Cruises / Day Cruise
Ha Long Bay · Day cruise
Three decks, each sold as its own day
Day Cruise
Ha Long Bay
Day Cruise aboard the Catherine Horizon Cruise.
Catherine Horizon is sold by deck rather than by seat: Premium on the first, Elite on the second, Signature on the third, each with its own space, service and headcount. The day covers Me Cung Cave, a pearl farm and Trinh Nu Cave, with a four-season pool on deck and lobster in the main course.
How your day cruise unfolds.
What makes it special.
The decks
Premium, Elite and Signature each occupy their own deck, with their own dining room and their own headcount.
On deck
A four-season pool sits on deck, with a sky bar, a sundeck and marked spots for photographs.
At the table
A light breakfast, lunch with lobster in the main dish and an afternoon refreshment are all in the fare.
The route
The day follows the first route: Me Cung Cave, a working pearl farm and Trinh Nu Cave, entrance fees covered.
Three tiers, each sold as its own day out.
What is on board, and what the fare includes
The road transfer, drinks not listed, a day-use cabin, the spa, the kayak and a private dining space are charged separately.
A day on the water, or a night aboard.
Day trip
A long day out from Hanoi with a few hours of cruising, a cave and a kayak. It works when time is tight, but you miss the sunset, the quiet and the sunrise.
This is the itinerary on this page
2 days, 1 night
An afternoon and evening on the water, a night at anchor and a morning sail out. The length most travellers choose.
3 days, 2 nights
Day two is when the fleets disperse and you reach the further coves - the bay at its most peaceful.
Other boats on the same water, same length of trip.
See every boat on our Ha Long Bay cruises, or narrow by length: day cruises, 2 days, 1 night and 3 days, 2 nights.
About this boat, and about cruising the bay.
Catherine Horizon Cruise sails Ha Long Bay. If you are still deciding between the bays, our comparison of Ha Long, Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long sets out how they differ in traffic, scenery and how far you travel to reach them.
Embarkation is at Ha Long International Cruise Port. Boarding starts around 09:00-09:45. The hour-by-hour itinerary above gives the timings for the day.
Check-in runs from 09:00 to 09:45 and the boat is back in harbour at about 16:30; the shuttle from Hanoi is arranged with the cruise. A day cruise is a long day out of Hanoi either way, which is why we fit it around the rest of your trip rather than sell it on its own.
The boat is sold deck by deck rather than seat by seat. Premium is the first deck and takes up to 170 guests, Elite is the second and takes up to 100, Signature is the third and takes up to 50. The route, the pool and the guide are the same on all three; what changes is how many people share the deck, which dining room you eat in and what the day costs. We quote all three so you can see the gap.
Road transfer from Hanoi takes roughly two and a half to three hours each way, which is why a day cruise starts early and finishes late. We arrange the transfer with the cruise as one booking, so the pick-up matches the boarding window rather than leaving you to work the timings out.
A Ha Long day cruise normally includes lunch on board, the guided activities in the itinerary above and the bay entrance and sightseeing fees. Drinks, the kayak on some boats and the road transfer from Hanoi are the items that vary most. We confirm exactly what is and is not included for this boat in writing before you pay, because it differs by operator and by season.
Ha Long Bay closes to cruise traffic when the harbour authority says so, usually for storms. If that happens we move the date or refund the cruise - you are never held to a sailing that cannot run. Our refund policy sets out the detail.
Yes. Day boats take children of any age and price them in bands rather than as adults. Tell us the ages when you enquire and we will say which boats suit and what each one charges.
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy requirements are all workable, but they need to be given at booking rather than on the day - the boat provisions before it leaves harbour and cannot restock at sea.
October to April is the settled season, with clear air and cool mornings. May to September is warmer and better for swimming, with a higher chance of a storm closing the bay. Our guide to Ha Long Bay goes into the months in more detail.
We'll build the Catherine Horizon Cruise into a complete, private Northern Vietnam itinerary, planned and run for you, with every transfer handled.
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