Our experience with Alova Gold was excellent. They provided us with lots of fun activities and never once were we bored. We were on the cruise with around 7-9 different couples and singles. This was the perfect amount, as we got to know everyone on the boat. The views of Halong Bay are breathtaking. The price of drinks is reasonable (2.5 USD for beer, 3.5 for drinks) Food was good. Rooms and common areas very clean. We chose the 2 day cruise which was very structured. If you want a more relaxed trip, do the 3 day tour as you can always do an activity on a different day if it’s too much for you in one day. A couple of things on the downside: the AC in our room didn’t work very well, so it was a little hot at night and they turn it off early in the morning, which makes the temperature unbearable.
Do not expect to catch any squid as they dont have the best fishing equipment and you will be disappointed. After a few hours of different people trying, we had not one bite.
Overall, an excellent cruise and i would do it again.