On April 8, a representative of the People's Committee of Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, confirmed that authorities had verified a complaint from a group of travelers alleging that TALIYA CRUISE misrepresented its services while operating on Ha Long Bay.

At around 10:00 PM on April 6, the hotline of the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism received feedback from a group of about 14 tourists.

According to the report, the group had booked a buffet dinner service on the TALIYA CRUISE yacht, license plate HP 6289, operating in area 2 of Tuan Chau Port. The service was booked through a travel agency, with a total payment of VND 13.5 million (approximately USD 540) transferred to the bank account of Ms. N.M.G., an employee responsible for selling the yacht rental service.

However, once on board, the guests did not receive the promised services. The quality fell short of expectations, with insufficient food and delayed service. The group submitted a formal complaint along with two payment receipts and a video clip documenting their dissatisfaction to the cruise operator.

The video footage showed visibly upset passengers, although the cruise staff appeared cooperative and apologized to the group.

After receiving the complaint, the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism launched an investigation, which revealed that the yacht was not registered in Quang Ninh.

On April 7, the department referred the matter to the Ha Long City authorities for joint resolution. The city's leadership then directed the Department of Culture, Science and Information to coordinate with the Department of Economy, Infrastructure, and Urban Development to clarify the issue.

Through discussions with Quang Ninh Port authorities, it was confirmed that TALIYA CRUISE is registered in Hai Phong and picked up the group from Tuan Chau Port. A representative from the cruise management unit later apologized to the guests and refunded the full amount paid.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Ms. N.M.G., the booking agent, said she had received the group’s payment at around 4:00 PM on April 6 for a cruise scheduled at 7:00 PM the same day.

"Due to the tight timeline, I could only send the guests one promotional video beforehand. By 8:00 PM, I began receiving complaints that there was no food left and the service was lacking. In this matter, the cruise company was entirely at fault for not delivering the services that the guests had paid for," she explained.

Authorities are continuing to investigate, requesting all travel contracts involving passengers on the yacht - especially the group in question - to report to higher authorities for resolution according to regulations.

Pham Cong