Hermes Cruise

Hermes is an 18-cabin steel boat on Ha Long Bay, and every cabin has a private balcony and a jacuzzi tub. You leave from the Hermes lounge at Lot 20, Tuan Chau Marina, and by two in the afternoon you are paddling into Luon Cave. On the halongbaytours.com listing read on 6 August 2026, a Junior Suite for two was $320 for the night, the highest rate that listing published: from $160 per person, two sharing.

The same company sells a bigger sister, Hermes Premium, with 26 cabins, on the same website, so make sure your confirmation says Hermes Cruise if this is the boat you want.

Where does Hermes go?

Round the classic Ha Long circuit, on a timetable the operator publishes. Lunch is a buffet at 12:30. From 14:00 to 15:00 you go into Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat, and from 15:20 you climb to the viewpoint on Titov Island or swim off its beach. The evening is a sunset party, a cooking demonstration, dinner at 19:15 with traditional music until half past nine, and squid fishing.

Tai chi is at 06:15 on the second morning, breakfast from 06:45, and at 07:30 you walk through Sung Sot, the Amazing Cave. Check-out is at 09:30, brunch runs until 10:30, and you are ashore at Tuan Chau at 10:30. The operator’s bus leaves at 11:20 and reaches Hanoi at about half past three.

The two-night trip adds a day on a smaller boat. It leaves at 08:00 for Lan Ha, where you visit Trinh Nu Cave, swim from Ba Trai Dao, the Three Peaches beach, eat lunch on board, and call at a pearl farm and Me Cung Cave before you are back at 15:00. Sung Sot moves to the last morning. The three bays compared explains the difference between the two bays you see.

Where do you board, and at what time?

At the Hermes lounge, Lot 20, Tuan Chau Marina. The operator, halongbaytours.com and besthalongcruises.com all give the same lot. Check in by 11:20; the tender to the ship leaves at noon. Which harbour you leave from explains why the lot number matters to your driver.

The road from Hanoi is extra. The operator’s shared limousine, up to 15 seats, collects from the Old Quarter between 08:00 and 08:30 for $20 a person each way. A private seven-seater costs $125 each way, and a nine- or sixteen-seater $170.

Which cabin should you book?

For two people, the Junior Suite. These are the prices for two on the halongbaytours.com listing read on 6 August 2026, the highest rate it published for each class, with sizes, counts and decks from the operator:

The two President Suites have round double beds and share one 29 m² terrace with an outdoor jacuzzi, so you are sharing it with the neighbours. The second night costs a little less than the first: on the Junior Suite, two nights are $600 against $320, so the Lan Ha day adds $280.

Families have several options. There are two Triple Junior Suites of 33 m², a Triple Senior of 40 m², a 50 m² Family Senior Suite, and connecting pairs of Junior or Senior rooms; ask for those prices on the quote. On the operator’s terms a first child under five sharing the parents’ bed is free, a second pays 50%, children from five to ten pay 75%, and a cot is free.

What is in the fare?

The operator includes meals, welcome drinks, water on the bus and two bottles in the cabin, kayaking, the Ha Long permit and entrance fees, on-board insurance, Wi-Fi it calls weak, and a cake for a birthday. Drinks, massages and the Hanoi transport are extra, and Christmas and New Year’s Eve carry a surcharge of $60 an adult and $45 a child. Our list of what fares leave out has the rest.

Booking direct takes a 50% deposit, with the balance due 15 days before you sail and 3% added for cards. Cancelling more than 30 days out is free; from 30 to 16 days it costs 30%, and inside 15 days the whole fare. If the port authority cancels sailings before you leave Hanoi, the refund is 100%; if it happens during the trip, you pay for what you used.

Who is Hermes for?

Couples and families who want a small boat with a balcony and a hot tub on the main bay, and who want Luon, Titov and Sung Sot without changing boats. She sits among the small boats and on the best-value list, where $320 for two is close to the $310 middle of the 82 boats we hold a one-night rate for (rates read August to October 2026).

Look elsewhere if you want quiet water away from the main Ha Long stops; the quietest bay is the page to read instead. The same goes if you need a real pool or a dependable connection.

Where these facts come from

The lot, times, both programmes, the cabin classes with sizes, decks and counts, the inclusions, transfer prices and the payment, child and weather terms come from hermescruise.com, read on 10 August and 14 October 2026. Prices, the hull and the sundeck jacuzzi pool are from halongbaytours.com, read on 6 August 2026.