Are there any new ships that are highly recommended to the travelers?

Yes! There are two newest Yangtze Cruise Ships which will make your Yangtze voyage unforgettable—Yangtze No. 2 and President Prime. For the Yangtze No. 2, its first voyage starts in September 2011 and it is the only Yangtze cruise equipped with indoor thermostatic and constant-humidity swimming pool. President Prime, with its first voyage on April 15th 2011, marks the new generation of super 5-star boat on the Yangtze River and will make you feel as “Home on the Water” .

Wu Gorge

How many reaches are there for the total Yangtze River? And what are their characters?

There are three reaches: The Upper Reaches, Middle Reaches and Lower Reaches. The Upper Reaches of the Yangtze is a land of remote mountains, gorges and minority peoples which starts from the Tanggula Mountains, the Source of the Yangtze. You can appreciate the First Bend of the Yangtze River—Shigu (Stone Drum) Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze.

The Middle Reaches of the Yangtze begin on the East Sichuan Plateau and flow steadily down through a system of canyon-like gorges to the plains of Hubei. Characters here are Chengdu Giant Pandas, Three Gorges, Fengdu Ghost City and the Lesser Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam , Gezhou Dam and Shennong Stream.

Xiling Gorge

The Lower Reaches of Yangtze is “a land of fish and rice” which begins somewhere around Wuhan. You can see the Yellow Mountain Scenic Area, Nanjing, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Zhouzhuang, Wuzhen, Xitang and Tongli Water Towns.

Are there any Budget Yangtze Ships for us to choose from?

Of course. There are three budget Yangtze Cruise Ships: The 3-day cruise, whose price starts only from $232; Popular 4-star President Cruise Ships with the price only from $362 for classic cruises between Chongqing and Yichang, especially the President No.1 and President No.6; 5-star Victoria Cruise that you can enjoy the high-quality and outstanding service and innovative itineraries at the cheapest price among all the luxury 5-star ships.

Question: What is the currency used onboard? Is currency exchange service available onboard?

Answer: Generally, no cash transactions are made onboard. Instead, a tally of the expanses is kept for each passenger. Before disembarkation, the passengers are required to pay their bills using major currencies like British Pounds, US dollars, Chinese Yuan, Euro or major credit cards like VISA, MasterCard or American Express. The currency exchange service is available at the reception desk.

Question: Does the cabin have safes?

Answer: Yes, each cabin is fitted with safe.

Question: I have problem while waking for a longer period of time. How can I join the shore excursions?

Answer: There will be many local porters for serving you during your shore excursions. Two of them will carry you in a bamboo chair, for which you are required to pay about CNY20.00 – CNY30.00 (US$2.50 – US$4.00). This will be very convenient as well as helpful for you.

Question: how much I need to pay to the porters when I embark and disembark?

Answer: It depends upon the tour package from where you have booked. But, generally you do not need to pay unless you want to give them tip. You guide generally will pay portage to them.

Question: What about tipping?

Answer: Tipper is the matter of your personal preference. An additional tip to any staff member who has provides some special service is solely upon your discretion. Tips to shore excursion guide are not at the discretion of passengers.

Question: How the passengers with special physical or medical needs are treated?

Answer: If you need some special physical or medical or relevant needs like wheelchair then you should inform in advance while booking your trip and check if these facilities are available or not. For several years, Yangtze cruise companies have improved their facilities so that even a physically challenged person can enjoy his/her trip to the fullest.

Question: Will I have the services of your private tour guide while on board?

Question: No, You might not get the private tour guide while on the board. All the onboard activities are arranged by the cruise company. Your private tour guide will not be accompanying you during the cruise. All the activities and shore excursions during the cruise are fully managed by the cruise company and it is subjected to change without prior notice.

Question: Is water onboard safe for drinking?

Answer: The advance water purification and sterilization equipments offer you clean tap water.

Question: Do staffs onboard speak English?

Answer: Yes, each ship has at least one knowledgeable foreign nation cruise director. Apart from it, most of the service staff speaks English as well.

