Athena Royal Cruise

Athena Royal is a 22-cabin steel boat on which every cabin has its own balcony, and she sails Bai Tu Long, the quieter bay east of Ha Long. The tender takes you out from Ha Long International Cruise Port, on the Bai Chay side of the city, at 12:45. By mid-afternoon you are in a kayak off Cong Do, and at half past seven the next morning you are climbing into Thien Canh Son Cave. On the halongbaytours.com listing read on 6 August 2026, the cheapest cabin for two was $280 for the night: from $140 per person, two sharing.

Athena Group runs a sister ship, Athena Luxury, on the Ha Long Bay programme. Athena Royal is the group’s Bai Tu Long boat, and the operator’s own Bai Tu Long pages name her.

Where does Athena Royal go?

Into Bai Tu Long Bay, on a programme the operator publishes hour by hour. Lunch is served while she sails out from Bai Chay. At about three she reaches the Cong Do area, and the afternoon goes on kayaking between the islets, swimming and a white-sand beach. Back aboard there is time for a massage before a cooking demonstration at 17:30, which runs alongside a buy-one-get-one happy hour. Dinner is at seven. Later there are films, board games and squid fishing.

The second morning starts with tai chi at six. After a light breakfast the tender runs you to Thien Canh Son, a cave of two chambers reached by about 200 steps, with a beach of white sand below it. Check-out is at nine, and brunch is on the way back to port.

The two-night trip keeps both of those days and adds a full one between them. At 08:30 you change to a smaller day boat for Vung Vieng, the floating fishing village where pearls are farmed, and kayak from there. Lunch is on the day boat, then tea while it cruises, and Athena Royal takes you back aboard at four. Agencies selling the trip also list a kayak into Thay Cave when the tide allows, and a pass by Cua Van. The operator calls every time approximate and confirms them at check-in. Our guide to Bai Tu Long cruises sets this route against the other boats on the bay.

Where do you board, and at what time?

At Ha Long International Cruise Port, the Sun Group terminal at 9 Ha Long Street, Bai Chay. The operator and three agencies all name it. Check in at the waiting lounge by 12:00. The tender leaves for the ship at 12:45 and lunch is at one. On the last morning the tender lands you back at the port at 10:45, on the one-night and the two-night trip alike. Give your driver the full name of the terminal, because the harbours here are easy to confuse.

The road from Hanoi is not in the fare. The Athena group’s transfer page lists a shared shuttle from the Old Quarter at $20 each way or $40 return, and a private car from $240 for a two-day cruise (read on 10 August 2026). Ask for the current fare on your quote; getting from Hanoi to Ha Long covers the alternatives.

Which cabin should you book?

For two people, the Deluxe Balcony. It is twelve of the twenty-two cabins, and the money above it buys floor space and, in the top two classes, a wooden bathtub. These are the prices for two on the halongbaytours.com listing read on 6 August 2026, the highest rate that listing showed for each class, with sizes and decks from the operator:

The suite is the only cabin on the top deck. On the Deluxe Balcony the two-night price is exactly twice the one-night price, so the Vung Vieng day costs as much as the first night did.

Families have a fifth option. The Deluxe Family Connecting room on the first deck is 50 m², with beds that set up as a double or twins, for up to four adults and a child, and it is priced on request. Odd-numbered parties should read the pricing carefully. A guest in October 2025 wrote that a solo traveller pays a supplement and that a third person in a cabin gets no discount, only less room.

What is the boat like on board?

Athena Royal launched in September 2019. She is a steel boat of 60 metres over three decks, with berths for 40 adults and six children. A guest in April 2024 noticed the small number of cabins and said the boat never felt crowded. There is a jacuzzi and a spa. Massages, drinks and laundry are extra. A guest in December 2023 paid $2 for a beer at happy hour.

Reviewers write about the crew by name. Andy, Chinh, Ha and Tim come up as cruise managers, and one guest whose husband had food poisoning before they boarded wrote about how the crew looked after him.

The cabins are where she gives ground. A guest in late 2023 called her an older boat starting to show wear, and another in October 2025 said the rooms needed a refresh. The 2024 refurbishment comes from the operator’s factsheet alone, so ask for recent photos of the cabin you are offered before you pay, and read how old is your boat for what age means on this coast.

How much of the trip is spent sailing?

Less than the word cruise suggests. On the operator’s timetable she moves over lunch on the way out and over brunch on the way back, and for the rest of the trip she sits at anchor while the tender and the kayaks do the work. One guest booked expecting long passages through the islands and was disappointed when the ship ran for little more than an hour and then dropped anchor. If moving through the scenery is the point for you, book two nights: the day boat to Vung Vieng spends most of the middle day on the water. Two days or three sets out that choice.

Who is Athena Royal for?

Couples who want a private balcony and the Bai Tu Long programme at Deluxe Balcony prices, and who care more about the crew than about new fittings. Families of four or five, who can take the connecting room. People who would happily trade sailing time for an afternoon in a kayak and a cave climb. She sits on the Bai Tu Long list and among the best-value boats.

Look elsewhere if you travel alone or as three, because the pricing is built for pairs. The same goes if a recently fitted cabin matters more to you than the people serving you, or if you want the boat itself under way for most of the afternoon.

Where these facts come from

The pier, the times and both programmes come from the operator’s Bai Tu Long pages on athenacruise.com, read on 14 October 2026, and three agencies name the same pier. Cabin classes, sizes, decks, berths and length come from the Athena group’s Athena Royal page, read on 10 August 2026. The launch month is from athenacruise.com, read on 11 October 2026. Prices are from the halongbaytours.com listing read on 6 August 2026 and move with season and promotions, so confirm yours on the quote. Guest remarks are from Google reviews, dated where they appear.