Hera Grand Luxury Cruise

We received an upgrade from the Aphrodite Cruise, which seemed to be in service, to the Hera Cruise. And wow, what a stroke of luck.All of the meals were incredible. The staff were extremely professional in checking for dietary requirements and making adjustments accordingly. Our children complained that the eating took too long over the 5 courses, but they ate everything so I put it down to kids just liking to complain. We had water in the cabin, at breakfast time and on cruises, otherwise you have to buy it. We had full itineraries on the second and third days, but spent much of the third day relaxing on the boat, which is something we wanted to do a lot. The staff were so lovely, always willing to talk to us and our family, they helped us with anything we needed and simply chatted to us during our time, which was nice as we got to learn about them as they did about us.We couldn’t swim, even at Titop beach because of the levels of jellyfish in the water, which was a bit disappointing, but obviously not the fault of the crew. Kayaking on the second day was beautiful. We went around a fishing village and saw locals at work.The cabins were incredible. We couldn’t get a family connecting room so we just had two separate cabins. The balcony of each cabin was phenomenal and we enjoyed it as much as we could.

Anyone looking for a once in a lifetime experienced filled to its full potential should look at the Hera Cruise.It was a seamless process from booking with Jean from reservations, who told me that the Aphrodite Cruise we had booked was being serviced, so we were to receive a free upgrade to the Hera Cruise, which belongs to the same company. We were picked up in a private car and taken to Halong Bay.The boat was outstanding in the way it looked, it felt like true luxury! We had a beautiful dark timber interior as well as the opulent touches like the chandelier and the grand piano in the corner!The dining and lounge areas are very large and impressively-stocked with drinks and food. The sundeck was massive and could accommodate for many more guests than we had on board. There are 12 cabins on board and we were in the Sun Room, with 55m2 of space, which was huge. We loved the king sized bed and the private balcony, but the crown of the room was the free standing bathtub in the en suite, truly luxurious!The meals of authentic Vietnamese food were consistently outstanding. I wasn’t expecting much from food presented on a boat, but the taste and artful decoration of each course is worthy of the majority of restaurants I’ve been to on land. The chef, Thomas, was incredible and deserves all the praise he gets! He lead cooking classes later on in the evening.Our staff was very attentive, due to the fact that there was a ratio of about 1:1 with the guests. We were impressed by the knowledge of each course that was presented to us over dinner and all of the waiters (especially Mark, who served our final night as a private dinner in our suite) were fantastic. I have to give a special mention to Anna, the wonderful head of crew, who made sure that every need we had was dealt with by the diligent crew throughout the entire trip. Also to tour guide Zoey, who showed us the beauty of Halong Bay up close through kayaking and a trip to the Sung Sot Cave, about which she was very knowledgeable. Every member of the beautiful staff was very, very kind and the trip wouldn’t have been half as entertaining without them!What a fantastic trip overall. I have no better words for Hera Cruise. Thank you so much!

Having booked with Aphrodite, we were thrilled to be upgraded to Hera and the private bathtub that we had in our Ocean Suite. Our cruise was amazing and I need to compliment Anna, Zoey and Henry personally for being so caring, lovely and understanding throughout the whole trip, their service was phenomenal. Our chef Gavin was also outstanding in his job. He made the most amazing tenderloin steak with grape sauce that I can still taste today.Out of all of the activities, I liked the kayaking the best as I could take my camera and get super close pictures of the rocks The whole crew were great and I want to thank everyone who took care of us so well over the 2 days. For anyone looking for the best cruise in Halong Bay, check out Hera for the smaller number of passengers, which makes for exceptional service.P/s: Don’t make the mistake that I did in booking the 2 day, 1 night! Go for the 3 day, 2 night, which the crew told us gives you time in some fishing villages and a lot more time around the bay to relax.

Me and my girlfriend were lucky to receive and upgrade from the Aphrodite to the Hera Cruise, so we didn’t know much about the ship before we got on, but we were blown away. Not only was the room fantastic, with a glorious bed, en-suite bathroom, and large balcony with jaw-dropping views, but the staff were on another level. We have to mention Anna, Zoey, Mark and Henry, who were fantastic in their arrangement and organisation, as well as their huge smiles and deep appreciation for the guests. Because the boat is so small, the staff usually got quite close with the guests, which was great as they knew our names after the first 5 minutes! Exquisite food served throughout, with 5 whole courses for added luxury! The kayaking was our favourite but we also enjoyed the beach and the cave. We went fishing for shrimp before bed and had a cooking class before dinner so that we could learn how to make spring rolls. My only two suggestions to people looking at cruises would be to book this one, and book the 3 day, 2 night itinerary. The one we did was packed full of activities but I wish we had more time to relax on the boat and take in the bay. Some more Vietnamese food during breakfast and lunch would have been nicer, but we cannot fault the selection they put in front of us. We were subject to some classic Vietnamese overtaking skills on the way back to Hanoi, maybe the driver was on a tight schedule, but it was a little unnerving! Overall though, an unbelievable experience thanks to Hera and its wonderful staff!

We managed to book this cruise as a surprise for our daughter’s birthday. We felt so at home as soon as we boarded the cruise. The staff were phenomenal, so warm and friendly and willing to talk whenever you wanted. Our kids were the only ones on board and the staff were amazing with them. They must have done something right because the kids are still talking about them now!We were served unbelievable food the whole time. I have a few dietary requirements that sometimes cause a few problems, but it was nothing for the chef here, who dutifully made me something completely different, which was incredibly tasty. We took two connecting rooms for us and the kids, and they were amazing. Super soft beds, incredible bathrooms and great décor around the interior made the cabins as luxury as the rest of the ship.We took the kayaks around the water and loved every minute of it. We woke up for Tai chi and did the cooking class and nighttime squid fishing, all of which were fun and informative. Do as much as you can, it’s a once in a lifetime kind of trip!The kindness of the staff was on display when we came back from dinner to find our daughter’s room decorated with balloons, with a big cake in the middle and some sliced watermelon. They sang her happy birthday; it was very thoughtful of them.We have special commemorations for Mark, Ly and Henry, but we were amazed by the hard work and smiles of all of the staff. You guys were outstanding and you made my daughter’s birthday so special. Thank you!