Athena Royal for private events.
The larger of our two ships on Bai Tu Long, the quiet half of the bay, with a fraction of the day boats and caves most visitors never reach. Twenty-two cabins for 44 adults, a jacuzzi on the sundeck, and a classic fit-out of dark wood and painted murals rather than marble.
Same vessel. Two very different days.
For weddings
Short guest lists that take the whole ship, somewhere quieter than the main bay, with a classic interior rather than a contemporary one.
See wedding packagesFor corporate retreats
Teams of forty or fewer, where the point is getting properly away rather than being seen — and nobody has done this route before.
See retreat planningWhy this ship rather than the other four.
It is not the newest or the largest, and pitching it that way would lose to Azura and Athena Premium on their own terms. What it has is a different stretch of water and a smaller, warmer room.
Signature Halong is the only other ship on our list that sails it. Same UNESCO karst landscape, a fraction of the traffic — Cong Do for kayaking off white sand, and Thien Canh Son, a two-chamber cave up about 200 stone steps that most visitors never see.
Small enough that a wedding party takes the whole ship without stretching. Aspira runs to fifty, Azura to seventy, Athena Premium to a hundred and fifty-eight — this and its sister Athena Luxury are the ones for a guest list that is deliberately short.
Dark timber, patterned tile, brass fittings and painted murals, rather than the marble and cove lighting of the newer ships. It photographs completely differently, which matters if the newer look is not what the couple wants.
A jacuzzi set into the sundeck under a canopy strung with festoon lights, plus a treatment room and a timber sauna below. The deck is the event space: it takes a drinks reception at dusk with the bay behind it.
Four grades, 25 to 45 square metres.
From the operator's own room list rather than an agent listing — the agent pages for this ship contradict each other, and two locales of one of them give the same suite different occupancies.
| Grade | Size | Bed options | Max adults | Extra beds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deluxe Balcony | 25m² | One double, or two singles | 2 | Rollaway bed or crib |
| Elegance Balcony | 28m² | One double, or two singles | 2 | Rollaway bed or crib |
| Premium Suite | 30m² | One double, or two singles | 2 | Rollaway bed or crib |
| Royal Suite | 45m² | One double, or two singles | 2 | Rollaway bed or crib |
How many of each grade is the one thing not published. Every other ship on this site lists quantities that total its cabin count, and that check has caught real errors twice. What the room list does establish is that no grade sleeps more than two adults — so a 44-adult ship needs 22 cabins, and the listing that says 21 would only reach 42. That is an inference from the operator's own figures rather than something the operator states, and it is the reason this page says 22 rather than proving it.
Facts and figures
- Cabins: 22 — consistent with the room list; one agent listing says 21
- Charter size: 44 adults, at two per cabin across all four grades
- Grades: Four: Deluxe Balcony, Elegance Balcony, Premium Suite, Royal Suite
- Largest grade: Royal Suite, 45m²
- Every grade: Balcony or suite, two adults, with a rollaway or crib available
- Build year: Not stated — sources give 2017 and 2019
- Departs from: Ha Long International Cruise Port
- Hanoi transfers: Not included; the operator quotes them separately
- Routes: Bai Tu Long, or the classic Ha Long route on request
- Formats: 2D1N and 3D2N
Still outstanding from the operator: the quantity of each grade, which deck each sits on, and what each space holds for an event. We are asking. Until they answer, nothing on this page is a number we made up to fill a gap.
What two days actually look like.
The operator's own 2D1N programme, hour by hour. This is where a run of show gets built — the gaps at 16:00 and after dinner are the ones a ceremony or a team session slots into without fighting the itinerary.
2 days, 1 night — Cong Do and Thien Canh Son
- 12:00 Check in at Ha Long International Cruise Port, luggage handled in the waiting lounge
- 12:45 Tender to the ship, welcome drink and safety brief
- 13:00 Lunch served as the ship departs for Bai Tu Long
- 15:00 Anchor at Cong Do — kayaking between the islands, swimming off white sand
- 16:00 Back aboard. Massage by prior arrangement with the cruise manager
- 17:30 Cooking demonstration with the head chef, and happy hour — buy one get one
- 19:00 Dinner, fusion set menu
- 21:00 Squid fishing, films and board games in the dining room
- 06:00 Day two: Tai Chi on the sun deck, thirty minutes, as the ship moves toward the cave
- 07:30 Thien Canh Son Cave — two chambers, about 200 stone steps, then the beach below
- 09:30 Brunch buffet while cruising back to port
- 10:45 Tender ashore to Ha Long International Cruise Port
What changes on the other formats
- 3D2N adds Vung Vieng, a floating fishing village reached by rowing boat, and a second, slower day
- The ship also runs the classic Ha Long route — Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island and Luon Cave — if the famous sights matter more than the quiet
- On that route, Luon Cave is reached by kayak at no charge, or by bamboo boat rowed by a local boatman for a small public ticket
Two things the operator states plainly and we will not soften. Hanoi transfers are not in the fare — they run their own coaches and quote separately, where Aspira includes the round trip. And wi-fi is weak: the karsts block the satellite signal for much of the route, which is worth knowing before planning anything live.
