Ha Long cruise with kids: child fares, boat by boat

On most Ha Long cruise boats a child under four or five sails free in the parents’ cabin, a child up to about ten pays 50 to 85% of the adult fare, and the full fare starts somewhere between nine and twelve. Thirty-two of the 92 boats we publish print a complete ladder on their operators’ own websites, read between 10 August and 14 October 2026, and the table sets them side by side.

What does a child pay on a Ha Long cruise?

Nothing until four or five (six on Calypso), then a share of the adult fare. The table covers the first child sharing a cabin with two adults, which is the case these ladders are written for. Percentages are of the per-person adult fare for the same cabin and trip. Boats that print an identical ladder share a row.

Boats	Free	Child rate, by age	Adult fare from age
La Pandora	Under 4	4–8: 75%	9
La SEN of the Bay	Ages 1–4	5–9: 75%	10
Scarlet Pearl, Unicharm, Venezia	Under 5	5–9: 75%	10
Verdure Lotus Classic, Verdure Lotus Grandeur	Ages 1–4	5–9: 85% on an extra bed; adult rate in a main bed	10
Alisa Premier	Under 4	4–6: 60% · 7–10: 80%	11
Aqua Classic, Aqua Legend, Aqua of the Seas, Athena Luxury, Hermes, Renea, Signature	Under 5	5–10: 75%	11
Athena Premium	Ages 1–4	5–10: 75%	11
Aurora	Under 5	5–6: 50% · 7–10: 75%	11
Diana	Ages 1–4	5–10: 75% on an extra bed; adult rate in a main bed	11
Venus	Under 5	5–10: 50% without an extra bed	11
Heritage Line Ginger, Heritage Line Violet	Under 5 only with permission	5–11: 50%	12
Elite of the Seas, Rosy, Stellar of the Seas	Under 4	4–6: 50% · 7–11: 75%	12
Emperor, Orient Legacy	Under 5	5–11: 70%	12, at 90% of the adult fare
Sena	Under 5	5–11: 75%	12
Swan	Under 5	5–8: 50% · 9–11: 75%	12
Treasure Junk, Victory, Victory Star	Under 5	5–11: 50%; 75% with an extra bed	12
Calypso	Under 6	6–11: 75%	12

Seventy-five per cent is the commonest child rate: 21 of the 32 boats top out there. Six charge half the adult fare for a school-age child sharing the parents’ cabin without an extra bed, and those are worth a look if your children are between five and eleven: Heritage Line’s Ginger and Violet (on a cruise-only booking), Venus, and the three boats on Bai Tho Junks’ terms (Treasure Junk, Victory, Victory Star). The table uses the operators’ own terms; if you book through a listing site, get the ages and percentages for your children written on the confirmation before you pay.

At what age does my child pay the adult fare?

Between nine and twelve, and the spread matters. On these 32 boats a ten-year-old already pays the full fare on seven, and an eleven-year-old on nineteen. La Pandora starts its adult fare at nine. Thirteen boats keep the child rate until the twelfth birthday, Stellar of the Seas, Swan, Sena and Elite of the Seas among them. On La Pandora a ten-year-old and an eleven-year-old both pay the adult fare; on Stellar of the Seas each pays 75%, which between them is half an adult fare less.

Ask which date the boat counts from if a birthday falls between booking and sailing. Hermes goes by year of birth and Diana by date of birth. Orchid’s four boats ask for a birth certificate for each child at check-in, so pack one.

Four is the other edge. A four-year-old sails free on 25 of the 32 boats. On Elite of the Seas, Rosy and Stellar of the Seas the same child already pays 50%, on Alisa Premier 60% and on La Pandora 75%. Heritage Line does not take children under five on Ginger or Violet without the operator’s special permission.

What does a second child pay?

Something, on every ladder that mentions one, because the free place goes to one child per cabin. A second child under five pays 40% on Emperor and Orient Legacy and 50% on Aurora, Hermes, Scarlet Pearl and the three Bai Tho boats. Under four, a second child pays 30% on Alisa Premier, 50% on La Pandora and 75% on Peony, and La SEN of the Bay charges 50% for a second child aged one to four.

Two school-age children cannot always both have the child rate in one cabin. Sena prints one child rate per cabin, Aurora one child per room at its rates, and Aqua Classic and Aqua Legend a maximum of two children per cabin.

Can the children have their own cabin?

Yes, but at 75 to 100% of the price. Two children in a cabin of their own pay 75% of the cabin rate on Renea if both are under 11, and on Emeraude Classic if both are under 12. Emperor and Orient Legacy charge two under-12s 90% of the cabin rate, Swan the full rate, and Sena the full rate for any two children. Treasure Junk, Victory and Victory Star charge each child 85% of the adult fare in a cabin of their own.

A child travelling with one adult pays more. Peony, Mon Cheri and Sena charge the adult rate. Ginger and Violet charge 75% on a cruise-only booking, the Bai Tho boats 85%.

Will a family of four fit in one cabin?