Question: Can I use my shaver or hair dryer on board? What is the voltage on board?

Answer: Many ships will provide you the hair-dryer in your cabin for your convenience. Most of the Yangtze cruise ships have 110V outlet in bathroom and 220v in Cabin.

Question: what are the special diets catered?

Answer: Most of the ship will provide vegetarian, low-carbohydrate, salt-free, Kosher and other diet preferences. However, the request should be made in advance while booking the cruise.

Question: Are medical services available?

Answer: Yes, professional medical services are available on all Yangtze cruise ship and each ship usually has a doctor and health clinic

Question: What is the onboard smoking policy?

Answer: All ships have smoking areas as well as non-smoking areas. Smoking is usually allowed only on the observation deck.

Question: Is there any laundry service onboard?

Answer: Laundry services like washing and ironing are available but the dry cleaning facility is not available.

Question: Is there facility for internet on board?

Answer: Yes, Phone call services and Internet access services are available via the satellite services. Some of the other secretarial services like simultaneous translation, typing, photocopying, personal computers and fax facilities are available in the business centre. However, for using these services, you need to pay some extra amount. You should bring you own cell phone onboard.

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�&�&-gif” o:title=”degree”/> C in July and 10C in January. Spring and autumn is the best season. During the summer, thunderstorms are frequent causing the water level of river to rise. This generally occurs between July and September. The winter is cold and short.

Question: Which is the high season?

Answer: The high season is defined by the companies based on their cuisse line as well as the water level. Generally, April, May, September and October are the high season for cruising.
Question: How can I get to the ship and how early should I arrive there?

Answer: You can get the details of the itinerary like the name of the port and time of departure from the Cruise Company or travel agent. You need to reach few hours before the departure of the ship.

Question: Which kind of clothing should I bring?

Answer: We suggest you to bring jeans, T- Shirts, light jacket and light weight windbreaker if you are going to plan your cruise during autumn and spring. For cooler days, you should carry a light sweater. You should bring cotton T-shirts, shorts, cap/hat, sunglasses and suntan lotion for cruise on summer days. Sweater is a must if you are cruising in winter. You can carry comfortable walking shoes, sneakers, sandals.

There are general two formal nights which include the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party and Dinner and the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. So, it is suggested that you should dress up accordingly for such a formal occasion. Coat and tie for gentlemen and gown or formal dress for ladies is recommended.

Question: What if I arrive late?

Answer: You can miss your ship as scheduled due to some unavoidable reasons. You can contact your cruise company in that case and tell them about your situation.

Question: What is the average weather like if I plan to go on a cruise on Yangtze River?

Answer: The weather is generally humid, windy having low sunshine. The average temperature is about 30C in July and 10C in January. Spring and autumn is the best season. During the summer, thunderstorms are frequent causing the water level of river to rise. This generally occurs between July and September. The winter is cold and short.

Question: Which is the high season?

Answer: The high season is defined by the companies based on their cuisse line as well as the water level. Generally, April, May, September and October are the high season for cruising.
Question: How can I get to the ship and how early should I arrive there?

Answer: You can get the details of the itinerary like the name of the port and time of departure from the Cruise Company or travel agent. You need to reach few hours before the departure of the ship.

Question: Which kind of clothing should I bring?

Answer: We suggest you to bring jeans, T- Shirts, light jacket and light weight windbreaker if you are going to plan your cruise during autumn and spring. For cooler days, you should carry a light sweater. You should bring cotton T-shirts, shorts, cap/hat, sunglasses and suntan lotion for cruise on summer days. Sweater is a must if you are cruising in winter. You can carry comfortable walking shoes, sneakers, sandals.

There are general two formal nights which include the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party and Dinner and the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. So, it is suggested that you should dress up accordingly for such a formal occasion. Coat and tie for gentlemen and gown or formal dress for ladies is recommended.

Question: What if I arrive late?

Answer: You can miss your ship as scheduled due to some unavoidable reasons. You can contact your cruise company in that case and tell them about your situation.

Qutang Gorge

How many ways can travelers visit the Yangtze River?

