cbb Posted March 1, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We're contemplating Emperors & Empires 2015, b2b with another, and I'm wondering if anyone has done the overnight cruise of Ha Long Bay. Mr Wonderful suffers from sea sickness and spending the night on a rocking ship is not his idea of fun. He carries dramamine on his person when we cruise. Is the Bay generally sheltered enough so that it should be calm waters for He Who Will Never Become Admiral? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MVPinBoynton Posted March 1, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We are also on the Emperors and Empires cruise next year; but not the B2B with SE Asia. Join the roll call, we need more people on it.:D Getting ready to leave for a cruise today and the others on the roll call are already on a cruise. We did SE Asia a few years ago on Azamara and overnighted in Halong Bay. Truly a beautiful place. We just did a half day cruise of the bay, rather than overnight since we wanted to go to Hanoi the next day. I remember that people who did the overnight enjoyed it; but they did have some issues sleeping on the boats. You can see lots of photos of our SE Asia cruise in our review on our website www.thepreismans.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 1, 2014 Author #3 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We'd spend the big $ and do the overnight through O "land trips" which gives us the overnight and trip into Hanoi. We'd b2b it with Beijing to Tokyo. Family responsibilities keeps us from doing around the world cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MVPinBoynton Posted March 1, 2014 #4 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We'd spend the big $ and do the overnight through O "land trips" which gives us the overnight and trip into Hanoi. We'd b2b it with Beijing to Tokyo. Family responsibilities keeps us from doing around the world cruise. You must have more time there than we had. We arrived at 1:00 PM the first day and left at 9:00 PM the next. We used private tours that were very good and quite inexpensive. Whatever you do, it is a fascinating place and a very enjoyable port stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted March 1, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We went on an overnight cruise in HaLong Bay, as part of a Vantage Tour. The water was extremely calm. The junks (that is what they call the boats that do those cruises) were very comfortable. The sea was like glass, with no waves. Sailing around and exploring the caves was the highlight of Vietnam for us. Don't miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 1, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We'd spend the big $ and do the overnight through O "land trips" which gives us the overnight and trip into Hanoi. We'd b2b it with Beijing to Tokyo. Family responsibilities keeps us from doing around the world cruise. We did the overnight to Hanoi a few years ago with the ships tour. It was wonderful. Kept us busy for the whole time. It took about 3 hours to get into Hanoi on roads that were not very good. Would not trust a private tour to get us back in time under those conditions. We were almost 1 hour late and the ship waited for us. Might not have if we were on our own. We do mostly our own tours on most cruises but in some areas we stick with the ship. Do the Hanoi overnight but better to be safe than sorry. Stick with the ship. :):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MVPinBoynton Posted March 1, 2014 #7 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We went on an overnight cruise in HaLong Bay, as part of a Vantage Tour. The water was extremely calm. The junks (that is what they call the boats that do those cruises) were very comfortable. The sea was like glass, with no waves. Sailing around and exploring the caves was the highlight of Vietnam for us. Don't miss it. I agree that seas were very calm and the caves were lovely. If you are able to fit in both Hanoi and an overnight on Halong Bay, that would be great. I wish we could have; but it just wasn't possible with our timing. The overnight boats got back too late in the morning for us to be able to have enough time in Hanoi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 1, 2014 Author #8 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Ok Boca (and Boynton Beach) people--you've sold me on the overnight. (I'm a snow bird in Boca now but we lived here for 20 years so this is like old home week!!) One of the reasons we like this itinerary is that we are in Hanoi for 2 days which allows us the overnight and can then visit Hanoi the next day. Also in Saigon for 2 days which allows me to see the historical sites AND cruise the Mekong. (old history teacher here!!) Know that we are facing 3 hrs on a bus going to Hanoi, 3 hrs coming back to ship with 2 hrs in the city but realize that is simple geography and nothing can change that. Also like this itinerary since we can see Angkor Wat post cruise with O. Since we'll probably only do this once in our lives we will stick with O for these tours. (already spending $thousands, what's $hundreds more?!) Hey, did you all get any shots/meds for this trip? c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverroad Posted March 1, 2014 #9 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We did both the overnight on a junk in Ha Long Bay and Hanoi on a land trip prior to a Mekong cruise from Saigon to Siem Reap. While we loved the Ha Long Bay experience, if I had to make a choice I'd spend both days in Hanoi. There is far too much to experience than you can do in just 2 hours. The drive from Ha Long Bay to Hanoi is long and boring and I wouldn't do it for a 2 hour visit. I realize you may never return but I don't think you'll regret skipping Ha Long Bay in favor of Hanoi. