Yangtze River Cruise 2009 good choice?
 

considering booking a tour that includes a Victoria Cruise upstream on the Yangtze River in late March 2009.

With all the changes on the Yangtze River would this cruise be a good addition to our trip? Or should we skip it?

Thanks

I would argue that a trip up the Yangzi hasn't been a particular thrill since the 1920s or so. Long before the Three Gorges Dam was built the British blew up obstructions and dredged, and an earlier dam already raised water levels without anyone making much of a fuss.

This is the single most over-hyped trip in China. The experience of the gorges is pleasant enough, their impact (such as it is) not greatly changed from before, and the mythical histories and recently-coined-to-please-tourists names for rocks and peaks just the same. The pollution is often dreadful, with only a narrow strip of blue sky visible above the centre of the stream where the wind is strongest. The new dam if anything adds to the attraction, although it's just a very long ribbon of concrete across the river now, its opposite end often lost in the murk.

Having spent several years peddling 'last chance to see' cruises, the industry is now back-pedalling frantically to insist that it's all every bit as beautiful as it used to be. The cruise ships themselves are of no particular interest, and cruises now usually begin or end with lengthy bus journeys to or from Yichang.

No doubt many will post to say they enjoyed the trip, but really if your time in China is limited then why spend three or four days of it cloistered in an ersatz Western environment eating very modest food, and being fed a load of nonsense by tour guides? Better actually to get out into a real rural environment.

Short answer: skip it.

Peter N-H

We also thought of including the cruise in our plans until I read
1) Peter's input &
2)watched the Canadian National Film Board documentary "Up the Yantze".The scenes portraying glutonnous North American tourists making small-talk & gazing out the window as they sail over towns that drowned as a result of the dam, made me depressed & disgusted. Please don't follow the herd of sheep who succomb to the cruise's advertising and rather use your quality time & hard earned money to see the sights that deserve to be seen.

I did enjoy the cruise, but I did it in 1997. I transited the main gorges on an damp, cool, day, with the cliffs looming out of the mist and found it very atmospheric. In fact, one reason I visited China in '97 (for the first time) was to see the gorges before the latest dam came on-line. I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy it now.

Most people who did the trip enjoyed it. Some more than others. Is it a must see for a short China trip? No. Will you regret going if you do? I don't think so either.

BTW, I don't think I've read a single trip report on the Yangtze Cruise here (which I do read most of it) that uses the term "over-hyped" or "scam".

Well, maybe except PeterN_H, but I am not sure when he took it.

What an utterly pointless and unhelpful final remark.

I can't find the word 'scam' anywhere above, so the reference is obscure. And there's no 'maybe' about the term 'over-hyped' being there; it is.

I presume the OP was asking for a variety of opinions and not just those that suit rkkwan, or the majority viewpoint (whatever that may be). I presume he or she would like an informative posting with a mixture of opinion and fact (based on trips both before and after the recent construction).

Perhaps it would be better to make postings of that kind rather than those that consist of nothing more than snide remarks about others who post?

Oh, and it's horribly over-priced, too.

If the Gorges absolutely must be seen, it's possible to take a slightly more adventurous approach (although this is not for experienced cruise people looking for a comfortable cruise). This is a repeat of an earlier post:

While it's true that the hydrofoil is indeed the quickest way to see the gorges, a couple of years ago I travelled from Yichang by bus to the dock just beyond the dam, then by hydrofoil to Wanzhou, and bus to Chongqing for ¥300 (the bus from Yichang was included in the hydrofoil price, and then a separate bus ticket was bought in Wanzhou). I made a separate trip to see the dam by private car which came to ¥150 including entrance charges.

[Warning: This information uses the word 'hydrofoil' which may not appear in other postings on this subject.]

Peter N-H

I think you would be happy if you take the cruise because you are not only take a Yangtze River Cruise but also a cruise about Chinese culture.
The best time sections to take a Yangtze Cruise are April, May, September and October so late in March is also ok.

I am just reflecting on the majority of the trip reports I've seen here. I haven't done the cruise since 1985, so I have no recent experience.

If you read my actual response, I don't think anybody will feel I am hyping the cruise.

As for my remark towards PeterN_H, I sincerely and honestly want to know what year(s) did he take the cruise. Nothing more than that.

As for the word "scam", I thought I saw it in Syl's response. I can't find it now, so I apologize for that comment of mine.

I have been looking for a Yangtze River trip report from travellers who have recently done the cruise on this website and others. The two or three I have found have been fairly positive. No one regretted going. I have chosen to do a Yangtze river cruise as part of my 2.5 week trip to China in early Nov., although I wish I had more information on what scenery is left after the recent flooding of the river. I will post a report here when I come back, so anyone looking for current info will have it. Til then, if anyone has gone on the cruise in the last few months, could you please comment on it.

