| Dragon Pearl sets 2 options to cruise Halong Bay {2 days 1 night} & {3 days 2 nights}
The Dragon's Pearl Cruise is reborn from 1 May 2010. Classic Design, New Facilities, Special rate in 2010
Traditional style with today's modern amenities.
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Junk Dragon Pearl Overview |
In keeping with the tradition of wooden boat building, this 29 meter long, 6.9 meter wide masterpiece is constructed of the finest quality materials by the hands of skilled craftsman. Designed after the Chinese sailing Junks of old, there are three traditional sails; a 13-meter main sail, a 14-meter front sail, and a 7-meter cross sail.
As you enter the Dragon's Pearl you come to the reception counter on the first of the two lower decks, which have a total of 11 twin/double fully equipped cabins. Each 9 m2, air-conditioned cabin boasts its own bathroom with hot water shower, a closet and night table. In each cabin you enjoy the elegant design of the fine woodwork that is event throughout. For your convenience, there are also 3 shared bathrooms onboard including on the dining deck.
 On the 3rd floor you'll find the elegant dining room and bar, exquisitely designed with handcrafted Teak and Oak. This spacious area has 36 seats and is perfect for either a romantic dinner for two or family dining. To the rear of the deck is a cozy, covered lounging/dining area where you can enjoy the stunning views of Halong Bay through the elegant archways. On the forward deck is the captain's wheel house and a large outdoor lounging area, perfect for taking in the views while enjoying a refreshing drink or just sitting back with your favorite book.
On top is the spacious, 150 square meter tanning deck with 15 comfortable lounge chairs for you to laze away in. 8 meters above the water, you'll have a panoramic view of the limestone karsts towering from the emerald waters of Halong Bay.
Fully equipped for Safety!
Halong Bay Dragon's Pearl Cruise: To ensure your safety and peace of mind, the Dragon's pearl is fully equipped with all the necessary equipment to meet today's safety standards. Onboard there are 80 life vests, 40 life buoys and 4 lifeboats. In case of fire, the boat is equipped with 4 firefighter water hoses and 14 public fire extinguishers. We are also equipped with a GPS system, VHF radio, and an automated alarm system with 27 speakers throughout.
Dragon Pearl sets 3 options to cruise Halong Bay {2 days 1 night} ;{3 days 2 nights} & {4 days 3 nights} Photos of the Dragon's Pearl Cruise. Sleep aboard a Chinese Junk. Highlights: Cruise aboard Halong's most luxurious Junk, explore the incredible stalagmites and stalactites of the Amazing Cave: At Cruises Halong, we understand that your quality vacation time is valuable to you, and with that in mind we designed worry free packages to help you easily plan your trip to Halong Bay and allow you to maximize time in comfort and relaxation. Our 2 day and 3 day programs are full of activities to choose from and take you to the must see sights of this legendary Bay. With so much to see and do here, we offer various options to each program, you simply choose the ones that best suit you and we do the rest! We offer a host of activities for you including swimming, visiting amazing caves and use of our sit on-top kayaks. Please visit the activities section for more information.
 
We set up daily cruises to Halong Bay on the Dragon's Pearl Junk. The tour duration can be 2 days and 3 days, overnight on Dragon's Pearl Junk. Note that you will stay in the Deluxe Carbin on the upper floor of the junk. The carbin is well - equipped with private bathroom, seaview window.
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For those interested in adding a bit more adventure to their vacation, we also offer trekking excursions into Cat Ba National Park where you can trek 1.5hrs up to an incredible lookout point for an amazing view of the bay. One of the best ways to explore the karsts and grottos here is in a sea-kayak, and we offer a true kayaking experience that you won't soon forget. You'll receive in introductory lesson by our resent kayak professional, he'll then gue you for the day taking in caves and lagoons, incredible beaches and swimming...
If our programs don't fit your schedule, perhaps you want more time, then let our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff take care of all your needs. With years of experience in the local tourism market, our staff is well equipped to help tailor a get away package that is perfect for you!
