Sena Cruises - Wonder On Lan Ha Bay in Halong

Did the 1 night cruise with a group of friends. It took quite awhile to get from the port to the ship on their slow boat.

The cabins are quaint and European in style, and a good size considering the ship’s overall scale. The room included a small but functional desk area, a compact closet that was sufficient for a short stay, a safe, and a small fridge. The private balcony was a nice feature, and the bathroom was a good size.

One design note: the bathroom door is glass, so the shower and bathroom are visible from the room, although there is a blind that can be pulled down for privacy.

The bed was extremely firm—uncomfortably hard for me—which made it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

The ship has a pleasant sundeck that is partially covered, offering a comfortable place to relax. The dining room did not feel cramped, and there is also a covered outdoor dining area. Staff were very attentive and service throughout the cruise was excellent.

Food quality was very good. The buffet selection was somewhat limited, but it was more than adequate for a one-night cruise.

One occasional drawback was that diesel engine fumes would sometimes drift onto the ship, depending on conditions.

Overall, a comfortable and well-run one-night cruise with attentive staff and good food, with the firm bed and occasional engine fumes being the main downsides.

READ THIS FOR A RUNDOWN OF THE 3D2N ITINERARY:

We chose Sena Cruises as its smaller capacity promised a more intimate experience, and opted for the 3D2N cruise. There ended up only being 7 of us on the first night. Hotel pickup from Hanoi was very professional and comfortable, and we were joined by our entertaining tour guide Man (Superman) who regaled us with information on Hanoi and growing up in Vietnam on the way to Ha Long Bay.
Upon arrival at the ship via a small day boat, we were warmly greeted by the friendly staff. The boat was decorated for Christmas but unfortunately appeared older than suggested by pictures online. Lunch was served immediately after dropping our bags off. The food quality was disappointing but there was definitely a lot of it to keep you full. This was consistent throughout the cruise.
First activity was visiting Dark and Bright Cave, which involved a ride in a sampan (rowboat) through a small cave in the rocks. It wasn’t anything spectacular but it was nice getting close to the landscape. Unfortunately the weather was dreary on this first day, which heavily influences the experience. We were also given the chance to swim afterwards.
In the evening, we relaxed on the deck for happy hour. The deck is the highlight of the ship; it’s comfortable and I’d say the design is more unique and prettier than other ships. After some free sangria we learnt how to make Vietnamese spring rolls. I even won a free beer for rolling mine the prettiest. We were also given a taste of coconut wine, which is alcohol fermented inside a coconut. Since we were a small group, the dinner table was set for us all to sit together on the deck. It was a lovely time and the crew had even prepared a tiny surprise to congratulate another couple on their honeymoon. In the evening we all took turns on karaoke, and also had the option of squid fishing.
After 6AM Tai Chi and the breakfast buffet the next morning, the two of us (the only ones on the 3D2N itinerary) boarded another day boat run by a separate company where those on the 3D2N schedule from different ships were gathered. Our day guide was Tom (“Tom on the Cruise”) who was also entertaining. Firstly, a brief stop at a pearl farm where we watched how pearls are harvested, and then we headed to Cat Ba island. We had the option to cycle or ride in an electric car to the village. Cycling was quite fun. In the village (a tiny collection of shops and homes) we sat down for fish spa (little fishes exfoliating your feet) and were introduced to a variety of strange wines, particularly a snake wine with a whole cobra in it!
Back on the boat we had family-style lunch and then spent the afternoon swimming and kayaking. When we returned to our cruise ship, there was a new set of passengers on board. We were also introduced to a new tour guide, Tommy (Hung). He was fantastic, highly knowledgeable and had an exceptional grasp on English. Talking to him really made our experience memorable. The evening schedule was the same as the day before but with a new dinner menu for us.
On the final day, we had the opportunity to kayak again in beautiful weather. It was really peaceful. After an early 9AM lunch, we took the day boat back to the harbour and said our goodbyes. The transfer bus we requested to Ninh Binh was superrr comfortable.
Overall, the crew who were always ready to help as well as the amazing tour guides made this experience unforgettable. However, have realistic expectations about the age of the ship, the food, the activities (which are standardised across all cruises) and how the weather can affect your experience. For the price paid, we did expect a little more, but it was still a great time and we would recommend Sena Cruises to others.

We took a 2D1N cruise to Ha Long Bay. Our incredible guide Man (as he called himself) was super friendly, punctual and attentive to details. We were picked up from the hotel in a luxurious bus. Man kept us entertained through out this 2-2.5 hour road trip with his good sense of humour. The crew of the cruise were friendly and helpful. Lots of activities were planned for us like a boat trip, swimming, kayaking, cooking class, Tai Chi session, karaoke. The food was great. They served us vegetarian meals as per our request; even made vegetarian sushi for us:) The cabins were clean and comfortable. The deck was beautiful, partially covered and had plenty of space to hang out and meet other guests.

Our hotel recommended for a small cruise, and in the morning the guide came to pick us up. And this was the beginning of the cruise started. Sunday, our tour guide, was his name, the full of energy and so friendly, he made everyone comfortable around him. The cruise experience was wonderful from the food (fed us so full) to a very clean room (spacious enough). We truly enjoyed the trip.

Very good experience! Staff was welcoming and the rooms were amazing (especially loved the shower!). Food was mostly very good. Experiences such as kayaking and going through the caves were cool, but could have been a bit longer. Only downside of our stay was that we stayed right below the karaoke area at night, which took away some of the peace and quiet of the area for us.

Sena Cruises were great. Well organised and efficient. The staff were great, warm, welcoming and really made the experience the best they could. The boat has a small party of about 30 people. It has a roof on the deck so they can serve dinner up there. Over all it does need minor touch ups to paint work, etc, but I might be being too picky as they all seem to be that way. The rooms were pretty big considering I had never done any sort of cruise, better than expected. They were also clean and tidy.

The food ranged from average to very good, dinners being a set menu which was the best.

We did a 2 night cruise, and on the second day they stick you on a day boat with people from other boats, as currently due to Covid there are very few people doing 2 night cruises. The day boat provides a very good lunch and activities which was actually quite fun.

I dropped a star largely because the overall experience of Ha Long was slightly marred by the water quality and the bits of trash and the fact that I am not a fan of cruises. If you are going to do it I do highly recommend Sena as an option.

We booked a 3 day cruise with Sena Cruises and it was an unforgettable experience. The activities were very good and the route of the boat was very well chosen, because the really crowded areas are avoided and the landscape is very beautiful. The food was very good, although the breakfast could have been a bit more extensive. Also the pace of the food in the evening and with lunch was quite high. Our guide (Vinny) was very friendly and helpful, especially when one of us got injured during swimming. Also the rest of the staff was very friendly and everyone doesn’t stop to work hard until the customer is completely satisfied. In short, we had a very good trip with Sena cruises and I would recommend it to everyone that is looking for a cruise in this area.