Had a fabulous time with Alova Gold Cruises for two days and one night. The guide Nguyen Dinh Nghe (nickname Peter) made the difference from very good to great. His small lectures about Vietnam on the way to Halong Bay (3 1/2 hrs) made the time fly. He was knowledgeable  had a good sence of humor, and not least spoke very good and articulate english. The boat we arrived on for lunch had very good interior, was very well kept and I could not sense a spec of dust. The only thing that I could not understand was why in the world all boats were painted white, it would have looked much better with natural colors. Very good food throughout  aksept maybe lunch 2. day that might have been done with a little more style and quality of food. I also enjoyed the talk with the bartender/handyman (and about everything else) about everyday life in Vietnam. He also in fact spoke good English  The Bay was fantastic. I never imagined it to be like that. You have to see it to believe it. Only con was that it is in fact a very busy place with a total of about 500 boats. In other words a big tourist destination. But as long as I was on the boat I felt like I was almost alone in the Bay. It was only when you got off the boat that you noticed the hoards of people. The overnight cabin was spacious, had a very good bathroom and a very comfortable bed. All inn all I think this was the highlight of my trip to South-East Asia together with Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I really hope that the authorities in Vietnam will keep up Halong Bay and preserve it as one of the wonders of the world. Was in the end almost sad to leave Halong Bay. And if you go, go at least for overnight. To do this in one day would be to much stress in my opinion.