Yangtze Explorer Cruise Ship

“Very Positive Experience with Local Travel Agent”

Stephanie helped me book my three day Yangtze Explorer cruise. It was almost double the price of the next best rated ship. It was very much worth it. Good food; nice cabins and attentive crew. The ship was clean and everything came about as promised. No problem. Note that there are lots of steps getting to and from the ship---that is a serious consideration for the elderly. No problem for me.

I had Stephanie arrange a one day tour of Chongquin. Colleen was the guide. Excellent tour and she was flexible. I wanted to try the local "hotpot" restaurant and she found one with a local feel. If you don't like spicy food, it can be ordered on the mild side. I also wanted to see a little of the "old China" and she accommodated my request. Good tour.

I also had Stephanie arrange a half day tour and delivery to the airport at Yichang. Again, no problems but not all that much to see in Yichang. I had an early dinner at the famous hanging restaurant which was terrific.

“M.S. Yangtze Explorer 4 day Cruise”

We took a 4 day cruise on the Yangtze Explorer and the experience was phenomenal from start to finish. We selected this ship based on the small number of passengers, the staff to guest ratio, and the description of the food (Western and Chinese). We were not disappointed in any area, in fact all elements of the cruise - service, cuisine, excursions, the room, cleanliness, activities, the scenery (!) - more than exceeded our expectations.

When we boarded we were asked if we would like to see the Celestial Suite as it was open. We paid for an upgrade and it was money well spent! We had a huge private sun deck and the whole experience on board was like being on a private yacht. It would be impossible to overrate the ship and crew, they made our cruise an experience of a lifetime.

If there's one thing I want to get across, it's that an upgrade to the Celestial Suite made this cruise more than a sightseeing tour. Standing or lying at the front of the ship on our own large private deck whilst sailing by incredible scenery was an experience not easily put into words.

“Excellent experience on the Sanctuary Yangtze Explorer”

Never having taken a river cruise before, we were not sure what to expect on the 3 night Chongqing to Yichang down river Yangtze Explorer cruise. We were pleasantly surprised. The deluxe cabin was well fitted out, the crew and service standards were excellent and the boat so smooth (and not too noisy) that we were able to sleep well. The food was served as a buffet for breakfast and lunch and a small selection at dinner.

The timing of passing through the various sights was good and we appreciated the detailed commentary. Although there were a fair number of other cruises, things were well arranged so that we rarely saw another tourist boat during the daytime, and it didn't feel like being part of a procession. The trips off the boat, we did 2 of the 3 were OK - perhaps not quite as interesting as we had thought.

The spa experience was good and the talks etc broke up the day when there wasn't so much to see. That said, we just enjoyed sitting on the small balcony, watching the scenery go by. An excellent experience and would thoroughly recommend the Yangtze Explorer.