FAQs

Are you planning a trip to Halong Bay?

Would you like to spend your nights on a luxurious cruise to witness the beauty of the Bay?

Join us – Hermes Cruise – one of the nicest 5-star cruise on Halong Bay. The following quick questions and answers will help you to know more about our Cruises as well as how to arrange a trip to Halong Bay with Hermes Cruises.

1. How can I make a reservation on Hermes cruise?

There are 3 ways to book tours with Hermes Cruises: booking directly via our website, via online booking sites, and via a travel agency.

Direct bookings with Hermes Cruises:

  • Please send your request to our email addresses: info@hermescruise.com or sales2@hermescruise.com. Our staff will check the cabin availability, the room rates, and send you all those information via email.
  • Travelers can also fill in the request form displayed on our official website (hermescruise.com) to ask for your trips.
  • Or more urgently, call us via (+84) 962 211 216 – Mr.Nghia to check availability and price immediately.
  • By directly booking with us, you can work directly with our enthusiastic and experienced travel consultant so that your bookings would be supported quickly and efficiently.

Via online booking sites: Travelers can easily check and book rooms with us on online booking sites such as booking.com, agoda.com, etc.

Via travel agencies: you can also book cruises with a travel agency or tour operator that you are familiar with.

Please note that all responses will be via email. All documents and vouchers for your trip will be sent by email and you should print them out to keep as a receipt.

2. What does Hermes Cruises package include?

INCLUDED EXCLUDED
  • Welcome drinks
  • Visa expenses
  • 01 bottle of water and snack on bus
  • Airfares, transportation to and from Ha Long Bay and airport services
  • Private cabin on Hermes Cruise
  • Massage service
  • Meals:
    • 2-day-1-night itinerary: 01 lunch, 01 dinner, 01 breakfast, and 01 brunch.
    • 3-day-2-night itinerary: 02 lunches, 02 dinner, 02 breakfast, and 01 brunch.
  • Other beverages, tips, and personal expenses
  • Water, tea, and fresh fruit in the cabin
  • Kayaking service
  • Ha Long Bay tour permit, entrance fees, and sightseeing fees.
  • Insurance on-board

NOTES: At important occasions like Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a surcharge will be applied as there will be joyful events onboard.

3. How can I make payment for my trip?

Passengers can make payment for your bookings via 3 methods:

– Via 9Pay – our Payment Gate: Right after your booking is confirmed, a payment link will be sent to you. The process would be almost similar to the popular online payment method.

– Via Credit Card: Kindly provide me your Visa/MasterCard account number and the CVV/CVC code. The money will be collected about 15 days prior to the departing date.

– In Cash: You will need to deposit a certain amount of money and then pay the rest in cask during your check-ins.

Please note that the bank fee for transmission will be covered by clients.

4. How do I know my reservation with Hermes Cruises is confirmed?

If the cabin is available and you made payment successfully, documentation and voucher related to your trip will be sent to you via email. In case the booking is made in person at our office, we will print them out and give them to you.

5. Which information do I have to provide when booking the trip?

For foreign travelers, please provide the following details:

  • Full name as indicated on your passport
  • Passport Number, Expiry Date, and Place of Issue
  • Nationality
  • Date of birth

Please note that your passport needs to have at least 6 months of validity upon your arrival in Vietnam.

To make sure all information provided is correct, it would be better if you could send us a scan/photo of your passport and visa.

6. How much is the cancellation fee?

Travelers might cancel your bookings at all times but only accepted by notification in written document. The date of cancellation is the date on which we receive your notification.

The cancellation policy is as follows:

  • Cancellation is made over 45 days prior to the departure date of the booking: 50% of the total amount per person will be charged.
  • Cancellation from 45 days till 30 days prior to the departure date of the booking: 60% of the total amount per person will be charged.
  • Cancellation within 30 days prior to the departure date of booking or No show: 100% of total amount will be charged.
  • Any unused service is non-refundable after the trip has commenced.

