Halong Bay Cruise Trip: 14 Things you should never do

Taking a cruise is an activity that is always on your to-do list when coming to Halong Bay, Vietnam. There are a variety of things which can do on your Halong Bay cruise trip to relax and explore the natural beauty of Halong Bay. However, in order to have a perfect experience in Halong Bay, here are top 14 things you should never add in your “Things to do on Halong Bay cruise” list. Let’s read carefully and take note to prepare for your trip!

1. Ignore the Halong Bay cruises’ safety guide

Once you have boarded the cruise, there will be a check-in time when you are given a welcome drink, your cabin key, and a brief Halong Bay safety rules. The fact that many tourists are tired after a long trip to get to Halong Bay or maybe, they are just too excited to explore Halong Bay then they usually ignore the safety talk of the staff in cruise. However, it is not a wise choice! It is extremely important to listen carefully to this information. When cruising on the sea, there are a lot of sudden situations such as a tropical storm. Therefore, you have to know what to do in emergency cases for the sake of you and your travel companions.

2. Let your kids run wild during your Halong Bay tours

It is definitely important to take care of your children when traveling, especially when taking a cruise in Halong Bay. Of course, all Halong Bay cruises have balustrades to keep your kids not fall into the sea. However, you need to closely supervise your kids because they can climb the balustrades, which is extremely dangerous. In addition, in other activities when exploring Halong Bay such as swimming, visiting caves, kayaking, etc, you should pay more attention to the safety of your kids and follow carefully the safety guides.

3. Smoke or use drugs on the cruise

On all Halong Bay cruise, smoking is not allowed in the closed and covered areas of the boat including your cabin as a courtesy to other travelers. You can smoke in the sundeck - the only place where smoking is allowed. More importantly, you must not use or bring drugs to the cruises because in Vietnam, the opium and all opium preparations are illegal. All activities related to drugs such as possession, transportation, sale, use of drugs are prohibited. You will be severely punished by Vietnamese law if you do these activities. Therefore, smoking and using drugs should never be in your “Things to do in Halong Bay” list.

4. Get drunk on the cruise

We all know that the cruise tends to get bumpy during the trip so it is not safe if you get drunk and walk around. Also, there are a lot of cases that the guests get drunk and bother others or have conflicts with others. Remember that you come to Halong Bay to relax and enjoy nature so drink smartly.

5. Forget to turn off the tap

There is an interesting fact that the water on the cruise is three times more expensive than water on shore. Therefore, saving water on the cruise is absolutely important. Please remember to turn off the tap when not using it. If you detect a leaking or dripping tap, please tell it for the cruise’s staff, the maintenance crew will help you to fix it.

6. Eat only in the Halong Bay cruises’ restaurants

There are many wonderful places to enjoy the meal so don’t limit yourself to just eating in the restaurant. Why don’t you have a buffet meal on the board or take your food and drink and eat at the balcony of your cabin for a romantic dinner? Of course, you should ask the staff whether eating at room is allowed. There are many ways to have a memorable meal on the Halong Bay cruise, right?

7. Forget to plan in advance for the limited internet access

On most Halong Bay cruise, wifi connection is usually just provided in the restaurant. However, the internet signal on the cruise is definitely weak because when the cruise goes deeper to the bay, the limestone islets and islands will hamper the signal. Even when you have 3G/4G internet access, the signal is not improved much. Therefore, our advice is that you should turn off your devices and totally enjoy the beauty of Halong Bay. If you have an important email or work, it is better to finish it before getting on the cruise. You can also prepare some interesting books or a list of music to relax on the cruise without the internet connection.

8. Miss the sunset or sunrise on Halong Bay cruises

Watching the sunset or sunrise on the cruise is one of the interesting activities that you must see in Halong Bay. The sunset and sunrise in Halong Bay have their own beauty. You can welcome a new day with a Tai Chi session on the sundeck, enjoy the first sunlight of the day and breathe the fresh air. Also, after a busy day exploring Halong Bay, sipping a cocktail or indulging in a glass of fine wine and seeing the sunset with the orange light over the limestone islands is definitely one of the things to do in Halong Bay at night. 

9. Miss the cooking demonstration

Joining in a cooking demonstration will be a wonderful experience when taking a cruise in Halong Bay. In the cooking demonstration, you can learn how to make the popular Vietnamese foods and taste the dishes that you make yourself. Self-preparing a romantic Vietnamese meal on the cruise with your partners is a great idea, right? So don’t miss the cooking demonstration! 

10. Skip your breakfast

We all know that breakfast is an important meal of the day. More importantly, on the Halong Bay cruise, there are a lot of extra activities in a day so you definitely have a big breakfast to provide enough energy for a long day with Halong Bay cruise tour cruise. Remember to note the breakfast time to not miss it!

11. Leave your cabin door open

It is really great to have a balcony in your cabin to have a spacious view of Halong Bay. Of course, you will want to open the cabin door to receive the cool wind from the bay but remember to close the door when you go out. Why? Because the Halong Bay weather can change suddenly and there are many kinds of insects, it is dangerous when you open the cabin door when you are not in the room.

12. Ignore the culture differences during your Halong Bay tours

The culture and customs in Vietnam are quite different from Western countries’ culture which is more open. In Vietnam, people rarely show their personal expression of affection in public. Therefore, be noticed with your expression when you are in public places to not make yourself become offensive in local people’s eyes.

13. Bring too many items on board

Most Halong Bay cruise all have a limitation of the weight of personal luggage that you can bring to the cruise. It is usually 30 kilograms. Therefore, remember to ask the cruise staff about how much luggage you can bring along and plan in advance what you should bring to the cruise. It is sure that you will not want your room being full of luggage, right? So just bring the necessary items to the cruise. If you book a Halong bay package tour, you can leave the rest of your luggage at the accommodation that you stay in Halong City or Hanoi.

14. Damage the Halong Bay environment

Halong Bay is a famous tourist destination of Vietnam with natural beauty and the fresh environment. Therefore, the local government put a lot of effort into protecting the environment. All activities such as littering, discharging of sludge, discharging of wastewater, exhausting gases, and hazardous wastes into the environment of Halong Bay are illegal. You will be punished by Vietnamese law. So, it is important to have a positive awareness of protecting the Halong Bay environment. 

Above is the list of 14 things that you should never do during your Halong Bay cruise trip. You should note these activities to prepare well for your holiday in Halong Bay. We hope that you find this article useful. Have a nice trip!