Often not. The standard cabin on many boats is sold for two adults and one child. Indochina Sails prints that for Indochine, Indochine Grand and Indochine Premium, and Lyra Grandeur, Nostalgia and La Casta say the same; on Hera the child has to be under five, and Amanda takes two children aged five to eleven only in its triple cabins. Stellar of the Seas allows two adults plus two children under 12 in a room, with a baby cot free, and Elite of the Seas prints the same rule.

For four with space to spare there are two answers. The first is a connecting pair: two cabins joined by an inside door. Nineteen of the boats we publish sell a cabin class with “connecting” in its name, among them Swan, Majesty Prime, La SEN of the Bay, Sena, Aurora, Athena Premium and both Verdure Lotus boats. The second is one large family room. Venus’s Family Suites are 55 m² and take three adults and a child under five, Hera Classic Boutique’s Family Suite takes four adults, and Diana’s Royal Family Suite takes four.

The catch is how few there are. Swan sells two connecting pairs among its 18 cabins, Diana two Royal Family Suites among 56, Hera Classic Boutique two Family Suites among 19 and Venus four Family Suites among 29. Some hide behind plain names: Orchid Trendy’s Family Deluxe is two Deluxe cabins joined, 56 m² for four adults, and Peony’s Family Deluxe pairs a double cabin with a twin through a connecting door. Read the occupancy beside the cabin name, and if you want a door between you and the children, ask for a connecting pair by that name. Our cabin guide covers what each grade includes.

What baby kit do the boats provide?

Some name it; check before you pack a travel cot. Stellar of the Seas provides a baby cot free, Hermes a baby crib, and Elite of the Seas also gives a cot free. Indochina Sails charges US$25 a night for a cot on its three boats, and Peony supplies cots and extra beds on request at a separate charge. Heritage Cruise Binh Chuan lists cribs, high chairs and children’s life vests. Genesis Regal caters children’s meals and offers a crib or extra bed in its suites.

Dragon Legend is explicit about one thing parents should know before boarding: it provides life jackets for children over five and asks you to bring your own for younger ones. If your child is small, ask your boat the same question.

How long is the day before you board?

Most of a morning: Stellar of the Seas and Swan collect in Hanoi between 07:45 and 08:35 and board around noon. La Pandora’s shuttle collects at 37 Ngo Huyen in Hoan Kiem and takes about two hours to Tuan Chau; check-in is from 12:00. Stellar of the Seas collects in the Old Quarter between 08:15 and 08:35 in a shared limousine that is free for up to nine adults, and the speedboat out to the ship leaves at 12:00. Swan’s shuttle leaves the Old Quarter between 07:45 and 08:30 at US$30 a person, and guests reach the lounge at the cruise port by 11:40 to 12:00 before a tender out. For the drive itself see getting from Hanoi to Ha Long, and which harbour you leave from for the meeting point.

What if the weather closes the bay?

On Stellar of the Seas and Swan, a refund, on terms that differ. Stellar of the Seas refunds in full when bad weather cancels the trip on check-in day. Swan refunds in full if the cruise is called off before 12:00 at the port, or charges US$70 a person if you have already used the transport and lunch. Our cancellation guide has the closure rules boat by boat.

Which boats suit a family?

Three boats with full terms on their operators’ sites cover the usual cases. With two children under 12, Stellar of the Seas lets all four of you share one room on Lan Ha, adds a free cot if one of them is a baby, and keeps the child rate to the twelfth birthday. Swan, an 18-cabin boat on Bai Tu Long, suits a family that wants a door between parents and children: it sells two connecting family pairs and charges half fare from five to eight.

La Pandora on Lan Ha sells its Family Suite as a triple or a quadruple and collects from a fixed address in Hoan Kiem. Its adult fare starts earlier than on any other boat in the table: a child under four sails free, ages four to eight pay 75%, and from nine the adult fare applies, so it suits a family whose children are under four.

For the full list of boats that sell a family or connecting cabin, see our family cruises.

Common questions

Do babies sail free on a Ha Long cruise? Usually, if they share the parents’ bed. On 30 of the 32 boats with a full ladder, a three-year-old pays nothing; the exceptions are Heritage Line’s Ginger and Violet, which do not take children under five without special permission. The free place is normally for one child per cabin, and a cot may carry a charge.

What age counts as an adult on Ha Long cruises? Anywhere from nine to twelve. Of 32 boats whose operators print the age, one starts the adult fare at nine (La Pandora), six at ten, twelve at eleven and thirteen at twelve. Check your boat’s age and the date it counts from before you book, because a birthday can change the price of a whole berth.

Are family cabins bigger than standard cabins? Some are large rooms or connecting pairs for four, and some are triples. Venus’s 55 m² Family Suite takes three adults and a child under five, Hera Classic Boutique’s takes four adults, and Orchid Trendy’s Family Deluxe is two Deluxe cabins joined, 56 m² for four. Le Journey Elegance’s Junior Triple Suite is sold for three adults and a child. If you need beds for four, ask for the occupancy in writing or book a connecting pair.

Should we book two cabins or one family suite? A second cabin for the children rarely comes cheap. On Swan or Sena, two children in their own cabin pay the full cabin rate, on Emperor and Orient Legacy 90%, and on Renea two under-11s pay 75%. Set that against the child rates in the table and a family suite on the same date before you choose.