HL-23 · Ha Long Bay
Athena Premium Cruise
Cabins 41
From$195per person, two sharingread 8 Oct 2026A guide, not a quote — we confirm the live rate when you enquire.
Details →HL-19 · Ha Long Bay
Au Co Cruise
Older hull than 18 of 24
Au Co crosses two bays in a single night. You board at Tuan Chau at noon, kayak the lagoon at Ho Ba Ham on the Lan Ha side that afternoon, and choose between Tien Ong cave and the floating village at Cua Van the next morning. The ship is steel, 56 m long, spread over four decks, and was launched in 2012. Bhaya Cruises, which runs it, says fourteen years of cruising and a crew of 45.
Two ships, one name
Bhaya runs twin Au Co ships of 32 cabins each, renovated in recent years, and the guest stories it publishes name Au Co 1 and Au Co 2. A booking under the Au Co name does not tell you which hull you will sleep on. The same company also runs Bhaya Classic, Bhaya Legend and Bhaya Soul. Put the ship’s full name and number on the confirmation.
The cabins, all 32
Bhaya describes every grade. Fourteen deluxe cabins fill the main deck at 20 m², each with a balcony of its own and a glass-walled shower, some of them connecting. Twelve executive cabins sit on the upper deck at the same 20 m², also with balconies. The two grand deluxe cabins, aft on the upper deck, trade the balcony for a large panoramic window.
Then the suites. The Long Quan suites sit at the stern with a terrace, sun loungers, a king bed and a bathtub, at 40 m². The two Au Co suites are forward, at 36 m², with a wraparound balcony, a queen bed and a free-standing tub.
On deck there is a shared jacuzzi, the tub the operator photographs full of flower petals at dusk; no cabin description mentions one. The ship also has a spa, and kayaking is in the fare.
The route
Bhaya’s own terminal, the Bhaya Halong Cruise Center at No 9 Ngoc Chau harbour inside Tuan Chau Marina, is where you board, and the ship leaves at noon. Our note on which harbour you leave from sets the three piers side by side.
On the two-day trip the first afternoon goes to Ho Ba Ham, the lake-like lagoon where the kayaks come out, followed by happy hour, a cooking competition, rice-wine tasting and squid fishing. Next morning you pick Tien Ong cave or the floating culture centre at Cua Van, reached by kayak or rowing boat, and the ship is back at the marina by ten. The operator puts you in central Hanoi or at the airport between 13:30 and 14:30.
The three-day programme adds Trinh Nu beach and cave and the pearl farm at Tung Sau, with Ba Ham, Tien Ong and Cua Van still on it. A four-day version reaches into Bai Tu Long for Viet Hai, Vung Vieng, Thien Canh Son, Sung Sot and Luon. The caves and islands guide shows how often each of those stops turns up across the fleet, and Ha Long Bay covers the water the ship starts from.
Price and offers
One reseller, read on 6 August 2026, prices the two-day trip at $385 for a deluxe or grand deluxe cabin, $427 for an executive and $685 for the Long Quan suite. For the three-day trip the same grades are $731, $835 and $1,301. It states that its prices assume two adults in a cabin, so these are cabin prices for two. Halved, the cheapest one-night cabin is about $193 each for two sharing.
Bhaya’s own pages quote prices with all taxes and fees included. Ask the operator for a quote for your dates, and compare it with the reseller’s figures.
When we read the operator’s pages on 6 August 2026, the two-day trip carried a “Kids Sail Free” tag; ask for its terms with your quote.
Book direct with Bhaya and the shared limousine from the Hanoi Old Quarter is in the fare: pick-up is between 08:00 and 08:30 and the drive takes about two and a half hours. A private car costs extra. Through an agency the shuttle may be billed; halongbaytours.com charged $40 an adult for the round trip in August 2026. Drinks and spa treatments are extra, so check what is not included before comparing totals.
What happens if you cancel or the weather turns?
Bhaya’s standard booking conditions, which cover all its boats unless your rate says otherwise, leave you free to cancel more than 28 days out. For one to four cabin-nights the charge is 30% from 28 days, 60% from 14 days and the full fare inside eight days, and a change of date is free more than 21 days ahead. Promotional rates such as non-refundable deals override this. If weather stops a sailing before departure, Bhaya offers the nearest alternative and refunds or charges the difference.
Who it suits
Couples and families who want a balcony cabin and a single night that reaches the Lan Ha side, booked through someone who will name the hull. Groups too: the operator’s wedding page allows up to 76 guests a ship overnight. The rest of the luxury list is where to compare it.
Who should look elsewhere
Travellers who want a bathtub without paying for a suite, and anyone booking through an agency who needs the twin hulls kept straight: ask which Au Co you are on. If you are choosing between waters first, the bays differ.
Where these facts come from
The cabins, decks, crew, launch year, programmes and pier are from bhayacruises.com, read on 6 August 2026, and halongbaytours.com gives the same launch year. The transfer, times, cancellation and weather terms are from Bhaya’s FAQ and booking conditions, read the same day. Prices are from originvietnam.com, read on 6 August 2026.
Why people book Au Co
Book it if
- Two bays in one night: kayaking at Ho Ba Ham on the Lan Ha side, then Tien Ong cave or Cua Van the next morning
- Every standard cabin is 20 m², and 26 of the 28 come with a balcony of their own
- A 56 m steel ship on four decks, with a spa, a deck jacuzzi and a crew the operator puts at 45
The decisions either side of it
Athena Premium Cruisethe step up+$2
41 cabins against 32
Paradise Elegance Cruisethe step up+$5
Hull 2017 against 2012
31 cabins against 32
Chosen by price proximity within the same bay, computed from our dataset — not by commission. We add no booking fee to any of them.
