Almost every ship enquiry we receive starts in the wrong place: a photograph. Someone has seen a sundeck at sunset and wants to know if it is available.
The better first question is how many people are coming, because on this bay the headcount eliminates most of the list before any other consideration gets a say. Here is the whole fleet sorted by the only number that matters first.
The ladder
| Ship | Cabins | Comfortable at | Claimed class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature Halong | 12 | 24 adults | 5-star |
| Athena Luxury | 21 | 42 adults | 5-star |
| Aspira | 22 | 40–50 guests | 5-star |
| Athena Royal | 22 | 44 adults | 5-star |
| Azura | 30 | 65–70 guests | 6-star |
| Athena Premium | 41 | 158 guests | 6-star |
Two things jump out. There is nothing between 70 and 158, so a 90-person event is either two ships sailing together or a large one that will feel half-empty. And the bottom of the range is genuinely small — 24 adults is an executive team or an intimate wedding, not a compromise.
If you have around 24
Signature Halong, and it is barely a decision. Twelve cabins means a leadership offsite or a micro-wedding has the entire vessel, both decks and the crew’s undivided attention. Its restaurant on the third deck seats 40 against those 24 — everyone sits down together with sixteen seats spare — and there is a projector already installed, plus a jacuzzi tub in every cabin.
It sails Bai Tu Long, the quieter bay, and visits Vung Vieng fishing village by kayak. It has been in service since 2013, which is the longest record of any ship here.
If you have around 40 to 50
Three real options, and they differ in useful ways.
Aspira is the easiest yes for most groups in this band. Twenty-two cabins, comfortable at 40–50, and — uniquely on this list — the Hanoi round trip is included in the fare rather than quoted separately. It sails from Tuan Chau Harbour. Its 3D2N is the only itinerary we publish that reaches Cat Ba Island, spending most of a day ashore at Viet Hai Village inside the national park. Its Presidential Suite is 55m² with a sun terrace. Bathtubs are listed only for the Executive grade.
Athena Luxury takes 42 and is the strongest choice if your event has a programme. Its 50-seat restaurant on the second deck has an open kitchen, its own bar and a projector already fitted, and the operator rates its sundeck for events of fifty. Its largest cabin is a 45m² connecting cabin sleeping six, which is the one families ask for. Cabins have standing showers rather than tubs. The Hanoi shuttle runs daily at 07:30 and is charged.
Athena Royal takes 44 and sails the quiet route — Bai Tu Long, anchoring at Cong Do for kayaking off white sand, then Thien Canh Son Cave and its 200 stone steps. Its Royal Suite is 45m² with a painted mural. Note that its published schedule tenders out to the ship at 12:45, which matters if anyone in your group has mobility difficulties.
If you have around 65 to 70
Azura. Thirty cabins keeps a larger guest list on one ship rather than splitting it, which is the whole point at this size. It is the newest vessel on the bay in service, launched December 2025, it sails Lan Ha Bay, and it has a bathtub in every cabin and an infinity pool. Its Imperial Suite has an ocean-view bathtub.
Two things to plan for: the Hanoi transfer is quoted separately, and boarding is by tender from waiting lounge 38 at Tuan Chau International Marina.
Between 50 and 65 it genuinely goes either way between Azura and the 40–50 group, and the deciding factor is usually date availability rather than the ship.
If you have more than 70
Athena Premium, and only Athena Premium. Forty-one cabins for 158 guests across seven grades, entering service on 1 October 2026. It is the only ship here that publishes a full event-space table: an 800m² sundeck rated for a 400-guest cocktail or 250 at a banquet, a 400m² restaurant at 110 banquet, a 250m² lounge, and a dedicated 40m² meeting room for 20 — the only purpose-built meeting space on this bay.
It is also the only ship with a Japanese onsen and a four-season infinity pool, and it prints five dietary menus including halal and kosher. Its Imperial Athena Suite is 400m² with a private pool.
One caveat we would rather state than bury: it has not yet entered service, so most of its public rooms have never been photographed. The images in circulation are the operator’s renders, and our page labels them as such rather than mixing them into a photo gallery. It also has no public review history yet, for the obvious reason.
Once the headcount fits, these four lines differ
The Hanoi transfer. Aspira includes the round trip. Athena Luxury and Signature Halong run a charged 07:30 shuttle. Azura, Athena Royal and Athena Premium quote it separately.
Boarding method. Athena Royal and Azura publish a tender step. The other four do not state their method either way, so confirm it before you write joining instructions.
AV. Athena Luxury and Signature Halong have a projector fitted. The other four do not list one.
Dietary menus in print. Athena Premium five, Azura two, Aspira none. Athena Royal, Athena Luxury and Signature Halong share one printed set — vegetarian and Indian vegetarian, each in individual and group versions, plus an Indian non-vegetarian set menu.
The two-minute version
Under 30 guests: Signature Halong. Around 40 to 50 with a programme: Athena Luxury. Around 40 to 50 with guests flying into Hanoi and no appetite for arranging coaches: Aspira. Around 44 wanting the quiet bay: Athena Royal. Around 70: Azura. Above 70: Athena Premium.
Then check the four lines above, because they are where a straightforward booking turns into a complicated one. The full side-by-side has the rest — pools, wellness, largest cabin, cruising area and each ship’s public review history with its scale shown.