4.8 / 5 on TripAdvisor, and 6 more listings.
All of them read off the live listings on 18 September 2026, TripAdvisor by hand. Every page-one review there is about this ship, which is not something we take for granted with this operator. Cards are ordered by how many reviews they rest on, because a 9.6 from four is not the same claim as an 8.9 from 213. Every link goes to the listing so you can read it yourself.
Count Klook and Expedia once, not twice. Both show four reviews, and both lead
with the same one — same reviewer, same date of 20 March 2025, same text down to the
crew member named in it. They are carrying the same inventory, so seven cards here are
not seven independent samples.
Sources disagree on the ship's build year — one says 2017, the other 2019 — so this
page does not state one. They also disagree with themselves on review counts:
TripAdvisor's header says 184 where its own list says 162. The lower figure is
published in every case. No category rank is quoted either, because the ranking tables
were seen to differ between page loads on the same day. Booking.com files this ship
under a legacy athena-classic-cruise address; the listing is
titled Athena Royal and the hull in its own photograph reads the same, so it is the
right ship under an old name.
What is actually on the table.
From the operator's 2025 menus. The same kitchen serves Athena Luxury — their menu PDFs are byte-identical — so the two ships eat the same. Signature Halong runs its own separate menus.
Three days, and no meal repeated
The 3D2N runs a native lunch buffet on arrival, then a Heritage set dinner. Day two is a light breakfast, a set-menu lunch, and a dinner they call Halong by Night. Day three is a light breakfast followed by a full breakfast buffet before disembarkation. Named services rather than a generic rotation, which matters on a longer sailing.
Dietary menus, already in print
Vegetarian and Indian vegetarian, each in two versions — one for individual travellers and one for groups — plus an Indian non-vegetarian set menu. These are printed menus rather than a kitchen improvising, and they are shared across Athena Royal, Athena Luxury and Signature Halong.
Festive menus for the dates people actually marry on
A New Year 2026 menu sits in both ships' folders, and a Christmas 2025 menu in Athena Royal's. If you are looking at late December, ask for those rather than the standard sheet — the ship runs something different, and it is worth knowing before a menu is signed off.
Menus move with the season and with what the kitchen can source. Tell us the dietary requirements in your group early and we will get the current sheets from the operator, and confirm how much notice they need.
What you can actually pour.
From the operator's 2025 list. The same list serves Athena Luxury and Signature Halong — the three PDFs are byte-identical, so a guest choosing between the sister ships gets the same bar. Prices are left off deliberately; ask us for the current sheet before costing anything, and note the operator adds 10% government tax.
House wine, by the glass and the bottle
Whites run Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from Chile and Victoria, plus a Terret-Vermentino from Languedoc. Reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and a Shiraz-Grenache. Every house wine is poured either way, which matters when half a table wants a glass and half a bottle.
Champagne and sparkling
A Blanc de Blancs Brut and a Moscato Rosé for something sweeter, alongside sweet and rosé wines and separate Italian and New Zealand sections. Note the operator excludes sparkling from the happy hour promotion.
Spirits and cocktails
Whisky, vodka and tequila by the shot or the bottle, aperitifs, and a long-drinks list. Buying by the bottle is usually the calmer arrangement for a group that is settling one bill at the end.
Beers, soft drinks and smoothies
A beer list, soft drinks and a fresh smoothie menu — the last one worth knowing about for a group with children aboard, or anyone on a dry event.
What the ship actually looks like.
Photographs of the ship in service, supplied by the operator. Unlike Athena Premium, this one has been sailing for years — none of these is a render.
Five steps from first message to sail away.
No mystery pricing, no vendor roulette. You see the full plan before you commit to anything.
Goals, guest count, dates, and whether this is a wedding or a company retreat.
We recommend a vessel and a 2D1N or 3D2N itinerary that fits your group.
Run of show, space planning, vendor scope and transparent pricing, in writing.
Logistics, vendors, guest flow and styling, including the cruise-specific constraints.
Onboard coordination from arrival to departure. You get to be a guest.
Send these and we will tell you if it fits.
No pricing is published on this page. We quote against your actual dates, headcount and priorities.
Wedding, retreat or celebration
Including any children or elderly guests
One window, or two to three options
2D1N or 3D2N
Ceremony, dinner, speeches, after-party
Decor, photo and video, AV, MC
VIPs, couples, families
Dietary, accessibility or timing limits
Plan an event on Athena Royal.
Tell us your dates and guest count, and whether you want the quiet Bai Tu Long route or the classic Ha Long one. We will come back with availability, and say plainly if another ship fits you better.
Rather just message us?
WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach the planning team. Same reply window, less typing.
WhatsApp us- Response time24 to 48 hours, Singapore business days
- Where we operateHa Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam
- Formats2D1N and 3D2N, cabin block or full charter
- Email[email protected]
Thank you for your enquiry.
We will get back to you within 2 working days.
Start with your dates.
Send us a date range and a rough headcount. We will come back with a cruise, an itinerary and a price you can actually compare.
No obligation · Written proposal in 24 to 48 hours Get my proposal