Ambassador Cruise is heralding the dawn of a new day in cruising on Ha Long Bay, with the launch of a day cruise on a new vessel with restaurants and bars, an outdoor jacuzzi, and a striking glass bridge.

The five-star line behind the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s most sublime cruise experiences will begin the day-long “Ambassador Day Cruise II” tours on February 10. Elegantly designed, the ship features spacious sundecks on two floors totaling 324 sq m and 250 sq m, affording 360-degree vistas of Ha Long Bay and its myriad limestone karsts. Two restaurants, two bars, an entertainment area for live music, and a large open-air jacuzzi are among the 45-cabin vessel’s top-notch facilities. A five-meter glass bridge jutting out from the vessel’s bow inspires compelling photographs.

The 1,700-ton five-deck steel craft measures 95 meters in length, 15.5 meters in width, and 19 meters in height, making it the largest and most luxurious ship to ever ply the waters of Ha Long Bay. Ambassador Cruise is the only Ha Long Bay cruise line to include an elevator for the elderly and people with disabilities.

With amenities that hitherto have been the domain of overnight adventures only, the new cruise caters to up to 500 passengers, who check in at Ambassador’s check-in lounge in Ha Long city at 9.45am.

The itinerary includes exploring Sung Sot Cave and a delectable buffet lunch while the vessel passes by Ho Dong Tien Cave, Trong Cave, Me Cung Cave, and Cua Van Floating Village. It anchors off Titov Island, whose scalable heights offer panoramic views of the bay. Afternoon tea is served on the vessel’s sundeck, before guests return to the Ha Long International Cruise Port at 4.30pm.

A round-trip shuttle bus links Hanoi with Ha Long Bay via an expressway that opened in 2018, cutting the drive time in half, to two hours.

Nguyen Cao Son, founder of the Asia Premier Cruises Corporation, which owns Ambassador Cruise, said February was the right time to launch the day cruise, following the world’s reopening and 2018’s launch of both the expressway and Van Don International Airport, located 50 km from Ha Long Bay.

“The day cruise opens up Ha Long Bay in an exciting new way for many travelers, particularly those who can’t squeeze an overnight cruise into their schedule and now have the opportunity to experience the breathtakingly beautiful destination in style in a day,” he said.

Since launching its first vessel in 2021, Ambassador Cruise has made a name for itself as the leading luxury cruise operator on Ha Long Bay and also offers overnight cruises.