I really enjoyed Indochina Sails during my visit with family over the Christmas holidays. We weren't sure how Christmas on a junk would turn out, but I was blown away. We all agreed that the crew made it one of the most memorable Christmas' for us with the holiday decorations, wonderful service, cheerful music, and fantastic food. If your cruising experience is limited to the megaships sailing around the carribean, be prepared for a treat. The cabins on these ships compare with a 5 star hotel, with full sized bathrooms. The dining room is refined so each travel group gets an accomodating table, and the common area is filled with windows and light if you prefer to curl with a book indoors rather than tanning on the sundeck above. Regarding service - being vegetarian usually means I am forced to accomdate subpar options while travelling. However, upon understanding my dietary restrictions, the staff and the chef went to work to serve me a five course vegetarian feast that really went above expectations. The staff speaks perfect English and is very friendly. The crew lined up several good activities to keep us busy on our 2 day 1 night trip, including hiking up a hill to get 360 views of the Bay from a pagoda, learning to make Vietnamese Spring rolls, and exploring a huge set of caves. Christmas feast was also a wonderful experience for me to share with family. In general, a tour to Halong Bay from Hanoi is a journey that lasts for about 3 hours by car. This is if you can keep your driver from taking you to one of the many tourist shops selling overpriced marble statues and hand woven pictures along the way. You can get less expensive souveniors in central Vietnam or even HCM. Halong Bay was the crown jewel of my Vietnam experience - in December, the Bay can be chilly, so hitting the sundeck to enjoy outdoor views while sailing might require a few layers. When you go on hikes in mid day, however, you'll have no need for the jackets. Source: Tripadvisor Supported by Indochina Sails - The most luxury and safest cruises in Halong Bay INDOCHINA SAILS Hanoi Office Add: 27 – A6 – Dam Trau Quarter – Hai Ba Trung District – Hanoi – Vietnam Tel: +84 – 4- 39842362 Fax: +84 – 4 – 39844150 Email: info@indochinasails.com Website: www.indochinasails.com