Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee has just issued Regulations on measures to manage the operation of inland waterway vehicles serving tourists in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
One of the new points of this Regulation compared to before is that tourists have more options for visiting Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, because ships depart earlier and return to port later than at present.
Accordingly, from October 20, 2024, for daytime sightseeing boats, in the summer (from April 1 to October 31), they can depart from 5:00 a.m. and return to the dock no later than 8:00 p.m., while currently they can depart at 6:00 a.m. and must return to the dock before 7:00 p.m.
In winter (from November 1 to March 31 of the following year), daytime sightseeing boats depart at 5:30 a.m. and must return to the dock by 7:00 p.m. at the latest, while currently they depart at 6:30 a.m. and must return to the dock by 6:30 p.m.
For restaurant boats operating around Ha Long Bay, they must return to port by 11pm at the latest, while now it is 10pm.
For ships staying overnight in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, they must enter the overnight accommodation area in the bay no later than 18:30 in winter and 19:00 in summer.
Operating hours of water entertainment facilities on the bay are from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The above regulations do not apply to cruise ships when not carrying passengers.
According to some cruise ship owners in Ha Long Bay, with the current time frame, almost no guests/tourist groups have registered to visit the bay from 6am, so it is unclear whether from October 20, when the ships depart 1 hour earlier (5am), there will be any guests registering to go.
However, according to a representative of a travel agency, extending the time by 2 hours for tourist boats operating in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay could be the basis for travel agencies to research and open new tourism products for visitors.
In particular, it is possible to organize for tourists to go early to watch the sunrise, experience the fresh morning air on the sea, or a sunset tour on the bay.
