Dragon Pearl Cruise

It was a very small tour with just 17 people, but it was such a joy to be a part of. We had such an awesome group of fellow guests. I don’t think you get a chance to meet some many on the bigger cruises, but it seemed like the Dragon Pearl Cruise was especially designed for this. Everyone participated in activities over the 3 days we were out there, and it was really nice to be a part of.As far as the boat goes, the cabin is fairly basic but perfectly comfortable and does the job well. Thank mercy that the air-con worked as well!Along with the other passengers, the tour guides really kicked this tour up a notch. Our tour guide was called Kim and he knew a lot about the bay and its history. He was also very friendly, along with the other fantastic members of staff in the restaurant, bar, kitchen, housekeeping and the crew behind the wheel. It’s a very well-oiled machine aboard the Dragon Pearl Cruise – well done to everyone!We were collected by our luxury van and had a brief stop off in Yen Duc Village for a water puppet show and lunch, then we continued onwards to Halong.Day 1: We set sail as soon as we all boarded. We jumped into kayaks and had a great tour with Kim around some of the islands, finding nice little alcoves to go and enjoy the ambience. It was a bit tricky getting in and out of the kayak with my injured leg, but several members of crew doted over me until I was safely in or out.We went to a cave for dinner and enjoyed it immensely. Remember you can tell the crew if you don’t like something or are allergic to it and they will change it for you in a second.We got back on the boat just as a lightning storm rolled in, which was spectacular to watch and we felt very secure in our bedroom with the lashing rain outside as the boat didn’t sway at all.Day 2: More kayaking and cave visits, with plenty of time to visit a beach and go swimming as well. The lunch consisted of many delicious courses and we were suitably stuffed afterwards. The afternoon is more kayaking or you can stay on the boat instead if you prefer. It’s a very relaxed itinerary and we enjoyed it immensely. Dinner again was sublime.Day 3: Very nice visit to a local fishing village where we learned about how the locals live. We returned for lunch and then headed back to the harbour.. Overall: WOW! Truly incredible and a cruise I will never forget. I highly, HIGHLY recommend going with a smaller cruise like the Dragon Pearl as it has very unique itinerary and you get to meet so many great people on board. Thanks to the passengers and a BIG thanks to the crew – you’re a wonderful bunch!

We had some very high expectations from what we had read about the Dragon Pearl, but this amazing cruise managed to top even those! I went with my husband at the end of September for 3 days and it really couldn’t have gone any better.It’s a small boat but is surprisingly roomy, but still with only about 18 passengers overall. There were some black clouds forming on the ride over, but they had cleared once we got there and we had excellent weather the whole time – apparently this is fairly standard in September/October time. Take sun cream! We got mildly burned on the kayaking expeditions as there is no hiding from the sun here.There was excellent food served the entire time and with such massive variety. Even the two vegetarians on board were stuffed at the end of their meal! Seems like there’s no shortage of food regardless of your diet. We had a wonderful dinner in the cave – which truly did feel like a once in a lifetime opportunity.It’s a long ride there but it’s so comfortable in the luxury mini van. It has air con, lavish seats and wifi on board.Ha has our lovely tour guide and Tony was fantastic behind the bar. All of the crew were very friendly and always greeted us with a smile. We’ll always remember this time on the Dragon Pearl – it was incredible.

Had an incredible honeymoon cruise with my wife around Halong Bay on the 3 day cruise with Dragon Pearl! Yes, it may look a little expensive at first glance, but when you consider that is 3 days of zero expenses (except drinks) for two people in Vietnam’s number 1 destination on a very professional cruise – it actually appears more as a bargain. It was a four hour journey from Hanoi but we didn’t mind. The journey was very pleasant as you are really well looked after the whole time. Very comfortable seats with wifi and charging ports – what more could we have needed?There was a mild amount of disorder at the waiting lounge, but after about 40 minutes we were taken on a small boat to the Dragon Pearl, which looked outstanding. Very clean, surprisingly roomy and with fantastic cabins (ours was, anyway) – with private bathroom, hot water and excellent shower. The view out of the bathroom window was sublime but if you want a better view, you can head to the sundeck at the top and sit on one of the many sun loungers.We had a very good time with Hung, our tour guide. He had good English and spent time to tell us about the history and geography of the bay. We had read about lots of pollution and traffic in the bay but didn’t find this to be the case. We later found out that the Dragon Pearl has a special license for cruising to the quieter parts of the bay, so it meant we had uninterrupted views and a wonderful silence for most of the time.Of the daily activities that we did, we really enjoyed the kayaking and the fishing village trip, which were both fun and very interesting. The cave visit and the beach lunch were also very special, as was the time we spent in the sea swimming. The pearl farm was also very interesting and it seems like I accidentally spent quite a lot of money here (I know I said zero expenses earlier, but that’s only if you’re not trying to impress your new wife like I was!)I’m a picky eater and don’t really like seafood. This wasn’t a problem for the chef, who offered plenty of alternatives even though the usual fare is 90% seafood. Lots of other meat available, and I mean LOTS.We got a room right at the back which was super quiet as it meant that no one was walking past. We were very lucky to have nice fellow passengers and a fantastic crew who looked after us. We had blue skies for much of the time but then the heavens opened on the last day and we got thoroughly soaked. It was actually tremendous fun and we deliberately stood outside to get soaked! Wonderful time overall, I would LOVE to go back!

We had a perfect time for 3 days and 2 nights on the Dragon Pearl and haven’t been able to stop telling our friends about it! We’re weary about going back as we think it can’t possibly be the same super high quality that it was last time!It’s a really beautiful vessel and it’s so nice just to have a few cabins on board so that the number of guests is low. There were only 20 overall so we had a great time getting to know each other, and it was the other guests who really made our trip special.The Dragon Pearl gets access to some of the quieter spots in Halong Bay and out of the 600 boats that cruise the bay, we saw a maximum of about 6 at one time, but spent much of it seemingly on our own. The kayaking, beach lunch, fishing village and cave visit were all completely without other tourists, which really helped to retain the magic of the bay.We were really lucky with the weather and it made everything a lot more beautiful! All of the staff, but especially Chung the tour guide, were fantastic, and we can’t have imagined such a good time without them. Perfect planning with seamless execution. Just a thoroughly professional job all-round by the Dragon Pearl – I guarantee you won’t regret booking with them!

Out of all the criteria for our cruise while we were doing research, the quietness of Bai Tu Long Bay was the top priority. After we found the Dragon Pearl, we decided to book with them.We did the long 3-day tour and found it to be fantastic. If there was any way to stay longer than 3 days, we would have taken it for sure.Everything on board the cruise was spectacular, but even off the cruise, the luxury van and the water puppet show were also great. Seamless boarding once we saw the boat. It’s a small vessel and it feels a lot more intimate that some of the mega-yachts we saw cruising around the bay.Exquisite food by the chef, which was served out on the balcony with great views of the mountains. The presentation was immaculate and they always adhered to mine (and presumably everyone else’s) food allergies perfectly. It was a very professional service by the staff, but also one with a lot of heart, as we chatted to them for a while. We had a nice time kayaking, visiting the cave and seeing the fishing village, but the most special moment for us was the BBQ lunch on the beach on the second day. Very peaceful!After speaking to other travellers and comparing our experiences, I am sure that the Dragon Pearl is a standout cruise. It was amazing for us and we will surely be back one day to join the private cruise, preferably for longer this time!