New Ship Embarks on Lan Ha Bay Cruises

Everyone who cruises the coast of Vietnam comes home with stunning pictures of the many towering rock karsts which dot the coastline. The most famous are in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, but the lesser known Lan Ha Bay is growing in popularity thanks to Paradise Vietnam and the first of two new Paradise Grand cruise ships which launched just last month. The ships are available for private charters, wedding ceremonies, birthday parties, corporate events and other special occasions.

Lan Ha Bay Cruises

A UNESCO biosphere, Lan Ha Bay is a geological extension of Halong Bay without all the tourists. It features the same karsts, emerald waters and white sand beaches which make Halong such a popular attraction. The calm waters are perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkeling. Large cruise ships can’t navigate the narrow strips of water between islands so that helps keep the area feeling far from civilization.

About Paradise Grand

The first vessel made for Lan Ha Bay is already sailing with the second set for completion in April of this year. The five-deck steel craft caters for up to 80 passengers and houses 39 spacious cabins with separate walk-in closets, ensuite bathrooms and private balconies. Amenities include butler service for all guests, a fine dining menu crafted by celebrity British Michelin-starred chef John Burton-Race and an indulgent spa with four treatment cabins, live music at an elegant piano lounge, a sun deck home an outdoor movie theatre and adjacent sky bar with panoramic views of the bay’s limestone karsts and pristine beaches.

“Lan Ha Bay is breathtakingly beautiful and Paradise Grand makes for an exciting new horizon for us,” said Nguyen Cao Son, chief operating officer of Paradise Cruises. “We are drawing on the best of everything we have learned since launching our first boat more than a decade ago, and introducing new experiences such as Lan Ha Bay’s first ‘floating movie theatre’ with a large, state-of-the-art projector and capacity for up to 60 movie-lovers to watch classics and new movies under the stars.”

Highlights on the new cruise’s one-night and two-night itineraries include kayaking in Lan Ha Bay, and trekking and cycling in Cat Ba National Park on Cat Ba Island, as well as a cooking class, Vietnamese wine tasting and sunrise tai chi and yoga onboard.

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Have you cruised the bays of Vietnam? Let us know in the comments below!