2013 is bound to be one of our most exciting year and not only are there fantastic traditional Chinese festivals happening all the year round 2013, but also is the year that you could discover the beauty, wonder and charm that Yangtze River may offer.
We’ve compiled the fantastic winter cruise experience 2012 that you should not miss. Hoping this journal could help you get the idea why Yangtze River Cruise Ship should be on your bucket list, no matter which ship you are on, Victoria Cruises, Century Cruises, President Cruises, Yangtze Gold Cruises or Yangtze Explorer. Check it out!
“We have just returned from three wonderful weeks in China, and one of the highlights of our trip was a 5 day/4 night cruise on the Yangtze River on the ship, President Prime. The reason we chose this ship is because all cabins have a balcony, yet the price for the cruise was more than reasonable.
The ship is very new, and perhaps that contributes to the very attractive interior design. We had reserved the least expensive twin deluxe cabin which had two comfortable beds, good closet space, an unexpectedly spacious bathroom, and a balcony that easily accommodated two chairs comfortably. When we boarded the ship we were offered and “upgrade” to a more spacious — and more expensive — cabin, but we declined. Upon reflection, we were glad we declined as our cabin was more than adequate.
Some posters had written very negatively about the food served on the Yangtze River cruise ships and I can believe that there are probably some where the food is less than desirable. Fortunately for us, the President Prime served many western style dishes on both the breakfast and lunch buffet. I like Chinese food — to a point — but I personally prefer eggs, toast, bacon and coffee for breakfast – and thankfully that is what was available, along with made to order omelets, fresh fruit, wonderful pastries and coffee that would have made Starbucks proud. Dinner was Chinese served to each table, and because there were so many dishes brought to the table, we were always able to find something that we enjoyed — usually some sort of meat and vegetable dish, or some seafood. If nothing else, dinner each night encouraged us to be a bit more adventurous in our cuisine!
The cruise included three shore excursions. The first excursion was to the Three Gorges Dam, which is the largest dam in the world. We were bused from the ship to the dam site and found the tour very interesting. Happily it was a beautiful sunny Fall day which made walking around the dam site, looking at the 5 locks etc. very pleasant.
The second excursion involved a ferry ride to a dock where everyone was loaded into wooden canoes, rowed with bamboo oars by some very athletic (but not young!) natives. We traveled up Shenong Stream between towering granite cliffs and the scenery was just beautiful.
The third excursion was to Fengdu Ghost City, high atop a mountain that did involve quite a steep climb, not to mention about 300 steps to the top pagoda. But the physical effort was well worth the experience of walking around this ancient site.
In summary, I would say that yes, there is plenty of time to sit on the sundeck and watch the huge cliffs slide quietly by on each side of the ship; or to spot goats on steep hillsides; or indulge in a glass of wine on your private balcony and listen to the lap of the water against the hull of the ship. But there was also plenty to do, both on board ship and in the shore excursions. I watched an interesting demonstration of acupuncture and reflexology; there was Tai Chi on deck at the crack of dawn each morning (although I never actually made it to that!); demonstrations of Chinese art and painting; not to mention socializing with people from all over the world.
My husband and I are very active people with high energy, and we get bored easily. We have cruised the Caribbean and hated it. But I will say that our cruise on the Yangtze River was anything but boring, and we would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Looking for more winter cruise experience, please visit here Reviews of Yangtze River.