If you are thinking about a Yangzi cruise and have the opportunity to view the film "Up the Yangtze" by Chinese Canadian Yung Chang, I would do so. This movie was filmed in 2006 so I believe the river level is even higher now. I feel it shows life for a family who live(d)at the river's edge, the opportunity to earn money for school for the family's oldest daughter who finds work on a river cruise ship and evenly portrays the laowai (Western) tourists. I value the information about China travel provided by the posters to this forum. I welcome diverse opinions--it proves people are thinking about what they post. I've learned a lot. Thank you all.
Pellegrina

No bad reports? I would say the Yangtze River trip was the single biggest disappointment in three months travel in China. If diesel fumes, megaphones, bad food, and mass tourism Chinese style sounds like your cup of tea you might enjoy it. Not for this turkey, I would suggest there are far more worthwhile options in China.

Of course I may have just ended up on the wrong boat. I have spoken to others who somehow enjoyed the experience.

http://travelsinasia.com/China/China.htm

Pellegrina,
Glad you saw the film as well.I met Yung Chang at the opening here in Montreal several months ago.I urged him to distribute it worldwide.

WeiLong - looks like you were on one of the Chinese boats - most, if not all, posters here would have traveled on a "western" boat - e.g. www.victoriacruises.com.

"not only take a Yangtze River Cruise but also a cruise about Chinese culture" - didn't that just get drowned?

On the scenery, you could start by looking at the web page for the film mentioned in a couple of other postings:

http://www.uptheyangtze.com/photo-gallery.php

You'll also find the trailer there.

The problem with answering the query on the changes brought by the rising water at least to the gorges is that they were never as majestic as described in the first place, and the rising of the waters has still only been a small proportion of their total height. Passing through them is still pleasant enough, but to a large extent the Chinese tourism industry is once again re-playing to the foreign tourists prejudices of their own development. The trip up the Yangzi was once known for its drama, and it featured in the accounts of early (late-19th century) visitors such as journalists and consuls on their way to the treaty port of Chongqing. But it changed long ago.

It used to surprise me before the arrival of the new dam how those who spoke well of the cruise would fail to remark on the filthiness of the water, the air pollution, and the hideous factories and shanty towns on the banks beyond the worst imaginings of the Victorian industrial revolution. If anything the rising of the waters has improved things visually, drowning some of the ugliest factories and settlements. Although the white-tiled new towns that have replaced them higher up the banks will be winning no beauty contests, they're certainly easier on the eye.

Peter N-H

shellyk --
If you're interested in trip reports you might want to check out cruisecritic -- there are a lot of posts about Yangtze cruises there. The section of the boards about "River & Canal" cruises has some but there is another big bunch of them under the "Other Cruise Lines" section -- mainly about Viking cruises but it would give you an idea of what to expect.

For what it's worth it sounds like the people on that forum have really enjoyed their river cruises.

My wife & I went on a Victoria Cruises Yangtze River cruise from Chongqing to Yichang during our recent trip to China in July 2008.

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and felt it was a terrific part of our four weeks in China. We had never been on a cruise before. We enjoyed being on the boat and truly enjoyed the honestly superb level of service.

The ships are small enough to not be overwhelming and the size seemed to actually create camaraderie amongst the passengers & the crew. The crew puts on shows in the evening showcasing traditional Chinese customs & dress.

The shore excursions were interesting and time well spent that added to the variety of traveling down the river. A visit to the Ghost Town & the very interesting excursion to the lesser of Three Gorges which included a journey on a sampan were highlights of the trip.

Granted, the food was not great. It was okay, nothing bad, but pretty typical of mass produced food for a large group. The food choices included a mix of western & Chinese options which were designed not to offend anyone.

During the journey, there is a lot of focus on the new Three Gorges Dam and its impact along the river. You can see towns that were either moved to higher ground, or in some cases to the other side of the river. There are signs and markers indicating where the water level will be once the dam project is finally completed and the water levels reach their peak.

The actual Three Gorges are visually impressive to navigate through on the river. Cliffs rising along the river's edge high into the sky on either side of the ship.

It is touristy, no where else on our China trip were we more surrounded by westerners. There were also a number of Chinese tourists on the boat. Usually we're not too interested in hanging out with large groups of other tourists as that tends to shield you from the actual people you've traveled so far to hopefully connect with. However, the cruise experience was genuine and we enjoyed it.

Overall, we would highly recommend taking the Yangtze River cruise and feel the experience was an important part of our China trip.

kdbradl-Thanks so much for your post. I too am not a "cruise person". The only other cruise I have been on was a 7 day Nile River cruise in Egypt which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was hoping that this cruise would add to my experience in China. I am happy to hear you enjoyed the cruise. I am looking forward to our trip to China. Thanks again for posting.

<<Overall, we would highly recommend taking the Yangtze River cruise and feel the experience was an important part of our China trip.>>

No one has responded to Peter N_H's comments about pollution and fumes. Did this bother anyone else? Is it pervasive or only at certain times and places.