Athena Luxury Cruise

Every cabin class on Athena Luxury comes with a private balcony or, in two cabins, a sun terrace, and ten of them are the entry Deluxe Balcony. That cabin cost $280 for one night on a reseller’s list read on 28 October 2026, which is from $140 per person, two sharing. Her owner, Athena Group, calls her a five-star ship. She is steel, built in 2016, and made her first voyage on 1 July 2017. Guests board by tender from Ha Long International Cruise Port on the Bai Chay side of Ha Long Bay.

What is on board Athena Luxury?

Three decks, a steel hull and a cabin plan built around balconies. Cabins fill the lower two decks; the middle deck also holds the 45-seat restaurant and bar, and the open sundeck on top has a second bar, a coffee lounge, a spa and a sauna. Berths are given as 42 adults and six children, with a crew of 30.

Evenings are low-key. The sundeck has a projector screen for films, and the morning starts with tai chi up there at 06:30. A guest in March 2026 found a jacuzzi on the top deck, and a guest in April 2026 spent an evening in the jacuzzi with a cold beer.

Is the cheapest balcony cabin on Athena Luxury good enough?

For two people, yes: 25 m², a double or twin bed and its own balcony on the first deck. The Elegance Balcony one deck up adds 3 m² for $50 more a night. Rates are per cabin, halongbaytours’ published maximums read on 28 October 2026; counts, decks and sizes are the owner’s.

The Premium Terrace swaps the balcony for a private sun terrace, and at $400 it comes to $200 each for two. The Family Triple has a double and a single bed; three adults in it pay $160 each for the night.

How much does Athena Luxury cost, and is the second night cheaper?

From $140 per person, two sharing, for one night. The two-night column above is the price of the whole trip. For the Deluxe Balcony the second night costs exactly what the first does, $280; for the other three priced classes it is $40 cheaper than the first night.

Children follow the owner’s rules. One child under five sharing the parents’ bed is free; a second child under five on an extra bed, or a child aged five to ten sharing a bed, pays 75% of an adult fare; anyone eleven or older pays in full. A third person on an extra bed pays as an adult. The cost guide sets these prices against the wider market.

What happens if you cancel or the bay closes?

Athena’s terms, which cover its whole fleet, are generous early and strict late. For one to three cabins, cancelling more than 30 days out is free; 15 to 30 days out costs 20%, 7 to 14 days 50%, and anything later, or a no-show, the full fare. If the authorities close the bay before you leave Hanoi, you get a full refund or a free change of date. If the closure catches you at the harbour, the cruise fare comes back and only the transport you used is charged; a cruise cut short is billed for what you actually had.

What does the overnight trip look like, hour by hour?

The owner publishes one timetable for its Athena ships, and it runs like this.

After a light breakfast at 07:00 on day two you go to Luon Cave at 08:00, where the kayaks are free and a bamboo rowing boat with a local boatman costs a 50,000 VND public ticket per person. Bags go outside the door at 09:00, brunch is a buffet at 09:30 on the way back, and the tender lands you at the port at 10:45. In July and August 2024 the owner swapped the order, with Luon on day one and Titop on day two, so check the programme for your date.

Does Athena Luxury actually cruise much?

Not much, and this is the main thing to know before you book. On the owner’s timetable the ship leaves around lunchtime and is at her first stop by 14:45; after that every excursion goes by tender. She moves once more in the evening to her overnight mooring, then sails again on the morning of day two, out to Luon and back to port. A guest in October 2025 put the afternoon sailing at about an hour before the ship stopped. A German guest a month later called it a floating middle-class hotel. If watching the karsts slide past from your balcony is the point, pick a ship with a longer route.

The three-day trip adds a second limit. On day two the owner puts guests on a separate transfer boat from 08:15 until mid-afternoon, for Me Cung (Maze) Cave, a pearl farm and kayaking around Tung Sau, and lunch is part of that boat day. A guest who did two nights in early 2026 found that boat much plainer and every drink on it charged. See two days or three.

What is not included on Athena Luxury?

Drinks, the Hanoi transfer, spa treatments, laundry, tips, VAT and the bamboo-boat ticket, according to the owner’s exclusions list. Meals, the guide, entrance fees, kayaking, tai chi and squid fishing are included. The halongbaytours rates in the table already include tax and service charge.

Budget for water at dinner. A guest in February 2025 was surprised it was not served free with the evening meal, though water, juice and coffee came with breakfast and brunch. The owner’s own 15-seat limousine bus from the Hanoi Old Quarter costs $20 a person each way, $40 for the round trip. Wifi drops out among the karsts, the owner warns. More in what is not included.

What do guests say about the cabins and food?

The cabins split opinion, as you might expect on a ship launched in 2017; our boat-age guide explains what to ask before you pay. One guest’s balcony room in October 2025 had a jacuzzi tub; another, in September 2025, liked the trip but called the room outdated. A guest in February 2025 reported a musty smell from the air conditioning and a rusty bidet head.

On food, vegetarians in March 2024 found plenty on the buffet; the owner asks for dietary needs at least three days before departure.

Who is Athena Luxury for?

Couples who want a balcony for one night, and families, because the triple and the connecting cabin give a party of three or four a room together. First timers get the standard stops in a tidy timetable.

Look elsewhere if you want quiet water. A guest in February 2025 found the bay crowded with boats running the same cave, beach and squid-fishing routine, and this ship runs that same Sung Sot, Titop and Luon circuit; the quietest bay guide sets out the alternatives. Look elsewhere too if you want drinks folded into the price or a ship that is on the move for most of the afternoon. For comparison, see our luxury and best-value lists.

Where these facts come from

The timetables, inclusions, child rules and terms are from athenacruise.com, read on 14 October 2026; three sources name the same port. The cabin plan, decks, berths, crew, launch dates and the transfer prices are from the Athena group’s Athena Luxury pages on athenagrouphalong.com, read on 10 August 2026. Prices are from halongbaytours.com, read on 28 October 2026, and move with season and promotions. Guest remarks are from Google reviews, dated where they appear. Her sister Athena Royal sails Bai Tu Long.