Ambassador Cruise
Our three day, two night Lan Ha Bay cruise with Ambassador Cruise was on board the latest addition to their fleet, Ambassador Signature. We were picked up from our hotel in Hanoi in a luxury minivan with business class style seats, making the 2.5 hour journey to the coast very comfortable. On arrival in Halong, we were welcomed to the Ambassador lounge where we checked in with ease and awaited departure. The lounge was spacious with plenty of seating, which made the wait more relaxing compared to the main terminal building, which was extremely busy. There wasn’t long to wait before we were taken by buggy to board alongside the other excited passengers, all of looking forward to our Lan Ha Bay experience with Ambassador Cruise.
Our cabin on board Ambassador Signature
Our Executive Ambassador cabin on Ambassador Cruise was on the second deck and offered excellent views from our private balcony. The cabin was modern, spacious and comfortable, making it easy to relax and feel at home for a few days. While there was a large smart TV with access to Netflix and YouTube, our chill time was spent on the balcony, marvelling at the unique seascape and limestone karsts throughout the bay. Waking up each morning to those views from bed was something we will never forget.
The vegan food on board Ambassador Signature
All of our meals were included in the cruise package on Ambassador Cruise and the team were notified in advance that we were both vegan. This does not always work, as we have previously stayed at hotels and resorts where the message has not been received, leaving us hungry and disappointed. This was most certainly not the case on board Ambassador Signature. Not only had they clearly received the memo, but each day we were served specially prepared vegan dishes at our table, alongside buffet options at breakfast and lunch that included vegetarian and vegan choices. Dinner each evening was a multi course affair, with creativity and presentation at the fore, making for a very enjoyable dining experience. Breakfast highlights included vegan pho with thinly sliced lion’s mane mushrooms in place of meat, as well as excellent Indian curries. There is an Indian chef on board catering primarily for Indian guests, which was a welcome bonus as his food was consistently delicious.
During lunch on Ambassador Cruise we enjoyed healthy salads from the buffet, including our favourite with cashews and small nuggets of lion’s mane mushrooms. In addition to the buffet options, we enjoyed more of the vegetarian Indian fare which was prepared vegan just for us, along with dishes such as lion’s mane mushroom salads and fresh spring rolls. Dinner was particularly impressive, with clear thought and attention given to creating an upscale dining experience for all guests. Our butler for the cruise, Ms Thao, introduced and explained each dish with knowledge and passion, further enhancing the experience. Highlights included stir fried tofu and tofu in a rich soy based sauce. Our only slight disappointment was the lack of vegan desserts, especially when we saw the cakes and pastries other guests were enjoying. However, the sous chef did prepare local vegan desserts for us each day, which we appreciated and enjoyed very much.
The vegan essentials on board Ambassador Signature
Our cabin on Ambassador Cruise had glass water bottles, which was good to see given the environmental impact on both Lan Ha Bay and nearby Ha Long Bay, where the cumulative effect of single use plastic would be significant. Ambassador Cruise has also moved to refillable ceramic containers for shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, which is a positive step that we hope becomes standard across the region. Sothys Organics products are used in the spa and the organic range is classified as vegan, which was also reassuring. There were several on shore activities offered during the cruise, but we chose to stay on board to enjoy the scenery and the peaceful atmosphere, rather than visit locations such as Cat Ba National Park and Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve. This also gave us time to enjoy massages at the Atelier de Beauté Spa, which were of a very good quality and reasonably priced for a luxury cruise.
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
As one of the leading luxury cruises in the region, Ambassador Cruise is an excellent choice for anyone wishing to explore either Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay. The pre cruise communication was professional and informative, and the hotel pickup and transfer to the cruise terminal was comfortable and efficient. It was once on board where our experience truly came to life. The crew were friendly and very helpful, especially when it came to our vegan dietary needs, and the kitchen team managed to create a varied selection of plant based and vegan dishes throughout the cruise. The Vietnamese, Indian and Western food we were served was consistently very good and ensured that we most certainly did not go hungry, and we would therefore recommend Ambassador Cruise as a vegan friendly luxury cruise option in Vietnam.
We were guests of Ambassador Cruise but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.
Ambassador Cruise
Halong International Cruise Port
Vietnam
Telephone: +84 24 3200 9999
Email: info@ambassadorcruise.com
Cost From: £560 / $750 (March 2026)