiful on a sunny day. The food on the boat was delicious and the performances were very attentive. There are also two happy hours and buy two get one free wine available. It's a very comfortable and relaxing little trip.

Every thing is great ,i do realy love ~~~ and very thx Alex, he is so nice,please give him a raise!!!!!! 超棒的旅程，一開始的接送，隨車人員Alex超讚的！親切、幽默、盡責且認真，拜託給他加薪！，來到船上後穿上的服務人員可愛又專業，讓人這兩天一夜真的chill，活動也很棒，在寂靜的下龍灣划著獨木舟，感受大自然的鬼斧神工，偶爾人們的笑語，與天上翱翔的老鷹，城市的繁忙喧囂都得到了釋放，真的非常非常推薦！！！

This is an really good experience. The views is beautiful and the food tastes delicious, too. Thank you for all crew members, driver, and our guide Alex! Alex is very good and nicely.

Aspira Cruises is a truly wonderful cruise company. I had booked the pick up service from Hanoi as well and Alex picked us up from our hotel on time and dropped us off as well after the cruise was over. The cruise itself was very relaxing and it was absolutely the correct choice to do the overnight cruise with them. They even upgraded us in the cruise so we had an amazing view from our room and the exclusive deck to watch the mountains of Ha Long Bay pass us by. I recommend them for anyone wanting to do a cruise at Ha Long Bay.