Choose the Paloma- you won't be disappointed!

We were really impressed with the Paloma. The boat itself was lovely- very comfortable, modern and clean. The cabin was air conditioned and the ensuite bathroom even had a rain shower!
We travelled with a 17 month old baby and had no problems. A baby cot and high chair were provided free of charge and the staff happily entertained our little one at meal times so we could eat the sumptuous feast provided!
The cruise operates to a fixed itinerary with not much room for manoeuvre but that's fine for the 2 day/ 1 night cruise and ensures you make most of the time available.
Definitely recommended.

Luxury and hospitality plus

The Paloma Cruise was true to its advertising. It was fresh, clean and contemporary. The all-inclusive kayaking, cooking class, squid fishing and Tai Chi were great activities which were well-balanced with relaxation time.The staff were excellent and helpful in every way. Our tour guide Huey spoke English well and could answer many of our questions about Vietnamese life and industries on our trip.

Beautiful boat !

The Paloma boat was amazing - when we first arrived and looked in the bay at all the other older slightly shabbier boats we were a bit apprehensive, but that was quickly dispelled when we pulled up to the Paloma and were greeted by the staff and some hot towelettes. I think the advantage the Paloma has is that it's relatively new and so all the rooms are immaculate. We loved our cabin which was spacious and had great windows we could open to get a fresh breeze through when we slept. The food they served was plentiful and delicious, complete with amazing vegetable and fruit carvings. We also enjoyed the excursions we were able to go on. However, there were a few people on our boat who had done the 2 night tour (we'd only done the 1 night) and they had complained about getting transferred to a different boat to do the second day of their trip before coming back to the Paloma in the evening.

Beautiful cruise, clean and worth the money!

My partner and I went on the Paloma cruise for 2 days, 1 night - booked through BudgetVietnamTours.com in Vietnam. It costed us $129USD each, which included hotel transfers, all meals (not drinks) and all the activities on/off board. I picked the Paloma because it was the middle of the range and it is very new (only 8 months old). You can still smell the wood as you enter the boat and the rooms are very clean (probably cleaner than some of the hotels that I've stayed in Vietnam).

The cabins are not huge but enough for 2 people. You have your own bathroom, air condition, complimentary fruit and water, and a perfect view.

The itinerary of the cruise is very close to what is listed on the BudgetVietnamTours.com website (I strongly suggest that you check this out - www.palomacruisehalongbay.com/Halong-bay-tour-2-days-paloma-cruise.asp). The only thing is that we didn't get to go night fishing/squidding as per itinerary due to the rain, and I don't think Tai Chi was on the next morning either (I was hung over and needed the sleep in from the night before anyway - haha). Kayaking can only be done when we visited the fishing villages, otherwise I don't think you can kayak any other time as the itinerary suggested. We had cooking class and made some yummy spring rolls too!

The food on the cruise wasn't too bad but some of the other guests didn't feel the same way. Lunch was generally meat, fish, veggies with rice (lots of dishes) and we had a delicious seafood meal at night. We were fed well and never did I once feel hungry. One thing to be mindful of is that drinks are not included in the price and they charge it to you cabin as you order (this was not told to us clearly at the start). The bill is then given to all the guests just before the cruise finishes. They don't take credit card on the cruise so you better make sure you have some dong or usd on you. A few of us didn't have enough cash, so they drove us on their motorbikes to the local ATM once on shore so that we can pay in cash. There is also a tip box on the cruise and they strongly recommend all guests to give a tip. It was hard not to tip because all the staff would sit there and watch if you do or not.

Overall I really enjoyed the Paloma and I would recommend this cruise over others. We saw some pretty old and worn boats, so I'd say go for the Paloma while it is still fairly new.