Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan

Launched in 2019 and named after a pioneering Vietnamese shipping magnate, Binh Chuan is less a cruise boat than a small floating hotel. Twenty suites, most with private balconies, are dressed in 1930s Indochine style: lacquer, rattan, period photography and a library of Vietnamese art that gives the vessel a distinctly curated feel.

Itineraries favour Lan Ha Bay and the Cat Ba archipelago, where the same drowned limestone landscape rises out of the water but the day-boat traffic thins out dramatically. Days are given over to kayaking into hidden lagoons, swimming off the stern, cooking demonstrations and visits to floating fishing villages.

Evenings bring seafood pulled from the bay that morning, served on deck as the karst silhouettes fade to black. The spa, gym and sun deck make a two-night voyage feel unhurried rather than packed.