Heritage Line Violet Cruise 2 days/1 night

First we must commend Sammy for being so wonderful as our director. He arranged a birthday cake for my best friend and had the crew sing a Vietnamese birthday song that was incredibly special. Next, our room felt like we had gone back in time and remained modern in its accommodations. The polished wood was stunning. We had the Dragon Suite and a lovely balcony overlooking the water as we sailed through Halong Bay. We learned to roll dumplings and we made some new friends we adore. Definitely recommend the climb to the top of the mountain and the kayaking.

This was almost a private charter for us. . . . We were 4 of only 6 passengers aboard, and we were very well looked after. The food was wonderful - unfortunately I have fish allergy, so the staff were very careful to cater for me separately, and I enjoyed everything. We didn't all do all the shore excursions, and that was fine - 3 of us were returned to the boat rather than visit the fishing village. The trip to TiTop island should be undertaken just to experience how bizarre it is!! Cruising the bay is a bit if a traffic jam leaving the harbour, but once we were on our way, a sense of calm and serenity prevailed. We were lucky to enjoy an almost full moon, and getting up before 5 to witness sunrise from the deserted deck is a memory I will treasure forever. All the crew were caring and friendly and did their best to make our trip something special.

We did an overnight stay on Violet in Halong Bay. The whole trip was magical. The boat is beautiful. We stayed in the 'Moon' suite which was very spacious and had a lovely balcony. The food was very good. My husband is very fussy and doesn't eat any seafood so they made a real effort to ensure he had something he liked at mealtimes. We didn't get off the boat for the cave/fishing village trip. We preferred to lounge on the top deck and enjoy the scenery. In the morning we joined the Tai Chi at 7am. Though we did the excursion to the beach we wished we had stayed on the boat. The beach was quite busy and didn't really add to our overall enjoyment. The staff are wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Being on a small boat was great. Everyone spoke with each other and it was very relaxing.

We were lucky enough to have a 1 night cruise on the beautiful Violet during our 3 week tour of Vietnam. From start to finish everything ran like clockwork and the boat was absolutely gorgeous. Mr Big introduced himself as soon as we arrived at the departure lounge and on the dot of 12.30 we were escorted aboard. We had a welcome drink while he explained the itinerary of the cruise and shown the safety procedure. We were then shown to our Dragon suite which was beyond belief! A beautiful balcony, 4 huge Windows to enjoy the view, a huge bed and a bathroom with corner jacuzzi bath and separate shower! After a delicious lunch it was time to board the tender to take us to explore a cave and then the fishing village by Sampan. On returning to the boat there was a cookery demonstration where we made fresh spring rolls and shortly after it was time for dinner. As it is a small boat you soon get chatting to the other guests and we had a lovely evening. At 7am there was Tai Chi on deck and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful clear sunny morning. There was another excursion to an island after breakfast but I decided to stay on board to have a very relaxing massage instead as I'm not keen on crowds climbing steep steps all together, my husband said I made the right decision! The only regret is that we did not have long enough on board to enjoy the luxurious facilities! This was an amazing trip that I will never forget. Thank you Mr Big!

Wow! We absolutely loved our time on this boat. I went with my husband and two teenage children. You feel really privileged. Top quality all the way. The scenery is breathtaking and yes there are a lot of other tourist boats but it didn�t takeaway the sheer beauty of your surroundings. The trips out are fun and educational and we joined in the morning tai chi and cooking class and although we only did the one night trip it felt like a proper time away. The comfort on the boat is amazing and lovely service. We were in the lower cabins but I�d go for the higher ones if you can as the little outside deck is close to the captain and his staff so no privacy. Nothing could beat the cocktail at the front of the boat watching the sunset. Gorgeous. The only thing I think they could improve is that when we arrived we got this freebie non alcoholic welcome drink. Surely given what we paid, a glass of fizz for the adults would set the tone better?!