Our read
Our view is that Au Co's strength is its route: one night that reaches the Lan Ha side from Tuan Chau, on a large steel ship with a balcony on almost every cabin. There are twin hulls under one name, so ask which you are booking and get the transfer terms in writing.
Choose your cabin
Deluxe Cabin14 of 32 cabins
20 m², private balcony.
20 m²Balcony ✓
In the room
Air ConditioningBottled WaterIn Room SafeHair DryerBathrobesBalcony
Grand Deluxe Cabin2 of 32 cabins
20 m².
20 m²
In the room
Air ConditioningBottled WaterIn Room SafeHair DryerBathrobes
Executive Cabin12 of 32 cabins
20 m², private balcony.
20 m²Balcony ✓
In the room
Air ConditioningBottled WaterIn Room SafeHair DryerBathrobesBalcony
Lac Long Quan Suite2 of 32 cabins
40 m², king, ocean view, private balcony.
40 m²KingOcean viewBalcony ✓
In the room
Air ConditioningBottled WaterIn Room SafeHair DryerBathtubBathrobesBalcony
Au Co Suite2 of 32 cabins
36 m², queen, ocean view, private balcony.
36 m²QueenOcean viewBalcony ✓
In the room
Air ConditioningBottled WaterIn Room SafeHair DryerBathtubBathrobesBalcony
Rates are the highest fare each listing published per cabin (rack rate, double occupancy unless marked) — treat them as the ceiling, not the floor.
What's in the fare — and what isn't
In the fare
- Kayaking and excursions
- All meals
From the operator's own published terms, read 6 Aug 2026.
Good to know
Who should look at something else
- Your dates might move; Bhaya's standard terms charge 30% from 28 days out, 60% from 14 days and the full fare inside eight
- You want a bathtub; on the operator's own descriptions only the suites have one
- You want a balcony at the deluxe price on the upper deck; the two grand deluxe cabins there have a panoramic window instead
Boarding times and the operator's terms
The boat's own timings
- Boarding
- 12:00
- Disembark, Tuan Chau
- 10:00
Cancellation
Standard terms unless your rate plan says otherwise. Shared cruises, 1–4 cabin-nights: more than 28 days before departure: free. 28–15 days: 30% of the fare. 14–8 days: 60%. Less than 8 days: 100%. 5 or more cabin-nights: 50%, 80% and 100% over the same periods. Date changes are free more than 21 days ahead.
Weather and port closure
The operator may change or cancel a cruise for bad weather. If it is cancelled before departure, you are offered the nearest alternative, with a refund or top-up for the price difference. Refunds are limited to the amount actually paid, less services already used.
Hanoi transfer
Included for bookings made on the operator's website: return shared limousine between the Hanoi Old Quarter and Ha Long, pick-up 08:00–08:30, about 2.5 hours. Private cars cost extra.
Per the operator's own terms on bhayacruises.com, read 6 Aug 2026. Rates, group sizes and booking channels can change the terms; your booking confirmation is what applies.
Where it goes — 7 published stops
- Halong Bay
- Lan Ha Bay
- Ba Ham Lake
- Tien Ong Cave
- Cua Van Floating Village
- Trinh Nu Beach
- Tung Sau Pearl Farm
Stops as published across the sources we track. Operators reorder them with the tide and the weather, and the provincial authority can close a cave at short notice.
Which pier does Au Co Cruise leave from?
Tuan Chau International Marina. Drivers do occasionally go to the wrong harbour, so give the full name when you arrange your own transfer.
Before you book, read
- Best Ha Long Bay cruises by 8,065 guest reviewsThis ranking is built from the reviews we read ourselves, one boat at a time, and nothing else. No operator paid to be near the top. The boat that sits there is also the dearest of the boats we rank that carry a price, but second and third start at $165 and $168 a person, two sharing.
- Ha Long Bay in December: cool, dry, why reviews dipDecember on the bay means cool days, cold evenings on deck and very little rain. Its reviews look weak on the yearly chart, but the last two Decembers came in close to average, and its low scores mention cabins and cleanliness more often than usual.
- Ha Long Bay in November: least cloud, a cooler seaNovember has the least cloud of the year on ten years of weather data and one of the lowest shares of one and two star reviews. When November trips go wrong, guests most often say the itinerary was cut, changed or thinner than sold, and a few describe a boat that hardly sailed.
Specifications · cross-checked 7 Aug 2026
Sheet HL-19- Cabins
- 32
- Launched
- 2012
- Hull
- Steel
- Bay
- Ha Long Bay
- Departs from
- Tuan Chau International Marina
- Decks
- 4
- Length overall
- 56
- Jacuzzi
- Yes
- Spa
- Yes
- Kayaking
- Yes
- Balcony
- Some cabins
- Crew
- 45
Read for this boat: the operator's site, 3 independent listings. One dot per source, filled when that source publishes the figure. How we verify
Where this price sits in the bay
From$193
$100$150$200$250$300this boat
This boat · #22 of 28 priced on Ha Long BayThe other 27 priced boats · median $158
We add no booking fee. The figure we show is half the cheapest cabin for two on the rate table we read, dated the day we read it.
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