There are 3 ways for travelers to visit the Yangtze River: boats, ferries and hydrofoils, among which the cruise boats is the most popular and comfortable one.

How many ships are there for us to choose from?

There are President Cruises Series, Victoria Cruise Series, New Century Cruises Series, Yangtze Explorer Cruise Ships, OTC Victoria Cruises, 3-Day Yangtze Cruises and Yangtze Gold Cruises, among which Century Sky, one of the luxury ships for the Yangtze Cruise; Victoria Sophia, the only one ship sailing between Chongqing and Shanghai; Victoria Prince, offering commendations for both leisure and business travelers; Victoria Jenna, the Flagship of Victoria Cruise are the highly recommended cruise ships for 2013.

What are the most popular ships preferred by the foreigners?

Here are top 5 ships preferred by foreigners: President Prime, Century Diamond, Victoria Selina, Yangtze Explorer and President No. 1.

What attractions can we enjoy during the cruise on the ship?

There are many famous scenic spots you will view during the whole cruise, undoubtedly including Qutang Gorge, Xiling Gorge, Wu Gorge, Baidicheng, The Lesser Three Gorges, Fengdu Ghost City, The Lesser Three Gorges, Gezhou Dam, The Chinese Sturgeon Museum, Three Gorges Dam etc.

What is the ideal season for the cruise?

The best time to take a Yangtze River cruise is spring and autumn, namely, it is April, May, September and October when the weather is comfortable. We call these four months high seasons. But you can enjoy best prices if you travel in other months.

Is there any shore excursion during the cruise?

Yes, of course. There cover some exciting shore excursions as below:

1. Ascending the Viewing Platform on the Jar Hill on the northern bank of the Three Gorges Dam and have a bird’s-eye view of the dam.

2. Leave your big ship and transfer to small boat to experience either Little Three Gorges at Daning River or Shennong Stream.

3. Go ashore to visit the Fengdu – “Ghost City” (or visit Wanzhou, or Shibaozhai at Zhongxian County)

How do I know which cruiser I am going to take?

There are various piers scattering along the port, which is very difficult for passenger to find the right ship to get onboard. Moreover, the anchorages of all the ships are temporarily decided by ship companies. It often happens that some passengers couldn’t find their ship until the ship had departed, which is over our control. So highly recommend you book the cruise package tour through travel agency, which will include the transportation to the pier to get onboard with the help of our guide and driver.

What is the weather like on Yangtze River?

The average temperature is 30 C° (90F) in July and 10 C° (50F) in January. In summer, dramatic thunderstorms and heavy rains often happen to cause the water level high between July and September, while winter is short and cold. Usually, most ships suspend during winter because of the low water level. April, May, September and October are the peak as well as the best season for taking the cruise.

Xiling Gorge

What are the Yangtze River boats like?

All of the boats we use are 3 to 5 star, as are the hotels. They cater to western tourists. The cabins have two berth type beds on each side of the cabin, and the cabin contains a private bathroom. Meals are the same as the restaurants. The boats are like all the standard, very large Yangtze River boats, which look very similar. The facilities include central air-conditioning, closed circuit TV and audio, Chinese and western dining rooms, coffee shop, video cinema, bar, ballroom, karaoke, gift shop, beauty parlor, outside observation deck, telephones etc. Foreign exchange, credit card service, laundry, and massage services are available on board.

What does the price of the cruise include or not include?

Shipboard accommodations, meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and designated shore excursions fee and port taxes, while the price does not include any designated overnight hotel stay prior to boarding the ship, personal expenses such as wine in the bar, laundry, hairdressing and barbering, telephone and facsimiles, postal and cable service, clinic, massage and shopping, gratuities etc.

What routes are available for Yangtze cruise?

Downstream:
Chongqing – Yichang (4 days 3 nights)

Chongqing – Wuhan (5 days 4 nights)

Chongqing – Shanghai (7 days 6 nights)

 Upstream:

Shanghai – Chongqing (9 days 8 nights)

Wuhan – Chongqing (6 days 5 nights)

Yichang – Chongqing (5 days 4 nights)