7. Is it safe to stay overnight on Hermes cruise?

Definitely YES. As Halong Bay sea is very calm and quiet with stable sea wave. There was hardly any movement from the sea, thus making the possibility of Halong Bay cruise seasick touch bottom.

Additionally, our ship crew always makes our best efforts to offer you the best services and experiences onboard. Hence, not only is your overnight stay on Hermes Cruises safe but it is also relaxing and comfortable.

8. And how long does it take me to get to Halong from my hotel in Hanoi? When does Hermes Cruise start from Tuan Chau marina?

You need about 2.5 hours for driving time from the hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter to get to Tuan Chau Marina, Halong Bay. On the way there will be 30 minutes for the stop-over, so the arrival time in Halong is at noon time.
Our Hermes cruise welcomes passengers on board from 11:00 a.m. and disembarks at around 12:00 a.m.

9. Is it possible to reach Halong from the airport? How long does it take from Noi Bai Airport to Halong? Can you arrange a pick-up service at the airport?

Yes, it is possible to transfer from the airport to Halong Bay and it would take you approximately 3 hours. Hermes Cruises can pick up or drop you off by a private car (no shuttle bus from airport) at Noi Bai Airport regarding your request. Timing and surcharge for a private transfer from/to Noi Bai airport will be sent to you depend on your flight time and type of car.

10. How can I get to Halong from my hotel in Hanoi if I book a cabin on your cruise?

Our room price is exclusive of transferring fee. Therefore, if you want to get a transferring service between Hanoi and Halong Bay, a surcharge is required. Regarding car options, you can choose to go with our shared shuttle bus or our private car.

– Shuttle Bus: the pick-up time at the hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter is between 8:15 to 08:45 a.m. If your hotel is quite far from the Old Quarter, you need to get to the Hanoi Opera House at No.1 Trang Tien Street to wait for our bus.

– Private Car: a private car is available if you do not want to share the bus with other clients. There will be different car options for different groups and budgets.

Another option is traveling by seaplane right from Noi Bai Airport to Halong. By this way, you can watch the beautiful landscape of North Vietnam from above but the price is really high.

11. Do I have a tour guide to escort to Halong bay or travel with the driver only?

– If you transfer by Hermes cruise’s shuttle bus, a tour guide will travel with you on the way to Halong, tell you more about Vietnam, Halong Bay, and support you in case of any questions and inquiries. The tour guide service has been included in the room rates.

– If you transfer by private car and need to have an escort guide, we can help you arrange. Surcharge fee is applied then. In case your private guide go on board with you, you have to pay surcharge fee also.

12. What happens if we can’t travel due to the bad weather?

Hermes Cruises’ itineraries may change occasionally due to the weather conditions or the instructions given by Halong Bay Management Authorities.

The refund policy is applied depending on the timing of the cancellation:

  • Before departure from Hanoi to Halong Bay (none of the services has been used): 100% refund.
  • During the trip (some services have been used: transfer, lunch, day trip, hotel in Halong, etc.): used services will be charged, the rest will be refunded.
  • If you book 3-day-2-night and then the trip is cut down to 2-day-1-night, tourists will be charged a 2D1N trip, plus other used services, the rest will be refunded.
  • The final cost will be confirmed by your consultant via email.

13. What about meals? Will we afford by ourselves?

  • Package rate includes full meals on board for you. You do not need to worry about meals.
  • If you are vegetarian or have special request about meals, please let us or your travel consultant know prior to your departure date or in the morning of departure day so that we can better prepare for your meals.

14. Do we have kayaking in Halong Bay?

Yes, of course. Kayaking is a dispensable part of Hermes Cruise itineraries.

15. What about tipping?

Tipping is not required, yet if you are satisfied with the services and experiences you get on your trip, a small gratuity is proper. It all depends on you but in order to express your thanks to the tour guides or staff onboard, around USD 5 – 7/day is an appropriate amount to be given.