Azamara Quest - overnight on a junk in Halong Bay

[ruby101]

Hi everyone

We will be on the Quest in February, and would have loved to do an overnight on an Junk Boat but I contacted two reputable companies and they both tell me it is impossible, because they leave at noon, and we arrive at 1pm - so close.

I was wondering if anyone managed to do it and with which company?

Any feedback is appreciated.

[John Bull]

Hi everyone

We will be on the Quest in February, and would have loved to do an overnight on an Junk Boat but I contacted two reputable companies and they both tell me it is impossible, because they leave at noon, and we arrive at 1pm - so close.

I was wondering if anyone managed to do it and with which company?

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

Hi Ruby,

If you asked to buy places on a junk, I can see the problem. They would allocate you places on a shared junk, but as you've learned, they all sail around noon. This is because the vast bulk of their business is from Hanoi, & times/prices include road travel from/to Hanoi.

Your 1pm arrival means you've little chance of boarding a junk before 2pm. Junks will be back next morning between 11am & noon - they won't want to return later, because that'd interfere with their next day's trade.

And they don't sail at night, so they'd not be able to make up for lost time.

 

But for a one-niter they normally sail a total of 8 hours, so you can hire a junk to sail at 2pm on a six hour route instead. This of course means hiring a junk, not places on a junk, so it'd be up to you to find sharers amongst your fellow Questers, perhaps through cc's roll-call.

Often the operators' grasp of english is poor (not a criticism, just a fact) so it might be worth contacting them (or others) to suggest a shorter route, to fit in with your arrival time, and ask for prices for junks to suit two/four/six/eight people. You can then decide on your maximum contribution & thus your minimum number of sharers.

I can't believe business is so good that they don't need to deal with such a complication, and most cruise itineraries present the same problem. But you do need to explain your situation simply & concisely, explain that at the moment you cannot give them the number of people in your party, & hope it's received by someone with decent english.

 

Alternatively, day junk cruises (2, 4, 6, or 8 hours) are plentiful & can be fixed up on your day 1 for your day 2. The 6/8 hour routes will be the same places as the overniters. And way way cheaper than pre-booked overnite cruises, though obviously not the same experience

 

John Bull

[150edmiston]

Ruby, would suggest similar to John. Post on the Azamara board. I'm sure you'll get a response.

 

david

[Bpos]

Anything is possible for hiring a junk in Halong Bay - recommend you have a look at Trip Advisor - Vietnam Forum and seek advice there. You can book a junk for two if you want. A local agent is probably the best way of booking a junk.

 

For me, and I have been to Halong Bay twice - I would opt for a day cruise and spend the night in my balcony cabin on board the ship or at the top deck bar rather then being on a junk which will probably see you eat a meal at 6.00 pm and be in bed by 8.00 pm.

[ruby101]

Thank you for all replies and suggestions. There are 6 of us, and our heart was really set on an overnight. So I went on Trip Advisor, and got recommendations there, contacted a couple of companies and have chartered a junk for the six of us. They can wait for us until 4 pm, and we are going to be anchored in Halong Bay, so I can't imagine that we will not make it by then.