There are few better ways to discover Vietnam than from the water. Framed by limestone cliffs, quiet bays and changing skies, the Best Cruise Ship of the Year nominees celebrate journeys where beautiful surroundings, thoughtful hospitality, good food and the simple pleasure of slowing down come together.
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There are journeys we take to reach somewhere, and there are journeys where getting there becomes the memory. Perhaps it is waking to the stillness of the bay. Breakfast with nothing but water beyond the window. An afternoon spent drifting between limestone islands, followed by dinner as the last light disappears behind the horizon.
This is the pleasure of travelling by water. Following a successful first season, Gourmet Vietnam Awards returns in 2026 for Season 2, continuing its celebration of the people and places shaping Vietnam’s culinary and hospitality scene.
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Grand Pioneers Halong Bay Cruise
And this year, the journey takes us beyond the shore. Vietnam’s cruise experience is evolving. Beautiful vessels, thoughtful design, increasingly sophisticated dining and more personal service are changing the way travellers experience some of the country’s most extraordinary landscapes.
The best cruises understand that luxury is not simply about how grand a ship may be.It can be found in space and silence. In waking before everyone else to watch the mist lift from the water. In a beautifully prepared meal after a day of exploring. In a crew that knows when to offer something and when simply to let the landscape speak.
Lyra Cruise Collection
Some journeys feel intimate and quietly considered. Others bring a sense of grandeur and occasion. Some look to Vietnamese heritage for inspiration, while others embrace a more contemporary vision of life on the water.
The Best Cruise Ship of the Year 2026 nominees are:
Bhaya Soul · Lyra Cruise Collection · Luna Halong Cruise · Grand Pioneers Halong Bay Cruise · Dolphin Halong Cruise
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Bhaya Soul
Five names, each offering its own interpretation of how Vietnam should be experienced from the water. For us at Epicure Vietnam, a memorable cruise has never been only about the vessel. It is about where it takes us, what we taste along the way, the people who welcome us aboard and those rare moments when the world seems to move just a little more slowly. Because sometimes the most beautiful way to discover a destination is not to rush towards it. But simply to drift.
GOURMET VIETNAM AWARDS 2026 SEASON 2
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