I wish there were listings for all the boats on Halong bay as hotels, since in essence for many Vietnam travelers they are hotels for a night or two. However, since there aren't maybe this will help a few of you out as you try to pick you overnight boat to spectacular Halong Bay.
We didbook this in advance before arriving in Vietnam with www.cruiseshalong.com. We had arranged the second half of our trip through the Thien Thanh Hotel in Hoi An, and the Hanoi hotel looked into what was available and given us options in different price ranges.
We'd bumped into a few tourists heading south along the coast that had had some iffy experiences with the cheaper boats -- to the point that they were recommending simply going to a hotel on Cat Ba and just taking a day tour.
So based on the hotels' recommendations and taking into account the feedback we'd gotten from other travelers, we chose to spend more in Halong Bay to get as good a product as we could.
On the whole it was a fantastic choice. We sailed on First Choice larger boat, the Dragon's Pearl. It is clean, oozes charm with it's wood paneling everywhere and has plenty of room to sit and enjoy the spectacular setting. They have an impeccable attention to service, especially when it comes to food. Meals were delicious, offering a wide variety of options. They clearly ask you beforehand if you have any special dietary needs so they can arrange the menu for you (we didn't).
The rooms are small cabins with a tiny en-suite bathroom. The bathroom was spotless... which is a good thing considering it's a toilet and a sink, with a showerhead you use on the same floor. That may put off some, but it worked really well. And more importantly, it really was spotless. We found the wood panelling in the room completely charming and the beds super comfortable. They also provided bottles of water which was a nice touch.
The boat itself had a dining area which was nice, if a bit hot at times even with the air conditioning on. But we tried to spend as little time in there as possible. You're not in Halong Bay to be inside! The main attraction was on the rooftop sundeck where we could lay out watching the spectacular scenery unfold. We had glorious weather for the most part and the peace and serenity of Halong is breathtaking. There was a lower forward deck with chairs which was also nice, especially in the evening where all the passengers with us hung out after dinner. Compared to other boats that floated by us, the amenities on ours seemed just slightly more polished. But I wasn't in the other boats so can't comment to the quality of others.
We only had a few minor glitches on this trip you should be aware about. Embarcation and disembarcation are really poorly organized. We arrived on their van from Hanoi early and were just sitting around with no real direction as to what was happening. There was a lot of confusion with our reservation. They really should have a desk for people to check in, or a single person at least who is waiting there for you -- especially considering the price point which is expensive for Vietnam. Disembarcation was chaotic too, with no information as to when vans back to Hanoi would arrive.
We also wished our "tour guide" on the boat would have left us alone. He was friendly enough at first. But there was an odd issue with our booking in that he kept insisting we were going kayaking when we hadn't booked kayaking. On a one night trip there is plenty to do without having to pack in a kayak trip. This was solved quickly we thought. Instead our tour guide kept reminding us throughout the whole trip about it. How he had to call our hotel that reserved it, and his manager, about it. Blah blah blah. First Choice had already sorted it out and didn't charge us for the kayaks, despite his endless whining. He would also show up inexplicably to just chat and be friendly with us at inoportune times when we were just soaking in the scenery and not get the hint when we wouldn't really make conversation. He was condescending in the cave tour when anyone would stray away from his endless explanations that didn't tell you much. The thing about Halong Bay is that it doesn't need much explanation or guiding. You just soak in the beauty. Needless to say we didn't feel a need to tip our "tour guide." We did tip the boat staff who were wonderful in every way possible.
All in all, I HIGHLY recommend First Choice. The Dragon's Pearl was immaculate and comfortable. The sun deck was thoroughly relaxing and the boat service was top notch. One night was plenty for us, but the people who were on multi-day trip were gushing about their experience too. You don't feel the multi-day people coming on or off the boat as they have separate small boats that ferry them off the main boat for the extra excursions, so you don't go back and forth to the dock at all other than when you check in and out. The boat is gorgeous, and floating on a top-quality junk definitely helps round out the Halong Bay experience!
Halong Bay was as breathtaking as I'd hoped, and the Dragon's Pearl was a classy way to take in this natural wonder. First Choice did a great job helping make Halong Bay unforgettable.
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