My cruise along the Yangtze River was the most highlight of a fabulous 10 days tour. After a brief tour of Chongqing, we started our 4 days cruising down the Yangtze from Chongqing to Wuhan.
The ship we took was Victoria Queen, a ship with five public decks and no elevator. There was no smoking on board except outside on the back of the ship, so there were no bad odors onboard.
The cabin I stayed was very spacious with two comfortable twin beds inside. The room had great air-conditioning. It didn't seem very adjustable. I kept it on most of the time and was comfortable. The room had a TV with HBO and several other English speaking news channels. The TV was located high up the wall and was viewable from the two beds.
The food on board was good. We were served buffet for breakfast and lunch. There were western and Chinese style choices and lots of fruits and vegetables. I was happy to try something new to eat and enjoyed all the selections. Dinners were served family style at the table. There are about 15 dishes on each table and you would not be leave with hunger.
The service on the ship was also fabulous. Everyone was friendly and greeted you when you walked by.
There are also many Chinese style entertainments for us on board. For example, there was a Tai Chi lesson every morning or you can try some Chinese medical treatments like acupuncture, massage and suction cups. The ship staff put on a show at nighttime. They are not professional actors and actress but the performance was interesting.
There was the Captain's welcome aboard cocktail party held in the Yangtze club on the first evening that was very nice. Sparkling wine and hors d'oeuvres were served. We all toasted to an enjoyable cruise and had a great time.
Everyday there was a tour. We left the ship and took the daily tour. What impressed me most were Fengdu Ghost city and Three Gorges Dams.
The city of Ghost was considered gathering place for ghosts for centuries because 2 men lived there whose combined names sounded very much like “King of Hell”. At the top of Mt. Minshan, we enjoyed folk art sculptures and paintings of demons, ghosts, and the judges who determine whether people go to heaven or hell.
The Three Gorges Dam was excellent and I found no superlatives could describe it. You could see the completed powerhouse, the spillway with the powerful water and mist from the lookout point. I purchased a small finely carved beach wood lion at the gift shop near the dam for about $6.00 that I really love. Be sure to bargain.
In all, this was a fabulous trip on Yangtze Cruise with Victoria Queen. You can contact China Odyssey Tours (http://www.chinaodysseytours.com/yangtzecruise/index.html) for a more great Yangtze Cruise Tours.
