During our trip to China, my wife and I took a four-day trip up the Yangtze River. The river cruise was part of a broader trip booked through Gate 1 Travel. The cruise itself was on the MV Lianna, managed by Victoria Cruises. The boat was built in 1995, but was rebuilt in 2011, a few years before we traveled. The ship has four decks, with rooms divided by a central hallway. Every room has a small private balcony large enough for two small chairs for visitors to take in the views. When we booked our tour, I upgraded our tour package to include free wifi in the room. Wifi is available free in the common areas, but I wanted to skype home from my room. The upgrade was inexpensive, maybe fifty dollars each. It turned out to be a bargain as we were also upgraded to the upper deck dining room for our meals.
We arrived late in the evening. Our luggage was already staged outside our door when we arrived. The narrow room had a small closet just inside the doors where we were able to stow our luggage. The room was neat and clean, with one bed on either side of the exit out to the small balcony. The bathroom was opposite the closet just inside the door from the hallway. There was a flat screen television mounted on the wall facing the beds. A small work desk was on the far wall, complete with a welcome fruit basket and bottled water. Our upgrade also allowed us to visit the upper dining room any time of day to grab free drinks or snacks.
Beds. Balcony is located behind the drawn curtains.
Television, work desk, coffee service and fruit basket.
Video of room and balcony
Hallway
The upgraded dining room was on the top deck of the ship. There were doors that exited out to a sundeck, although it was cool and rainy during much of the trip. I am sure it would have gotten plenty of use during warmer weather. Walkways along the side of the dining room lead to another deck at the front of the ship. The dining room remained open and offered a variety of drinks and small treats (I particularly liked the bean sesame balls they out). Meals in this dining room were made to order. Guests were provided with a list of options at breakfast time. Dinner was served from the morning choices. The food was really good.
Upgraded dining room on top deck.
Reading nook in upgraded dining room.
The main dining room had buffet style dining. In some ways, I think we may have missed out. While it is nice to order from a limited menu, it is also nice to experiment with meals served buffet style. The choices are often varied, providing an opportunity to try a variety of dishes. However, we had many buffet style meals during our trip, so we had ample opportunity to experiment.
Exterior of our ship.
During the cruise, on a slow day, the Captain invited us to visit the Bridge. We were allowed to visit in small groups, as the bridge is crowded. We were traveling upstream, so we were not moving terribly fast. I believe the ship has a top speed of 28 kmph. We entered the bridge and were given an opportunity to look at the equipment, man the wheel, and ask questions.
Laundry Day on the Yangtze River (sorry, shaky hands)
Grave sites
Writing that used to be high on the mountain
Water depth markers
Disembarking
The cruise was great. The crew were exceptional and multi-faceted. Aside from cooking, cleaning and serving, they also provided entertainment. We had tai chi classes, dancing and even a band playing "Oh, Susanna" as we left the boat. The boat was in good condition, but not perfect. The website describes the boats as certified "five stars" by the Chinese tourism board. Five stars in China has a different meaning. Everything was clean and functional, but some things were not in the best state of repair. The shower in our room was a bit worn and leaky. The ship furnishings seemed a bit dated. But overall, it was a comfortable journey with great service.
All photos (except the banner) and videos are my own. They may be used with prior permission. I hope you enjoyed reading about our experiences on the Yangtze River. I will be adding information about the side trips (day excursions) we took while we were on the Yangtze.