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 1, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We did both the overnight on a junk in Ha Long Bay and Hanoi on a land trip prior to a Mekong cruise from Saigon to Siem Reap. While we loved the Ha Long Bay experience, if I had to make a choice I'd spend both days in Hanoi. There is far too much to experience than you can do in just 2 hours. The drive from Ha Long Bay to Hanoi is long and boring and I wouldn't do it for a 2 hour visit. I realize you may never return but I don't think you'll regret skipping Ha Long Bay in favor of Hanoi. Just my opinion. Agree 100% To spend over 6 hours for a 2 hour visit makes no sense at all. There is so much to see in Hanoi, including their famous water puppet show that I would not make that kind of trip for only 2 hours. Do the overnight, you will not regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 1, 2014 Author #11 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Riverroad, I understand what you're saying but for some reason I really want to see Ha Long--an overnight is just icing! O's land program gives us 5 hrs in Hanoi the day after the junk overnight cruise. (We leave the junk @ 7:30am) According to the itinerary this is what we'd see in Hanoi arriving there by 11;00 am: Ba Dinh Square,(Ho's tomb, etc) the Temple of Literature, lunch, Hoa Lo Prison, ("Hanoi Hilton") DIY explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter, then back on mini-bus headed for ship...only a few things we'd miss when I compare it to the overnight in Hanoi itinerary. My travel planning often is a balancing act of what we can see, what we want to see, and what we have time for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MVPinBoynton Posted March 1, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 1, 2014 We found the drive to and from Hanoi quite interesting. Loved seeing the workers and oxen in rice fields; along with all the motorcycles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 1, 2014 Author #13 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I don't mind bus trips either; I've certainly taken my share of them. I stay awake every minute looking out the window and take pix while Mr. Wonderful handles the "falling asleep 15 minutes after boarding" thing. Hey, we all have our skills and his is staying awake for 15 whole minutes before falling asleep. Just can't stay awake on a bus so luckily for him I take pix as we ride along and every once in a while they turn out great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted March 2, 2014 #14 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hanoi is a great place to visit, but HaLong Bay is magical. We choose a land trip to Vietnam over a cruise because there is so much to see. You do need two full days in Hanoi to get a good feel for it and an overnight on HaLong Bay is something to remember forever, but with the short stay afforded by a cruise, HaLong Bay wins by a mile, IMHO. If you do get to Hanoi, a visit to the "Hanoi Hilton" prison is fascinating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potterhill Posted March 2, 2014 #15 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Last year we had an overnight in HaLong Bay and opted to stay there. We did a day long cruise and loved it. We loved Vietnam and plan to return on a land trip at which point we will go to Hanoi. I just couldn't see spending all that time on a bus for a few hours. Mo Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 4, 2014 #16 Share Posted March 4, 2014 We found the drive to and from Hanoi quite interesting. Loved seeing the workers and oxen in rice fields; along with all the motorcycles. Yes it was. Spent alot of time looking out the window at all those things. BUT, would not want to get back on the bus 2 or 3 hours later to do the same thing. There are so many good things to see in Hanoi that you need at least a day or a day and a half to make the 6 to 7 hour round trip worth it. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk travels Posted March 4, 2014 #17 Share Posted March 4, 2014 We did a land tour of Vietnam several years ago and absolutely loved it. Hanoi is fascinating. You really need time to stroll and take in the full experience. As part of our trip we planned an overnight on Ha Long Bay. We used a small cruise company that had about 5 cabins. The overnight included kayaking in the morning and that was probably the most memorable adventure of our trip. It was wonderful. We took so many beautiful pictures and would love to go back to do it again. The bay was like glass. We thought the ride from Hanoi was interesting as did others. The only difficulty was that it was 3 hours long with no rest stop. Immediately after breakfast. That part was memorable too. :-) One other note -- my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary on that trip. The cruise company decided to surprise us with a beautiful wedding cake AND Vietnamese wedding costumes to don for dinner. They explained some of the local