Travel News from: April 2008 Archives

On March 23rd I left Guilin City for my inspection tour of China Regal Cruises' Yangtze River Cruise. No one on

board knew I worked for China Odyssey Tours so that I could get a real feeling for what our client's experience. I landed in Chongqing where I would spend the day before being taken to my boat. My ship was the Princess Sheena and I was quite impressed with the overall appearance of the ship. It has a very sleek design. It is not big or blocky, as most cruise ships in China are. This is due to the fact that it was built in Germany and is the only cruise line on the Yangtze that has foreign built ships.

I had a single room. The room was small, comfortable, and very well designed. Everything was placed very well. My room had all of the amenities that could be found in a 5 star hotel. I had my own air conditioner, refrigerator, television, telephone, bathroom with shower and western style toilet, and plenty of storage space.

One of the first things I noticed about the ship was the friendliness of the staff, and their excellent use of English. There was no communication problems whatsoever during my trip. The crew members I dealt with all remembered my name and went out of their way to say hi to me and to make sure that my every need was looked after. They did not know that I work for China Odyssey Tours, so I did not get special treatment. This is how they treat all their guests.

The ship itself was extremely comfortable. I could barely feel we were moving. Motion sickness will not be a problem for anyone riding on this ship. The interior of the ship is very easy to navigate and well laid out. The ship features a bar, observation lounge/library, ballroom, sundeck, two dining rooms, a gift shop, photo center, business center, medical clinic, sauna, massage parlor, and hair dresser. Each facility is well designed, and very

comfortable.  The bar and observation room/library was located in the bow of the ship and had windows on three sides which gave excellent views of the Three Gorges scenery, while sitting in comfort out of the weather. The bar features a large selection of western alcohol and wine, as well as China's famous Maotai Alcohol. The bartenders do not skimp on the alcohol either. The dining rooms feature very comfortable chairs and have large windows running down each side. The meals were buffet style and offered both Western and Chinese cuisine. Soft drinks, tea, coffee, and juice were complimentary. The food was very good. The ballroom was where all of the performances and parties were held. It features a state of the art sound and lighting system. I have to mention the performances. They were excellent. They featured the crew of the ship, and they were extremely talented. The costumes were very beautiful as well. It is definitely something that should not be missed. I got to know some of the crew members, and was surprised to see several of them performing. Even the girl who cleaned my cabin sang a song beautifully. At the beginning of my cruise, the ship's doctor gave a seminar on traditional Chinese medicine. I made an appointment with him, so he could look at my

tendonitis and he performed acupuncture on me which really helped a lot with the pain I have been having. The sundeck located on the top deck of the ship was the perfect place to watch our ship go through the Three Gorges Dam's 5-stage ship locks. Each deck has its own exterior walkway that encircles the ship, so that visitors wanting a little exercise can walk around the ship. Most ships cruising on the Yangtze to not have this, and visitors are only able to walk back and forth on each deck.

The excursions that we took were very well set up and run. We visited the Shennong Stream and had to switch to a smaller ship, and eventually to small wooden boats. Our guide was waiting for us, and took us through all parts of the excursion. The Three Gorges Dam was also very well done. Our guide was waiting for us as we disembarked, and personally took us to our bus and gave us a tour of the whole site. There English and knowledge of each site was exceptional. They were able to answer any and all questions we had.

One of the nicest parts of the cruise other than the ship, excursions, and crew, was my fellow passengers.

Everyone on board soon got to know each other, and we really had fun sharing this experience with each other. It made my cruise on China Regal Tours' cruise down the Yangtze River much more enjoyable.

Before my inspection tour of the Yangtze River, I did no research. I wanted the experience to be as real as possible. I found the ship and her crew to be extremely professional. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget, and I will keep in touch with the new friends I made onboard for years to come. It was a truly unforgettable experience.