Aime'e Cruise

Aime’e is the 2025 boat from Bai Tho Junks, a Ha Long operator that says it has been running junks since 1991. The pitch is room size: 29 suites on four decks, the smallest of them 30 to 32 m², each with a bathtub that looks out on the bay. A lift runs between the first three decks. On a reseller’s August 2026 list it started at $165 per person, two sharing, for one night. The operator boards guests by tender at Ha Long International Cruise Port, on the Bai Chay side of the city, for a night in the main channel of Ha Long Bay.

What do you get on Aime’e that an older boat lacks?

Mostly space and a younger fit-out. The operator lists a spa, a gym, private karaoke rooms, a reading lounge, a sky bar on the top deck and an open-air jacuzzi pool on the third deck, the restaurant’s deck. Its deck plan marks an elevator on the first, second and third decks. The lift stops short of the sun deck, where the sky bar, gym and karaoke are.

Set your expectations on the pool. Two guests, in March and October 2026, found it nearer a jacuzzi in size; the October guest noted it sits by the spot where the evening cooking class is held. Another, on the three-day trip, liked that it was heated.

Bai Tho calls Aime’e the newest member of its own fleet, which also includes the older Victory Star and Victory in Ha Long and Treasure Junk in Bai Tu Long. Across the wider market Aime’e is not the newest: seven of the 92 boats we list give 2026 as their launch year, one of them disputed (our boat files, 14 October 2026). The boat-age guide explains why a launch year is worth checking before you pay for it.

Which Aime’e suite should you book?

For most couples, the Eden Balcony Suite. It is the same 30 to 32 m² as the Grace Ocean Suite and adds a private balcony one deck higher, for $20 more a night on the reseller list below. Grace sits on the first deck behind floor-to-ceiling glass, with a seating corner by the window behind an archway, and it is the class that offers connecting rooms for families. Eden offers an extra bed instead.

The top two classes are a different purchase. There are two Essence Terrace Suites of about 65 m² at the stern of the second deck, each with a terrace, sunbeds and its own outdoor jacuzzi. The single Aime’e Suite sits in the bow at about 60 m² and has two balconies with sunbeds. The operator says guests in these three rooms get drinks with meals, a foot massage and the Hanoi transfer both ways.

Resellers put 14 rooms in Grace and 12 in Eden, which adds up to the operator’s 29. Eden has two fewer rooms than Grace, so ask early for busy dates. Our cabin guide covers what the extra floor area buys on other boats.

How much does Aime’e cost?

From $165 per person, two sharing, for the two-day trip. That is half the $330 that halongbaytours.com listed for a Grace Ocean Suite on 6 August 2026, on a page headed as a summer promotion. Prices move with season and promotions, so confirm yours on the quote before you plan around it.

Both columns are halongbaytours.com, read 28 October 2026. A second reseller, Origin Vietnam, listed $348 to $809 for the four classes on 6 August 2026. On the three-day trip a Grace cabin costs $290 more than one night, so the second night is not much cheaper than the first. The operator’s own itinerary counts VAT, the service charge and on-board insurance as included. Ask whether the Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year surcharge applies to your dates. The cost guide compares other boats.

Are drinks, wifi and the Hanoi transfer included on Aime’e?

No. The operator’s own exclusions list the Hanoi transfer (arranged on request), beverages, spa treatments and karaoke. Resellers quoted the shared van at $35 to $38 a person for the round trip in August 2026. The operator’s spa article prices a 30-minute treatment at $30 and 45 minutes at $40. In the cabin you get one bottle of water, tea or coffee per person per night. A guest writing in July 2026 who gave one star was annoyed to find no ordinary water served at dinner and felt charged for every small extra. The same guest found the wifi poor and reported cockroaches in the room, but did not blame the staff.

The wifi complaint matches what the operator itself says: a connection in the restaurant and bar only, weak at times because the boat is far from land. If you need to work, plan on mobile data. If you want to drink freely, ask for the drinks list in writing before you book, or price up a top-class suite where meal drinks and the transfer are part of the deal. Our guide to what is not included lists the usual extras on a Ha Long bill.

What does the two-day trip look like, hour by hour?

It is a classic main-channel night, timed by the operator. If you book the operator’s van, it collects you from an Old Quarter hotel between 08:00 and 08:30 and reaches the port around 11:30; you are on the tender at 12:15. Lunch is served as the boat sails out. At 14:45 you go into Luon Cave on a rowed bamboo boat or by kayak, and at 16:00 Titop Island gives you a beach and a climb to the viewpoint. The sundeck session with drinks and a cooking demonstration runs from 17:00, dinner is at 19:15, and squid fishing starts at 21:00.

Day two begins with tai chi at 06:15. After a light breakfast you visit Sung Sot at 07:20, then pack, because cabins are cleared at 09:15. Brunch follows, you land around 10:45 to 11:00, and the van gets back to Hanoi at about 14:30.

Guests describe the food in some detail. Lunch was a buffet for some and a set menu for others, and dinner on the first night ran to five or six plated courses. A family travelling with two toddlers mentioned a children’s menu at dinner. Bring passports. The operator says the port authority can refuse boarding without one.

Is the three-day trip on Aime’e worth it?

For people who want to get away from the busiest stretch of water, yes. The first and last days are identical to the two-day trip. The middle day moves you to Lan Ha Bay on a smaller boat, which collects you from 8:00. You kayak near Trinh Nu Cave, eat lunch on board, swim at Ba Trai Dao in Lan Ha and stop at a pearl farm before you are back on Aime’e at 15:00. A guest on that trip in early 2026 liked that the small boat took them away from the most crowded spots. Our two days or three guide sets out the trade.

Who is Aime’e for?

It suits couples who want a big room and a bath with a view, families of three who can share a triple, and anyone who needs a lift between cabin and restaurant. It is a poor pick for a group that wants the operator’s own price up front or drinks thrown in, because both need a conversation with Bai Tho first. Travellers after a quiet anchorage on the two-day trip should also look elsewhere: every stop on it is in the main Ha Long channel, and only the three-day trip’s middle day goes to Lan Ha. The quietest bay compares the alternatives, and the luxury shortlist has the other boats in this class.

What happens if you cancel or the bay closes?

Aime’e’s cancellation terms depend on how many cabins you book. For one or two cabins, cancelling more than seven days out costs nothing, six to three days out costs half, and inside 72 hours or a no-show costs the full fare. Three to five cabins need 30 days’ notice for a free cancellation. Requests have to be in writing. If you booked through an agency, its own terms can be stricter, so read the ones on your confirmation.

When the port authority closes the bay before you leave Hanoi, the operator refunds in full or offers another date. If the closure comes while you are on the road, the transfer is refunded and you are driven back. A three-day trip cut short is charged as a two-day one, or 75% of the three-day fare if you cruise until 17:00 on day two.

Where these facts come from

The launch year, the 29 suites, the pier, the timetable and both programmes come from aimeecruises.com, read on 10 October 2026, and several resellers agree on the year and the suite count. The cancellation and bad-weather terms are from the operator’s policy page, read on 14 October 2026. Prices are from halongbaytours.com, read on 28 October 2026, and originvietnam.com, read on 6 August 2026, and move with season and promotions. Guest remarks are from Google reviews, dated where they appear. The new boats list carries the other recent launches.