traditions and everyone on board joined in. This is my way of saying that the Vietnamese people were so lovely. They made every experience special. It would be hard to decide how to divide your time, but I don't think you'll be disappointed either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 4, 2014 Author #18 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Yes, we have just pulled the trigger on the b2b and have lined up a pre cruise to Xian and Beijing, the Ha Long overnight and Angkor Wat post-cruise. Pretty buzzed over the whole idea right now but have a long time before starting that #&*@ trip from the east coast US to Beijing....sigh...and I do not grow younger between now and then! (jeez i hate to fly) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 4, 2014 #19 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Yes, we have just pulled the trigger on the b2b and have lined up a pre cruise to Xian and Beijing, the Ha Long overnight and Angkor Wat post-cruise. Pretty buzzed over the whole idea right now but have a long time before starting that #&*@ trip from the east coast US to Beijing....sigh...and I do not grow younger between now and then! (jeez i hate to fly) I think that United still has a non stop from Newark to Beijing. Long but no stops makes it a little better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 4, 2014 Author #20 Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) Well, I don't live close to Newark and I'd love to avoid United if at all possible. Perhaps we'll go from Miami. The last 3x we flew United the flights were cancelled or delayed so significantly that we missed the connection to Europe. One time we even got to spend the night (in the process of being renovated) beautiful Newark Ramada Inn. We try to fly in early so we might fly from east coast to Hawaii, spend the night and then go, or maybe through LAX (almost as bad as Newark). We're too far out to even think about air yet. Thanks for the suggestion though. Edited March 4, 2014 by cbb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 5, 2014 #21 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Well, I don't live close to Newark and I'd love to avoid United if at all possible. Perhaps we'll go from Miami. The last 3x we flew United the flights were cancelled or delayed so significantly that we missed the connection to Europe. One time we even got to spend the night (in the process of being renovated) beautiful Newark Ramada Inn. We try to fly in early so we might fly from east coast to Hawaii, spend the night and then go, or maybe through LAX (almost as bad as Newark). We're too far out to even think about air yet. Thanks for the suggestion though. Yup, I do not love United either, but then again I am beginning to hate all the U.S. airlines. Got totally messed up on Delta thru Atlanta last month so sometimes I wish they all went out of business. Good luck in whatever you do. Hope you do better that what we did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 5, 2014 Author #22 Share Posted March 5, 2014 RJB- true story; from the pulpit a Boca preacher said that you couldn't get to heaven or hell unless you first went through Atlanta...and all of the IBM and Motorola and FAU folks nodded their heads knowingly! So I hear your story about Atlanta and Delta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 5, 2014 Author #23 Share Posted March 5, 2014 RJB- brief look last night at flights to beijing and you're right..United from newark to beijing for ~16 hrs looks to be the best. A year out so hopefully the 2015 itineraries will come out soon so we can begin to do some serious research. flying to hawaii and then to beijing doesn't work right now....too long. Will continue to check Delta and see what they've got. Thanks for the heads up about newark/united. c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph27 Posted March 5, 2014 #24 Share Posted March 5, 2014 We did a Southeast Asia cruise on Celebrity in 2012. We flew from the US to Heathrow and then a day or so later to Shanghai. After a 3 night stay in China we flew to Singapore. If I were doing it again I might consider flying from the US to Dubai and then to Singapore or flying from Toronto nonstop to Shanghai and then on to Singapore. There are lots of options. However, living on the East Coast I would try to avoid flying from LAX or SFO. As for the discussion below on Halong Bay, we spent an overnight on a luxury junk during our cruise. We were on the Halong Violet and it was the highlight or a rather disappointing cruise. You can read about the Halong Violet at http://www.heritage-line.com I write a blog and the following 2 posts cover our two days in Halong Bay. On the first post you need to scroll down a bit to when we board the Violet. The second day we went to the beach before returning to shore. http://www.27thousandwaves.com/2013/01/day-11-halong-bay-vietnam.html http://www.27thousandwaves.com/2013/02/halong-bay-vietnam-part-2.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted March 5, 2014 Author #25 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Steph, your photos and info were great! The Violet looked amazing. Our itinerary says we are on the Valentine. My husband was reassured when i read him the on board menu as seafood is not high on his favorites list. thanks again! c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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