The ships, with the numbers that actually constrain a programme
Cabin counts, deck dimensions, generator capacity and dining capacity. These are the figures that decide what your programme can be, and they are more useful to you than adjectives about teak and brass.
Two classes, and why the difference matters
| Specification | Deluxe class | Premium class |
|---|---|---|
| Cabins | 10 – 14 | 18 – 22 |
| Guests, twin share | 20 – 28 | 36 – 44 |
| Sun deck, seated dinner | About 30 | About 70 |
| Sun deck, standing reception | About 45 | About 100 |
| Indoor lounge, theatre style | About 24 | About 40 |
| Indoor lounge, boardroom | About 14 | About 22 |
| Dining room, single sitting | Full complement | Full complement |
| Generator headroom for AV | Modest — a small PA and screen | A PA, screen, and a basic lighting rig |
| Tenders | One | Two |
The sun deck seated figure is the single most consequential number on this page. A Premium hull sleeps forty-four and seats about seventy for dinner. That is why a two-vessel group of eighty-eight cannot hold one deck gala — eighty-eight people do not fit on one deck, and splitting an awards dinner across two boats defeats the point of holding it.
What a fleet operation looks like
Above forty-four guests you are running more than one hull, and a multi-hull programme has a shape of its own.
- The ships sail in company. Same route, same timings, departing within a few minutes of each other and anchoring together for the night.
- One coordinator per hull, without exception. Not one per fifty guests. Once the vessels separate on the water, a coordinator on the other ship is unreachable, and the ratio that matters is per hull rather than per head.
- Rafting for the evening. Vessels can be moored side by side and connected by gangway at the anchorage, so guests move between decks. This needs harbourmaster approval and calm water — it is a plan, not a guarantee, and it is the reason a shore gala is often the safer choice.
- One radio net. Vessel-to-vessel VHF, because mobile signal is not dependable at the outer anchorages. Your team will notice this and it is worth explaining to them in advance.
- Catering runs in parallel. Each galley cooks for its own hull. Identical menus, cooked separately — which is why a very elaborate plated menu is harder across five hulls than across one.
Licensing, inspection and insurance
Corporate buyers ask about this and are usually given a vague answer. Ours is specific, and we will put the documents in the quote pack rather than making you ask twice.
- Every hull holds a current Vietnam Register classification certificate and is surveyed on the statutory cycle.
- Departure clearance is issued per sailing by the Quang Ninh inland waterway port authority. No clearance, no departure — for us and for everybody else on the bay.
- Passenger liability insurance is in force on every hull, with certificates available at contract stage.
- Life jackets for the full complement plus margin, muster briefing before departure, and a crew drill schedule.
- Kayaking is supervised, life-jacketed, and suspended by the coordinator on sea state rather than on schedule.
More detail, including what to ask any other operator you are comparing us against, is on the safety and licensing page.
Questions we are asked most often
Can you tell us the vessel name before we contract?
Yes. The quote names the specific hull or hulls, not a class. If we have to substitute a hull of the same class for a maintenance or survey reason we tell you as soon as we know, and the specification does not drop.
Are all the vessels yours?
Up to about two hundred guests, yes. Above that we charter in additional hulls and the quote states clearly which ships are ours and which are not.
Can we visit a vessel before committing?
Yes, and for any programme above eighty guests we recommend it and will build the site survey into the timeline. It is a day trip from Hanoi and it settles more questions than any amount of correspondence.
How much AV can the generator actually take?
A Premium hull will comfortably run a PA, a screen and a basic lighting rig. It will not run a full concert rig, a large LED wall, or several high-draw moving-head fixtures. If your production company gives us a load schedule we will tell you yes or no against it rather than guessing on the day.
Where to go next
Four fields and you can send
Tell us the basics and we will come back within eight working hours with feasibility — including how many hulls your headcount actually needs — and within three working days with a detailed quote.